My kid and I go bike camping.

[sara]

So the weather report finally promised me two consecutive non-school days without precipitation, for the first time in I don't even know how long, and yesterday morning I said to the kid, "This is it, get your bike pants out, we're going camping." I've been promising her a bike-camping trip on the tandem since we bought it last September.

We loaded backpacking gear, clean underwear, wool sweaters (it may be June, but this is the PNW), and a sack of almond-butter sandwiches into panniers and our backpacks, stopped in at Bike Friday to borrow their tire pump (my spouse broke ours and I haven't gotten around to replacing it), and then headed upriver to the county park. With stops at the Petco (the greyhound adoption people were visiting, how could we not) and Costco (pizza!), it took us...well, a while to get over to the campground.

We pulled up at the camp host shed, asked for a spot for the night, and when they asked, "You've got, what, an RV?" I said, "No, a bicycle!" and my daughter chimed in, "You can't fit an RV on a bicycle, that's silly."

The actual camping experience has, as I expected, generated a list for me of stuff I don't need to bring (separate stuff-sacks for gear, since it's all going in panniers or a compression sack anyhow; a set of long underwear for me, which was mostly useful as a pillow) and stuff I do need to bring but didn't (a groundcloth for the tent, whoops; a stove because nowhere opens up for coffee on Sunday mornings before 10, and a decaf Sara is not a happily cycling Sara). Also, next time, it is definitely worth taking a couple of minutes and swapping in the Brooks saddle that normally lives on my single bike for the crummy foam saddle I keep on the tandem for bomping around town on.

I have also concluded that if we are going to tackle the Willamette Bikeway this year, we will need another adult along on a single bike to help haul. Even packing really light (e.g. with less than I used to take on backpacking trips), there are limits on how far I can go with bike, kid, and gear -- all together that masses nearly as much as I do, and, well, I have my limits. She pushes, but not enough to offset the weight increase.

Anyhow! It was an interesting experience, now I can say I've done it, and I'm comfortable with the idea that with a couple of equipment adjustments we can do self-supported relatively-local overnight trips in the summertime.

Comments

[dragonfly]

Nice!

[jae]

Oh, that sounds so cool! I really like the idea of just getting away with one of your kids like that.

-J

[sara]

Oh, that part is awesome. The part where I am as sore today, after 20ish miles over two days, as I was last summer after doing the really grueling half-century? Ooogh.

On the upside, the 120-lb. touring tandem routine is probably VERY GOOD TRAINING for long-ride season. *GRIN*

[aedifica]

Oh, cool! Last summer I was thinking about taking off camping on my own some weekend. Maybe I'll do that sometime this year.

[sara]

If you've already got backpacking kit and a decent set of panniers, it is not a particularly difficult transition to make -- I would probably think about buying a bivy sack (or, heck, a blue plastic tarp) and taking that instead of the tent, if I were going by myself.

[aedifica]

I don't have a backpacking kit, but I have panniers and a tent! *grin*

[sara]

In a past life (e.g. before kids and before my bad ankle got sufficiently bad that I stopped making it carry heavy loads) we did a fair amount of short-trip backpacking, so my new equipment outlay here was minimal (already have lightweight tent, sleeping bags, etc.) Although I am giving real thought to a more compact cookset. The old one is covered in peeling off non-stick coating anyhow.

[ironed_orchid]

That sounds really neat.

[sara]

It was neat! Exhausting, but neat.

[juliet]

Awesome! I love bike camping (did 7 weeks or so round various bits of Australia last year) but haven't done any yet this season - partly due to Dog Responsibilities, partly due to broken thumb meaning no cycling :(

[sara]

Heh, I suppose if I rode the loaded tandem every day for seven weeks, I would be in good enough shape to go a very long ways by the end of it! Or collapsed in a hotel room in the back end of nowhere. One or the other. *G*

Phooey thumb! How long have you got to go with that? Shame if you had to sit out all summer.

[juliet]

I'm sort-of back on the bike now (i.e. the list from the physio says I shouldn't be, but I'm riding the fixie so I don't have to brake with my left hand, and being careful on poor surfaces :) ), but riding either the geared bike, or with a heavy load (both required for camping, really!) is out for another, hm, 3-4 wks?

It is very aggravating! But I should get *some* riding in this summer.