It's funny looking back on this, I was still very nervous on camera and I think that comes across pretty clearly haha. I'll keep it live for now as I think there is some useful stuff in there, but planning to re-do this in a more engaging way sometime
@@drlaurence8581I carried 2 different credit cards, kept separate from each other, and then had a little cash on me. Different amounts depending on how I felt, usually at the borders I would only be changing enough for the next day or two. Always had some usd on me
Great story--both of you. I love your approach to life and challenges. Very much impressed by what Victoria has done on this trip with no prior experience. Much love to you both.😊
When you said you worked as an editor before. You briefly looked like an editor from Jacksgap back in the days. - I dont remember his editor’s name or etc though so, it is likely to be wrong.
When you said you were looking after John's dog in Oaxaca, I immediately knew it was Mira! I have been following Ryan van Duzer (close friend of Johns) and also John and Mira's bike journeys for sometime now. You are all so inspirational, guess I just gotta get out there and ride somewhere!
I so much appreciate that you mentioned Iohan. I found him and started following him early on. He's responsible for getting me addicted to TH-cam videos. He was such an inspiration, a shining light in an sometimes mean, crazy world. He was always positive, and he seemed to be indestructible. Sadly he wasn't.
I stumbled across your videos because I am a Road Cyclist. I’m 61 years old. Watching you and Victoria and your adventurous attitudes toward life brings such refreshment. I have been vicariously going on the adventure with you. Keep putting up videos when you have time for editing.
Iohan Gueorguiev is such a legend. Actually I somehow knew, that he is your inspiration. Your work is so different and just so good, too! Keep on rolling!
Oregon has some bikepacking-specific camping spots, with things like air pumps, charging ports and other amenities. You might be able to take advantage of these before heading into Nevada.
I'm mustering the courage to express my thoughts. I've been an avid follower of your TH-cam channel for a while now, and recently, I've been captivated by your Alaska to Argentina series. Each video concludes with you both touching my heart, as you're fulfilling your dreams - a dream I share, to ride to Alaska someday. Sending abundant love from India, I eagerly await your visit to our country. When you do, please don't hesitate to connect with me.
This was great Greg. Thank you for taking us all on your amazing adventure. It was nice to get to know Victoria too. Now you've told me about The Darien Gap I've got something new to worry about on your trek. Please don't try biking through the Gap! Love you mate.
You must get along pretty well. When I look at your episodes from Alaska and Canada in particular, I can imagine that your nerves are often at the limit when you're travelling under such conditions. The cold, rain and mosquitoes can really take their toll. And when you have to sleep so close together in a tiny and wet tent, you must somehow get along very well? And sometimes someone has a bad day too? Are there no arguments? 😉
I can tell you that your video's are absolutely super inspiring. I've never watched a video of the other youtubers you mentioned (yet) but your video's make me want to do something like this as well. You guys are a good team. Have a lot of fun and save travels!!
I think you guys didn't answer the question that everybody's wondering. Are you guys a couple? Spending so much time together, are you romantically involved?
Man you guys are living life so right, next pay check i'll buy some art, and try to get some friend to do so as well. I'm hoping to start doing things like this in two more years
Great Video! Great story of you and Victoria! Love your adventures, challenges and approach to life, keep on cycling! Looking forward to all future episodes! Parabéns!!
Thank you both for sharing your journey. I have never smiled and laughed so much watching something like this. The smile is on my face and in my heart. Gratitude beyond words Angel m.
I love what she says about her state of mind on the bike. You sure spend a lot more time with yourself, having nothing else better to do than to think. And the way you decide to go about it makes a huge difference on the trip.
I have ridden a lot of the world...only a few pics with instamatic camera--it was done in the 80's...too many stories to tell but these two are STALWART individuals...probably a bit easier with two..I was alone. Most of all the people i met were generous and kind...getting dengue fever in Cambodia and Shistosomiasis from the Mekong river together almost killed me..beside the obvious danger from cars and crashing
Sorry, another question: if you do not wear padded pants, what do you wear? What options are there? What have you tried and what works best? I only have used the padded pants....so I am wondering... especially about chafing....
