bikepacking for Arizona 300

If  this picture doesn't evoke an awesome feeling of adventure and fun...then something is wrong with you. Here are a couple of our setups for the upcoming AZT300. We will be pedaling 300 miles across the AZ desert (self supported) ...follow along with us here!    http://www.trackleaders.com/aztr13     its starts friday at 9am (april 19th). 

AZT 300 mtb ride countdown (1 week away)

This feels more like a small expedition than a race. Checklists, logistics, gear, gps files, more gear, getting water on course, bike prep, etc.... The feeling is accurate and I am being 100% honest when I say our goal is to finish. We will be riding 300 miles in the desert of Arizona next week. Fully self supported. No drop bags, no support crew, just us, our bikes and the legs (hopefully) to get to finish. The crew will be Jason Michalak coming off a 3rd place ride at 24hr of old pueblo covering 250+ miles in 24hrs. Our buddy Casey Hill coming from oregon with enough power in his legs to race in Europe (he did). Our other buddy Adam Vaughan who just rode 150 miles at the "anti epic" on his CX bike last weekend, and Myself, Luke Jay.  Stay tuned as i will post links to spot trackers, bike setups, gear lists. SEEK AND ENJOY!

 AZT Rules: No entry fee, no prizes, absolutely no support1. Complete the entire route, under your own power.
2. No support crews
3. No caches
4. No motorized transport or hitch-hiking, even off route
5. Gear - Nothing required, nothing prohibited

The Arizona Trail 300 is a self supported, wilderness mountain biking race held on a portion of the cross state Arizona Trail. The race follows the trail as closely as possible from Mexico to Superior, AZ, covering some 300 miles of varied terrain (elevations range from 1600 to 8100 ft). The trail surface is primarily singletrack, but the race will detour on dirt and pavement to bypass wilderness areas the trail passes through. This is not an organized or sanctioned event in any way. It's simply a group of friends out to ride their bikes on the same route at the same time. We'll probably compare times afterwards, but more importantly, we'll compare experiences -- the highs and lows the trail and mountains offered us.