Went bike camping with my dog (dachshund packing?) last week along the Walkill, New York, and was once again reminded how messy and slow a camper I am. It took me 1.5 hours to pack up, and that was without breakfast. I also didn’t feel like I was dawdling that much. How long does it take you to get going in the morning, and do you do anything to aid a fast departure? Was thinking that a bivy rather than tent might keep me more disciplined, but that wouldn’t always be practical for the weather, or a dog.
by SubstantialPlan9124
11 Comments
I prep everything for an easy exit in the morning.
That means having only the clothing I need for the next day out. Food and camp kitchen stuff packed away but hung up for bear safety.
I deflate the pad as I get up and have the pannier that everything gets packed into in the vestibule.
I used to have a set up that was very tightly packed but switched to having more volume by 8l and that makes packing up a lot easier.
It starts the night before. Once everything is set up and dinner is done, I usually repack everything I can and stage everything that i can for the next morning. Then after waking I pack as a get ready, tent or breakfast cook wear being the last things.
This might sound counter intuitive, but having more smaller bags on your bike will make you pack quicker. meaning everything that’s not needed when camping should stay on bike in smaller bags – that’s rain gear, snacks, repair gear and so on. And let’s be honest – after a long day of riding it’s really rewarding to just lay down and scroll internet while instead you could prepare your place for the morning’s quick departure.
The question I need to ask is do you truly need to be faster?
That aside, you will simply get faster with experience. The more you know your gear the less you have to think about it.
Also something I’m learning is that how and when I load my bike affects setup and teardown time. Before I go to bed I often pack up things I won’t need in the morning. I keep items I use a lot readily accessible on the bike so I can grab them quickly and put them back quickly. I often pack things together that are used together. For example, shelter, sleep system, kitchen, first aid, tools, fire, etc so packing is modular depending on what I need.
Heck, I’ve even learned some items pack faster than others. For example my synthetic quilt takes longer than the down quilt to compress – but it’s only essential when I know I am going to be in very wet conditions.
Really though, ask your self why you feel you need to be faster, and if you truly need to be.
Regardless, enjoy riding!
Yeah. The more stuff I have the harder pack out is. I’m a minimalist when it comes to traveling, backpacking, touring. Some folks love carrying the whole sink and caboodle. But it’s just a lot to pack and carry. Touring is harder than backpacking because accessing things can be a real butt. Really have to be thoughtful about things that I might need that day vs when I get to camp. Front bag are clothes, frame bag is pot, tent poles, clothes I might need to access quickly ( rain jacket, pants), food, hygiene things, butt butter). Back rack has tent, sleeping bag, mat. Cockpit bag for eating on the go. Before bed it’s important to have things set so that my tired and beleaguered mind can do things on auto. I have next days clothes prepped the night before. I keep breakfast things set if possible. As I toured in the summer it became more Important for me to get an early start. I wasn’t necessarily hungry for breakfast at that he ( pre dawn). So I’d wake up, break down camp as quick as possible, and get rolling. I might have my tea and breakfast in a few hrs. Breakfast is always ramen. So fast to cook and eat.
Going to switch to a bivy and see how things go. Might even try deflating the sleeping by Mat and rolling it all in one. We’ll see.
No doz
What helped me is no packing to much stuff. Sound obvious, but u tend to pack your bags full, instead of leaving extra space. Whats also important is that when u pack at home before the ride u have a lot of time and can think through every little bit. You might not have that time on the road or the patience to play Tetris
So keep a little space in your bags so you might not need to pack everything down to its minimum and in the perfect spot.
I often take longer than that. There are few things more pleasant than sitting with a morning coffee in some beautiful camp spot, watching the day get started.
I say enjoy it, it isn’t a race and you’re on holiday.
Just put of interest, where does your pup go when you’re on the bike?
How do you carry your dog?
I’d say if the weather allows you should enjoy the slow mornings. I only try to be fast when I know it’s gonna get hot early and I should ride in the colder hours of the day…