Great video, I'm sure that you will have motivated many people to stop procrastinating, and just get out there and do it. You should be proud of that ! And I completely agree with your comments regarding buying all the so called, "best gear", and having no money left to actually tour. I hate to admit it, but I've been guilty of that sin myself. On the other hand I did learn from it.😅. Regards, Neil, (Sweden).

Get food stamps and a sewing machine

Great video, by the way. Riding the Timber trail on a fully rigid bike. The trail in places looks like it’s maybe a hiking trail or possibly an animal trail. 😅

Go Michigan!

Nice video fun to watch. You saved me from being bored to death while being home sick

Yo Garret! Happy New Year dude. Appreciated this video, I agree with the sentiment that people get too fixated on gear, especially when starting out! I liked the pro tip of wrapping the tent in the tarp before strapping it to the rack so it doesn't get soaked. Cheap, effective, and IT DOESN'T WEIGH ANYTHING! Hope we find a way to cross paths on a bike ride again! Cheers.

I bike a lot and I own a lot of bikes. I don’t look like someone who can check both boxes so I get ignored. It has forced me to learn to maintain my (7) bikes and fix most issues. Thanks for being jerks, I’ve saved a ton of money and learned to be self sufficient.

Great video!

but, Murph; not all routes are easy and cheap as the C&O and the GAP! Those trails are packed with primitive campsites. Try to camp or stealth camp in Indiana or Illinois, then check the bill :D

I have the B.O.B trailers I use as well. However. My trip I mentioned never happened due to that friend being a bad person in time

I planned a ride on the great Allegheny passage with a friend I have a lot of bikes. I bought at the local thrift place named red white and blue. I bought at the specialized stump jumper steel frame. 12 bucks. Later I found. Planet bike fenders new at the goodwill for. 5.99 I found them kitty litter buckets I had hooks and have 5 rear bike racks so I hooked them up to the bike. Free. I have some ros panniers from Amazon. But it did not fit what we planned. I have a steel frame bianchi bike but I thought the specialized was better to take. I even found a 2 person small tent at the goodwill for 4.99 yes all parts were there. My camping bag. Aldis. I got the summer one and winter one both at 12.99. I got at a goodwill bin place two hiking bags. Inside was two sleeping pads. And a blow up pillows. I have the cooking things all from thrift stores. My total cost was. 325.69. Total in what I spent a lot I had over years. I live in Pittsburgh if you live in the burgh say hi I bike all through Pittsburgh

People don't always ask you that.

Just found your channel and am looking forward to more of your videos. I vote "YES" on the budget touring video. I've spent a lot of time (not so much money) on creating a setup using molle bags and pouches. Works (so far) but would be interested in seeing what you come up with.

The best thing is that the next trip will be much less

Very practical, realistic and grounded review. Well done not everyone’s a$$$ dentist 😂

Just finished an overnighter touring some beautiful routes/segments in SoCal with a friend. I had no foot retention, so uphills were tough, and I packed everything into an 11 liter saddle bag I got for $45. It haven’t felt the happiness like I have on that trip in a long time. I’ll echo your advice by reminding people that these adventures are totally doable under any time frame or budget. At first I was a little worried that I didn’t have the right shoes, right gear ratio, right tires, etc. But the joy of actually traversing through such beautiful places soon outweighed any anxieties I had. I was smiling so hard that I forgot to breathe sometimes. Even in just 2 days, I’ve made memories for a lifetime.

Nicely done. Thanks for this!

I can not find a 520 in a medium size to save my life

Great video!! I live about 3 miles off the C&O (Williamsport). I’m Planning on riding both trails next season with my oldest son.

Make sure the bike has enough gear range.

Good bikes used all day long on Craigs list...$75---$250

How does this all look packed in your bags?

Huuuuuge respect, man! Did my first big trips in the Netherlands and in Iceland in August, and my setup is really similar with a bit of adjustments due to weather conditions in Iceland. Now one of my friend wants to go in his first ever bike trip, and this is just a perfect video for him! Thank you a lot! Peace

Great advice....I'm planning my first overnighter this month on my surly bridge club. I'll ride up PCH to Leo Carrillo state park which has a hiker/biker camp site..$10/night. Then ride back home. One good thing about this site is it's only 5 miles from the nearest LA metro bus stop which gives me a bug out option back home just using 2 busses. Then planning a 5 day trip next...take amtrak up to San Luis obispo then ride back home using state parks or warmshowers to stay at. Then the last AIDS lifecycle ride occurs june 1st... 7 days, 545 miles fully supported so just have to ride my stripped down bike each day back home...want the lighest weight possible because there's lots of climbing on the route. Then the biggie in July.... PCBR from Vancouver down to San Diego over 45 days. I may end up switching from my XL BC over to a large Ogre for the shorter reach. Then I want to do either the transam or the transamerican discovery trail which is offroad so don't have to deal with traffic. Alot of riding for a 70 yo cyclist.

