Bikepacking is very near and dear to me, and I've logged quite a few Colorado Trail miles doing it. That is such a great bikepacking trail.
For starters, bike "touring" and bike "packing" are nothing alike. Bikepacking requires you select every item of kit very carefully. You cannot afford any excess weight at all. Excess weight has an undeniable correlation with your enjoyment once under way.
So, from a general bikepacker's point of view, there are a few basic givens: Racks are out. If you do use a rack, plan on only loading the top of the rack with a trunk. Panniers are out. Given even the most fit and gnarly bikepackers have to walk a good deal of any trail, pushing a bike around a set of panniers is simply not something you want to do. There are plenty of bikepackers who use panniers, but ultimately it's not the most ideal solution, and not by a long shot.
Trails like the Colorado Trail involve a multitude of climbs that are pretty massive, so I can't stress enough how minimizing weight is really important. I'd shoot for your total gear kit including water to not exceed 25 pounds. Where you put that weight is pretty standard as well. You will need to use your bars for 3-4 pounds of storage. A small pack with 4-7 pounds is unavoidable, but also really handy for water access with a hydration system. The rest will go in a seat bag, or atop a rear rack.
For the budget minded, the best bar bag I've seen is an OR dry bag:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52850 Seat bags are tricky. You almost have to commit to purchasing one of the bikepacking specific seat bags by Carousel Design Works or Revelate. Based on value, a rack and dry bag might be slightly cheaper than a proper seat bag.
The rest of your camping kit is up to you. Every bikepacker has their own idea of the perfect kit. One thing in common with all bikepackers is we're weight obsessed. For me, my only objective is to be as comfortable as possible with the minimum of weight.
My kit:
- Nemo GoGo LE bivy
- Mountain Hardwear Phantom 32 down bag
- Thermarest NeoAir (small) sleeping pad
- Arc'teryx Axios 25 pack
- Optimus Crux stove
- GSI Minimalist cup/pot thingy
- Steripen water purifier / 1 liter Nalgene bottle
All of that is under 10 pounds with ease. Fold in some food, water and the bags to haul that stuff and it's around 20ish pounds. I don't really feel it. There's also an unfortunate correlation with low weight gear and big dollars, but there are plenty of ways to get light on the cheap.
My only last bit of advice is to test your kit before you go. Do a few rides with everything loaded up as you'll probably have to repack everything a few times to find the right packing system.
Good luck!