Love the videos. Great editing and I enjoy that they don’t feel ‘rushed’, they have a nice flow and story. I’ve watched them all so far and looking forward to watching more. Your backstories are inspiring. I was surprised that Victoria didn’t cycle much before this trip. She’s a trouper. I especially like the fact that you both are enjoying the journey and not just cranking out the km’s. Happy trails and safe travels!
Greg and Victoria! I love this series and I love your friendship so much. Question for Greg - what Fujifilm recipes do you shoot with, or do you edit on your laptop? I love the tones and richness of your photos so much.
Thanks Teresa! I use the Portra 400 ii recipe from FujiXWeekly, then I'll usually tweak the colors on my phone bit with the A6 filter in an app called VSCO
That's so true about the one month plateau. I'm not the most fit person and I did a three month self-supported tour across Canada last summer (my first) and I lost 19lbs in the first month and only 11 in the second and third months combined. It really did become easy. I'd be exhaling (almost like a relaxed sigh) going uphill and then get mad that I wasn't working hard enough to lose more weight! I really miss being on the road and hope I can do a long tour like that again sometime!
So this is what can happen after hiking the PCT. 😉 Greetings from the Class 2022. Looking for my next big adventure. Bikepacking seems like such a logical next step.
thats awesome! yeah its pretty nice coming from hiking, you can carry so much more food and water without it all on your back, and the downhills are free miles!
Thank you so much for all of this! I have a question concerning the Rohloff gear system, would you say it behaves well uphill on small speeds with all the heavy equipement on the bike ? I mean do the gear ratios go low enough ? Thanks for everything anyway, you've been really inspriring me to take on a similar adventure soon :) Safe travels
I find the ratio is perfect for me. On steep uphills my easiest gear is basically walking pace, so if I need any easier than that I might as well just walk as I’d be going faster. And then also on the other end the fastest gear is super fast on the downhills, if i need anything faster I might as well just sit and coast. I have mine set up with a 16t cog on the back, and a 32t chainring on the front. If you wanted the easiest gear to be easier you could always swap out that front chainring to something smaller like a 28t
Both me and my Grandad adore this series! Thank you so much for sharing it with us. Was interested to know how you keep in touch with friends and particularly family as yet seems they live in England Greg. Victoria it seems will have a chance to see them in Mexico but I assume you won’t - do they have any plans to come see you vaguely at some point or just when you get back? Or maybe you haven’t thought so far ahead yet haha! Loved hearing more details about the trip. Safe journey 🚵
Aw thank you! I'm really glad you guys have been enjoying them. We both keep in touch over the phone when we get time in towns. At this point I've been away for nearly a year and a half, so am definitely starting to miss everyone. We are planning to potentially pause for a bit during the hottest summer months in Mexico, so I may plan a trip home for a few weeks during that if the ticket isn't too expensive
All I know is rode past my old house in Alaska, no way you could miss it is on the Alcan Highway 2 miles out of ... Tok, Alaska.. also I hope you enjoyed that 12 miles of "bike trail" they got there!
I watched Elina's PCT episodes as they came out & loved them! Pretty cool to hear you're connected since I've been following along with your episodes as well. You've both made the respective journeys such a joy to watch.
Great one Greg&Victoria. Robert here from Vancouver (well, kind of) - another Tumbleweed Prospector fellow. We missed at the Japadog place by just a few hours......argggg, would have been nice, to meet and chat for a bit. I wish you both a wonderfull continuation, will follow your channel here.
