Quick, Overnight Bicycle Touring

By Brett,

I like to prepare for any trip in the great outdoors….or really any trip for that matter, using what I like to call a ‘Three Kit System’. Years ago when I started traveling for business I soon realized how much easier it was to keep a dopp kit ready to go at all times. This kept me from having to assemble all the items for each trip, and made packing much easier. Likewise, there are a couple other kits that I think are handy to keep at the ready — and a key part of any gear list.

Any outdoorsman will tell you that when you’re in the back-country you also need a first aid kit. The size and type of first aid kit you bring is specific to the type and duration of the trip, and I’m not going to go into a lot of details on that here.

The third kit….which I find is less commonly sited, is what I like to call the Back Country Tool Kit. This kit contains all the key necessities you might need to repair or fix any of your crucial gear or create solutions to a myriad of problems or opportunities. Like the other two kits I find that having an intact kit, ready to go at all times, is pretty handy and can save a lot of preparation time. When I’m not going on a trip, I keep my tool kit in the car (just as I keep a dopp kit and first aid kit in the car, for just such an emergency). Over the years, I’ve assembled a small collection of tools and supplies that can get you out many jams. I like to keep my tool kit in a small zipper bag like some of those offered by Eagle Creek. There are times when I’ve reached into my little bag of tricks, and people can’t believe I just happened to have just what was needed to save the day. The key isn’t in having everything; it’s in having the right things. I’ve settled on a few key items over the years.

Here’s what I like to keep in my tool kit:

1.  Duct Tape: We all know how this can be a life saver around the home. It’s no less useful in the backcountry. It can be used to prevent a hot spot from forming on your foot, or to bind some gear back together. Just this summer I used it to bind a sole back onto a friend’s boot, which helped to get her safely home. I generally just roll the tape on itself into a flat role about 2 inches wide and a quarter to half inch thick. If you’re on a longer trip you might want a bit more.

2.  Lighter: (You could also use a magnesium stick or flint). The ability to start a fire can be a life saver.

3.  Multi tool: I like a Leatherman (with a pair of pliers) but Swiss Army knives are good too.

4.  Heavy duty needles: Should you need to repair a pack, boot, tent, or clothing item this could be pretty handy and with next to no weight. You could also cut and bend them into a variety of tools such as fish hooks.

5.  Heavy duty fishing line: I usually just wrap some around the cardboard pack of needles. You could use this as thread to sew up a pack, fish with it, or even make a variety of animal traps if need be.

6.  Headlamp: Keeping this in your tool kit is just handy consolidation.

7.  Wire: A small section of wire can be used to attach something, can be used with a battery to start a fire, or even crafted into a fish hook.

8.  Emergency blanket: These generally weigh just a few ounces, but can literally save your life if you’re caught with too few or the wrong clothes. It can also be used as a windblock, a rain poncho, or a tarp.

9.  Cord: There are so many uses for this; it’s a critical piece of equipment. To list a few: bear bagging, stretching a tarp/shelter, lashing gear, making a trap, etc.

10. Twist ties: These can be pretty handy for a quick fix or lashing. I prefer the ones that can be opened and reused.

11. Super Glue: For a fraction of an ounce this can be a real handy item. I use this surprising frequently on backcountry trips where there are so many little things that can break (sunglasses, a clip on a pack, etc.). I’ve also heard that superglue can be used to seal up a cut in a pinch (though as I’m not a Dr. you’ll have to weigh this decision yourself).

12. Water Purification Tablets (and neutralizer): Clean water is a key in staying healthy and safe, and you don’t always know if a clean source of water is available. Of course you’ll all need a vessel for water, but I generally pack that separately.

Of course there are many other things that you could keep in your kit, including a few spare parts, straps, etc. but I’ve found the items in this list to be pretty useful. Of course having these items is only half of the battle. Knowing how to use the various items, and craft innovative solutions to problems is where the rubber meets the road. I’ve occasionally been nicknamed MacGyver by travel companions, and part of the fun for me is figuring out how to resolve a problem with the materials on hand or in the environment. I’ve found with this collection of materials listed, I have a pretty good chance of being able to develop all sorts of nifty solutions — bring on the challenge.

