However, that’s exactly the direction I wanted to push this project. In fact, I originally proposed the series concept to the team with name Concours de Rummage, taking inspiration from the sophisticated builders challenge called Concours de Machines. However, I realized that’s just my style and approach, and there are infinite interpretations to a capable low-cost touring kit. In the end, we all found different ways and motivations to tackle this challenge, and that made it even more interesting.
The wedge won out, and I was able to make it using repurposed Cordura perimeter fabric, straps, and a zipper from my old Kona Sutra frame bag I burned with an iron several years ago. Obviously, not everyone is going to have that as an option, but using an old backpack could provide the same base materials. I used the blue jeans—complete with the pocket being a non-driveside knife sheath—and some leftover X-Pac I had on hand for the side panels.
Customers have different views on the value for money of the stationary bicycle. Some find it well-built and worth the price, while others feel it’s disappointing for the price, with poor displays and crank threading issues. They say the directions are clear, and the bike is ready to use. The Local schwinn mountain bike Overnighters Project is a unified effort to document and map one-night bikepacking routes all over the world—by locals, in their own backyards.
That said, I fully acknowledge the privilege of having access to tools needed schwinn bike to make all the components, a scrapped pack, leftover materials, and a sewing machine—not everyone has these resources at their disposal. However, I hope this kit and process inspire others to think creatively and resourcefully when assembling a bikepacking rig. Despite the fact that a solid 30 to 40 percent of the content we produce here on the website is about gear, much of it new, you truly don’t have to buy new things.
Out of this entire kit, I might be most proud of this $4.50 camp kitchen. To salvage every last dollar, most of the team avoided bringing a kitchen and opted to pack a burrito or something that didn’t require cooking, but I wanted to cobble one together to see how it would perform. After watching and waiting for used sleeping bags to come available on Marketplace, it became pretty clear that one of the most common and affordable models that pops up regularly is the North Face Cat’s Meow. I’m pretty sure I had one of these in my backpacking days in college, but I had forgotten how bulky they were. To be fair though, I wanted a 20° model as I knew we’d be camping in the cold, so I had to settle for what I could find within my $50 budget. Originally used in 1963 to define a road bike, Sierra has a long and meandering history as a Schwinn bike model name.
This turned into a fun little side project, and I ended up with four sturdy, lightweight stakes. I cut them with a hacksaw, then clamped each one in a bench vise and hammered out a contour to prevent bending when pounded into the ground. To keep them organized, I used a rubber band made from a piece of discarded inner tube. It worked perfectly, squishing the sleeping bag down to a manageable size that fit neatly in my basket bag. The poly material seems durable enough for now, though I imagine it might start to show some wear and tear after a month or so of use. The week leading up to the disaster, I spotted a 22” 1988 Schwinn High Sierra on Marketplace, messaged the seller immediately and arranged to meet them that Thursday in Tennessee, just over the North Carolina border.