🤗Thank you for this video it was very informative. Your adventures remind me of Martjin Doolaard :) also on TH-cam and his biking adventure was also as beautiful to watch and yours and Victoria's. Stay safe and keep having fun! 🤗
At some point in the future can you answer questions about the different Tumbleweed bikes you guys are on? I'm interested in the differences between the two, any pros and cons you think are relevant to your experience on the bikes for people looking to purchase one someday. How does one buy these bikes? I went to the website but holy smokes it looked complicated. I'm interested in hearing more about routine bike maintenance: the frequency and severity of different issues and how you troubleshoot them. How many tires / tubes do you have on hand? What other tools do you have for fixing your bikes? I'm am avid cyclist, but in a below-the-poverty-line kind of way. I've got myself a Specialized Hardrock I've been rolling around on as a daily commuter for 10 years now and I've always dreamed of bikepacking after I finish hiking all the hikes I've set out to hike but I'm not a bike mechanic so I want to learn more about how you guys work on the bikes when you need to fix stuff.
Best bet is to get in touch with tumbleweed, they will be able to answer any questions you have about purchasing! When I bought mine I didnt know much about bikes but they were happy to walk me through the pro's and cons of any decisions about parts/spec - their standard build for each is an incredible setup though so most people wont want to change anything. Main difference between prospector and stargazer is the drivetrain & handlebars. Prospector is built around the rohloff and has flar bars, and the stargazer has drop bars with a derailer/traditional drivetrain. I guess it comes down to personal preference and the type of trips you are planning. If you're planning to get way off the beaten track and tackle some more technical bikepacking routes, the prospector is your best bet. If your preference is drop bars, look towards the stargazer - still has huge tire clearance and offroad capability, but no rohloff so a little more maintenance. Victoria will soon be swapping out to a prospector and is very much looking forward to the simplicity of the rohloff, but is dreading saying goodbye to the drop bars. My personal preference is flat bars as its a lot easier to wrangle the brakes on technical descents We run the bikes tubeless, so we very rarely get any punctures (we got our first one 6 months in, and was more of a sign that we needed to top up the sealant) If we do get a puncture they are very simple to plug, takes 1 minute and then you're back rolling again. We both carry a spare tube just incase we get an unpluggable puncture or sidewall tear. We dont carry spare tires, they are too heavy and bulky, and if we ever had a truly catastrophic tire failure we can just limp/hitchhike to town and source another tire there. In mexico or below that may involve getting a bus to a bigger city to find one, so we'd be off the bikes for a few days max - all part of the adventure! We carry a small toolkit that covers most of our bases - allen keys, chainbreaker, small pot of grease, a couple of spare brake cables etc. Theres a good article on bikepacking . com that breaks down what you need in a repair kit and I just pretty much copied their one ha
It's funny looking back on this, I was still very nervous on camera and I think that comes across pretty clearly haha. I'll keep it live for now as I think there is some useful stuff in there, but planning to re-do this in a more engaging way sometime
can’t wait!!!
You actually seem very comfortable and speak very slow and clear which is greatly appreciated
It was pretty good mate, don't worry about it. 😉
For those of you eager for the next episode, its coming very soon! We've stopped for a couple of weeks so I'm working on it now :)
Great can’t wsit
I didn’t see any time stamps and especially mention of money, and if you would the logistics of dealing with mail, shipping ahead, visas, etc
Sorry I did find the time stamps, but still little on dealing with money
@@drlaurence8581I carried 2 different credit cards, kept separate from each other, and then had a little cash on me. Different amounts depending on how I felt, usually at the borders I would only be changing enough for the next day or two. Always had some usd on me
@@drlaurence8581 09:25 by money
Great story--both of you. I love your approach to life and challenges. Very much impressed by what Victoria has done on this trip with no prior experience. Much love to you both.😊
Saludos desde Uruguay 🇺🇾. Muy inspiradora su historia, gracias por regalarnos el contenido, fuerza!
I would like my videos by you're doing a very Good job and thank you for giving us hope that we want The things you love to do
What a wonderful adventure. I should have done something similar when I was your age. BTW, it seems strange to hear you actually speak on camera.
When you said you worked as an editor before. You briefly looked like an editor from Jacksgap back in the days. - I dont remember his editor’s name or etc though so, it is likely to be wrong.
haha yes thats me! I worked for them for a bit back in 2015
@@GregMcCahon wow! what a surprise! :)
Super cool you know John and Mira. I love following along with their adventures as well! I hope the next phase through the States is a blast!
