All kitted out

As I write, fundraising has reached a smashing £1248 (or just over £1400 with gift aid). Thank you all! I'm still gunning for the £2000 though.

This post is all about that subject that outdoor types find endlessly fascinating - kit.

I've been climbing, mountain biking and camping for nearly thirty years now, so you'd think I'd have plenty of kit already. Well I suppose I do, but a lot of it is showing its age and not what you would call light weight.

The success of this trip will be all about travelling as light as possible. Unlike road cycling, panniers are not really practical on a mountain bike so most of my gear will be in a rucksack, which I would like to keep down below 5kg if possible. Thanks to the amazing light-weight gear now on the market, it might just be doable.

The first priority of survival is shelter, so obviously I need a tent. There are plenty of ultralight one-man mountaineering tents available, some even weighing under 1kg! They use such light fabric that they are becoming almost transparent, which is not great for privacy. They also tend to be very expensive, and very small inside, even the supposed 2-man versions. 

I've gone for a compromise - it's a  super simple pyramid tent but still pretty light at just 600g for the outer skin, but there is loads of room inside. It supported by a single trekking pole in the centre. Unfortunately I am not trekking so have no poles, but I found a chap on ebay who made me a lovely carbon fibre pole weighing less than 100g. 

Inside, you can fit a single or double mesh sleeping compartment or just a groundsheet. I've gone for the single compartment (410g) which gives complete protection from insects, including the dreaded Scottish midges. 

This only takes up the back half of the tent leaving loads of space for sitting around, for a second person to sleep or even to bring in the bike at night. The downside to this design is that it does require quite a lot of pegs and decent ground to peg into. When you add on the pegs, guys, pole and storage bag (which I've adapted to strap to the handlebars) the whole thing is just shy of 1500g.

Sleep is important too! Even though I am starting in late May, night time temperatures in remote parts of Scotland can still dip below freezing at times. So I have spashed the cash on a really excellent sleeping bag from the BEST manufacturers of down bags, Rab. Their Neutrino 200 is filled with best goose down, is rated down to -1C, repels water and damp, packs down very small and weighs just 650g in its waterproof stuff sack. Not cheap, but well worth it.

Rab down bags are the best

 
Sleeping mats have moved on a lot since I bought my 2lb thermarest back in 2000. Some minimalist designs tip the scales at just 150g, but I'm going for the slightly more substantial Klymit O-zone at 320g including a built in pillow.

 After shelter comes food (and water). I'm not planning to cook much, as I will try to find substantial lunches enroute. But I want to be able to make tea, porridge and basic hot suppers. Check out this fantastic gadget! A tiny gas stove that attaches directly to an insulated pan that doubles as a large mug. It's wind-proof and ultra-efficient, the mug even changes colour when it's hot enough to make tea. It takes standard gas cartridges, and everything packs down inside. All for just 320g plus the gas.

For navigation, I am busy cutting and pasting the route from the 1:50,000 OS maps onto A4 sheets  (on the computer, not by cutting up real maps). I can get 1-2 days riding on a single piece of A4 and these, together with a compass, is my backup navigation system.

For day-to-day use, I have decided to cheat somewhat and use the excellent MemoryMap software with both the 1:50k and 1:25k OS maps loaded (£40). 

This means breaking the habit of a lifetime and buying a smartphone to run it on. After extensive research I went for the Ulefone Armor X5, mainly for its 5000mAh battery and rugged, waterproof case. So far I have been very impressed, in normal use the battery lasts 5-6 days. By turning it off an night and using airplane mode most of the day I should be able to double this. 

Of course it is also a phone, camera, walkman and (when I find signal) internet access point. Not bad for £110 and 240g. I'll also take a 5000mAh powerbank, cable and charger. I found a nifty bag that attaches to the crossbar and displays the phone nicely, and also has room for all the bike tools.

