If only they didn’t treat me so badly.

You could also slap our Divide on the rear of your 1×1!

I’m having the same struggle with the Kitsbow stuff. I get why it’s expensive and I support the idea of paying people a decent wage, just can’t bring myself to spending that much on a shirt.

I rode with a Patagonia Island Hopper this summer and while I like the long sleeves and the big chest pockets, when it got wet it took forever to dry. Also, it’s not completely UV resistant. I ride with a chest heart monitor and after 2 days of riding I had a tan line underneath my shirt.

There’s tons of choices out there, I’ll just have to do the legwork.

I do the same thing except I’m on an Android phone. I just use a USB-C microSD card reader (plug it directly into the charging port) and transfer the files. If I can’t do that, I’ll just connect to my camera via Bluetooth (I use a DJI action camera for snapping photos while riding) and transfer them that way. I’ll transfer videos that way too to clear off a card.

I have this pump and it’s good but FYI they [lezyne] have a “tubeless drive” pump you guys might want to review… It’s very high volume at 30PSI, shorter in length, and has built in co2 and tubeless plugs.

Thanks. I must have missed a few. It was crazy going through these this week and seeing ALL if the prices up 7-20%.

The italian genius…

I think I’ve got them all updated!

Sorry, those are just prices changes I quickly noticed. There might be others that I didn’t click on or look up.

to my knowledge, there aren’t any notable ones. snowpeak are made in japan, and zojirushi are made in taiwan.

oh I found one. here you go.
https://www.tervis.com/my-kids-have-paws-wrap-with-16oz-mug-1258373.html

that’s clearly the intention based on the inclusion of multiple options for each category.

those would be way overkill for any CA winters south of Arcata.

my go-to AZ winter/WA fall gloves are the Giro Rivet glove. mine even have a cute cactus and lizard motif on the back.

I think they must have a secret magnet or homing beacon inside of them that Opinel HQ activates after 6 mo of usage.

i havent ridden the all-weather version yet, but i find the normal cambium is super rough, enough so that I cannot ride it, as it does not meet my criteria of “comfortable in normal clothes incl athletic shorts”. For real, there’s so much friction, I cannot stand riding this saddle. If anything the all-weather version looks smoother.

Re: ORTLIEB – I can echo the Ortlieb bag. I had *two* buckles fail on me in the same trip! The flipside is that Ortlieb were super great about either warrantying those parts or sending me the replacement parts for a low cost of shipping (I can’t recall which, it was cheap or free).

Re: ICON – I’ve never owned one of these, but I’ve owned and ridden in a few vintage Pendy’s. For me it’s a big conundrum. I can’t bring myself to pay $220 for a shirt that I would only wear 3-4 months out of the year (I run hot so even a pendleton can be enough for me down to 30 degrees), when there are nice quality Pendy’s out there for $30. That said. Pendleton shirts have the worst possible fit I’ve ever seen on a shirt. The M is nearly the perfect fit in the chest but has a shortish torso and laughably short sleeves. Size L is like wearing a bag and is still too short in the torso. Makes me wonder if one could get a pendleton snap shirt tailored and get 80% of the utility of a Kitsbow for 1/4 of the price.

Re: ERGON – I’ve been running ESI grips since I started riding a flat bar bike, and my older brother has been running them even longer. Ironically, they do tear somewhat easily during installation, but one they’re installed, I’ve run mine several seasons without issue.

tbh this sounds way faster and easier than the bluetooth camera/iphone transfer my fuji has. might have to try this out.

Nice!

I like the Gerber dime slightly better; legit bottle opener, tweezers and this backwards facing plastic cutter that’s frickin invaluable

Def need more of the socks and patches!! Gotta rep my home team ya know?

They’re our socks, but we’re currently sold out. If we do a rerun of them, we’ll be sure to let our Bikepacking Collective members know via email.

If in doubt add 5 or 20 Voile Straps to make it a pain in the ASS!!! right @milesarbour:disqus?

Having used single pads w/ coupler straps and the Exped Duo pad extensively, I’d be hard pressed to return to the former. Without the crack down the middle, you get the feeling of more usable space, it’s much more enjoyable to snuggle for warmth when it’s cold.

True, the Duo can’t be separated into separate bundles for packing, but it fits very well in a handlebar roll—or seat bag—and it’s super fast and simple to work with when decamping or setting up, since you’re rolling or unrolling only one pad and not fussing with coupler straps. We’re also using an EE Accomplice quilt, and like JL have been really happy with how it all works together.