Thank you both so much for sharing such a personal look at yourselves and your trip. You are such an inspiration. Wishing you continued safe travels!
When you said you were looking after John's dog in Oaxaca, I immediately knew it was Mira! I have been following Ryan van Duzer (close friend of Johns) and also John and Mira's bike journeys for sometime now. You are all so inspirational, guess I just gotta get out there and ride somewhere!
Are you guys a couple?! Or just friends?
I so much appreciate that you mentioned Iohan. I found him and started following him early on. He's responsible for getting me addicted to TH-cam videos. He was such an inspiration, a shining light in an sometimes mean, crazy world. He was always positive, and he seemed to be indestructible. Sadly he wasn't.
Iohan's vids got me thru Covid shutdown time. Miss those vids of his superhuman efforts.
I stumbled across your videos because I am a Road Cyclist. I’m 61 years old. Watching you and Victoria and your adventurous attitudes toward life brings such refreshment. I have been vicariously going on the adventure with you. Keep putting up videos when you have time for editing.
Iohan Gueorguiev is such a legend. Actually I somehow knew, that he is your inspiration. Your work is so different and just so good, too! Keep on rolling!
Oregon has some bikepacking-specific camping spots, with things like air pumps, charging ports and other amenities. You might be able to take advantage of these before heading into Nevada.
Yeah they are great! have come in handy a couple of times. This video was actually filmed in one of those biker campsites too
Nice to see Iohan had an impacr, a true story teller, wish you both a ssfe journey
I'm mustering the courage to express my thoughts. I've been an avid follower of your TH-cam channel for a while now, and recently, I've been captivated by your Alaska to Argentina series. Each video concludes with you both touching my heart, as you're fulfilling your dreams - a dream I share, to ride to Alaska someday.
Sending abundant love from India, I eagerly await your visit to our country. When you do, please don't hesitate to connect with me.
Great Video, RIP Iohan ❤ a true inspiration
Greg, have you and Victoria become a couple since you've both been Bikepacking this Adventure?
This was great Greg. Thank you for taking us all on your amazing adventure. It was nice to get to know Victoria too. Now you've told me about The Darien Gap I've got something new to worry about on your trek. Please don't try biking through the Gap! Love you mate.
thanks Robert! Dont worry we definitely wont be biking through the gap haha
You must get along pretty well. When I look at your episodes from Alaska and Canada in particular, I can imagine that your nerves are often at the limit when you're travelling under such conditions. The cold, rain and mosquitoes can really take their toll. And when you have to sleep so close together in a tiny and wet tent, you must somehow get along very well? And sometimes someone has a bad day too? Are there no arguments? 😉
I can tell you that your video's are absolutely super inspiring. I've never watched a video of the other youtubers you mentioned (yet) but your video's make me want to do something like this as well. You guys are a good team. Have a lot of fun and save travels!!
Thanks very much!
I think you guys didn't answer the question that everybody's wondering. Are you guys a couple? Spending so much time together, are you romantically involved?
We like to keep people guessing
Man you guys are living life so right, next pay check i'll buy some art, and try to get some friend to do so as well. I'm hoping to start doing things like this in two more years
Ah thank you Brandon! Victoria will be very excited about that. All the best for your own adventures!
You are doing an amazing job at making Videos like Iohan did. I miss him and his content a lot. Lovely to hear that you got inspired by him!
Thanks! Yeah I miss his videos a lot too, I still go back and watch them whenever I need to feel inspired
Iohan the bikewanderer was one of the best . I miss him , too.
Awesome. I'm really enjoying this series. Best of luck on your trip!
I’m really enjoying yup both on this wonderful adventure! 65 now so most of my adventures are behind me
I love watching John and Mira& now your videos! That’s great that you know them. Keep peddling!
i'm so jealous, would love to do an adventure, one i've previously been interesting is rotterdam to istanbul by kayak :D
woah that would be amazing! im definitely very curious about kayak touring too, maybe thats the next adventure after this
If you get to Panama before October 2024, let me know and I’ll give you a place to stay.
