Tour kit planning

[memnoch]

Afternoon All,

Thanks for all the responses, have got plenty to think about now.

Have got a CTC bike bag on order, along with a vista hcx which backed up by a map. Am happy to take my time and wonder away from the purple guide line as long as I can back to it.

As to the sleeping bag I'm using a snugpak extreme mainly because of the size rather than weight as it packs down to about 15cm by 10cm.

Yup the tent is a little heavy at 3kg but don't have enough dosh to splash out on a new tent aswell, though do have a msr hubba hubba lined up for when I can.

[brianleach]

Re GPSs my vote goes to the Garmin Dakota 20. I know it is not a bike specific piece of kit but you can get a bike mount and UK and European mapping. It got my son and I out of Santander last autumn as the major road building had us completely foxed.

It also uses 2 x AA batteries so keeping it charged isn't an issue.

You can also use it as a walking GPS as well. Wouldn't use it in a car though as it doesn't give voice instructions. It just beeps and you read the direction as you go along. Fine on a bike but not in a car in my opinion.

Not cheap however if you include the additional mapping required.

Brian

[jmrees]

Hi al-yrpal, I looked at the battery you mention on Amazon. Looks really good and I have read some reviews which testify to how powerful it is. Only problem seems to me it doesn't come with a mains power charger, but needs to be recharged from a computer. How do you get around that? Also if you have it in a plastic bag overnight hooked up to an electric hook up presumably it's outside your tent and therefore just as easy to nick as if it was in the toilets, or am I missing something? Thanks.

[jmrees]

though do have a msr hubba hubba lined up for when I can.

Could you translate please.

[BeeKeeper]

Only problem seems to me it doesn't come with a mains power charger, but needs to be recharged from a computer.

The larger Trent IMP1000 which I bought recently comes with a mains charger. My plan if it starts to go flat is to find a friendly looking GB caravan and ask them to charge it up or alternatively try the campsite office.

[memnoch]

though do have a msr hubba hubba lined up for when I can.

Could you translate please.

Can see that being misunderstood! MSR hubba hubba tent is a lightweight freestanding 2 person tent weighing in at about 1.9kg

[jmrees]

The larger Trent IMP1000 which I bought recently comes with a mains charger.

There are two listed on Amazon, the New Trent Extreme Pack IMP 1000 and the New Trent iCruiser IMP 1000. Which did you get? The first one doesn't show a mains charger in the photos, the second one does. Grateful for the help.

[BeeKeeper]

The one I bought was described as: "New Trent Extreme Pack IMP1000 11000mAh ipad 2 tested". If you put this into Google the first Amazon link takes you directly to it. It costs £41.99 and came as well with a neat USB cable which has a built in reel and a small selection of interchangeable ends.

[memnoch]

Right, I think I'm all ready to go nearly (or hopefully so) as am leaving on Monday morning.

Can anyone think of anthing i've missed that I need or stuff that I really don't need (I'm not a huge weight weenie and like a few comforts) Will be spending 30 days touring and camping...

1 Set Bike Lights
1 GPS
1 Road Map
1 D-Lock
1 Cable Lock
1 Pump
1 Spare Chain
1 Spare Brake Pads
2 Bottle Cages
2 Bottles
1 Camelbak
2 Rear Panniers
2 Front Panniers
1 SPD Shoes
2 Inner Tubes
1 Bike Repair Kit
1 Puncture Repair Kit
1 Zipties
1 Gaffa Tape
4 AA Batteries
1 Tent
1 Roll Matt
1 Sleeping Bag
1 Pillow
1 Solar Charger
1 Stove
1 Fuel Bottle
1 Fuel Cylinder
1 Lighter
1 Folding Chair
1 Head Torch
1 Sunglasses
1 Pyjamas
1 waterproof trousers
1 Waterproof Jacket
2 Padded Shorts
1 Gloves
2 Shorts
1 Trousers
1 Fleece
3 T-Shirts (2 cycling, 1 plain)
1 Towel
2 Underwear
3 Socks
1 Sandles
1 Plate
1 Mug
1 Cutlery Set
1 Leatherman
1 Spices
1 Bottle Of Milk
1 Margerine
1 Coffee
1 Tea Bags
1 Oxo Cubes
1 EHIC Card
1 Passport
1 Insurance Documents
1 Phrases
1 Emergency Numbers
1 First Aid Kit
1 Mosquito Spray
1 Mosquito Bite Salve
1 Suntan Lotion
1 Toothpaste
1 Soap
1 Razor
1 Toothbrush
1 Kindle
1 Camera

And I know it's a very long list!!!

[ossie]

It may be too late but why take a whole chain? A couple of links and sram connectors weigh nothing. I really dont think you will need spare pads for the trip if your current ones are new.

Are you taking a piece of washing line and some pegs? or a travel washing line? Do you have a liner for your sleeping bag? Travel sink plug for sinks in the camp sites that dont have plugs. Vaseline for your bum and sudcocreme at night to clear up any saddle sores....worked a treat for me its that good.

If you are taking 2 pairs of shorts you wont need trousers, if mossies start biting use the spray. Sunglasses?

Just some thoughts.

Further: even if your panniers are waterproof use rubble sacks as well, when it rains and your panniers are wet you can slip the rubble sack out and sort out your kit in the tent without getting things inside the tent wet.

[memnoch]

Cheers Ossie, Washing line & Pegs is a good idea.

Am taking a whole chain as I managed to destroy a brand new chain 2 weeks ago by somehow bending a section of 4 links together and jamming the whole lot. Didn't carry a spare chain then just a spare link and couldn't do anything. 20 Mile walk to the nearest train station.

Pyjamas instead of sleeping bag liner, just as warm but don't end up tying myself into a knot.

Never suffered from chaffing on a bike before but then again have never done a tour longer than 4 days so yup that might be a good addition.

Cheers
Ralph

[ossie]

Like you i never had issues down below before but It crept up on me on day 4/5 as my mileage increased . Took a small pot of vaseline and it worked fine during the day, the sudocreme is basically nappy rash cream so is well proven and can literally sort things out overnight,I took a very small pot.

I had rain most days so was for ever drying stuff out and the washing line was invaluable (as were the pegs!)-.when riding I bunjeed wet washing to the rear rack, and often it would dry during the day. Also took some Tesco wet wipes (the cheap ones at 18p) - they were brilliant for everything, hands, bike, cleaning cutlery, spillages- worth considering if not on the list.

Have a fantastic tour and best of luck

[Edwards]

I did not notice a chain tool on the list. As for brake blocks why not just buy some if you need them while away?

[BeeKeeper]

I am sure it has been mentioned before but I would not take the Camelbak. One of the few things most cyclists agree on is not to wear anything on your back except a shirt, you will just get sweaty and the weight of the water will also raise the CofG a bit.

I used a silk liner in my sleeping bag for the first time last week and I was amazed firstly how warm it was to get into and also that unlike a cotton liner it did not try to strangle me - I guess it is too slippery.

I also went without milk. Even UHT will go off after a day or so and the bottle is then next to impossible to clean out and sterilise. I just developed a taste for black tea.

[snibgo]

I would add a paper notebook, pencil and pen.