This is the reason I can’t bring myself to buy stuff like this. As much as I’d like that shirt, some things just can’t be done with a material. I don’t fault the Icon shirt for falling to pedal pegs. Those things destroy anything they contact. Which is why I’ll stick to cheap stuff if destruction is ultimately inevitable.

That’s a great idea. I have an older phone that’s loaded with music and maps for the most part. But for shorter trips, when I don’t have my laptop with me, I can definitely see it being great for peace of mind!

The little Samsungs are nice because you can stick them in the post. They’re really tough, from my experience.

I use Apple Lightning to SD Card dongle and end of the day copy files from SD card to iPhone internal memory. I think it’s called ‘On My iPhone’ on Files app, you can create folders in there. Of course you can copy files to iCloud Drive as well if you have cellular coverage, but raw-files are quite big and then there’s the issue with battery drain.

I don’t delete files from SD card, so then they are in two places if something nasty happens :) Hope that helps!

I’ll take my chain off my front chainring in these situations as well, just one more thing to mess with someone looking to ride off on it.

I’ve never thought about doing this, but makes so much sense. Do you just pair the iPhone to camera and transfer that way? Store directly on phone or into an online drive of some kind?

Thanks for your reply. Glad to hear you had no issues with those items. To clarify: I am not saying its bad gear (except for the Leatherman which disappointed me). Its mostly a trade-off in material choice i guess. And maybe I was just out of luck with those. Yet, since this articles title is “gear that lasts” I guess its fair to say, some of the gear does not last (in my experience).

The material wear of the Ortlieb Seat-Pack happened to two of them, did not try a third so no pattern yet, haha. The Ortlieb service was top notch, so thats another plus in my book. Had no issues at all with similar riding with the Oveja Negra bags though.
The Pronghorns material is just not sturdy enough for wet weather riding (ie. HT550) in my experience. There are further reasons (eg. spacing from the frame) to go with drj0n for extralight gear.
The Ergon grips rubber wears off, esp. if they get dirty from wet weather riding. Again a trade-off between grip (soft rubber) and wear, similar to tires i guess. Still awesome grips, just not made to last forever. After a conversation on another board Ergon stated they might offer replacement rubber in the future to reduce waste.

Good to know there is a tailored option now. Might order a new one. To be fair, the cut might have happened to any other fabric as well, just happened to this shirt (and not to my other top layers yet) :)

Agree about those cheap cable locks. One thing Ottolock maybe does better, is that since you can ‘zip it tight’. Then it’s harder to break for example just twisting with a stick as you can do for cheap cable locks.

Thanks for the feedback. I’m surprised by the Icon, Ortlieb Seat-Pack, Pronghorn, Ergon, and Leathernam, though. I’ve put a lot of use on those with no wear issues to speak of.

They were about 8 euros 5 years ago for the stainless steel version! (well, in France that is)

OPINEL KNIFE NO 8 – great as long as it does not get humid. if you buy it new oil the wood.

GIRO DND GLOVES – lasted about a season and have not been snug enough for my liking.

ERGON GRIPS – while i love them, they last 1-2 seasons, depending on amount of wet weather riding.

LEATHERMAN SQUIRT – mine did not last long. broke. replaced with proper (Knippex) pliers.

LEZYNE MICRO FLOOR DRIVE HV – good pump, the seals need some love from time to time (ie. rsp slick kick)

ONE-UP COMPOSITE PEDALS – great in every aspect so far (2 faultless seasons).

OVEJA NEGRA products – using several bags for many years, very high quality, love them.

KING CAGE – seem to last forever, can be bend if tighter fit is required, love them.

ONE UP EDC PUMP – while its my go to pump for some time due to the high volume and integrated tools (just bought a new one), it certainly does not last forever. the (for a steep price replaceable) valve rubber degenerated after two seasons, the soft plastic thread of the stash box needs very careful handling, the tools steel is rather soft (bad for higher torques or loosening weathered bolts).

SALSA ANYTHING CAGE AND BAG – those seem to last forever. running both the original, the HD and the bar variants without a hassle whatsoever.

REVELATE EGRESS POCKET – love it.

WOLF TOOTH CAMO SYSTEM + STAINLESS RING – steel rings are well worth the surplus imho.

REVELATE PRONGHORN – while not completely broken it was very used after one season. the Dyneema bag has (taped) holes since the first ride. would not recommend or buy this item again and use Dr. Johns products if a light weight solution is desired.