Love that you mentioned Iohan, I really miss him and his videos and was really sad when found out he was gone.
Great Video!
Great story of you and Victoria!
Love your adventures, challenges and approach to life, keep on cycling!
Looking forward to all future episodes!
Parabéns!!
Thank you both for sharing your journey. I have never smiled and laughed so much watching something like this. The smile is on my face and in my heart. Gratitude beyond words
Angel m.
thats lovely to hear! So glad you are enjoying the videos Angel
I love what she says about her state of mind on the bike. You sure spend a lot more time with yourself, having nothing else better to do than to think. And the way you decide to go about it makes a huge difference on the trip.
Do you have health insurance?
I have ridden a lot of the world...only a few pics with instamatic camera--it was done in the 80's...too many stories to tell but these two are STALWART individuals...probably a bit easier with two..I was alone. Most of all the people i met were generous and kind...getting dengue fever in Cambodia and Shistosomiasis from the Mekong river together almost killed me..beside the obvious danger from cars and crashing
Love these two. So inspiring.
Hello I am new to the channel so are you and Victoria a couple or just friends??
Victoria, me da gusto ver una Mexicana en cyclismo. Es muy chido. Donde yo vivo no hay muchas latinas que hacen esto. Saludos desde Iowa!
Sorry, another question: if you do not wear padded pants, what do you wear? What options are there? What have you tried and what works best?
I only have used the padded pants....so I am wondering... especially about chafing....
Thanks for letting us get to know you and this amazing trip a bit more, can't wait to watch the next episodes
thanks for watching!
Love the videos. Great editing and I enjoy that they don’t feel ‘rushed’, they have a nice flow and story. I’ve watched them all so far and looking forward to watching more. Your backstories are inspiring. I was surprised that Victoria didn’t cycle much before this trip. She’s a trouper. I especially like the fact that you both are enjoying the journey and not just cranking out the km’s. Happy trails and safe travels!
I thought I saw Victoria sketching in one of the videos. That's cool that she's keeping up with art during the trip.
Lots of very interesting infos! Thanks!
How do you send stuff ahead? You keep mentioning that.
Greg and Victoria! I love this series and I love your friendship so much. Question for Greg - what Fujifilm recipes do you shoot with, or do you edit on your laptop? I love the tones and richness of your photos so much.
Thanks Teresa! I use the Portra 400 ii recipe from FujiXWeekly, then I'll usually tweak the colors on my phone bit with the A6 filter in an app called VSCO
I thought they were boyfriend and girlfriend 🫠😏😶🌫️❤
Thanks 👍 Great video, I love watching your videos and seeing the adventurer you both are doing 💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪Just incredible 🤗
Q: isn't the world just an amazing place?
Vale' Lohan ☮️
That's so true about the one month plateau. I'm not the most fit person and I did a three month self-supported tour across Canada last summer (my first) and I lost 19lbs in the first month and only 11 in the second and third months combined. It really did become easy. I'd be exhaling (almost like a relaxed sigh) going uphill and then get mad that I wasn't working hard enough to lose more weight! I really miss being on the road and hope I can do a long tour like that again sometime!
Please keep this going . It is awesome to watch. ❤❤❤
So this is what can happen after hiking the PCT. 😉 Greetings from the Class 2022. Looking for my next big adventure. Bikepacking seems like such a logical next step.
thats awesome! yeah its pretty nice coming from hiking, you can carry so much more food and water without it all on your back, and the downhills are free miles!
What gear would you swap out and what gear would you recommend for all types of weather
Hi
Could you show the packing please?
Indio is better tan Tecate Now, Victoria and Pacífico better tan Tecate
Greetings from Türkiye and good luck
May the Lord Jesus keep you safe in your travels!
