Life On The Trails With Not Much More Than A Bike & Camper
The Buzz Speaks With Scott Morris, Who Essentially Lives In The Mountains Bikepacking, Where All You Need Is A Few Essentials, A Backpack And A Bike
"Don't worry about your bike. You don't need special bags. You can just put some stuff in a bag, some on your bike, and go for an overnighter close to home," advises Scott Morris, an avid bikepacker who resides in Tucson. Morris says that although the word is new, bikepacking has been around since bikes have been around. "Bike touring means something similar, but bikepacking generally has a connotation of backcountry, mountain trails, lightweight setup, and things like that," he says.
Bikepacking has been getting more popular in recent years, as evidenced in the many options for bikepacking gear - bags, bikes, tents, etc- and it is expected to continue to grow. "There is a lot of interest in it and a lot of people are buying the gear," Morris says, "But it is still a pretty small percentage of the mountain biking population and probably will stay that way." He says the reason behind it staying small is: "When it comes down to it, it's hard. When you are used to taking your mountain bike out just for pleasure, it is very different with all the gear and things you have to take with you." Still, for people like Morris, it is worth it.
It is related to backpacking both in style and gear. At first, it would seem that bikepacking would be the easier of the two, but, in some cases, it is about equal. "I have been in many situations where I moved slower with a bike than I would without," Morris says. The advantages to it are worth it, though. "I think it is a little bit more fun - there is a bit more wild and adventure in it," he explains, "Because if you get low on food or water, you can always bike until you reach a road. Roads are never that far from wherever you are," he says.
In between bikepacking trips, Morris lives in a camper with his partner. Not just any camper - a 2007 13' Scamp (13' for two people!), a fiberglass camper similar to a Casita trailer. "We have been living in the camper for 2 years except for two months during the winter," Morris says. Leaving the camper in the winter is not because of cold, but because of lack of daylight. For the past two years, they have left the trailer, travelled to New Zealand, and did bikepacking throughout the country. "It's an easy place to travel in and it's very beautiful," he says, "Also it's in the Southern Hemisphere so it gets lots of light in the winter."
Though there are a diverse group of bikepackers who have varying interests, a lot of bikepackers come from the endurance racer crowd, which Morris is apart of. These riders go for long races through various trails throughout the world. Morris’ favorite is the Arizona Trail (AZT). The Arizona Trail is 739 miles of trail from Mexico to Utah. It is 90% unpaved and goes from the towering saguaro cactus in the south to the mighty Grand Canyon in the North. He has had two experiences riding in Arizona - one frightening and the other meaningful. Let’s start with the scary one. “I was going up a box canyon near the Gila River,” he recalls, “And I was going to park for the night. Then I looked up and saw two eyes staring at me. So I started to ride a bit more and tried to forget about the eyes. And then two or three minutes later I looked up again at a different spot and there were the two same eyes looking at me.
I realized I was being watched.” He goes on to explain that he thinks it was a mountain lion watching him and he knew that the mountain lion knew that he only had one way out of the box canyon and probably knew the best place to pounce. “Nothing happened, obviously because I’m still here, but it was scary. I think mountain lions actually track humans a lot in the wild, we just don’t know about it most of the time,” he says.
So what does one need for bikepacking? According to Bikepacking 101's website, there are a few essentials to gather together for a tour longer than a few days. First, obviously is a bike. They say, like Morris, that as long as the bike can handle trails, it will probably work with minimal adjustments. Also, one needs a tent, some food supplies, water, and repair/ first aid kits. Of course, one needs bags to put all this stuff in and there are plenty of options on the market for bags that are specifically made to fit on bikes.
Now let’s recall one of Morris’ favorite experiences. This comes from doing a race on the Arizona Trail from Mexico to Utah. “In this race, you have to disassemble your bike at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and then hike through the canyon to the North Rim. I remember walking for hours and hours and getting to the North Rim and barely making baby steps I was so exhausted. But when I put my bike together again, I felt so good and realized I’m going to make it through this,” he recalls.
It’s experiences like these that keep Morris travelling in a 13’ Scamp or a minivan and taking trips throughout the United States and the world. And, who knows? With a few essentials and a bike, you may start the next chapter of adventures in your life, too.
Andrew Malo
A graduate of Northeastern Illinois University in Education, Andrew has taught for the past decade in Chicago, New Mexico, and Japan. He enjoys tinkering with trucks and motorcycles, woodworking, reading and computer programming.
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