Tour Divide 2013 - Gear review. The good, the bad, and the completely destroyed.

Firstly, I used everything I brought this year. I was really happy with my set-up but would still make a few changes if I ever get the chance to ride again. Had some minor issues and some major malfunctions.  You can see a more complete gear list at

Blackburn Designs - J.D. Pauls Gear List

In no particular order.

Sleeping Gear

Sleeping bag. ZPacks 900 fill down bag. It was perfect. The only issue I had was with the bulk.  It was very light and warm but since I had to get the longer and wider bag it seemed bulky, filling most of my handle bar bag. Probably could of used the 40 degree bag, but waking up in the frost I was happy I went warmer.  On warmer night I just left the bag open or slept on top. It took a beating.  Still working on getting that stink out!

Sleeping pad. Klymit Inertia sleeping pad. Loved this thing.  Doesn't look like much and packs up to the size of a coke can but it works really well!.  I used it inside the bag so I didn't slide around and it was perfect. Quick to inflate and deflate as well. 


Tent. Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1  This is great.  I'm not crazy about having to carry the poles, but the tent packs up so small and offers great protection against rain and sprinklers.  Loved having a vestibule for my shoes too.  I looked for a bivy but in the end couldn't give up the protection and had a hard time finding one much smaller.  May switch to bivy in the future but after the weather in 2012 I couldn't say no the tent.  It set up and came down fairly quick.  5 min or so.

Rain Gear. 
Pants. These were a last minute decision.  Bought them at Patagonia in Banff the day before the race.  Glad I had them.  They were full zip down the legs so I could keep them on without over heating. They kept me warm dry and packed up pretty compact. They also gave me something to put on in the laundry mat when I washed my shorts.
Jacket.  The same light weight North Face shell I had last year.  Loved having the hood. It is a little bulky but did a great job.

Socks.  Sealskin Water proof socks.  These worked well for a couple days.  Started to stink so bad though.  When the weather got warmer I had no need for them but riding in the chilly air, rain and creeks in Montana they did the job. Better than booties. I also had 2 pair of Giro wool socks.  One warmer and one thinner.  They were great.

Gloves.  Found some thin plastic gloves on clearance at MEC that came halfway up my forearm.  Worked well over my regular gloves and prevented the wind chill on descents.  Love them. I also took Giro riding gloves and a pair of Giro insulated gloves. I hate riding with uncomfortable hands.

Accessories
Pump:  Blackburn Airstik Loved this little guy.  Took up no space and it does the job.  Its a little workhorse.  I was happy I could fit in my top tube bag with my tubes, wrenches, pliers and spare parts and keep everything together.

Leatherman: Juice S2 Used this almost everyday.  Pliers were a must. And having the scissors was awesome.  I also had a Blackburn Toolmanator multi-tool for the bike, but I used this for everything else including some bike repairs.

The bike

White Bros. Carbon fork.  Loved it.  Took a beating.  There weren't many times I wished for front suspension.
Tires were great.  Glad I had tubeless set-up. No flats!  I replaced the Crossmark on the rear in Steamboat but my Nano on the front went the distance.
Also replace the rear cassette, chain and small front ring in Steamboat. They were worn pretty bad, and they were only a couple weeks old before I left for the race.

Easton Haven handle bars and carbon seat post were awesome.

What didn't work...




Bike Frame. I say it didn't work, but it did get me to the end though not without stress and discomfort.  The frame is unrideable now. 

 Redline D660 Didn't fair very well.   It is an aluminium frame and it cracked clean around about a 1/2 inch below the seat post clamp, just above the welds.  I rode it the last 300 miles or so staying out of the saddle a good portion of it, walking climbs and balancing on it when I hit pavement.  I didn't have a lot of options, other than getting to Silver City to repair it so I duct taped it together.  When I got to Silver City, I decided to ride the last 120 miles on the broken bike instead of waiting for the bike shop.  Figured I could hitch back to town if something went wrong. Redline said they are replacing it (very cool of them), so I sit here waiting for it to arrive. 

I am sure I will add to this list in the future, but there you are.  Any questions?