So this is how it all breaks down (ess means essential). Firstly, the minimum kit I will always have on while riding:

Item	Weight	Ess?	Cost	Notes
Helmet, glasses, gloves	365	1		gloves 45g, helmet 280g, glasses 40g
Light cycling top	100	1
Cycling shorts	150	1
Undies	120	1
Lightweight trekking shoes	620	1	£85	Haglos Gram trail shoes or just normal trainers.
TOTAL	1355

That's around three pounds of stuff that I won't even notice, which is good. Next, the kit attached to the bike, and the bike itself:

Item	Weight	Ess?	Cost	Notes
Basic weight of bike	13200	1
Tent (strapped to bars)	1500	1	£200	DD XL pyramid tent (610g), superlight solo mesh inner (480g), carbon pole (100g), pegs, bag & guys (200g)
Water bottle and bracket	100	1
Tool & phone bag	150	1
Phone	240	1	£110	Ulefone Armor X5 (5000mAh battery)
Tools	490	1		Multi tool, spare tube, puncture repair kit, cloth, lube, bit of chain, rechargable rear light
Pump and bracket	100	1
Powerbank, charger and lead	185	1	£30	Anker Astro E1 5200mAh
Bike lock	440	1	£30	Abus Bordo 6055 Light folding lock. Light and compact with half decent security
TOTAL	16405

Again this weight should not be too noticeable, except while climbing or of course carrying the bike. Having to carry the weight of a lock is annoying, but I can't risk the bike getting nicked while shopping etc. There are some good light weight locks now available.

Now the rest of the clothing. There is a big difference here between just the essentials and the whole lot, so I will have to exercise some judgement. All this will be carried in the rucksack unless in use. I suppose I can always post home unecessary gear during the trip.

Item	Weight	Ess?	Cost	Notes
Waterproof jacket	220	1		Can detatch hood
Fleece jumper	225	1
Waterproof trousers?	336			Too heavy?
Long finger gloves	40	1
Long-sleeve cycling top	250			Too heavy?
Spare cycling top (Merino)	170	1
Spare cycling shorts	150
Ron Hill leggings	200
Spare undies	120	1
Neck cowl	30	1
Lightweight trousers	270	1		For looking vaguely respectable.
Down jacket/gilet?	465			Too heavy?
Hat/cap?	65
TOTAL ESSENTIAL	1075
TOTAL ALL	2541

And now... everything else that will have to go into the rucksack:

Item	Weight	Ess?	Cost	Notes
Sleeping mat	320	1	£78	Klymit inertia ozone mat includes pillow
Sleeping bag & stuff sack	650	1	£220	Rab Neutrino 200 bag
Sit mat / rucksack pad	50	1		Just a bit of closed cell foam
Small groundsheet	80			2'x4' for the vestibule or under the sleeping area
Jetboil flash stove and mug	400	1	£90
Butane 240g	356	1		100/125g also available.
Cooking accessories	100	1		Knife, spork, sponge, lighter, washing up liquid
Repair kit	75	1		Needle & thread, duct tape, zip ties, para cord, shock cord
First Aid kit	75	1		Bandage, dressings, zinc tape, plasters, pins, steristrips, paracetamol, compeed, vitamins, puritabs
Wash kit	150	1		Toothbrushes, toothpaste, travelwash, soap, suncream, lip salve, midge repellant, tissue, deodorant
Travel towel	52		£8	Gramcounter ultradry Medium
Paper maps and folder	100	1		Approx 20 pages
MemoryMap OS map data	0	1	£40
Notebook, pen & pencil	50
Compass (with mirror & whistle)	85	1		(smaller compass about 50g)
Water container / wash bowl	105		£30	Platypus Water Tank 4l
Head torch	90		£11	Luceco LED USB rechargable
Harmonica	95			Why not?
Rucksack	300	1	£45	Exped cloudburst 25l waterproof
TOTAL ESSENTIAL	2661
TOTAL ALL	3133

So that's it... with the tent, phone and tools attached to the bike that makes the rucksack weigh in at 3.7kg with just the essentials or 5.6kg for everything on the list. So 5kg is definitely doable, horray!

Of course I will need to add on food, which will be around a kilo, and more in remote areas. And water. And whatever I have forgotten on the lists above!

Meanwhile, thanks again for your support. Please do share this blog with your friends and colleagues (roughwaydown.blogspot.com) and ask them to consider donating to this great cause by clicking this image: