There are a few routes if you search Pisgah here on the site.  My experience is that the car camping is so easy and free to do, followed by a massive calorie bomb at the BBQ place and beers at the HUB, that carrying my gear just doesn't sound that fun...Not to mention some gnarly climbs and mega descents that will make you want a downhill bike.
The sheer volume of mileage available in the area has me trying to do multiple rides a day with plenty of beer drinking, caffeine, and praise jah between rides.  I do admit to maybe wanting to bikepack in the area, especially all the stuff around turkey pen and north, but if I do they'll probably be overnite loops with resupply back at the car.  So many trails, so little time.  Have a great ride.

I went with an Garmin Oregon 550t because they already had the Topo preloaded for the USA.  Many other units require you to purchase this item separately and load it $100-$130 extra per topo module...  I also prefer the full color, larger touch screen.  It also gets much better signal, more quickly than my old etrex vista.

Awesome, I bought a buncha crap for this event and it was so awesomely light and fast.  That I broke my hand using it!!!

nice writeups.  Thanks

I love looking  at gear

If you look around, the trailhead listing and connections are around the interweb.  I've got it somewheres and will look for it as I'm considering that Allegheny 400 in a few weeks.  Just got the Advcycle maps yesterday for that route.  And i'll say The google route posted in the other thread looks pretty close. 

It's not that hard to figure out if you buy some of the NAT Geo maps or the natgeo TOPO for the area.  Probably about 4 or 5 total for that route ($12-$15ea).  The Nat geo grayson highlands map front and back covers the lower 25% of the route.  You need the Shenandoah and a couple others i can't member off the top of my head. 

Some friends and I ran the lower section from Pulaski to Damascus in May 2012.  It was a solid 3-4 day ride/approx 140 miles.  We did some alternates off the Va. HIghlands horse trail.  Some total bushwhacking.  Some ridiculous terrain that would be horrible for hiking without a bicycle.  Some of it was rippin smooth and fun though.   We didn't use shuttles, but it was a rough trip at several junctions due to terrain, route-finding, and weather.  Normal for any trip, but I'd say a good portion of the trail is not maintained or is just plain rough due to horses.  An adventure nonetheless...

I don't think the route is any big secret.  Send an email to one of the guys.

Bitchin'

peter vacco headnets.  Superior in every way. 

I use an external.  I have had many problems with internal bottom brackets.   First, I've managed to somehow rattle the crankarms off easily, and lost the bolt off an embankment of leaves and poison ivy.   I've also rounded out the splines on several isis brackets from having a lil play in the arms.  I've ovalized a few and created some dead spots in it.

If the external bearings jam up, the crankarms will still spin.  It's easier to remove external bottom brackets and clean, replace, and relube particularly if you got a chrisking....back to lawn mowing...

Is the boat still around and for sale?   email pics to   anomalousindustries @ hotmail .com

Everybody wants be different...for me bikepacking covers all the areas of regular bike touring, but also means you have the ability, bike, and equipment to ride technical singletrack in the backcountry...

Granted you can ride any bike on any surface if you're stupid or have guts, but to do things efficiently and well is another matter.

 I enjoy the smell the roses mentality, but I've also got a lot of things to do in this world and if I can afford different tools for different jobs, so i can git'r done, then awesome.   If i'm stuck on a cheap or inappropriate bike or crap equipment, then hooray i'm still having fun, but little things can start to add up on tough trips. 

Difficulties on the road or where civilization is nearby is a much easier situation to resolve than being 30miles out bushwhacking over mountains and riding horse trails...

Bikepacking for me elevates the bar on durability of equipment, lighter weight and compactness of gear to maintain control of the bike in technical situations, and overall self-sufficiency in the backcountry.   

But in reality, a bike is a bike is a bike.  My bike can ride things I will not, so....

"Hot Pocket" is what i call my homemeade tyvek bivy w/ some spectra line tie-outs built in with tyvek tape...  Literally, a nightmare during all night storms in the South.  I took it for my Pinhoti ride in October. Also, It weighs as much or more than one of my tarps.

 I've got a 14oz sil-nylon tarp and a 8oz cuben fiber tarp.  Funny thing is that the sil-nylon seems to pack tighter and is a bit larger overall with beaks on the ends.  I prefer the sil-nylon packability and coverage.  *Note the cuben will pack small but it needs to be folded up or held in compression more so than the sil-nylon. 

I enjoy my poncho tarp as well, but if it rains a lot I find the coverage to be the absolute minimum and the drip lines from the edges often cause splashing off the ground, but it's definately better than a bivy.

As far as not gettin wet in camp, I usually hike with an umbrella and it outperforms my rainjackets everytime, so I bought a 4oz collapsible umbrella (golit3) for smoke/snack breaks during rainy day rides in Virginia.  Last time with just my rainjacket, I found it difficult to find enough cover to try and eat, look at maps, and light up while waiting on the group.  A couple times, I started gettin the shivers standing at a turnoff waitin (aka "did you have a mechanical?-it's been like 30 mins bro.")for those jokers in 50F rain.  Anyways, a bit of a luxury it's probably easier to carry brownies...

