Loaded Camping Gear Weight

[crazydave789]

front panniers are tricky to find second hand.

am intrigued Dave.

As opposed to rear?

yep, many people buy rears for commuting or short touring but rarely front that you can get at a cheap price so the sellers usually do alright out of it. often you see them sold as full sets. plenty of altura arrans, ortliebs or even karrimor iberian sets have turned up on ebay

many panniers are dual purpose though so you can stick them on the front. I got four boardmans and a waterproof rucksack to strap on the back as a foul weather fully waterproof smeared myself in goose fat option. last year I used some altura dryline and some agu kyoto fronts I paid £15 for. waterproof but not water proof.

[Gattonero]

Not yet got gear together (or even purchased) and next step is checking out bike gearing/handling so I was wondering what sort of gear weight (total) people end-up carrying when loaded camping (tent, stove, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, etc.). Just wondering about the overall total (not individual item weights!).

My expectation is 4 panniers; already got the rear rack/panniers and front rack and panniers are on order so next step is to load them to a realistic weight and go for a ride and find a few hills (OK, East Anglia so I'll be using "inclines").

My spreadsheet estimate had so many guesses and omissions that I gave up as the errors meant I felt it was not useful.

Thanks
Ian

I don't think there's a general rule, we all have different ways to do things and different ways to live life.
For example, I love to sit down on the grass, that's why I go outdoors. If I want to stay on a chair, I may as well stay in the sofa at home, but I understand other people may like to read a book while sitting on a camping chair. It's just me that doesn't need it

Same for other things, some people like their lots of things around, others like to go around the world with very little.
I know two people who are going around the world with every bag you can fit on a bicycle, plus a trailer; and another guy who's cycling from London to New Zealand with as little as he could (I think he has two panniers and a small handlebar bag).
None of them is wrong or is right, they're just two different approaches.

I tend to stay within the "carry less stuff" approach, for two reasons: when I go outdoors I'm having a break from the comfort and indulgence of the day-to-day life, and because I'm not the strongest/fastest cyclist out there then every kg I don't carry it's all gain.
For overnights or 2-3 day trips in good weather I may carry as little as 3kg, in bad weather there is obviously a full set of waterproofs and another set of spare clothing so there's about 1.5kg more.
As far as food, I choose simple stuff like couscous/porridges and resupply with fresh stuff on the road (plenty of farms where to buy eggs and the likes ). For cooking I use wood on long trips, plus a couple of Esbit blocks for emergency; on short trips I find the humble ethanol/Trangia stove to be very convenient and reliable.

[Gattonero]

...last year I used some altura dryline and some agu kyoto fronts I paid £15 for. waterproof but not water proof.

Always a good idea to use drybags inside the main bag. I use this approach especially with "bikepacking" bags where I can't be bothered to undo all the straps and remove the bags from the bike, though the Apidura are well waterproof in their own right, it's always reassuring ot have an additional waterproof layer and the convenience of getting all the contents off the bag in two seconds.

[robc02]

I've just got my bike ready for a 3 to four day trip. My luggage fits into a pair of Ortlieb Back Roller Plus, an Ortlieb bar bag, plus the tent bungeed to the top of the rack. The total weight is around 12-13kg. That doesn't include the small tool pack (spare tube, puncture repair kit and multi tool) as that lives permanently on the bike as do water bottles.

The main items are:
Tarptent Moment
2 season down bag
Neo air mat and small inflatable pillow
Trangia and fuel.
Four portions of Meusli -separately bagged
Ingredients for two emergency pasta meals
Tea, coffee, snacks etc.
2 sets of spare cycling shorts and tops
1 set of campsite/pub wear (trousers, tee shirt, light insulated pullover top)
General odds and ends

I wouldn't carry any more for a longer trip unless the weather looked like being colder.

[Gattonero]

I've just got my bike ready for a 3 to four day trip. My luggage fits into a pair of Ortlieb Back Roller Plus, an Ortlieb bar bag, plus the tent bungeed to the top of the rack. The total weight is around 12-13kg. That doesn't include the small tool pack (spare tube, puncture repair kit and multi tool) as that lives permanently on the bike as do water bottles.

