Across the Country with Cargo Bag EXP

JM_CargoBag_1After spending the first 26 years of my life living on the east coast, my career as an elite professional triathlete has finally called me to the temperate climate of the western USA. After training for the past few years in Philadelphia and Boston, my career has taken me to the birthplace of the sport—San Diego, CA.  I had planned my move for the first week in November, but Hurricane Sandy forced me out of New Jersey one week earlier than I had originally planned. My hometown, Wildwood Crest, NJ, is a small community along the Jersey Shore that was affected by the storm.

I was forced to pack my gear in a hurry, and the Deuter Cargo Bag EXP was perfect for stuffing a bunch of belongings into one sturdy, durable, and easy to transport bag.

I was traveling on horseback to San Diego, and the journey was long and treacherous. See the photo below for a shot of my horse and by Deuter Cargo Bag.

Just kidding about the horseback part of my journey! Did you think you were back in the 19th Century for a second? In all seriousness, I’ve only ridden the horse since I’ve been here in San Diego, CA.

JM_CargoBag_2As you probably initially suspected, I took a plane for my cross-country trip. I had no problems checking the bag, and it came out of the baggage claim unscathed from the journey—that’s no small victory when you consider how those baggage handlers throw luggage around! I now use the bag to store my cycling gear, and afterwards I throw my dirty cycling clothes in the “wet-stash pocket” built into the side.

The past month of training here on the west coast has been phenomenal. When you’re training nearly 30 hours/week of swimming, biking, and running, being in a nice climate certainly helps for motivation to get out the door.

I’m training with a talented group of 6 other professional triathletes under the guidance of elite coach Paulo Sousa, and we plan to use this as our training base for the 2013 season. Here’s a photo of our group after a recent swim session (I’m on the far left!)

–Joe Maloy (Outdoor Ambassador).

Secure your gear for the long journey!

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