Esash Posted September 17 Share Posted September 17 I'm sure people have done this before, so let me know your stories or thoughts on the subject. Yesterday on a whim I packed up and hit the road for an overnight EUC camping trip. I had a total blast but here are some thoughts: I packed too much weight due to lack of planning and care. I just wanted to get going before I changed my mind. But I now realize that you sort of need to pack for your camping trip as if you were backpacking. Light weight above everything. The extra weight of a camping backpack load-out will reduce your range, so factor that in if you're going up against the limits of your battery. I rode my EX.N high torque and got exactly 50 miles on hilly roads, but I ran out of battery on the way back so had to ride very slow the last 7 miles, and even had to walk and push the wheel up a 100 meter hill with the heavy weight of the backpack load. Could have been a much worse walking scenario, as I thought I'd have plenty of battery to get home but I didn't. A lighter backpack will also make any breakdown of your EUC, like a flat tire followed by a long walk, easier to achieve. Same goes for any potential injury situation where you would need to walk while injured. A heavy backpack will also affect your ability to ride offroad as safely as possible. I almost slammed into a tree riding down a steep hill section due to the extreme weight of my pack, and hitting a bump and having my feet jump up from the spikeless begode stock pedals on the EX.N. And hitting a tree with a big heavy backpack, or even just falling to the ground, could probably injure you more if I had to guess. When I got home today I calculated about 10 pounds of extra sht that I should have left at home. Even if you have really cool tech and equipment, leave most of that sht at home. Especially if it's just a 1-2 overnight trip, leave the fancy heavy sht at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esash Posted September 17 Author Share Posted September 17 Things I forgot in my haste and spontaneity: #1: A lighter. #2: toothpaste (not really needed for one night) #3: my medications #4: a 3rd shirt. Got cold and wore both shirts to sleep, they got slightly sweaty. #5: anything first aid related. Only brought rubbing alcohol gel. #6: whey protein powder in a ziplock bag. Things I brought but should not have: #1: night vision/thermal. Cool tech but mine is heavy and i didn't end up using it. It was a full moon and very well lit night, but I suspect I'd be way better off leaving that 4-ish pounds at home #2: my 2 person tent. I ended up sleeping in my hammock with integrated bug net. All I needed from my tent was the rain tarp which I could cover myself with and wrap under me for ground protection. Just guessing here, but that would have saved me about 1 pound, including the tent stakes which I accidentally brought too. #3: cooking/culinary kit. Little package with a pot, mug, fork spoon type stuff. I didn't bring any cooking food anyway so that's .5 pounds I would have saved. #4: Multi-tool/Leatherman. That thing is pretty heavy, and I should have just brought a mini-multi-tool and a single mini-knife. Food is another item that Might be best purchased towards the end of your journey, if possible. Humping lots of food from home obviously adds rider weight, and pressure on your shoulders/back/legs/battery. Overnight backpackers make sure to bring the smallest version of everything. I could have had a smaller can of bug spray rather than the full size can. Even my toothbrush could have been smaller travel variety, and same goes for toothpaste, travel size is obviously way better. Tire pump is another thing I forgot, but Sliming my wheel before leaving is something I didn't do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esash Posted September 17 Author Share Posted September 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngryJackPCB Posted September 18 Share Posted September 18 6 hours ago, Esash said: I'm sure people have done this before, so let me know your stories or thoughts on the subject. Yesterday on a whim I packed up and hit the road for an overnight EUC camping trip. I had a total blast but here are some thoughts: I packed too much weight due to lack of planning and care. I just wanted to get going before I changed my mind. But I now realize that you sort of need to pack for your camping trip as if you were backpacking. Light weight above everything. The extra weight of a camping backpack load-out will reduce your range, so factor that in if you're going up against the limits of your battery. I rode my EX.N high torque and got exactly 50 miles on hilly roads, but I ran out of battery on the way back so had to ride very slow the last 7 miles, and even had to walk and push the wheel up a 100 meter hill with the heavy weight of the backpack load. Could have been a much worse walking scenario, as I thought I'd have plenty of battery to get home but I didn't. A lighter backpack will also make any breakdown of your EUC, like a flat tire followed by a long walk, easier to achieve. Same goes for any potential injury situation where you would need to walk while injured. A heavy backpack will also affect your ability to ride offroad as safely as possible. I almost slammed into a tree riding down a steep hill section due to the extreme weight of my pack, and hitting a bump and having my feet jump up from the spikeless begode stock pedals on the EX.N. And hitting a tree with a big heavy backpack, or even just falling to the ground, could probably injure you more if I had to guess. When I got home today I calculated about 10 pounds of extra sht that I should have left at home. Even if you have really cool tech and equipment, leave most of that sht at home. Especially if it's just a 1-2 overnight trip, leave the fancy heavy sht at home. I love how Chat GPT makes a weird, pedal-powered, unicycle every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esash Posted September 18 Author Share Posted September 18 2 minutes ago, AngryJackPCB said: I love how Chat GPT makes a weird, pedal-powered, unicycle every time. Yeah EUCs are still so niche that AI hasn't even heard of them yet. I finally got one of these in the mail today. Might have been very useful while camping. And dual purpose stuff is always good. Anybody ever try sleeping or even taking a nap while wearing one of these things? Seems like all the padding in the back and elbows and shoulders would give it a great insulation "R" rating, keeping you warm in your sleeping bag or even when sitting during the day with your back against a tree. I'm guessing that microbe/itching would be a problem though, especially if you sweat at night like I do, and if you were going to wear it all day the next day. 24 hours a day wearing one of these and you'd need really good microbe control/washing solution. maybe a base layer of merino wool, and some rubbing alcohol for spot cleaning for itch control... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esash Posted September 18 Author Share Posted September 18 (edited) If I tie/fasten my charger to the top handle on my EX.N, that will take some weight off my back too. Top handle would also be a good place to tie down anything heavy, like tent poles or water bottles. Somebody could even design saddlebags that function as power pads, with storage in the front and in back of each lower leg. Even if it was just a water bottle holder embedded in the power pads/saddlebags, that would be 4 water bottles total with one in front of and behind each leg. Or I could just research the smallest motorcycle saddlebags and maybe buy two and put one in front and one in back of each leg, and ditch the power pads. I did end up using one of my power pads as a pillow though, so that's some good multi-use versatility already. Edited September 18 by Esash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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