Interested in comparing notes - what to take, what to ditch etc.
Lightweight tips etc.
Mainly weekends.
Thanks
Cycle Camping Kit List
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Pete
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
What to take or not?
Depends on all sorts of things. First of all, are you going primarily for the cycling, the camping, or a bit of each?
If it's mainly about the cycling then as little as possible, if it's mainly camping then as much as you can happily pedal with. Or some point in between.
Beyond that, some general tips:
- two can camp more lightly per person than one
- down sleeping bags pack smaller and weigh less than an euqivalently warm synthetic
- you don't need a heavy storm tent if you bother looking at the weather forecast
- if a "luxury" item means better rest that leads to easier pedalling next day it's probably worth having despite the extra weight
- read the article a couple of Cycles ago on packing by Chris Juden
Pete.
Depends on all sorts of things. First of all, are you going primarily for the cycling, the camping, or a bit of each?
If it's mainly about the cycling then as little as possible, if it's mainly camping then as much as you can happily pedal with. Or some point in between.
Beyond that, some general tips:
- two can camp more lightly per person than one
- down sleeping bags pack smaller and weigh less than an euqivalently warm synthetic
- you don't need a heavy storm tent if you bother looking at the weather forecast
- if a "luxury" item means better rest that leads to easier pedalling next day it's probably worth having despite the extra weight
- read the article a couple of Cycles ago on packing by Chris Juden
Pete.
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Tim
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
weekends mostly you say, so probably in the UK?
down sleeping bags are warmer and generally lighter but are prone to getting wet and then becoming useless. synthetic filled bags are warm even when damp/wet.
i seldom take cooking equipment unless going to be well away from civilisation. i prefer to eat out or eat cold food rather than lug cooker, pan(s), eating irons &tc and have to wash up afterwards!
thermarests are worth the effort!!
down sleeping bags are warmer and generally lighter but are prone to getting wet and then becoming useless. synthetic filled bags are warm even when damp/wet.
i seldom take cooking equipment unless going to be well away from civilisation. i prefer to eat out or eat cold food rather than lug cooker, pan(s), eating irons &tc and have to wash up afterwards!
thermarests are worth the effort!!
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Pete
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
About the sleeping bags... down bags are no more prone to getting wet than anything else: if you take some care to keep them dry, then they stay dry. Further note that in order to become useless they need to be completely soaked: there seems to be a persception that if you get a drop of water on them they'll instantly become a liability, but that is not so. And further note that many current bags have water resistant shells which will keep the worst off anyway.
Unless you're camping in a lake and have a leaky tent, or haven't discovered waterproof bags yet, there is no reason for a down bag to get wet. Mine go sea kayaking, and I can keep them dry doing that, so I don't really see why cycling should be a problem.
Finally, note that synthetic bags, while not degrading as badly as down when soaked, still degrade in the wet. And a wet bag is uncomfortable. It's easy enough to keep them dry if you take a little care, so take a little care and save some space and weight. And have a bag which will still be highly effective in 10 years, instead of naturally degraded into a fraction of its original warmth, another thing people "forget" to mention about synthetics...
You can probably tell I'm not a fan of synthetics, but the "but what if it gets wet?" argument is a red herring and I know it is from years of mine staying dry in very wet places. Good reasons /not/ to use down are you can't afford the capital cost (though don't forget in the long term they're no more expensive, because they last much longer if porperly cared for), you have some need to wash your bag frequently, or you're allergic to down.
Pete.
Unless you're camping in a lake and have a leaky tent, or haven't discovered waterproof bags yet, there is no reason for a down bag to get wet. Mine go sea kayaking, and I can keep them dry doing that, so I don't really see why cycling should be a problem.
Finally, note that synthetic bags, while not degrading as badly as down when soaked, still degrade in the wet. And a wet bag is uncomfortable. It's easy enough to keep them dry if you take a little care, so take a little care and save some space and weight. And have a bag which will still be highly effective in 10 years, instead of naturally degraded into a fraction of its original warmth, another thing people "forget" to mention about synthetics...
You can probably tell I'm not a fan of synthetics, but the "but what if it gets wet?" argument is a red herring and I know it is from years of mine staying dry in very wet places. Good reasons /not/ to use down are you can't afford the capital cost (though don't forget in the long term they're no more expensive, because they last much longer if porperly cared for), you have some need to wash your bag frequently, or you're allergic to down.
Pete.
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Tim
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
Hey, I have used down bags for years without difficulty but once the damp has got to it, it is virtually impossible to dry out a down bag on the road without using tumble driers in a laundrette. My experience of synthetics is that they are more resistant to the effects of damp and that they are easier to dry. Condensation reduces the efficiency of a down bag significantly and can lead to it's becoming uncomfortable even in the south of France. I was there!
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sandy
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
Use quality gear if you intend to enjoy the cycle camping experience.
