Tents and panniers

[John Nelson]

I once hung my bag so far from my tent that I had trouble finding it in the morning. Ever since then, I leave some markers.

[jamawani]

I would like to remind the poster of a grizzly attack last summer that killed a woman cyclist.
It was a tragedy that did not need to happen - because her cycling group had food in their tents.
And if they had food in their tents that night, they probably did on other occasions, as well.
So, even though they moved the food after the first time the bear came through the campsite,
the tents still had strong food odors the bear could smell, even if the people could not.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/07/08/grizzly-bear-kills-bicyclist-camping/

Again - if you are going to be riding in bear country.
Please do not cook, eat, or store food in your tents.

[Westinghouse]

For information on the lightest weight tents and other equipment, check out Appalachian Trail through hikers on YouTube. One in particular you can find by entering homemade Wanderlust in the search bar. That person is a Triple Crown through hiker on the Appalachian Trail, The Great Divide Trail and the Pacific Ridge Trail. The equipment she uses is extremely lightweight, and in my opinion extremely expensive. But it must be the lightest possible equipment for long-term outdoor use. The proof as they say is in the pudding, and all that equipment has been put to the test. A small two person tent could weigh something over a pound or maybe one and a half pounds. It may be totally rain proof but it might also cost $400 or $500. That sort of thing. If you can afford it you might want to look at some of those videos. There is plenty of information on equipment including clothing, stoves, tents and that sort of thing.

[Westinghouse]

One piece of advice about setting up a tent. In some areas of the country insects might be swarming thick in the air. For example in Florida in some places the Swarms of mosquitoes or so thick they could nearly pick you up and carry you away. When you're setting up your tent make sure the door or the opening is zipped tight and closed. If it is open when setting up the insects would get inside. You would spend some time inside smashing them against the wall of the tent. In highly buggy areas keep the door closed when setting up and keep it closed when you are inside. Get in and out as quickly as possible and close zip the door shut immediately each time. That is something you would learn on your own by experience.

[HobbesOnTour]

I would like to remind the poster of a grizzly attack last summer that killed a woman cyclist.
It was a tragedy that did not need to happen - because her cycling group had food in their tents.
And if they had food in their tents that night, they probably did on other occasions, as well.
So, even though they moved the food after the first time the bear came through the campsite,
the tents still had strong food odors the bear could smell, even if the people could not.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/07/08/grizzly-bear-kills-bicyclist-camping/

Again - if you are going to be riding in bear country.
Please do not cook, eat, or store food in your tents.

In all fairness the fact that they went back into their tents to sleep after the bear had already visited was probably more detrimental than any food residue.

[canalligators]

Re ease of removing panniers- if you are only camping, it’s not a big deal.  If you are traveling with a group that is using multiple lodging types, having the ability to easily remove pans can be a big convenience.  On AC tours, you will camp in campgrounds, use motels, use hostels, sleep in churches/halls, community centers, in town parks, under pavilions….

My panniers do not come off easily, so I usually leave them on.  And they’re a nuisance to load when on the bike. They can be loaded with three arms, or two arms and a knee. It takes two persons to install or remove.  Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.

Do what you need to do, to get a good night’s sleep.

I like a roomier tent, and also subscribe to the N+1 rule.  I use a light two-person backpacking tent with generous side vestibules (REI Quarter Dome SL2).  Not cheap but I like the space.

[Westinghouse]

Be particular about the fuel you use for an alcohol stove. The hottest burning and cleanest burning is denatured alcohol. One thing about that. Where are they selling usually in hardware stores it comes in one quart which is kind of heavy and more than you could use in a long time. The next best fuel is h e e t in the yellow container. You can find it at just about any auto supply store or Walmart or Target store. It burns hot enough and it is comparatively inexpensive. Another option if you have no other is 91% isopropyl alcohol. It burns well enough. It is inexpensive. It does leave a dark or black deposit on the pot or the Pan. It can be kind of hard scrubbing It Off. There is always 70% isopropyl alcohol but that is just not a good choice. Forget about 50% isopropyl alcohol. You might get a brief flame out of it. It would be useless for cooking or nearly so.

