How light can you go?

Specifically for cycle touring subjects & questions
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Bmblbzzz
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by Bmblbzzz »

Especially points b and d.
nirakaro
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by nirakaro »

Bmblbzzz wrote:Especially points b and d.

Only for some people, obsessing about it is part of the fun. And for some people, having it be a competition is part of the fun. :shock:
KTHSullivan
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by KTHSullivan »

A really good tome on going lightweight from a serious obsessive is "The Pacific Crest Trail Hikers Handbook". Ray Jardine

ISBN 10: 0963235923 / ISBN 13: 9780963235923

He gives most of the major outdoor gear manufacturers a serious slating. But a very good read.
Just remember, when you’re over the hill, you begin to pick up speed. :lol:
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RickH
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by RickH »

willem jongman wrote:Image
My typical touring weight (excluding the bike) is 12-15 kg for a solo camping trip, and that includes a bit of food. Between them, my solo tent and summer sleeping gear weigh about 3 kg. Even a light stove and pots (Trangia 27), fuel and some food can add up to 2-3 kg. So when all is said and done and for the rest, I guess I am in the same ballpark as you were for your B&B tour. If you cannot get up a hill, get lower gearing.

That big wooden tent pole running along your top tube seems a bit over-engineered for lightweight camping! :lol:
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willem jongman
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by willem jongman »

:D
leftpoole
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by leftpoole »

KTHSullivan wrote: 31 Mar 2021, 3:18pm A really good tome on going lightweight from a serious obsessive is "The Pacific Crest Trail Hikers Handbook". Ray Jardine

ISBN 10: 0963235923 / ISBN 13: 9780963235923

He gives most of the major outdoor gear manufacturers a serious slating. But a very good read.
Very dated opinions. Jardine is old school in a big way! Try reading modern books/magazines.
mattheus
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by mattheus »

Useful thread to this camping newbie!

(but I'm wondering how much weight is saved by missing the "g" from "kg" in all these posts.)
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foxyrider
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by foxyrider »

mattheus wrote: 14 Apr 2021, 11:42am Useful thread to this camping newbie!

(but I'm wondering how much weight is saved by missing the "g" from "kg" in all these posts.)
The important thing is that whatever the weight, everything should fulfil its function. Weight and even price is not necessarily an indicator of that. Some things can be light and function better than heavier stuff, in other arenas a few extra grams will get better function/comfort. For example, i have a set of Ti cutlery that is very light but its just too small for even my quite small hands to comfortably eat with - the Al set i'm currently using are bigger, add under 10g to the load but most importantly have better function. Its similar for my kettle and pans, i own lighter but the heavier are more functional.

We all have our own criteria of what is acceptable but if it breaks or fails to function......
Convention? what's that then?
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Vorpal
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by Vorpal »

I have to admit that I'm too fond of comfort to engage in extreme weight-cutting. I'll happily carry a 2 kg tent to have a bit more room. On the other hand, I usually carry a plastic plate, and never use it because I eat out of the pan. :lol:
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KTHSullivan
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by KTHSullivan »

leftpoole wrote: 13 Apr 2021, 4:49pm
KTHSullivan wrote: 31 Mar 2021, 3:18pm A really good tome on going lightweight from a serious obsessive is "The Pacific Crest Trail Hikers Handbook". Ray Jardine

ISBN 10: 0963235923 / ISBN 13: 9780963235923

He gives most of the major outdoor gear manufacturers a serious slating. But a very good read.
Very dated opinions. Jardine is old school in a big way! Try reading modern books/magazines.
Please enlighten us.......probably a play on words. What tomes would you recommend?
Just remember, when you’re over the hill, you begin to pick up speed. :lol:
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pjclinch
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by pjclinch »

KTHSullivan wrote: 15 Apr 2021, 11:56pm
leftpoole wrote: 13 Apr 2021, 4:49pm
KTHSullivan wrote: 31 Mar 2021, 3:18pm A really good tome on going lightweight from a serious obsessive is "The Pacific Crest Trail Hikers Handbook". Ray Jardine