You're gonna have a great time.  Beware!!! You're gonna get hooked and wonder why you didn't start bikepacking sooner.  On fitness, you'll be fine.  Some core work, grip work, air squats/lunges, pushups and plank holds are nice to do in the few weeks you have left, but sounds like you got it.  For my 1st trip, I did 250 mile/6 day after a year off the bike.  It was an appropriate amount of fun and abuse...Safety first!!!   btw sweet loaner bike, but you know it's a setup right?

awesome thanks fer sharin   I got two lil ones and im ready to do likewise

polyester thread

i use this one which i already had for some projects with a curved needle  It's $8 for 800yds no specifics...

http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Sewing-Thread/index.htm

Here's the repair stuff that carry on the Colorado Trail:

multi-tool
pump
brake pad spacer
chain lube
small grease rag
upholstery needle and thread
duct tape
zip ties
cord
spoke repair kit
tube patch kit
tire boot
brake pads
derailer hanger
spare derailler cable (pre-cut)
chainring bolts
cleats & bolts
4 quick links
4 extra chain links
spare tube

No spare tire, but I ride with Continental X-Kings/Mountain Kings with ProTection.

I carry the same stuff minus a brake pad spacer.  My thread is polyester thread from r.jardine for tarps and packs high durability/strength.
Also have a

small keychain pocket knife
small photon coin-cell led light 
2 tire levers
presta to schrader valve adaptor
velcro strap
generic emergency rear derailleur for company in addition to my bike specific d hangar
one tubeless valve stem
tire plug repair kit
2 bottle cage bolts
stein mini cassette lockring driver
mini super glue
2 fiber fix spokes, 3-6 spokes for my wheels.

but alas no spare tire.  other incidentals -cash, first aid w/ gauze pads and roll of gauze, antibiotic ointment and/or antiseptic spray. holl'r

I'm curious to know how the, um, beerpacking went.

I wrecked!  honestly, I drank soo much the two nights previous that on the third night I only needed a coupla beers and a fourloko...I can usually stash 4 or 5 beers without having to resort to putting anything on my back...

I picked this up for an overflow pack.  It's black cuben fiber.  gonna put a case of beer in it this weekend and test it out on a 4-day adventure.  let ya know...

HMG STUFF PACK
The Stuff Pack is a unique addition to the HMG pack line. Easily collapsible and packable, it weighs a mere 3.2 oz. and holds 1600 cubic inches of volume. A favorite go-to day pack, one-day summit pack, or around town carry-all, this pack is a true problem solver.
The Stuff Pack’s streamlined design features lightweight shoulder straps and a roll-top closure system to keep contents secure and protected from the elements. The Stuff Pack is constructed using CF11 Cuben Fiber. As with all HMG packs, the HMG Stuff Pack is water resistant.
0.2lbs (3.2oz.)
$96.00

I'll have to do some research on it.  Gettin ready to leave for VA to do new river trail and iron mountains traverse.  Then when I get back I'm going to try and train up for the trans north ga on august 25th.  I'm not sure I'll be able to get enough time or energy to do another thru-ride immediately...I'll just have to keep checkin back and if I get sometin in the works, we'll have to meet up. on top of that,  I'm starting to get some ideas about planning tour divide or the colorado...

ON TIRES---I ran crossmarks 2.1 last year on a 250mi bikepack.  They were ok.  I've been using Nobby Nic's 2.25's lately and it's night and day on traction, but yes the weight and rolling resistance are more work.  Not sure if i wanna be sketchy in the loose, or the turns, or give up the extra cushion of the 2.25's, but this look's really really long to me.  Likewise, my Schwalbe's seem more prone to excessive wear on pavement/gravel.  Not sure I like that considering their cost...


ON Bears Schmares!!!  I'll kick a bears azz!   I sleep with my food--a pillow no less.  Tried hanging years back on a thru-hike, and not such a good thing.  I got my spectra cord hung up in a tree, it took about an hour of shenanigans to get it down. 

  If you do hang--- use the PCT method  with a stick and carabiner...  most bears know how to hit a cord tied off to a base of a tree or more often they like to climb up and bounce on the branch till it snaps off...  I had a bear come into my camp a few months ago...about 15 feet away when I woke up...  Sneaky bastard!  I'll keep a stick nearby or my pot to bang on...shit i dunno...a rock to throw..sometimes i have firecrackers.  If it's that annoying, I'll pack up and leave (hasn't happened yet)...  Bear's can smell food several miles away, bear's visit established campsites, bear's like dumpsters...Bears walk casually, but can run almost 40mph.

Ultimately you're food bag and the bear are like a drunk person and a late nite slice of pizza...  You must be holding you're slice otherwise someone will come along pick it up and eat it.   I don't set a can of beer in the middle of a party, leave the room, and then expect no one to drink it because I put it up high or hid it behind something.  In the world of food/carcasses, if you're not actively eating it or have your paw on it, animals will instinctively try to poach it... 

Really the biggest concern with this warm weather is gonna be all the nymph size ticks and copperheads.  I've seen 5 snakes on trail in the last month...