Hi Frank!
We all have our own ways of cycling and touring, valid for each of us.
Yes, there are mosquitoes, deer flies, chiggers, and ticks here in much of Oregon; the mosquitoes can carry West Nile Virus and the ticks can carry the Lyme Disease, Ehrlichiosii, and Bebasia I contracted. Heavy concentrations or all exist along the coast and especially near Bandon, where a marsh has been re-created as a wildlife habitat (
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/08/bandon_mosquito_infestation_ha.html ). The swarms of biting insects are proving a real challenge for local residents. A good part of the Coast range is habitat to mosquitoes, and the Calapooyas and wetter/snowier parts of the Cascades are, too. My father returned home from a trip we took covered with over 400 chigger bites, despite using DEET to ward them off. The Malheur Wildlife Preserve and a good part of the Hart Mountain Preserve's lowland areas are homes to many mosquitoes, and West Nile virus is well entrenched in Grant and Malheur counties.
Traveling the desert in the midst of summer, I do need to take more than the usual amount of water, particularly if I am to be away from resupply for some time. The trailer does provide a way to carry extra while allowing me to also take the larger food stores I need to remain independent of resupply and in the back-country longer than would otherwise be possible.
True, Andy Blance doesn't use mudguards, but I prefer them long and fitted with very long mudflaps, finding they keep me and my drivetrain much drier and cleaner and longer-lived than without. Yes, they can sometimes clog, but I've found them particularly handy in talc-fine playa and again when the playa gets wet and sticky.
Similarly, I toured the same areas for many years on 700x32C and narrower road slicks and came to prefer them for pavement, dirt roads, gravel roads, fire and logging roads and true off-road use cross-country (where they are often kinder to trails and cause less erosion than knobbies); much depends on riding technique. On everything except wet grass, I found they provided adequate tracton while minimizing pick-up of mud and wet playa. The 50mm Duremes are the widest tire I've used and have as much tread as I'd like; I can see some Supremes in my future for use in the same kind of terrain. I started riding "with intent" in the days before mountain bikes when cyclo-cross bikes made dandy off-roaders.
The greatest benefit of smooth(ish) tires, mudguards/fenders, and generously long mudflaps for me has been a clean drivetrain, even with derailleurs. This has proved a winning combo for me in desert touring as well as in Europe, where my touring partner ran without mudguards and the contrast was stark: My open drivetrain was virtually untouched by water, mud, dirt, manure, and the sand of Dutch off-road tracks, while his drivetrain, gear and clothing was thoroughly crusted. Because the drivetrain stays cleaner, I have to clean and lube far less often than others who eschew 'guards. On balance, this combo has worked well for me. I have periodicaly tried touring and cycling with and without 'guards and have always quickly returned to using them again.
Since I come to cycling from road bikes (and used them off-road as well), I also swim upstream against the current MTB and Trekking influences by continuing to prefer drop handlebars. I'm no iconoclast, just sticking with what has worked well for me or 35 years of touring in the Great Basin and American West. I like the extra hand and back positions drops allow and prefer them in the frequent headwinds I encounter.
The best water bottle I've found to date for my needs is the Zéfal Magnum, with 1 liter capacity. Despite its volume, it fits securely in a standard cage, doesn't leak if the top is screwed tight, has a tight-fitting but soft stopper, and has never imparted a smell or taste to my water. I use the black ones and have no experience with the translucent version.
Is there a reason you need phone service outside of towns?
Yes, there is. I spend considerable time away from towns and services and ride alone. I find it useful to have phone service in the event I am hurt or injured and need assistance. At other times, cell service is useful to provide an internet connection for my 4G LTE portable wifi hotspot so I can continue to do my work while on-tour or to upload photos or installments for a blog. I have found Verizon provides the best cell-tower coverage in the areas I ride.
Very bad idea to tour in the Great Basin other than in September/October.
For the most part, I've had good success touring the Great Basin in High Summer, provided I plan carefully and take extra supplies of food and water. Of course weather is the ultimate determining factor, and it caused me to cancel my plans this summer, due to a period of unusually high temperatures and wildfires that would have hemmed-in my route and rendered air quality very poor. Alvord is a matter of timing. Go too early or late and much of it is a shallow lake. Hit it right -- usually in High Summer -- and it is very ridable and the shadow of Steens Mountain makes it practical to ride much of the day.
So, different strokes for different folks; we all have our preferences and get there in the end with whatever works best for each.
Best,
Dan.