Great idea! Twenty years ago I cycled east from San Francisco. The new bike was 2.000$ and served me until I sold it last year for about 100$. The gear and flights were another 800$ each. I cycled 50 days to Kansas City on my own and spent a little over 10$ per day with a bunch of stealth camping close to no resteraunts and never used my stove. In KC I met up with a friend and we continued as a team. The following four weeks we spend 10$ per day each, but with a lot of camp grounds and quite some resteraunts. I noticed that most things don’t double in costs if you are two people like campgrounds. And you can be more resource full with grocery shopping. I know all prices rose in this time, but till this very day I get away with under 20$ per day on food, fun, transportation etc. when doing my tours in Central Europe. So it is basically camping, hotels and eat out that are expensive, but I almost never do those. I don’t have all the gear I want but certainly everything I need, so at that point a week bikepacking isn’t more expensive than a week sitting at home.

I’d never advise anyone to use a backpack it’s setting them up for misery ten miles in. Always have a secondary attachment for the panniers to stop thieves I use shortened leather belts. Also I did some research and the cheapest train trip back would have been $81.00 so no stress driving back and can catch up on some reading or sleep on the way home.

Great advice. Few years ago I impulse purchased an overpriced REI hybrid one morning after years of not having a bike. Would have been better off just buying something used until I knew what I really wanted. Decked it out with Amazon bags, already had the camping gear from backpacking, and a few weeks later did the C&O. After a few months I had an idea of what I REALLY wanted out of a bike. So now I've got my dream bike and good bags. The REI bike and Amazon bags have been collecting dust. Again, would have been better off buying everything used (although the Amazon stuff is a easy affordable way to just get on the road)

Looked like fun times! Appreciate the thorough breakdown.

Perfectly done, Thanks Murph Love your work

What drivetrain were you using on this trip.

All great advice. Thanks!

Good job dude!!

Which bike is better for the Divide: my Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike, or my Scott Spark 910 mountain bike? The Surly has drop handlebars and carries more gear, but the Scott should perform better on trails and bad roads. Thanks for any advice!

Excellent work

Desert hiker here. I came to see this for I have Osprey Aether Plus 60 on order. My gear us light but I usually carry around 33lb of water weight. After two seasons, The North Face Hydra 70 frame pushed through the stays. I hope Osprey does the trick. Thanks for the video.

Hi pretty sure i met you on the bus back to portland i was the other bike packer coming off the dark divide. Looks like a fun adventure!

Government should stop setting fires! That’s a fact

KOHA! not koa you nonce

Good stuff

koha... pronounced core-ha ish (closer than cowa)

Type 2 fun outdoors is good for the soul

As a lifelong outdoorsman and AT thru-hiker ('98) I commend your storytelling abilities. I learned to eat the heaviest foods first. This was one of the first "feature" episodes I've watched on bike-packing so I also really appreciate all the good opinions and advisements. Cheers man.

😊

absolutely love this! especially your narration and genuine testimony about what was going on with you during such a massive undertaking! But, whats this about Kyle Phillips? You say at the end that he did manage to ride every mile, I'm assuming that means that he managed to make it through the areas that were recommended to take detours because of fires, and then seeing that he is on a single speed, I'm like "wow, that is awesome! he must have been a week behind finishing" and then you go on to say he set a new course record???? (on a siglespeed, while taking a longer way, he beat everyone???)

50 g of oats with 1 tablespoon of anchor milk powder and water for me, and maybe some raisins on top.

I would like to hear what food you brought for the trip since you managed to keep your backpack weight at about 7.5kg.

Any TP?!🧻

I believe there are some “instant lentils, as well, like instant rice that doesn’t take long. I might try on the dehydrator as well and see how that comes out.

I rode the trail in 2017 from south to north and had only one flat in New Mexico, riding on tires with tubes. They were 26 inch Schwalbe (I can't remember which type) nobby tires. I remember the goetheads mainly from my transcontinental ride in 1981, where my first flat occured halfway Kansas, caused by....a goathead. Love your video! I recognize many places in the scenes of your video, sometimes I spent the night in the same spots where you did!

Now i know why i saw so many New Zealanders on the AT in 2023. The TA sounds like it blows - it's going to be TWICE the expense of hiking the AT. It was cheaper for New Zealanders to get flights, ignore America's bs immigration policies, and hike 2200 miles here, than hike in their own home country. Got it.