The main items are:
Tarptent Moment
2 season down bag
Neo air mat and small inflatable pillow
Trangia and fuel.
Four portions of Meusli -separately bagged
Ingredients for two emergency pasta meals
Tea, coffee, snacks etc.
2 sets of spare cycling shorts and tops
1 set of campsite/pub wear (trousers, tee shirt, light insulated pullover top)
General odds and ends

I wouldn't carry any more for a longer trip unless the weather looked like being colder.

I'm surprised you can't fit all in the two panniers, you have some good sleeping gear that shouldn't take much space?

[Warin61]

I've just got my bike ready for a 3 to four day trip. My luggage fits into a pair of Ortlieb Back Roller Plus, an Ortlieb bar bag, plus the tent bungeed to the top of the rack. The total weight is around 12-13kg. That doesn't include the small tool pack (spare tube, puncture repair kit and multi tool) as that lives permanently on the bike as do water bottles.

The main items are:
Tarptent Moment
2 season down bag
Neo air mat and small inflatable pillow
Trangia and fuel.
Four portions of Meusli -separately bagged
Ingredients for two emergency pasta meals
Tea, coffee, snacks etc.
2 sets of spare cycling shorts and tops
1 set of campsite/pub wear (trousers, tee shirt, light insulated pullover top)
General odds and ends

I wouldn't carry any more for a longer trip unless the weather looked like being colder.

I'm surprised you can't fit all in the two panniers, you have some good sleeping gear that shouldn't take much space?

The tent is rather long for a pannier .. 20". Best on top of the rear rack.

[pjclinch]

The tent is rather long for a pannier .. 20". Best on top of the rear rack.

While there are good reasons to keep a tent all together (primarily, if you've got the bag you know you've got everything), I'm often surprised at the number of people who don't realise it's often good to split a tent in to its component pieces for packing. Partly you can often pack it more efficiently space-wise, if the fly is wet you might usefully separate it from a dry inner, and poles packed separately don't force the rest to be in the longest available bit of space.
But if it's happy on the rack it won't kill it, and while I've yet to show up lacking pegs or poles I've seen plenty of other folk do one or the other.

Pete.

[foxyrider]

The tent is rather long for a pannier .. 20". Best on top of the rear rack.

While there are good reasons to keep a tent all together (primarily, if you've got the bag you know you've got everything), I'm often surprised at the number of people who don't realise it's often good to split a tent in to its component pieces for packing. Partly you can often pack it more efficiently space-wise, if the fly is wet you might usefully separate it from a dry inner, and poles packed separately don't force the rest to be in the longest available bit of space.
But if it's happy on the rack it won't kill it, and while I've yet to show up lacking pegs or poles I've seen plenty of other folk do one or the other.

Pete.

My tents are always packed in three parts for several reasons

much easier to pack
Reduction to potential damage
Easy to check that I have everything

It is not recommended to fold my tent, ram it all in a stuff bag is the way which in itself makes stowing poles and pegs in with the material awkward anyhow. When I have put everything in one bag for some reason I have always been worried about pegs or poles damaging the 'canvas'. It also means that I don't have to unpack the whole thing to change the pegs - yes I use different pegs depending on where i'm camping, which reminds me - I need to replace some damaged ones!

Only on one occasion have I separated inner and fly for packing - the inner ended up dirtier and wetter than if I hadn't bothered!

[MrsHJ]

The tent is rather long for a pannier .. 20". Best on top of the rear rack.

While there are good reasons to keep a tent all together (primarily, if you've got the bag you know you've got everything), I'm often surprised at the number of people who don't realise it's often good to split a tent in to its component pieces for packing. Partly you can often pack it more efficiently space-wise, if the fly is wet you might usefully separate it from a dry inner, and poles packed separately don't force the rest to be in the longest available bit of space.
But if it's happy on the rack it won't kill it, and while I've yet to show up lacking pegs or poles I've seen plenty of other folk do one or the other.

Pete.

We split our poles out at the airport once. Inners arrived. No poles. Emergency trip to decathlon, delayed start meant query at local bar and then stay at farm en route to our original destination for the night. Excellent for French practise! Decathlon Tents were great-reliable, decent size. Posted the other tent bits home and collected the poles at the airport where they had eventually arrived on our return trip.

[MrsHJ]

Me and junior on our last trip.

[foxyrider]

The tent is rather long for a pannier .. 20". Best on top of the rear rack.

