Equipment
New Gear List:
Bike
I have switched out some of the gear for the route south from Cancun. Primarily it is the change to a Surly Troll from the vaunted Long Haul Trucker.
Surly Troll frame and fork
-I am finding the bike to be a perfectly versatile machine for any road. If I had the financial ability I would run a front shock to aid in dirt road abuse.
Avid bb7 mechanical disc brakes (front and rear) – very loud, but good at stopping.
Avid brake levers
Alex Adventure Rims (26″ x 36 hole, disc)
Schwalbe Marathon Tires (26″ x 2.25″)
-Schwalbe has retired the Marathon XR’s and replaced them with the Mondial.
Shimano XT hubs (front and rear)
Shimano XT derailleurs (front and rear)
Shimano XT mountain crankset (22x32x44)
Shimano XT 9-speed cassette (11-32)
Sram 9-speed chain
Stylo Handlebars (10 degree sweep, flat bar)
Ergon GC2 grips
Specialized Pro-Set adjustable stem
Old Man Mountain Cold Springs front rack
Surly rear rack
Cane Creek Thudbuster ST seatpost
Brooks saddle (original)
Shimano pedals (original)
Chris King Headset (original)
Cateye Adventure bike computer
Equipment:
Montbell Thunderdome 2 person tent – replaced by a North Face Rock 22 in Guatemala.
– In a frustrating turn of events, my rainfly was stolen off the beach in Guatemala. I have replaced the tent with a North Face Rock 22 because it was available locally and wouldn’t involve complex international shipping. I have yet to use it, but at first glance it seems large, heavy and a bit cumbersome. The Montbell tent had a unique four way connecter at the apex of the poles making set up lightning fast – a good thing in rainy weather. Not convinced of the North Face design, but will relay info once I use it.
Montbell UL Super Spiral Down Hugger 3 (30 degree sleeping bag)
Montbell Down Sheet (warm weather use and as a liner for cold nights)
Pacific Outdoor Equipment Peak Oyl Mtn sleeping pad
MSR Dragonfly multi-fuel stove
GSI Pinnacle Backpacker cookset (using pot, pan, lid and one mug)
Golite Peak backpack (around town and short backpack trips)
Hyalite Equipment front and rear panniers (formerly Pacific Outdoor Equipment)
Ortlieb bar bag
Clothing:
Rab Momentum Jacket
Novara Rain Pants
Montbell UL Down Inner Parka
Patagonia R1 Hoody – one of my all time favorite pieces of gear.
Patagonia G2 pants (10 years old)
Icebreaker lightweight long-underwear bottoms
Patagonia x-country ski pants (for cool weather riding)
Gramici shorts
Patagonia board shorts
Louis Garneau cycle clothing – (2 shorts, 1 jersey)
Chaco Z2 sandals (lost in Cuba, replaced with flip-flops)
Shimano cycling shoes
La Sportiva trail shoes (for hiking)
Electronics:
Nikon D90 Digital Camera
Nikkor VR AF-S 18-105 lens
Nikkor AF 24mm Wide Angle lens (used from Alaska to LA)
Apple Macbook personal computer (used from Alaska to LA)
HP Pavilion dm1 (lighter and smaller than Macbook)
Apple ipod
Nokia cell phone (used Alaska to LA, no longer carrying a cell phone)
Spot GPS personal locator beacon
Brunton Freedom Solar Charger
Amazon Kindle E-reader (save weight and space over books)
Original Bike – Alaska to LA and Great Divide:
Surly Long Haul Trucker –
A workhorse of a bike that is the go to option for many people new to touring. I find it suited much more to paved roads under any load, but see limitations with its off-road abilities (admittedly, it isn’t designed for intense off-road touring). I have switched (fall ’11) to a new Surly Troll to expand my exploring abilities and reduce my tire size to the worldwide 26″ standard.
Shimano XTR front and rear derailleur
Bontrager Crank (switched to a Sugino touring triple in Seattle)
Chris King Headset
Cane Creek Stem
6061 Handlebars
Cane Creek brake levers
Tektro rear brake
Shimano pedals
Jandd Expedition front and rear rack
Pacific Outdoor Equipment front and rear panniers
Cat-Eye Adventurer bike computer
Camping:
Montbell Thunderdome 2 person tent
Montbell UL Super Spiral Down Hugger 3 (32 degree sleeping bag)
Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Elite sleeping pad
MSR Dragonfly multi-fuel stove
GSI Pinnacle Backpacker cookset
Clothing:
Rab Momentum Jacket
Montbell UL Down Inner Parka
Patagonia R1 Hoody
REI Taku pants
Patagonia G2 pants (10 years old)
Icebreaker lightweight long-underwear top and bottoms
Gramici shorts
Helly Hanson shorts
Louis Garneau cycle clothing (1 bib, 1 short, 2 jersey)
Louis Garneau wind jacket (removable sleeves)
Chaco Z2 sandals
Adidas Mtb. shoes
Electronics:
Nikon D90 Digital Camera
Nikkor VR AF-S 18-105 lens
Nikkor AF 24mm Wide Angle lens
Tripod
Apple Macbook personal computer
Apple ipod
Nokia cell phone
Spot GPS personal locator beacon
Brunton Freedom Solar Charger