John and Mira! I am aware of them from Ryan's adventures. Small community!
yeah they are amazing! you can actually catch a small clip of me in Ryans video from cycling through Zacatecas in mexico
What make/model bike do you have?
I’m enjoying the series. All the best to the both of you. Be safe.
Thank you so much for all of this! I have a question concerning the Rohloff gear system, would you say it behaves well uphill on small speeds with all the heavy equipement on the bike ? I mean do the gear ratios go low enough ? Thanks for everything anyway, you've been really inspriring me to take on a similar adventure soon :) Safe travels
I find the ratio is perfect for me. On steep uphills my easiest gear is basically walking pace, so if I need any easier than that I might as well just walk as I’d be going faster. And then also on the other end the fastest gear is super fast on the downhills, if i need anything faster I might as well just sit and coast. I have mine set up with a 16t cog on the back, and a 32t chainring on the front. If you wanted the easiest gear to be easier you could always swap out that front chainring to something smaller like a 28t
Both me and my Grandad adore this series! Thank you so much for sharing it with us. Was interested to know how you keep in touch with friends and particularly family as yet seems they live in England Greg. Victoria it seems will have a chance to see them in Mexico but I assume you won’t - do they have any plans to come see you vaguely at some point or just when you get back? Or maybe you haven’t thought so far ahead yet haha! Loved hearing more details about the trip. Safe journey 🚵
Aw thank you! I'm really glad you guys have been enjoying them. We both keep in touch over the phone when we get time in towns. At this point I've been away for nearly a year and a half, so am definitely starting to miss everyone. We are planning to potentially pause for a bit during the hottest summer months in Mexico, so I may plan a trip home for a few weeks during that if the ticket isn't too expensive
Thanks for sharing your experience on trail!
This was so nice. Good luck and keep the content coming. It's been really great and inspiring so far.
Thanks, glad you're enjoying!
ARE YOU GUYS DATING?
Packed full of information! Loved it
18:19 “Que pedorron dijo Pinpon”😂😂
18:30 "Say yes to opportunities" - i like that. Kind of how i ofund my current job (which i love).
Where is Adrian?
Thank you for your videos, but I got one more question, how did you guys do the laundry and clean yourself clean?
Thanks for the video, so nice to hear your answers! Can't wait for the next episode 🔥
thanks Heli!
Health insurance?
Amazing,I even want to try it but I'm still afraid of winter and don't have the funds yet, looks like I have to raise funds from now on
Great Q&A. One of the best ones I've seen from outdoor enthusiasts.
cheers Scott!
All I know is rode past my old house in Alaska, no way you could miss it is on the Alcan Highway 2 miles out of ... Tok, Alaska.. also I hope you enjoyed that 12 miles of "bike trail" they got there!
Still have to watch the video but so far I read 'beer encounters' in the thumbnail. Twice. Cheers!
Love your videos. Gonna watch this one now.
Excellent hearing from Victoria! Fun to hear your answers as well Greg! Keep enjoying the ride!
-max
As a Louis (same pronunciation) who is definitely not the one meant, sure feels weird being greeted randomly in a video :D
Espero poder recibirlos en Córdoba Argentina y ayudarlos en todo!! Los admiro mucho!!! Abrazo grande!!
felicitaciones chicos! Gracias por compartir ❤buenas rutas! Saludos desde Argentina!🔵⚪🟡⚪🔵😘🤗
Thanks. That was really interesting. Good luck with the rest of the trip and hope you manage to find some quieter roads 🙂
@yestheory this resonates with the yes message so much. Amazing video love the series. Can’t wait to keep watching along :)
Amazing trip I looking yuor video whit my kid.big hug ❤
Whats the best way to travel and transport bike from UK to Alaska ?
I'm still in shock that I hear you speak! #vlogvember Seriously tho, so great to see you explore and live your best life!
How do you plan to cross the Darien Gap between Panama and Columbia?