ISBN 10: 0963235923 / ISBN 13: 9780963235923

He gives most of the major outdoor gear manufacturers a serious slating. But a very good read.
Very dated opinions. Jardine is old school in a big way! Try reading modern books/magazines.
Please enlighten us.......probably a play on words. What tomes would you recommend?
I don't have a recommendation for books, but will note that Jardine started the "ultralight" revolution, so his opinions on the gear industry are mainly aimed at companies who were, at the time, going through a period of "creeping featuritis', where the top of the line was marked out by more bells and whistles and accordingly heavier weight (e.g., Berghaus Trango jacket, Karrimor Condor rucksack, Wild Country Quasar tent etc)
Since then, "less is more" has become recognised as a valid design goal across the industry, and while they might not go quite as far as the cottage industry purists you can now get excellent very light gear from relatively mainstream firms.

Ironically for a company who rather went from light minimalism in their early years to typically overwrought, Rohan had a marketing tag of "everything you need, nothing you don't". While I wouldn't really apply it to the jacket they were hawking with those words, they are a good principle to keep in mind when lightening up but not going too far.

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iandusud
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by iandusud »

Vorpal wrote: 14 Apr 2021, 3:07pm I have to admit that I'm too fond of comfort to engage in extreme weight-cutting. I'll happily carry a 2 kg tent to have a bit more room. On the other hand, I usually carry a plastic plate, and never use it because I eat out of the pan. :lol:
This is an interesting and pertinent point for me as I consider our camping equipment. My wife and I last went cycle camping 30 years ago. In between we have camped every year and have kept up the cycling. Three years ago we got a tandem and love it and have holidayed the last three years on it using B&B or rented accommodation as a centre. This year we're planning on touring with the tent again and I'm reviewing our equipment. We still have our Saunders Spacepacker Plus which has had regular use over the years and our down sleeping bags. However our bodies are older an appreciate a bit more comfort these days. I will be buying inflatable air mattresses to replace our ancient Thermarest mats but I'm also considering buying some folding stools. These will add 1kg to the load but I consider that worth it to not have to sit on the ground. The danger of course is everything that you add saying it only another x grams add up!
Jdsk
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by Jdsk »

iandusud wrote: 16 Apr 2021, 8:10amI will be buying inflatable air mattresses to replace our ancient Thermarest mats but I'm also considering buying some folding stools. These will add 1kg to the load but I consider that worth it to not have to sit on the ground.
Do you already have the seat straps for the Thermarests?

Jonathan
willem jongman
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by willem jongman »

Using Neoairs as chairs is a pretty sure way to make them delaminate. I use a small piece of closed cell foam to sit on. It weighs only 20 grams, and keeps your behind warm and dry on wet grass.
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pjclinch
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Re: How light can you go?

Post by pjclinch »

Jdsk wrote: 16 Apr 2021, 8:15am
iandusud wrote: 16 Apr 2021, 8:10amI will be buying inflatable air mattresses to replace our ancient Thermarest mats but I'm also considering buying some folding stools. These will add 1kg to the load but I consider that worth it to not have to sit on the ground.
Do you already have the seat straps for the Thermarests?
This is my preferred solution, as a higher chair typically doesn't work inside a lightweight tent as the roof is too low, but just sitting on the ground I find quite uncomfortable for any length of time without a back support of some sort.

Neo-Airs will go in to T-Rest chairs, the more recent chair kits work better with the Neo-Airs than the originals and they're quite a bit lighter too. It's a bit more of a faff than with a "classic" T-rest but it works okay. You also need to let the mat down quite a lot for chair use, but again this is "bit of a faff" as opposed to deal-breaker. We have rectangular mats which are a non-issue in the chair kits, I don't know how much (if at all) the rounded off ones cause problems.

Pete.
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