For example Ortlieb panniers can be relied on to be completely water proof so that down sleeping bags are not at risk of dampness. Even the tent will pack into an Ortlieb stuffsack and sit on top of a rear rack.Use a thermarest for insulaton and padding between you and the gound.
A Petzl tikka headlight is a must for evening vision and reading, very compact and light and longlasting.
For example Ortlieb panniers can be relied on to be completely water proof so that down sleeping bags are not at risk of dampness. Even the tent will pack into an Ortlieb stuffsack and sit on top of a rear rack.Use a thermarest for insulaton and padding between you and the gound.
A Petzl tikka headlight is a must for evening vision and reading, very compact and light and longlasting.
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Pete
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
"But if a down bag gets wet it's useless!" is a classic case of "Doctor! Doctor!, it hurts when I do this!"; "Then don't do that."
If Chris Townsend can do a continuous walking/camping tour of all the Scottish Munros over several months with rain on over half the days and use a down bag and not get it wet then a spot of cycle touring really shouldn't prove an obstacle. Or you'd better take a Quasar just in case there's days of gale force winds, and a spare frame in case your cracks away from a blacksmiths and so on.
It shouldn't be a problem if you take care, so better taking the case than compensating by taking heavier, bulkier luggage which impacts both your cycling and your ability to take more genuinely useful things in the available space.
Pete.
If Chris Townsend can do a continuous walking/camping tour of all the Scottish Munros over several months with rain on over half the days and use a down bag and not get it wet then a spot of cycle touring really shouldn't prove an obstacle. Or you'd better take a Quasar just in case there's days of gale force winds, and a spare frame in case your cracks away from a blacksmiths and so on.
It shouldn't be a problem if you take care, so better taking the case than compensating by taking heavier, bulkier luggage which impacts both your cycling and your ability to take more genuinely useful things in the available space.
Pete.
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tomjw
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
I think it is worth taking stuff for making tea/coffee. It is really convenient to be able to have a coffee in the morning or a cup of tea wherever you stop without having to find a cafe. I have a very small & light solid fuel stove (about £2.50) and a small saucepan and cup a small bag of coffee and some teabags and a plastic spoon. I use condensed milk in a tube which makes a very nice cup of tea. It is light and not bulky - A luxury well worth carrying.
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PW
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
Sleeping bag wise I use a Buffalo pertex/fibre pile bag. Water resistant & breathable, warm when wet if you do get caught (use mine for bivvying occasionally) & very comfortable in a wide range of temperatures.
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gar
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
minimalist lilo./camping mattress is good to have;
I have got Thermarest, only weighing a few ounces
a takes little space.. Early in the year or late take some tin foil to put underneath; takes the chill off the ground.
g
I have got Thermarest, only weighing a few ounces
a takes little space.. Early in the year or late take some tin foil to put underneath; takes the chill off the ground.
g
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Pinky
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
Well I have just spent 7 weeks cycle camping down and up the Danube. I carried everthing I needed on my velo -- tent, cooking eqiuipment, Airtiac mattress, the lot. I also had bought a backpackers wood/twig burning stove which got dumped on day 4 as being totally useless -- it took hours to prepare a meal and hours to clean afterwards.
I travelled with four panniers and my tent sat on top of the rear rack.
I had the good fortune to try out one of the BOB Yak trailers one evening ( a German guy and wife travelled with me for a few days and I was impressed by the speed of packing up in the morning and the lack of air resistance in a head wind) and it has become my next big "buy" for my next years "Grand Tour"
I travelled with four panniers and my tent sat on top of the rear rack.
I had the good fortune to try out one of the BOB Yak trailers one evening ( a German guy and wife travelled with me for a few days and I was impressed by the speed of packing up in the morning and the lack of air resistance in a head wind) and it has become my next big "buy" for my next years "Grand Tour"
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The Flash
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
My two absolute 'must haves' on any cycle camping trip; lots of carrier bags and wet wipes.
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freewheeler
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
Am starting from scratch as a newcomer to bike touring-it sounds as if there's a lot to fork out!Are there any recommended places for 2nd hand gear?at least to start me off?
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gar
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
The most dogged gentlemen of the road seem to carry nothing but old plastic bags.
I would not go on touring as long as they do
and the plastic bag evidence is not so great but
very welcome on a three week journey.
g
I would not go on touring as long as they do
and the plastic bag evidence is not so great but
very welcome on a three week journey.
g
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Lizb.bird
Re:Cycle Camping Kit List
We have Scot ads up here in the North, but I am sure there are similar weekly papers everywhere. However here is the www to reasonable priced outdoor stuff http://www.outdoormegastore.co.uk/
I bought a small Vango tent here and other bits & pieces over the years. My best bit of advice is to go for the lightest you can afford, remember the lighter in weight the heavier in cost.
I bought a small Vango tent here and other bits & pieces over the years. My best bit of advice is to go for the lightest you can afford, remember the lighter in weight the heavier in cost.