Vicky and Jay PCT hikers: Ultralight crosses sports

This summer the crazy Mattsons have decided to bike the New Mexico portion of the CDT instead of hiking it. Using all frame packs we are hoping to keep our gear even more minimal than backpacking. We have a trunk bag, two frame packs and a handlebar bag. To experiment with all the new gear and packing it I did a solo trip to Ocala National Forest (Florida) in March. On my bike I carried my Marmot Helium in an OR silnylon UL dry bag, a 6.5 oz bivvie sac from Equinox, a tyvek tarp and the old footprint of a Sierra Designs tent, various string and tent stakes, an ultralight Thermarest. In my triangle bag was a repair kit and my pataogonia down sweater, my handlebar bag carried my wallet and keys and the rest of my clothes, sunscreen and bug juice. I went stoveless so 3 days of food and a MSR bladder of water was all the kitchen I needed. My trunk has

two fold out bags I put my raingear and a spare water bladder in one and half my food in the other. There is one more small pack that sits on the stem. My camera and mp3 player and a snack bar lived in that. All in all it was alot like backpacking but faster. Ocala has one short 22mile mountain bike Path which was a complete hoot, I was hoping to ride on some of the dirtroads that border some of the wilderness areas and looked nice but they were all too sandy. I rode a big loop on paved roads the second day and then hiked a little on the Florida Trail the last day. All in all it seemed that my UL gear was perfect for bike packing and translated very well. Sure missed those hiking sticks for my tarp set up though.