Loaded Camping Gear Weight

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whoof
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Joined: 29 Apr 2014, 2:13pm

Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by whoof »

A total of 16.6 kg that's absolutely everything* that I will be carrying including the clothes I will be wearing.
*except water and food.
Swiggy
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Joined: 10 Apr 2018, 5:56pm

Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by Swiggy »

I did a month solo self supporting in France/Spain in summer, just under 18 kg including rear panniers,tent, stove etc 2 days food and 1.5l water in my bottles. This year i'm heading to the top of Norway and across so will be a bit heavier as i'll need some warmer and more waterproof clothes plus front panniers so I can carry up to 4 or 5 days food at times. Bike with racks but without water bottles weighs in at 10.8 kg
ossie
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Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by ossie »

whoof wrote:A total of 16.6 kg that's absolutely everything* that I will be carrying including the clothes I will be wearing.
*except water and food.


Spot on and thats a decent weight. As for water I take two 750ML bottles with an on option for one underneath. Food is a couple of packs of couscous and a small tin of tuna or something until I get local food wise. Usually I end up stuffing a bottle wine or beer in the panniers on occasion, oh yeah and bars of chocolate and it goes on.
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MrsHJ
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Location: Dartmouth, Devon.

Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by MrsHJ »

Psamathe wrote: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'm a 2 pannier cycle camper with the tent on the rack. Try not to take more than 2panniers volume of stuff. If you want to have 4 panniers with you then the extra space will do for food and general overflow. I carry lightweight stuff gathered over getting on for 25 years of cycle touring so I have a tiny stove, couple of lightweight pans, single gas cylinder, tea towel, spatula, sharp knife, cup, frisbee (dual purpose plate), camping knife fork spoon set, some olive oil, tiny pot of oregano, tiny pots of salt and pepper. I even manage to get a tiny lightweight chair in my 2pannier set up, plus 3season down bag, thermarest neoair, too many tools, rain gear, 2 set cycle clothes and one set regular clothes, limited toiletries and first aid/medication, tiny packable back pack for shopping and touristing. My electronics are phone, Garmin cycle computer, kindle.
Basically I'm fine unless the kids come along at which point I'm lugging loads of electronics to keep the peace- I've had to upgrade to a short campsite plug hookup to save me endless hours in the loos charging stuff.
gloomyandy
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Joined: 16 Mar 2012, 10:46pm

Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by gloomyandy »

Four panniers for me (with only my tent poles on top of the rack). My typical weight is around 16Kg but that includes oats (for porridge), plus stuff for a couple of meals (often have days with no shop), water not included. I have a chair kit for my Exped mat and a battery pack I can use to recharge my garmin and phone (keep toying with getting either a dyno-hub or a solar panel), this will manage about 3/4 charges of both, I top up the battery back if/when I can. I also have a bar bag with valuables/stuff I want easily off the bike and that is included in the total.
Psamathe
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Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by Psamathe »

Many thanks and really useful.

For my test I ended-up using 21Kg (plus another 1+ Kg in water in the bottle cages) partly to test a "worst case" but mainly because I was riding in East Anglia/Flatlandia. Just used water bottles in the panniers to get the weight up.

Useful as I did discover some things needing tweaking e.g. the front panniers (Ortlieb Sports Rollers on a Tubus Tara rack) rattle about a bit - so need something on the very bottom rack horizontal to quiet them down. Interesting in that my typical speed on the terrain is around 13.7 mph and todays was 13.2 mph (I expected lower, though it was one ride so "typical" does not apply and it's not a race anyway).

Ian
bikerwaser
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Joined: 26 Aug 2012, 9:50am

Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by bikerwaser »

My total weight I carry is about 25 kgs

This includes:
Food, water, tent ( 2.5kg ), lock (1.5kg)

I also carry a chairkit for my Thermorest matress. it's brilliant and so comfortable and it weighs hardly anything.

the rest of my kit and info can be found on my blog :

http://biker-waser.blogspot.com/2015/
crazydave789
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Joined: 22 Jul 2017, 10:21pm

Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by crazydave789 »

Psamathe wrote:
Sweep wrote:Must admit I don't weigh anything.

As long as the rack/bike doesn't collapse and nothing drops off I am fine.

Surely it doesn't matter much unless you are concerned about the bike or its fittings being particularly delicate?

Apologies if I'm missing something.

I've not yet got all gear together and want to take a test ride loaded so I'll be loading up with a "realistic" weight (based on others experiences) e.g. with water bottles, books and what gear I do have. So I was asking for info to get a realistic test together.

Ian


try around 8kg front 14kg rear and 2-3 for the bar bag. usually front racks are rated for 10kg max and rears for around 25 or so.

front panniers can be a issue getting the weight right and balanced to stop the shimmy that can happen for no apparent reason or consistency. handling can go awry if they aren't balanced so packing the fronts to a set pattern is recommended.

cotton such as t shirts, tea towels or spare duvet covers are a good weight/filler substitute.

for your kit take your time and hunt around on ebay as you can slash your outlay.
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MrsHJ
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Joined: 19 Aug 2010, 1:03pm
Location: Dartmouth, Devon.

Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by MrsHJ »

Psamathe wrote:
Sweep wrote:Must admit I don't weigh anything.

As long as the rack/bike doesn't collapse and nothing drops off I am fine.

Surely it doesn't matter much unless you are concerned about the bike or its fittings being particularly delicate?

Apologies if I'm missing something.

I've not yet got all gear together and want to take a test ride loaded so I'll be loading up with a "realistic" weight (based on others experiences) e.g. with water bottles, books and what gear I do have. So I was asking for info to get a realistic test together.