[CrepitusCritch]

Thank you for the great advice. I’ll make a note of that. Would you know if it’s worth taking the gas converter for the Trangia on the Trans-Am route or might gas canisters be hard to come by along particular stretches of the route?

[LouMelini]

if I recall correctly, WalMart was my primary source of canister fuel east of Breckenridge area of Colorado on the TransAm. We went west to east and had quite a few canisters as we headed towards Kansas.

[DonKahn1]

When buying the heet make sure to get the yellow bottle.  I made the mistake of buying the red bottle, and it leaves your pots with a sooty mess.  The yellow heet leaves no residue on the cooking pots

[wildtoad]

Good questions and lots of good info in response; I will add my opinions.

Re tents, I am a fan of using a good 2 person tent (really a 1 person w/ extra room) with a great vestibule and a gear loft. Luxurious! But seriously, the extra weight is no biggie, and you can always split up tent components in your packing setup if you are picky about weight distribution, etc. The extra space comes in handy in so many ways (practically and mentally). There are so many good tent options on the market nowadays.

Re panniers/bags, it can be variable, but I usually leave some on the bike and put a couple in the tent vestibule so I can easily access if needed. My panniers are easily removable. Can vary based on weather, how well I packed, where I'm camping, etc. My advice would be to give yourself the option of taking stuff off the bike if circumstances warrant (and thus vestibules are awesome and indispensable IMO).

Yes, keep food and toiletries out of the tent, always.

Re stoves, I love my Trangia, but would not bring it on a cross country trip during the summer months. There are a number of areas in the West where alcohol stoves are prohibited due to wildfire concerns (lack of on/off capabilities and fuel spillage potential). This issue has been discussed in some other posts on this forum. I use my Trangia when/where allowed, but otherwise bring a basic, light weight canister stove to avoid the problem. Not an issue to fool around with given the wildfire crises facing the mountain West.

Happy planning....

[HikeBikeCook]

I typically tuck my panniers under my vestibule, especially if riding with other folks and we stack our bikes to lock. I use Ortliebs and they are easy on and off.

I am a big fan of +1 tent sizing as well. I carry a two person for myself and a three person when biking or hiking with my wife.

Quick Tip for a tent with a fly. Carry two light water proof stuff sacks and pack the fly by itself, especially when it is wet. Otherwise your tent body will get wet from the fly and you will have two things to dry. It also is handy when trying to balance a load.

[horses60]

Hello,
We are a couple, and we have three persons tent MSR Mutha Hubba, because during a long trip, we think a minimum of space is appreciable. The difference of weight between 2 and 3 persons lightweight tent is the same of a T-Shirt.
We prefer to have our baggage in the tent, primarily for comfort and practicality. For example, if during the night it’s raining and you forgot something in the paniers?
About the “kitchen” we use two stoves: MSR Pocket Rocket (2.6 oz) where is easy to find propane or MSR Whisperlite where we can’t find it. For us it’s a good choice.

[hikerjer]

Unless I'm in a really sketchy area, I generally leave my panniers on my bike, sometimes, but mostly not, secured by a small wire cable.  However, I always take my handlebar bag in the tent with me as it contains all my real valuables - passport, phone, wallet, etc.  In fact, I never leave my bike without my handlebar bag in my possession.

As far as tents go, I use a one-man tent and find it plenty adequate. It has a large enough vestibule that I can put anything in it that I might need immediately.

For a stove, I carry a MSR Pocket Rocket. I don't always cook dinner, but I like the ability to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning before I start riding.

[David W Pratt]

The comfort of a tight dry tent on a stormy night can be worth a lot of weight and $$$.  I am very happy with my NEMO Hornet.  It is pretty light, sets up easily, and has weathered several thunderstorms and kept innumerable mosquitoes off of me.  It is nominally a two person tent, but they would have to be petite and intimate for that to really work.
I just did the Route des Bleuets, and only used my stove for making tea in the mornings, but the weight was not a problem.
In general, it is easier to take a pound off the biker than off the bike or the baggage.
Weight is the enemy of speed, not distance.  If the TransAm takes an extra week, so what?