In April of 2024, I participated in a 300-mile race with 30k of elevation through the Los Padres National Forest in and around Santa Barbara, California. Being my local bikepacking event, this race is a special one to my friends and me, as we have been riding a lot of the route for the last few years!

I'm going to be riding my new Esker Hayduke in size XL, built up with a Fox Factory 34 FIT4, Level ULT brakes, XO1 drivetrain with a 28t chainring, and Race Face AR27 hoops laced to e13 hubs with Optimus tires in 29x2.4 in the Endurance casing. For my contact points, I am running Time Atac pedals, ESI grips with my favorite Ritchey and Cane Creek bar end combo, and an SQlabs 6OX ERGOWAVE active 2.1 saddle which I have been loving for chamois-free riding.

For bags, I am using a mix of Revelate, Oveja Negra, and TakeATrip bags. For lighting, I am running a combo of the Gemini Titan 4000 light bar and Lezyne 1600i, paired with a 400-lumen Petzl headlamp. This route has a mix of possible sub-freezing temps and heat reaching the mid-80s, so clothing is the bulk of my gear base weight, which for this ride is 11 pounds 8 ounces.

I don't plan on doing a ton of sleep, maybe 8–12 hours total if I'm lucky, so I am keeping my sleep kit light with a Nemo Tensor Trail sleeping pad, a Big Agnes 40-degree UL quilt, and my tried-and-true Tyvek Homewrap ground cloth. I'll be using merino wool base layers to keep comfy and cozy, and an Enlightened Equipment Torrid APEX jacket to take the bite off both on and off the bike. I'm not expecting rain, so for wind (and hopefully not rain) protection, I will be using my hands-down favorite piece of clothing, the Patagonia Houdini jacket.