Ian


Just fill your panniers full of bricks and that will give you the sensation. Seriously though the main trick is to be minimalist.

Do not take lots of books, do not take spare changes of clothes (wear one and wash one and one lightweight set (no jeans) and sandals for off the bike in the evening. Use artificial fabrics that breathe and wick and are lightweight and pack down. No cotton (although my all girls crowd in our twenties strew M&S knickers the breadth of France-no dryers at campsites and we always arrived in the dark so our bikes were constant laundry racks the next day). No fashion shows-your bike jacket is now your jacket for all uses and if you're really cutting down your leggings for cold mornings on the bike are now your evening wear (B&B tourers actually have other changes of clothes-it looks very glamorous!).

Your towel should be one of those lightweight ones from millets, do not pack more tools than you are capable of using as they are heavy and be realistic- in Europe unless you are in the mountains there are bike shops closish to help with major catastrophes. Toiletries- NO spares, a small one of stuff you need only, take a kindle instead of books. Consider whether you need a camera or whether your phone will do that job. If you need to cook (and many don't or only make tea) then lightweight packpackers stove and pan, plastic plate and cup.

Consider the weather-for many countries in the summer you won't need serious rain kit (just a jacket) or a warm sleeping bag or lots of warm layers. Try to use stuff that packs small and preferably is light too e.g. A thermarest and high quality lightweight bag. I don't take a pillow, I just wrap my fleece around my mini backpack that I use for shopping and touristing (some people just use their barbag). Use your front light for the bike or your phone as your campsite torch.

It's ok to take a luxury-just don't take them all, for some people it's a camera or a corkscrew, I like my lightweight chair (helinox) as I'm too creaky to sit on the floor all the time. Some people take books. I quite like a little lantern torch to hang in the tent and spread a little evening light. Some people like to take a laptop to write journals or to work on their route. But think whether your phone will be enough (maybe with a lightweight Bluetooth keyboard). Think about whether you need all of that electronics (that's mostly what I say to my kids) and try to reduce the number of devices and charging time.
Warin61
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Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by Warin61 »

Loading up with water is best. If you find it too much you can empty it out and continue with a lot less weight. Old milk containers, fruit juice containers etc make good temporary water containers for testing purposes.
The density of your goods should be less than the density of the water - so that means you don't have to fill your bags to get to a realistic weight. Of course if your training start with less weight and gradually build up, you might even go a little heavier than your expected weight to build some margin of extra fitness.
Good Luck.
crazydave789
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Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by crazydave789 »

personally I'd avoid special training and just do it. the motivation is there and you will get fitter as you do it.

a lot of long tour guides say set off like that but plan for only doing half the distance on the first day. train too much and you'll lose interest but chucking a bit of extra weight won't hurt on your regular run.

shopping with panniers is good way to train, short sharp journeys like a gym rep
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foxyrider
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Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by foxyrider »

The biggest thing a few loaded rides beforehand will do is get you used to the balance and handling. You adapt fairly quickly but technique for climbing and low speed balance can be a bit tricky at first.

I generally do a short shakedown ride - pack everything and load the bike, ride out a few miles (usually to my parents) then set up camp. This has the bonus of checking that you've got everything and that it all works as advertised. Tent and bedding get a quick airing, sleep mat checked for integrity etc etc all in one go. Then break camp and ride home - it'll give you a clue on time taken to do the jobs too.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
yutkoxpo
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Joined: 20 Feb 2017, 5:12pm

Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by yutkoxpo »

Psamathe wrote:For my test I ended-up using 21Kg (plus another 1+ Kg in water in the bottle cages) partly to test a "worst case" but mainly because I was riding in East Anglia/Flatlandia. Just used water bottles in the panniers to get the weight up.

Useful as I did discover some things needing tweaking e.g. the front panniers (Ortlieb Sports Rollers on a Tubus Tara rack) rattle about a bit - so need something on the very bottom rack horizontal to quiet them down. Interesting in that my typical speed on the terrain is around 13.7 mph and todays was 13.2 mph (I expected lower, though it was one ride so "typical" does not apply and it's not a race anyway).

Ian


Fair play to you!

I find that my front panniers affect handling irrespective of the weight - the volume at the front is the thing, in my experience. Then again, my front panniers are usually higher than most.

As for the rattling, I've placed a heavy duty gas/water pipe on my racks where the Ortliebs clip on. I remove the inserts from the bags (the older models can fall out!) and they fit snugly on the rack. I also place some on the bottom where the flappy thing fits over the strut of the rack. No rattling, snug fit, but easy on and off and helps protect the rack.

As for speed, I find that loaded down I can do almost the same speed as unladen.... on the flat! Hills or headwinds are where the difference shows up. Riding slowly up a hill with a loaded bike does require a bit more concentration. :D

While I don't believe in training for a tour per se, I am a great believer in shake down rides to test all your gear, equipment and supplies. Besides, it's a lot more fun than riding in a big circle with a load of weight on your bike :D
ossie
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Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by ossie »

Someone mentioned the Helinox chair.

A brilliant bit of kit, just find room for it and at 850g it will transform your camping experience. My luxury item.
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MrsHJ
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Location: Dartmouth, Devon.

Re: Loaded Camping Gear Weight

Post by MrsHJ »

ossie wrote:Someone mentioned the Helinox chair.

A brilliant bit of kit, just find room for it and at 850g it will transform your camping experience. My luxury item.


I want to start using mine for roadside picnics as well as evening camping- it would be an improvement on the gravel or spiky grass if you're lucky approach. Maybe if I get a tiny table and tablecloth I'll be like those french couples who emerge at 1pm with beautifully organised meal to eat at a rest stop with proper table and chairs.
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