Hey man where are you guys now? Are you still on the road
Thanks
Trevor
The Best beer in México is Corona Now, before was Tecate
I finished my ride to Argentina almost 10 years ago. Wow the some has gone fast, it seems like yesterday
I watched Elina's PCT episodes as they came out & loved them! Pretty cool to hear you're connected since I've been following along with your episodes as well. You've both made the respective journeys such a joy to watch.
I love this "always say YES to opportunities"
Thank you for introducing me to Iohan in this video.
Than
Great Q&A. Trip looks amazing so far, looking forward to seeing the rest. Good luck!
vou começar meu bikepacking mês que vem pelo Ushaia até o México, espero encontrar vocês no caminho. boa viagem para vocês !!!
How long did you edit before you started the bike ride
Mira and john are lovely i met them on Ryan Duzer videos
Para cuando lleguen a Argentina y si pasan por Buenos Aires, tienen un lugar para dormir😊
Great one Greg&Victoria. Robert here from Vancouver (well, kind of) - another Tumbleweed Prospector fellow. We missed at the Japadog place by just a few hours......argggg, would have been nice, to meet and chat for a bit.
I wish you both a wonderfull continuation, will follow your channel here.
ah thats a shame! those japadogs are amazing haha. Thanks Robert! All the best
What happened to you & Adrian tho ??😔
🤗Thank you for this video it was very informative. Your adventures remind me of Martjin Doolaard :) also on TH-cam and his biking adventure was also as beautiful to watch and yours and Victoria's.
Stay safe and keep having fun! 🤗
Thanks, & yeah his films are amazing!
At some point in the future can you answer questions about the different Tumbleweed bikes you guys are on? I'm interested in the differences between the two, any pros and cons you think are relevant to your experience on the bikes for people looking to purchase one someday. How does one buy these bikes? I went to the website but holy smokes it looked complicated. I'm interested in hearing more about routine bike maintenance: the frequency and severity of different issues and how you troubleshoot them. How many tires / tubes do you have on hand? What other tools do you have for fixing your bikes? I'm am avid cyclist, but in a below-the-poverty-line kind of way. I've got myself a Specialized Hardrock I've been rolling around on as a daily commuter for 10 years now and I've always dreamed of bikepacking after I finish hiking all the hikes I've set out to hike but I'm not a bike mechanic so I want to learn more about how you guys work on the bikes when you need to fix stuff.
Best bet is to get in touch with tumbleweed, they will be able to answer any questions you have about purchasing! When I bought mine I didnt know much about bikes but they were happy to walk me through the pro's and cons of any decisions about parts/spec - their standard build for each is an incredible setup though so most people wont want to change anything.
Main difference between prospector and stargazer is the drivetrain & handlebars. Prospector is built around the rohloff and has flar bars, and the stargazer has drop bars with a derailer/traditional drivetrain. I guess it comes down to personal preference and the type of trips you are planning. If you're planning to get way off the beaten track and tackle some more technical bikepacking routes, the prospector is your best bet. If your preference is drop bars, look towards the stargazer - still has huge tire clearance and offroad capability, but no rohloff so a little more maintenance. Victoria will soon be swapping out to a prospector and is very much looking forward to the simplicity of the rohloff, but is dreading saying goodbye to the drop bars. My personal preference is flat bars as its a lot easier to wrangle the brakes on technical descents
We run the bikes tubeless, so we very rarely get any punctures (we got our first one 6 months in, and was more of a sign that we needed to top up the sealant) If we do get a puncture they are very simple to plug, takes 1 minute and then you're back rolling again. We both carry a spare tube just incase we get an unpluggable puncture or sidewall tear. We dont carry spare tires, they are too heavy and bulky, and if we ever had a truly catastrophic tire failure we can just limp/hitchhike to town and source another tire there. In mexico or below that may involve getting a bus to a bigger city to find one, so we'd be off the bikes for a few days max - all part of the adventure!
We carry a small toolkit that covers most of our bases - allen keys, chainbreaker, small pot of grease, a couple of spare brake cables etc. Theres a good article on bikepacking . com that breaks down what you need in a repair kit and I just pretty much copied their one ha