By Nick,

We violated the technical rules of S24O but expanded its heart. Don, as if to assuage the upcoming violation of our door to site biking ethics, rode his bike to arrive at my house at 7:30AM. It gave me time to at least appear to be helpful to my wife and our two young ones. We then jumped in my car to drive to Lockwood to meet Brett, a cornerstone of many of my best outdoor trips (too few, Brett, but always memorable).

Don and I made good time but gave it away in attempting to connect (Brett was coming from SF).  Finally, we parked in the Lockwood post office parking lot (next door to the middle of nowhere) and launched.  Brett pushed the pace early (per usual) and Don and I hung on. The sky was beautiful, the weather perfect, and the soldiers across the rode taking target practice felt like a world away.

We made it through the gates of the fort with ease, jammed down the main road, then eased off to our goal —Nacimiento Ferguson Road. Our personal soon to be Roadway to Heaven (cue the music).  The last vestiges of humanity dropped away, especially the background hum of urban areas.  The silence was surprising, inspiring and sweet.

Brett’s flat broke the rhythm but gave us a chance to practice team tire changing.  We jumped back on the road, and before we knew it, the fort exit was upon us.

The expansiveness of the fort landscape gave way to the entrance of a narrow river valley.  The road gently headed up, the Nacimeinto River hugged the left side of it, and a forest of fall trees provided a canopy.  The headwaters of the river lie somewhere above us in the Ventana Wilderness

We hit the Ponderosa campsite, made a quick circuit, and got to work setting up camp. Despite the warnings of our camp host (its 7 miles and 2 to 3 thousand feet to the summit you yahoos), we set off into the fading sunlight and shadows.  We were ready to head back at 5 miles, but Don said lets go and we did. Our reward, the summit silhouette photo and quiet satisfaction.

We changed attitudes and raced off (me in the rear) down the mountain to get our fire roaring before the temperature dipped to the low 30s.  We feasted, fed the fire, swapped tales, sipped whiskey and wine and collapsed into a solid sleep (me first).  I can’t wait for another Roadway to Heaven out here and perhaps a dip down the other side to Big Sur for a plunge in the ocean!  Life is sweet.

Brett Surprised the group with a donut from Bob’s in San Francisco. It weighed more than a pound and was bigger than a dinner plate. What do three men do with such an item? 1. 1. Remove from box
2. Place on fire
3. Consume

By Mark M

(originally posted in January 2008)

In my quest to lighten my load for mountainous O’s, 
I’ve decided to forgo my gasoline stove and carry only 
a photon stove.

I’ve been messing around with pop-can alcohol stoves for 
a couple of years now.  They’re dirt cheap – you can buy one 
on eBay for about $20 – and Zen elegant.

Alcohol stoves are ideal for s24’s.  They are very light (20g), trouble-free, silent, clean-burning.  They’re amazingly stingy with fuel; a couple tablespoons will bring a liter of water to boil.  Although I treasure my old brass Svea with its patina of tours, the reality is it’s noisy and demands patience and even an adroit user can easily wind up with a fireball.  Also, the fuel is poisonous, stinks if leaked, and is hard to find in small amounts.

There are many readily available forms of suitable alcohol, like methylated spirits, Heet (yellow bottle), even drinking alcohol of sufficient proof.

Drinking alcohol – ethanol – is the ideal alcohol fuel because it is non-toxic.  How many stove fuels can claim that?  Also, if ascending mountain passes, it is the most concentrated of all alcoholic beverages, so you can take less.  In fact, a tablespoon of Everclear or my personal favorite, Spirytus, a Polish vodka, is the equivalent to a can of beer, a fact which makes it real easy to have way too much.

I think the stove will satisfy all my needs for a quick overnighter where all I want to do is heat things up, especially water, instead of true cooking.  I’ll post a report on our return.

Field Reports:

“A beautifully quiet experience; no deafening roar whilst awaiting the pot to boil.”

“As I recall, the stove worked great.  Everclear certainly is flammable!”