While there are good reasons to keep a tent all together (primarily, if you've got the bag you know you've got everything), I'm often surprised at the number of people who don't realise it's often good to split a tent in to its component pieces for packing. Partly you can often pack it more efficiently space-wise, if the fly is wet you might usefully separate it from a dry inner, and poles packed separately don't force the rest to be in the longest available bit of space.
But if it's happy on the rack it won't kill it, and while I've yet to show up lacking pegs or poles I've seen plenty of other folk do one or the other.

Pete.

We split our poles out at the airport once. Inners arrived. No poles. Emergency trip to decathlon, delayed start meant query at local bar and then stay at farm en route to our original destination for the night. Excellent for French practise! Decathlon Tents were great-reliable, decent size. Posted the other tent bits home and collected the poles at the airport where they had eventually arrived on our return trip.

I'm easily confused - what did you do with the poles that that they weren't with the rest of your gear?

[ossie]

wow..how to complicate things.

I get the tent peg damage issue (I keep in a pannier pocket) -

Inner and outer in the original stuff sack.always attached . This gets put in a slightly larger bag with the poles placed horizontally in the same bag and placed onto on the rear rack.

In bad weather or late night wild camping you want the tent up as quick as you like, inner attached to outer and poles ready to go ....not all over the place surely. I've had so much inclement weather over the years where the tent has been my saviour and ive been off the bike and inside within a minute or two.

[MrsHJ]

We split our poles out at the airport once. Inners arrived. No poles. Emergency trip to decathlon, delayed start meant query at local bar and then stay at farm en route to our original destination for the night. Excellent for French practise! Decathlon Tents were great-reliable, decent size. Posted the other tent bits home and collected the poles at the airport where they had eventually arrived on our return trip.

I'm easily confused - what did you do with the poles that that they weren't with the rest of your gear?

From what I can remember the poles didn't fit in the panniers so the stuff to go on a rack was bundled up together and put in the hold as a separate package. We don't do that any more! My tent is the hubba hubba, red bundle top right of my photo and it goes on my rack when cycling as a complete tent but for plane transport it all gets bundled in an oversize bag with my panniers.

[foxyrider]

We split our poles out at the airport once. Inners arrived. No poles. Emergency trip to decathlon, delayed start meant query at local bar and then stay at farm en route to our original destination for the night. Excellent for French practise! Decathlon Tents were great-reliable, decent size. Posted the other tent bits home and collected the poles at the airport where they had eventually arrived on our return trip.

I'm easily confused - what did you do with the poles that that they weren't with the rest of your gear?

From what I can remember the poles didn't fit in the panniers so the stuff to go on a rack was bundled up together and put in the hold as a separate package. We don't do that any more! My tent is the hubba hubba, red bundle top right of my photo and it goes on my rack when cycling as a complete tent but for plane transport it all gets bundled in an oversize bag with my panniers.

Much easier to strap poles to the bike for the flight?

IME the fewer bags to contend with the better - it's an all or nothing approach I know but knowing how they handle stuff at airports I reckon it's the safest way to get everything where you want it.

[robc02]

I've just got my bike ready for a 3 to four day trip. My luggage fits into a pair of Ortlieb Back Roller Plus, an Ortlieb bar bag, plus the tent bungeed to the top of the rack. The total weight is around 12-13kg. That doesn't include the small tool pack (spare tube, puncture repair kit and multi tool) as that lives permanently on the bike as do water bottles.

The main items are:
Tarptent Moment
2 season down bag
Neo air mat and small inflatable pillow
Trangia and fuel.
Four portions of Meusli -separately bagged
Ingredients for two emergency pasta meals
Tea, coffee, snacks etc.
2 sets of spare cycling shorts and tops
1 set of campsite/pub wear (trousers, tee shirt, light insulated pullover top)
General odds and ends

I wouldn't carry any more for a longer trip unless the weather looked like being colder.

I'm surprised you can't fit all in the two panniers, you have some good sleeping gear that shouldn't take much space?

The tent is rather long for a pannier .. 20". Best on top of the rear rack.

Yes, the tent has to fit on the top of the rack due to its length.

I could probably get the rest into two panniers, but find it convenient to have some items in a bar bag - which also doubles as a map case. Some spare space in the panniers also allows for shopping trips en-route - typically buying sandwiches or similar to eat a few miles down the road.