Bike
My Surly Pacer has been my do-anything bike since 2014. First for my three-mile commute, then my 15-mile commute, then my 200+ mile ride from Seattle to Portland in 2019 and my monthly metric century rides in 2020. It’s a steel road bike and doesn’t have any of the bells and whistles that would make touring/bikepacking easier and more comfortable, but I love it and have been figuring out how to strap gear to it wherever I can.
Bags
I’ve picked up a handlebar bag (which doubles as a fanny pack), half frame bag, saddlebag, and a couple fork racks and bags to carry my gear during my trip. I’ll also have a small backpack that will mostly be for carrying extra water and food. I’m planning to travel as light as possible, with the understanding that I’ll need to be pretty self-sufficient in parts of the dessert, including warm layers for when the temperature drops in the nighttime.
Camp
Nightly camp will consist of a lightweight one-person tent, a warm sleeping bag, and a ridiculously-lofty sleeping pad that I sincerely hope a cactus doesn’t puncture.
The kitchen setup includes a small backpacking stove, mug/pot, spork and knife. I’ve decided to bring an insulated travel mug, too, so I can keep up with my habit of nursing my hot coffee over a couple hours.
Luxuries
Using the term loosely, I’m excited to have an e-book reader loaded with library books for the long nights, headphones that I’ll wear sparingly along lonely stretches of road, and a beard trimmer (because I’m a wimp when it comes to having an itchy face, and don’t want to spare the water needed to shave with a blade).