ORTLIEB SEAT-PACK – while a great product in all other aspects (size, stability, waterproof, bleed valve) it does not last. had the first repaired during the first season and the second fixed after one season.

KITSBOW ICON – possibly my favourite shirt, certainly would be if it had a more european (ie. tailored) fit. not very sturdy though. cut the fabric with a pedal at one of the first hike-a-bikes.

ACRE HAUSER – except for the lack of venting a fantastic product. used and abused without any issues for many years.

BIKEYOKE DROPPER POST – running two Revives, one of them since their marked entry which had a minor issue and was warrantied very easily, the other (v2) without any issues at all. best droppers available imho.

Some unlisted items which actually last my extensive use and abuse over many seasons:

* Avid BB7 breaks – unbreakable.
* American Classic MTB 29 wheelset – no issues at all after many years of bikepacking and commuting. despite the low weight still true and on the first set of bearings.
* Formula 33 fork – bought the first in 2015, which is still running. unmatched due to its performance – weight ratio and easy maintenance.

Always good to hear long term feedback from others, thanks for taking the time to post all that!

I’m kind of amazing that you haven’t found the Icon to be sturdy, though. I’ve had mine for years and it still looks brand new! I did manage to wear a hole in one small spot, but that was when I jammed it between my downtube and the back of a pickup truck on a bouncy Bolivian road for half an hour!

I also find the cut pretty tailored. I wonder if that has changed, as mine – v1 – is definitely slim and fitted, compared to other shirts I own in the same size. I see there’s now a ‘relaxed athletic fit’ and a ‘signature fit’.

Thanks, I will check it out!

We actually just bought the No 8 Mushroom Knife for foraging, with its neat little brush!

Another camp knife I’ve fallen in love with is the Victorinox Swiss Classic folding paring knife. Doesn’t have the same charm as an Opinel but has a very good locking, serrated blade that is longer than a No.8 at the same weight. Swiss made, minimal, inexpensive and super easy to keep clean due to an inert, fully submersible handle. I’ve had the wooden handles on Opinels swell and seize the blade. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Victorinox outlives my Opinel – it’s really solid.
https://www.victorinox.com/us/en/Products/Cutlery/Paring-Knives/Swiss-Classic-Foldable-Paring-Knife/p/6.7836.F8B https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/28e71b29de5e0a6930683769f12ab2c719b40da753841bf822e3c3b0245361aa.png

Hi! I’ve never set it up on a Jones bar, I’m afraid. I’ve always run it on my Oddity Razor bar (30 degree sweep, without a forward bend). I imagine it would work fine on an H-Bar Bend but I’m not sure it would play so well with the Loop.

Yeah, I definitely see a lot of people go the two pad route. Kinda sad really, when there is such a great solution out there. No cold spot in the middle, no falling off the edge, works like a charm with a Enlightened Equipment double sleeping bag. It really is perfect.

I use a Jumbo Jammer with a Jones Loop bar and it works fine. If you mount it on the front of the loop it pitches forward a bit which may annoy some, but it doesn’t make it function any worse. I have an 8 pack rack that is the bottom strap point and it keeps the bag more vertical.

The Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HV is rated at 90psi max – depending on your fork, weight and desire for exact pressures it might be good enough.

My Birzman Macht broke after half a season.

Using a Lezyne digital shock drive for some time now without issues.

I think it might still purge some grit and grime from inside the chain… it’s pretty wild.

Thanks Logan!
I’ll be starting with a thoroughly cleaned and dried chain so guess the black goo phase will be a non-issue?
Sounds like it’s worth a try…

I live in the upper Midwest and the Showers Pass Crosspoint Waterproof Knit Wool Gloves work surprisingly well for cold weather. I just did a two hour trail ride last night in 32 F temps and my hands were good. Not bulky, great dexterity. They have been a good find. They look to be on sale now even.

It lasts forever, and there’s not really anything like it, but there are cheaper Ti pots out there.

The first few treatments are super dirty. As it “cleans” the chain, it sheds debris to the surface, so it’s gritty and black for a little bit. but after treatment 3, it’s super smooth. Cleaner than Dumonde, I think.

If you are up for a stainless blade (many Opinel fans fall into the carbon steel only camp), try the Opinel Garden Knife next time you need one. Same size as the No.8 but I much prefer the blade profile – especially for slicing/chopping on a cutting board. Only available with a stainless blade.