Along the journey, Jess and I fielded a lot of questions from others on how we got to the place of actually going on the trip came together.
First, no – we aren’t sisters. We were internet friends for a bit because I knew Jess’ husband when we were younger. Our first time meeting was on the Green Mountain Gravel Growler 2021 trip – and it was so much fun. So it felt organic to do another trip together.
Second – it takes a lot of planning to go on an epic journey. This was our first time doing a multi-week bikepacking trip – and our first multi-week trip with camping as the primary lodging accommodation. But camping helps keep the overall costs down (even if we did have to bring all our camping gear as well as our bikes and bags on the plane).
My goal is this post will help others feel confident in planning their next big adventure.
Getting There
We don’t live where we were going to ride, so we weighed the options: drive out or fly out. My drive would have been longer than Jess’ (20 driving hours) – so flying was the obvious choice to minimize the number of days off we needed to take from work.
Most airlines have policies around traveling with Sports Equipment so be sure to check out your airline of choice’s rules. I flew on Delta, which allows bicycles as a checked bag (provided it meets the dimension and weight requirements); Jess flew on Southwest, which features a flat fee for bicycle bags over 51lbs (provided it meets the dimension requirements).
Of particular note is the 50lb weight limit. You might think that since your bike isn’t anywhere close to 50lbs you’d be OK – but the bag itself weighs somewhere around 20lbs. Jess used the Dakine Bike Travel Bag (18lbs) and I used an EVOC Bike Travel Bag (19 lbs). Both are excellent choices for air travel and require only a minimal amount of bike disassembly to pack.
Jess crammed as much as she could into her bike bag because Southwest doesn’t charge for the first two checked bags and has a flat fee for bike bags weighing 51- 100lbs. I incurred Delta’s overweight and checked bag fees because my bag weighed 55lbs, which was due to the inclusion of my bike, 2.2″ tires, rack, 3 water bottles, shoes, and helmet.
We also had to bring all of our gear – not just a change of kit and snacks, but also our camping gear and food. Most camping gear can be put in checked baggage so I stuffed everything into a 7-day suitcase that came in at 43lbs (Jess had a larger carryon sized suitcase for the rest of her gear).
Of note, you cannot bring camp stove fuel or bear spray – even in your checked bags. We purchased these items from an REI in Minnesota and picked them up on the way to Duluth.
Campgrounds, Ferries, and Layovers
It was important to us that we knew where we wanted to try to stay each night before heading out.
August is apparently a heavy tourist time for the Northwoods, so we booked our sites in advance as soon as the ability to book a site came up. Jess started booking campsites in January and didn’t stop until sometime in March when the last few campgrounds opened their booking windows.
The only campground we missed was for the first night in Minnesota (Gooseberry Falls) and the second night in Wisconsin (Two Lakes). The first sold out almost instantly; the latter we didn’t realize we’d booked a campsite at the wrong campground until the night before. Both times it worked out, but to avoid the stress of trying to beat holiday travelers to first come first serve sites (which you very likely will not get, especially on a weekend) – book ahead of time. It also gives you a stopping point to look forward to each day.
It also pays to keep trying, even if the campground is full. The third night in Michigan, we had intended to try to get a spot at a rustic campground that is first come first serve because the state campground we wanted was closed for renovations. However, when we rode by, it was actually open and we had our pick of available sites. The ranger said it was a last-minute decision to reschedule the renovations so the campground was slower than usual.
The ferries to and from Isle Royale National Park had a bit of scheduling to maneuver around – but it wasn’t onerous or overly complicated. The ferries don’t run every day from Minnesota but they do from Michigan. For planning we picked a date range and then figured out when the ferries were running based on our planned route and adjusted accordingly. We then reached out to the operators to confirm how to book our bikes for the trip as well and got on their manifests.
