NemadjiMan, on 19 March 2012 - 07:43 AM, said:

And that has been my conclusion.  But along the way to that conclusion, I must have tried all of the other options including that home-made carrier.  It was the best and held up the best of all the others, but in the end, it still added enough weight to the front to be really noticeable when riding the technical stuff..  My handling suffered enough that I finally admitted that the back pack was the way and since then, back packs have come a long way and are MUCH better than the first ones I used.

And when looking for a good one, the larger Camelbaks have been great for water handling, plenty of pockets to keep your stuff organized and secure, plus they expand and collapse well to fit the load or lack of it.  I look for the ones that have a waist band and a sternum strap.

The wiast band keeps the full weight off of your shoulders and the sternum strap keeps the shoulder straps in the correct position for maximum comfort. When adjusted correctly, you don't even know you have one on.

1 gallon of fuel weighs apx 6 pounds and 2 liters weight apx. 3.16 pounds plus the little bit for the fuel bottles...   So let's say 4 pounds..   Now, on the forks and up high, (the worst possible place for extra weight on a dirt bike) you have really compromised the over all handling of your bike. that is where very little weight has a very large affect.

Now, 4 pounds well secured in a good back pack is hardly noticeable and has absolutely NO affect on your bike.  The objects in your pack get the best ride possible due to the bike's suspension AND your own leg suspension combined. Objects strapped to the bike get hammered.  

NemadjiMan, on 19 March 2012 - 07:43 AM, said:

He did carry them in his backpack...during last year's Algonquin run.     It's a bit easier to get the weight off your back and onto the bike/fender, IMO. One of the reasons I want to do this is that I found that my waist belt was way too heavy for a whole day's of tough riding (roots, rocks, and mud holes the whole 150 kms!), and I would prefer to have that on the bike but not on the front end.

And if I have his spare gas, he's not going to abandon his olde pharte uncle in the bush somewhere and tear off up ahead. LOL

Edited by andrzej, 19 March 2012 - 04:39 PM.

One caveat to my backpack preference would be that if it's a crappy backpack with a lame strap system that won't sit still on your back (like most kid's school backpacks), it's gonna be irritating and uncomfortable.  I found a cheap hunter's backpack at Dick's that has great straps and the bottles (gas and oil for a chainsaw) are held securely inside, not bouncing around.  There's extra room for spare cutting chains and stuff, but not much (which is good).  Probably similar to some of the newer Camelback packs.

I envy you guys out west with the vast wide open spaces to ride.  But I don't envy the need to carry extra stuff on my back.  I'd get worn out quick standing much with an extra 20 +/- lbs.  I'm sure you all are very consious of fuel consumption & carrying capacity when you shop for bikes.  My new to me 08 WR450 would never do, it's a gas HOG!  On a steep long hillclimb last week I hit reserve at 28 miles.  I'd probably upgrade the suspension & get a Clarke tank for my XT225, because it gets 75 mpg and weighs nothing too.

gateorade bottle full of fuel works every time for me. Just tape the cap shut, throw it in the backpack, and ride.

   What more can I say?  Ummm..

Natural Selection is a wonderful thing...    

Edited by 2PLY, 25 March 2012 - 06:39 PM.

2PLY, on 25 March 2012 - 06:36 PM, said:

ROTFLMAO.  I was thinking the same thing.

If you are riding a smoker, red/blue premix in the gas would look just like flavoured gatorage.  Yum!

Edited by andrzej, 26 March 2012 - 06:37 AM.