jeepgc
Adventurer
My other memorable tent fiasco was waking up to Hawaiian waves pushing on the tent. The lesson there is relative to rum consumption prior to picking a tent site.
Excellent - "this'll do right here!"
Planning for Iceland: The what to take debate
- Thread starter Christophe Noel
- Start date
Excellent - "this'll do right here!"
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
So, Jeepgc...
Do you have any experience driving around the eastern and northern aspects of Katla? Namely the F208 and F210? How about these roads just south of the Fjallabak?
Do you have any experience driving around the eastern and northern aspects of Katla? Namely the F208 and F210? How about these roads just south of the Fjallabak?
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
It will vary largely due to terrain, wind, river crossings, etc. Short days may be around 20 miles. Tuesday is slated to have 40 mph winds.
That could be a low mileage day for sure. Or...nearly none. My biggest day might be 45-50 miles. I'd like to hit some of the singletrack around the Fjallabak which is a very mountainous area. I assume there will be gratuitous hike-a-bike so that will be low mileage. Overall, the max mileage will bee around 300 miles for the whole trip. Not much considering. I'm just anticipated very tough conditions in general. Big adventure. Low miles. A typical bikepacking day for me, say in the Rockies on mostly singletrack, usually hovers around 45-65 miles. I'm cutting that in half for Iceland.
libarata
Expedition Leader
I saw the 45 mile marker on the map, and a 90 somewhere. I was really reconsidering how large I saw Iceland as. It is a dream of mind to visit Iceland, and Ásatrúarfélagið. Bikepacking would be an amazing pilgrimage for me! Though, logistically, once you leave the southern end, how hard would it be to restock food? Water should not be an issue with a filter, and nice locals?
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
No filter for this trip. I'm relying on the fact that Iceland has the cleanest water in the world. Food....for my route....is a major issue.
60% of my packed weight at the start is food. Every bite has been carefully chosen for lightweight and density of calories. Lots of dehydrated meals to cut weight. Lots of things like ProBars and Almond butter for maximum calories per ounce. My longest stretch between resupply is 8 days, possibly 9.
I calculate calorie needs based on hours in the saddle and overall daylight hours. With 19 hours of light, compounded by lower temperatures, I'm anticipating a 1500 per day calorie deficit. Simply put, I should finish this trip having poached some body weight. But...not much I can do to get around it. Not that I have much to sacrifice.
60% of my packed weight at the start is food. Every bite has been carefully chosen for lightweight and density of calories. Lots of dehydrated meals to cut weight. Lots of things like ProBars and Almond butter for maximum calories per ounce. My longest stretch between resupply is 8 days, possibly 9.
I calculate calorie needs based on hours in the saddle and overall daylight hours. With 19 hours of light, compounded by lower temperatures, I'm anticipating a 1500 per day calorie deficit. Simply put, I should finish this trip having poached some body weight. But...not much I can do to get around it. Not that I have much to sacrifice.
libarata
Expedition Leader
Not taking one of those expo required freezers with you? Should fit easily in the drawer you are installing... right?
8-9 days of no re-supply should be fun though. Nothing gets the blood pumping like the idea of no food for a day or two! Take a shiny dime or trinket with you, and leave it as a good will offering to the land Vaetter!
Do you take jerky, or cured meats along on your long rides? Good bit of sodium to help water retention. Anyways, I wont clog your thread up, sorry haha.
8-9 days of no re-supply should be fun though. Nothing gets the blood pumping like the idea of no food for a day or two! Take a shiny dime or trinket with you, and leave it as a good will offering to the land Vaetter!
Do you take jerky, or cured meats along on your long rides? Good bit of sodium to help water retention. Anyways, I wont clog your thread up, sorry haha.
jeepgc
Adventurer
F208, yes, from landmannalaugar to vik, also from landmannalaugar to Ljótipollur.
A lot of river crossings, some quite deep and wide.
Roads, well not so bad in the jeep, some interesting gradients.
The road taking you from the camping ground at landmannalaugar up to Ljótipollur was probably the steepest gradient on the trip. Earth, loose stones and rocky, the only ascent on our trip which made me feel more secure using low box. That would be a really tough climb on a bike, but more than worth it for the views. I think, one my favourite spots.
I'm heading home on a train right now with next to useless WiFi, so will post up some pics later also, i'm sure I have some video of that drive.
No F210 though, so can't help you out there.
F249 and F225.
I'll post up some pics of these roads, with some video later today.
BTW maybe not a good move posting up pics/video of my jeep in this forum , so please remove my posts to tidy up your thread (sorry meant say if you want to), I won't be offended.
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jeepgc
Adventurer
The best possible advice right there! We'll be doing this for sure on our return trip.
Co-opski
Expedition Leader
No filter for this trip. I'm relying on the fact that Iceland has the cleanest water in the world. Food....for my route....is a major issue.
60% of my packed weight at the start is food. Every bite has been carefully chosen for lightweight and density of calories. Lots of dehydrated meals to cut weight. Lots of things like ProBars and Almond butter for maximum calories per ounce. My longest stretch between resupply is 8 days, possibly 9.
I calculate calorie needs based on hours in the saddle and overall daylight hours. With 19 hours of light, compounded by lower temperatures, I'm anticipating a 1500 per day calorie deficit. Simply put, I should finish this trip having poached some body weight. But...not much I can do to get around it. Not that I have much to sacrifice.
The water may be silty in some creeks, maybe a pack of coffee filters if you run into a gritty glacier stream.
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
Awesome pics! Eeeks.
I'm only going to be on 208 briefly before I turn west onto 210. That's where the bulk of my river crossings will be. Maybe I can just build a big kicker ramp and jump the rivers.
Fortunately for me, once I intersect with the Laugevegur hiking trail system, several crossings will have footbridges I can use. That was my plan for avoiding the deep crossings west of Porsmork. Plus, I get to ride the trail between Porsmork and Skogar. That alone has been interesting in that scads of people have told me riding the trial is illegal despite the tour companies offering mountain bike trips on it, and the officials who maintain it. One more reason I opted for lower impact fatbike tires.
Co-opski, I did pack a few coffee filters. Being a former AK resident, I remember challenges with glacial silt. Being a desert dweller now, I'm plenty familiar with chewable water.
I'm only going to be on 208 briefly before I turn west onto 210. That's where the bulk of my river crossings will be. Maybe I can just build a big kicker ramp and jump the rivers.
Fortunately for me, once I intersect with the Laugevegur hiking trail system, several crossings will have footbridges I can use. That was my plan for avoiding the deep crossings west of Porsmork. Plus, I get to ride the trail between Porsmork and Skogar. That alone has been interesting in that scads of people have told me riding the trial is illegal despite the tour companies offering mountain bike trips on it, and the officials who maintain it. One more reason I opted for lower impact fatbike tires.
Co-opski, I did pack a few coffee filters. Being a former AK resident, I remember challenges with glacial silt. Being a desert dweller now, I'm plenty familiar with chewable water.
jeepgc
Adventurer
yeah, a little daunting.Here's a vid for you, road coming into Landmannalaugar camp ground.
Excuse the poor quality and kids talking
, I didn't have enough time to upload a HD version, but you can still see the detail on the "road" surface.Right, I'm in the office now for the next 2 days, so won't be able to post anything else up.
Please feel free to remove whatever you deem fit from your thread.
Question is, are you ready?
Have a great time Christophe!
Cheers
Rob