We also booked all of our indoor lodging in advance as well. This gave us peace of mind as well as targets to look forward to when setting up camp again. Booking ahead is how we got the cute cabin at the Minnetonka Resort instead of a boring motel room. We also were able to build in an additional layover day between Michigan and Wisconsin that we could use – or not use – as we felt.
Things We Couldn’t Live Without On This Trip
Many people asked us what was the most important thing we brought as well as what did we wish we hadn’t brought or didn’t need.
We tried really hard to think of something we brought that we didn’t need and could have left at home and came up with nothing. Even things we didn’t break out were things that could have been needed (first aid kits, trowels, water filters and Aquatabs).
(You can see our planning spreadsheet here)
We agreed the number one best thing we brought was the Garmin Messenger satellite tracking device. Our families back home felt at ease being able to track our location and communicate via text, even without cell service.It’s small (3″ x 2″) and light (4oz), making it easy to find a home for on our bikes (I stashed it in one of my handlebar-mounted Mountain Feed Bag mesh side pockets). The Messenger has flexible monthly plans, so you aren’t paying for service when you aren’t using the device. I chose to pay for Search & Rescue insurance to offset S&R costs should that be a necessary action.
Another item that some may think is frivolous, but we found this item to be worth its (less than 2lbs) weight: backpacking chairs. Jess had an REI Flexlite chair; I had a Helinox Ground chair. We had these chairs out at almost every campsite – to relax, to eat dinner or breakfast, or just stare out across the lake.
With a few days and nights of rain, it was important to know if our gear was waterproof or water-resistant. Jess had awesome panniers with so many exterior mesh pockets – she was able to carry a lot more on-the-fly items than I was. But they were water-resistant, which meant additional packing of key items into waterproof containers (ZipLocks, drybags, etc). I had my Ortlieb front rollers (12L each), which are waterproof, but also had to have an extra-large Sea to Summit eVent compression bag (waterproof) to house my soft goods that needed to stay dry.
We also brought a spare small drybag to use as a pack-out container. We also brought a roll of small compostable garbage bags to use at camp and then packed the garbage bags into the drybag, attaching it to the rear rack until we found a garbage bin.
Oh – and camp toilet paper. We had a few campgrounds where the vault toilet did not feature toilet paper. Having our own was clutch.
Finally – skin care. Yes, that sounds super Extra – but the reality is, if we didn’t care for our faces, the trip would have been miserable. Between heat rash and cystic acne, it’s easier to bring witch hazel and facial cleanser wipes than it is to deal with the aftermath of not taking care of our skin. This is in addition to the body wipes and chamois creams we brought. And sunscreen and bug spray.
Jess also brought her Kindle and probably would say that was a super solid choice to bring.
Fueling Strategies
An epic adventure is not the place to underfuel. Both Jess and I worked with registered dieticians to dial in a framework for how to fuel day after day. We didn’t have “numbers to hit” but discussed real foods that support adequate protein, fat, and carbohydrate needs above and beyond everyday nutrition. It doesn’t have to be perfect – but you do need to eat consistently to ensure your body has enough fuel to cover the last hour or so of the journey.
We started our first sports nutrition bar within 60-90 min after starting the day and stopping every 5-10 miles to eat and drink. Lunch was planned for just after the half-way mark.
It’s also important to know your body’s signals that it needs more or is getting enough. The second day in Wisconsin I started out a bit too fast and by lunch, I knew I wasn’t eating enough of what my body needed. When we got to camp, I set everything up and then relaxed while eating salted nuts and Skittles until dinner, which was the highest-calorie meal in my bag. After dinner I felt much better and was able to get a good night’s sleep for the next day’s ride.
Part of our planning was to assess how many nights we would have access to services in a town vs where we would need to have everything we needed at camp (and for how long).
Breakfast consisted mostly of oatmeal, trail mix, and nut butters. I went a little bougie and brought a small can of Starbucks Premium Instant Coffee. This was a brilliant selection as we both had ample coffee for the entire trip. I prefer sugar and cream in my coffee so I packed sugar packets and non-dairy creamer packets into a tiny ziplock with a 1 tsp measuring spoon.
