Gear

I went on a short weekend ski trip to Park City, UT. I don’t have a photo of my items, but if you have seen my North Face Recon backpack, it was completely stuffed. Zippers were hard to close and it barely fit under the seat on the plane. Packing the items in a particular order was the element of success. North Face Recon backpack North Face Jacket Shell North Face Down Jacket Columbia Snow Pants Thinsulate mittens North Face e*tip gloves Dorky stocking hat with ball on top Scott Ski Goggles Smart Wool baklava Buff * Merino Wool Patagonia long underwear Under Armour 1/4 zip shirt Tees (3) Underwear (4) Wool Socks (4) Swim briefs Hospital Scrub Pants Pants Patagonia R1 hoodie Trucker hat Keen Boots Bluetooth ear bud headphones Mini battery bank Charging cords, wall adapter Phone Wallet Hanky Snacks (shelled sunflower seeds, raisins, dark chocolate) Travel coffee mug Deodorant Toothbrush Toothpaste Beard comb Ibprophen Daily vitamins Dr Bronner’s soap samples Zip-Lock baggie (toiletries) Worn on the plane ...

Going into Labor Day weekend, Abby and I traveled to New York City to attend my buddy’s wedding as well as celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary. All in all, with travel to/from, we spent 5 nights, went carry-on only and had a wide range of events dictating dress code. Weather sunny in the high 80s. Urban sightseeing, broadway theatre, casual to fancy dining, a formal wedding and Ultimate Frisbee in Central Park. ...

Here is a follow-up to my previous post, 2017-ragbrai-packlist. Based on this year, I made some last minute decisions on what to pack. Here are some factors that changed what ended up on the ride: Supported by my team bus. Riding/camping with my wife. Riding my single speed. Only camping four nights (22nd-25th) and only riding three days (23rd-25th) In addition, the weather is looking pretty decent for July in Iowa. For the portion that I will be riding the highest is 88 and the lowest is 58. ...

I have been on RAGBRAI (Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) several times since 2005. Over the years, I’d like to think I have figured out a pretty good list of gear. In general, this list is usually what I start with when planning a bicycle touring trip, not just for RAGBRAI. An asterisk denotes a “luxury” item that I only take when riding supported (team bus). Otherwise, everything can pack on the bike (except the bike itself of course). ...