It’s important to remember the power of a capful of of sprityus

Mark “Make it a Double” M

Welcome, human-powered adventurers!

Let’s start with a reality we probably share. We read about adventure in publications like Adventure Cycling, we own  camping equipment, we talk with our buddies about long trips we wish we could take…and yet careers, parenting, eldercare, or budgets stand between us and adventures.  

Grant Peterson of Rivendell Bicycle Works coined the term that lends we who thirst for adventure just the device we need to have our over-committed cakes — but with the addition of a much needed helping of adventure. 

The s24o stands for an overnight adventure (via foot or bicycle) that involves some touring, some camping, and the adventure that presents itself. 

Mr. Peterson wrote: “You leave on your bike in the late afternoon or evening, ride to your campsite in a few hours, camp, sleep, and ride home the next morning. It’s that simple, and that’s the beauty of it. You can fit it in. It requires almost no planning or time commitment. In the past four years I’ve done more than fifty of them, and I’m no planner.”

You can read the article here on the Rivendell Site. 

There are so many great things about this form of adventuring, we thought it worthy to offer up a place to collect tips, stories, images, and accounts from those who practice the easy art of the s24o. That’s what s24o.com is all about.

Another post from the summer of 2008 pulled over from our other site.

Here’s yet another curious thing about we Americans. We love things to be instant. We buy a lot of “instant” food; we get mad when our downloaded content does not instantly start; and we demand instant service from every service provider. Why is it that we don’t want our vacations and recreation to be instant?

When it comes to vacations, we wait in lines at airports, drive for two days, wait at the gates of campgrounds behind a long line of RV campers, we even order our tickets a full year in advance at “Reserveamerica.com.”

The s24o might the healthiest form of INSTANT gratification in America (and the world, of course). Open door, get on bike, turn cranks — adventure in an instant.

Solo s24o from Santa Barbara area up the Gaviota Coast to Refugio State Beach

By Don

Another s24o! The site and some lucky schedule breaks have allowed for some camping momentum. The objective of this trip was to see how the rig might handle a little weather. “Severe weather” warnings on the web for Santa Barbara. For we Californians, severe weather is when it might rain. But there was certainly evidence of Ol’ Man Winter as I headed up the coast to Refugio as the sun went below the sea. I got off the freeway just in time; it was getting dark and this is the time of year when a lot of folks are driving under the influence.

I made it to Refugio and got a serve-yourself pass for five bucks using their machine. Well worth it as the bike-hike site at Refugio is one of the nicest campsites in the nation.

Here’s what I learned on this trip:

Old-school multi-fuel stoves are NOT for me. I’m going to join Mark and become an Alcohol stove guy. I really don’t have a great desire to cook. So a very, very simple stove sounds great to me. I like the idea of using various forms of alcohol as my fuel. My whole pannier smells like gasoline now and I am NOT pleased. Getting water boiled for tea was an ordeal.

Also, I learned that my Eureka Solo tent can hold up to 45mph gusts. GREAT.

It took me about 40 minutes to wake up, fold up, and be back on the road. I would like that to, eventually, be about 15 minutes or less. How do the practiced tourists do this? It’d love to learn how to do this with more skill and without swearing a lot.

Don

I was doing a search in twitter for s24o and discovered this remarkable blog. Check out how the 7-year-old has a thoughtfully loaded bicycle — excellent and inspiring! Thanks for sharing your trip Ms. Hogaboom!

The s24o bicycle adventure is good for the spontaneous soul. But even a short getaway requires some planning skill and commitment. I am grateful to bike camping advocate Brett for rounding up a group of us for a trip that starts tomorrow morning, February 4th, 2012.

I am sure that there are many cyclists who also love football. This is not the case in my social circle. I would rather ride with friends than watch TV with friends. This superbowl weekend trip will find us back on the Central Coast of California, climbing more than 2000 feet and then dropping down the roller coaster road to the Pacific Ocean and the Big Sur coastline. Big waves are pounding the shore and our tents will be enveloped in sea mist and campfire smoke.

NFL football fans, we raise our water bottles to you and appreciate the empty highways you’ve left us to occupy on a beautiful, California weekend.