Lunch was often on the side of the road and more often than not, we ate Bumblebee Snack on the Run! Chicken Salad kits and supplemented with chips, sports nutrition bars, and caffeinated beverages (Cokes, Red Bull). The kits were super lightweight, easy to eat on the side of the road, shelf-stable, and delicious.
Other options were typical gas station fare – hard-boiled eggs, cheese sticks, salty potato chips, full sugar ice teas, peanut butter sandwich crackers, trailmiz bars, granola bars, Skittles and Snickers bars. And pickles.
Dinners were dehydrated backpacking meals. The ease of just needing to boil water to have a satisfying meal at the end of the day is most welcome after a long day. There are a lot of brands out there, but we used Packit Gourmet, Wild Zora, Farm to Summit, and Good To Go with the last four days being Mountain House Adventure Meals (as this is what is available at Walmart). We carried 6 dinners to get us through the first 8 days of riding as we knew 2 of those days could be a restaurant meal.
For sports nutrition items, we brought Clif Bars, Larabars, Muir Energy, Untapped Maple, Skratch Labs, Nuun, and Liquid IV.
Training
100%, Jess and I did not jump into this trip without building up our fitness and capacity for multiple days of riding with a full load. Even with being careful in what we brought (and I’m sure many ultralight bikepackers would be appalled at the amount of stuff we brought), we had about 40 pounds of gear and supplies loaded to our bikes every day.
Most of our training consisted of just riding – getting out as often as possible.
After Mid South, I put my smart trainer in a closet and forgot about it for a few months. I focused on riding for fun with friends and not worrying too much about speed or power. It was everything I needed it to be. But come June, I knew I needed to start working on building real capacity and pulled the smart trainer back out.
I set up my Trainer Road training plan for a stage race, because Riding Consecutive Days. I didn’t follow it as strictly as I had for Mid South as I could still get out at least one day on the weekend – but this summer has been pretty wet and it was nice to have an indoor option instead of forcing myself into the rain.
I’m sure some would say I needed to train for riding in the rain, but I’ve done enough of that, thanks.
I also put my 2.2″ tires on my Cutthroat so I could get accustomed to riding them. They always feel so plush until the road tips upward – then it’s just extra rubber to push. But I quickly became acclimated to the extra effort and saw an increase in my FTP when I tested it – so it must have helped
Jess did outdoor rides, loaded, that would simulate our longest days. That was an excellent idea as well.
Mental Preparation
The last topic is mentally preparing for the journey. Not just in planning optimally, but also considering back up plans and alternate routes (and when you would have to make a decision about said alternate route). Having this in your back pocket makes heading out easier because you know you have options.
I’ll be honest that when I thought about the entire trip, I would have a mini panic attack. what are we thinking? can we even do this? But when we thought or talked about a section – one state, one day – we felt calm and confident in our planning.
The takeaway here is – break your big trip into smaller, manageable sections. Think about each section when you are experiencing it. Don’t worry about the next section – you just need to get to the next campsite to be successful.
Once we were on Isle Royale, the trip didn’t feel so big and we could think about more than just the next day in front of us. We had just completed 1/3 of the trip!
We also started thinking in terms of how many more nights of camping in that state to mark passage of time. The longer we were out, the less relevant the day of the week or day of the month it was – especially since we had prebooked all our accommodations. The only times we saw others was either in town or on weekends (lots of ATVers enjoying the trails).
Final Thoughts
With exactly one multi-week adventure under our belts, I feel more confident in planning other multi-day/week trips – and confident that with the right planning and training, these types of trips are accessible to those willing to put in the effort. I’m sure over time we will refine and dial in the stuff we bring (or not bring) and maybe even experiment with not pre-booking our sites to have more flexibility – but at this point, that’s the level of planning we feel comfortable with.
I’m already starting to think about what amazing adventures 2024 will hold.
See you out there!
wife. mother. awesome girl. 