The bike touring / bikepacking thread

I love mine. Small, boils in 2 minutes and has a built-in cup [HTML_REMOVED] coffee press.

http://www.jetboil.com/Products/Sol-Advanced-Cooking-System/

Alcohol stove is a bit limited at altitude we had to be very patient for our dinners in Yosemite, in fact southern BC above the treeline as well. So we brought a whisperlight instead

I've been really happy with my MSR micro rocket stove. Super light and boils fast. Simmers better than my whisper lite and a fraction of the weight. Combine with a Titan kettle for ultimate light option.

I have the snow peak, works great for skiing, biking etc… and it's supper light. Perfect for solo trips and the stove is good for larger pots as well if you go out with friends.

whisperlite stove

i'm sure there are lighter/better/more-bikepacking-specific options out there, but i got my first one as a camp counselor 20 years ago, and i don't think i've ever even considered buying/using anything else

edit: that said, if i was going to the back of the beyond, i would consider taking a trangia instead for sheer bomb- and idiot-proofness

Whisperlite X2. I have had mine for 5-6 years. Used it twice a day for 3 months straight with no issues. Have rebuilt it a couple of times (dead easy) and it is still going strong. Does not simmer though. Blow torch only unless you get creative.

Go for something like like the snowpeak or MSR pocket rocket if space and/or weight is an issue, like for the Chilcotins or something like that. Tiny and easy to use.

If you want something durable or you are going for a long ride (ie weeks) or overseas, the MSR whisperlight is unbeatable. You can burn anything, including unleaded gasoline, and they are super easy to maintain.

Whisperlite X2. I have had mine for 5-6 years. Used it twice a day for 3 months straight with no issues. Have rebuilt it a couple of times (dead easy) and it is still going strong. Does not simmer though. Blow torch only unless you get creative.

Whisperlite will simmer, you just need to depressurize it. Have to be careful to not blow yourself up, but works quite well (I baked brownies for my birthday on mine last summer).

Basic process goes like this:
Pressurize stove
Light Stove
Once it is heated up and going strong turn off the stove
Blow out flames
Make doubly sure all flames are out
Twist open the fuel bottle
Close fuel bottle
Two pumps
Turn stove back on
Light stove
Enjoy simmering your dinner

I like my whisperlite, but there is something to be said for how light canister stoves are getting. If you are just heating up water for a dehydrated meal and hot drink I would go for a canister stove, if you are actually cooking, working at altitude, flying to your destination, or dealing with severe cold I would grab something like the whistperlite international.

I've got an MSR Dragonfly, which simmers out of the box. Multi-fuel just like the Whisperlite. I even bought a new DragonTamer top cap for it from BernieDawg on e-bay which reduces the jet engine roar to monster-truck levels.

I've been running a catfood can stove. works fine for solo trips or going as light as possible. If you are cooking for a group bring an MSR.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pajkt594Ruw

Another bikepacker using small alcohol stove here (Ion stove). So light and effective for coastal camping (I'm not a fan of setting up camp above treeline). Can cook for 2 with this small stove for basic meals, and it is WAY cheaper than the heavier white gas stoves. Used a whisperlite for some backpacking and found the whole priming part to be finicky and the stove to turn into sooty mess. My 2c.

The plain old whisper lite always works but doesn't simmer, I would pay the extra $ for one that simmers

I do want to make an alcohol stove for emerg backup out in the sea kayak where we always make beach fires, I never got skunked building a fire but very close

Anyone have a solution for adding pannier rack mounts to a HT frame that doesn't have them welded on?

In this case the frame is a Ti HT, but the seat stays are about the same diameter as a steel HT.

In the past I've used P-clips, but they slide. Something more robust would be good.

Craig: Google "Old Man Mountain"…they make some racks which use QR Skewers which may work for you…

Sent from my XT885 using Tapatalk

Heya,

I was wondering the same thing, and whether it was even a good idea structurally to be clamping to the seat stay. I emailed the kona tech guys about it, and within a couple hours they sent this response:

Hi, the P-clips work great.

Here’s the best part. I learned this from a couple riders who made round the world trips. They used P-clips and bolts all the time and wouldn’t use frame bosses.

If the bike falls over or the rack gets hit the bolt will break. If it breaks inside the frame it’s nearly impossible to get out and repair.

If you break the bolt with a P-clip then the nut and bolt just fall out, you replace them and keep riding.

Happy Trails!

I think the key is to get the right size of rubber lined ones and then crank em super tight. I realize you were asking for an alternative to the p-clip, but I found the OMM racks too expensive and annoying looking.

Also, in response to the stoves above: I've used the cheapest stove MEC sells for a while and it's decent:

http://www.mec.ca/product/4010-927/primus-classic-trail-lpg-stove/?f=10+50130+50491

The major downside is that you can't have a windscreen/reflector or it might explode. So if it's windy you have to improvise some kind of cooking shelter. Usually a backpack on its side. But it simmers and boils and have never done any maintenance.