What to take on tour = Cut That Kit!

[Cachao]

Hello, this is the kit list for my lejog this summer, with my friend. Does anyone have any suggestions? Especially on how to reduce weight.

Thanks

EDIT: The most recent list is here https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreads ... pJYL#gid=0
and on the fourth page


Kit for Tour

REVISED 2011

All stuff must be packed in waterproof bags.
Quantity must be marked

Camping 5625g

* Tent, Tent poles 975g repair 50g pegs 400g
* Trangia 900g+meths burner and fuel
* Swiss army knive 300g
* Bowls* (only take plates OR bowls, or better still, shallow bowls)
* Sporks x2 not much
* mugs x2 100g
* Sleeping bags x2 m825g j1200g
* Roll mats x2 j275g m150g
* Head torches x2 150g


Clothes

* Shorts x4
* t-shirt x2
* Cycling top (base layer or jersey) x2
* Fleece*
* Waterproof*
* Flip flops/crocks
* Shoes*
* Socks*
* Underwear*
* Sunglasses*
* Helmets*
* Gloves*


Food water etc

* Food-mostly bought along the way
* Water bottles
* steritabs


Bike kit

* Tool kit essentials pliers, 525g spanner 275g multi 150g cables 25g tubes 2 each 450g, ?g chain tool and spare links, spare spokes and nipples, lube,
* Pump x2
* Lights x2
* Locks* 550g they weigh more than this


Electronics 1200g

* iPod
* Phone x2
* Battery power supply we need a smaller, lighter, power supply
* Camera
* Speakers - 120g if I remember correctly


Washing etc 750g

* Toothbrush x2
* Toothpaste
* Wet wipes
* Toilet paper and a ziplock to keep it in
* Sun cream
* Shower Gel in ziplock
* Blister kit
* Shaver
* First aid+pain killers etc
* Vaseline
* Travel towel
* Dishcloth/sponge


General

* Maps and case each map is about 150g
* Small drawstring bag 50g* one each used for pillow when stuffed with spare clothes
* Pack of cards 100g
* Money

[horizon]

Hi cachao: how long are you planning to take and are you camping wild or at sites?

[snibgo]

* Fleece*
* Waterproof*

Does this mean two fleeces and two sets of waterproofs per person? If so, as they are quite bulky and heavy, I suggest you only need one set per person. But two thin fleeces are more flexible than one thick one.

Why do you need two pumps?

You might also consider:
- puncture repair kit
- whatever tools you need to change tubes
- paper notebook, pen and pencil
- smaller/lighter lock, and just one between you
- a roll of insulating tape can fix or bodge a multitude of bits
- likewise cable ties, a bungee or two, and/or thinner elastic cord, and/or Velcro straps

(Personally, rather than proper Velcro straps, I prefer the ones that mix the hooks and loops on the same side. So I can cut a one-metre strap to any length at all.)

[snibgo]

Oh, yes, and a comb. I always forget a comb.

And a couple of plastic bags for carrying wet washing back from the supermarket toilets, or wet-weather shoe covers or saddle covers.

[gbnz]

* Tent, Tent poles 975g repair 50g pegs 400g
* Trangia 900g+meths burner and fuel
* Swiss army knive 300g
* Bowls* (only take plates OR bowls, or better still, shallow bowls)
* Sporks x2 not much
* mugs x2 100g
* Sleeping bags x2 m825g j1200g



Clothes

* Shorts x2
* t-shirt x2
* Cycling top (base layer or jersey) x2
* Fleece*
* Waterproof*
* Flip flops/crocks
* Shoes*
* Socks*
* Underwear*
* Sunglasses*



Food water etc

* Food-mostly bought along the way
* Water bottles
* steritabs


Bike kit

* Tool kit essentials 150g cables, ?g chain tool and spare links, lube,
* Pump x1
* Locks* 550g they weigh more than this


Electronics 1200g

* ipod
* Phone x1


Washing etc 750g

* Toothbrush x2
* Toothpaste
* Wet wipes
* Toilet paper and a ziplock to keep it in
* Shower Gel in ziplock
* Blister kit
* Shaver
* First aid+pain killers etc
* Vaseline
* Travel towel
* Dishcloth/sponge


General

* Maps and case each map is about 150g
* Small drawstring bag 50g* one each used for pillow when stuffed with spare clothes
* Pack of cards 100g
* Money

Have edited the list . I'd never bother with torches, lights, camping rolls in the summer. Heavy "standard" tools I.e. pliers, spanners can be borrowed virtually anywhere - amazing how many dog walkers, horse riders, tribesman, vicars carry emergency spanners. Keeping clothes basic is worthwhile - one set of cycling kit using modern fabrics/merrino wool, can be washed/dried daily and one set of decent clothes for an emergency hotel

[Vorpal]

Have edited the list . I'd never bother with torches, lights, camping rolls in the summer. Heavy "standard" tools I.e. pliers, spanners can be borrowed virtually anywhere - amazing how many dog walkers, horse riders, tribesman, vicars carry emergency spanners. Keeping clothes basic is worthwhile - one set of cycling kit using modern fabrics/merrino wool, can be washed/dried daily and one set of decent clothes for an emergency hotel

I carry a 128 g multitool with pliers (like this one http://www.leatherman-store.co.uk/colle ... multi-tool), but not spanners or (separate) pocket knife. I use the light from my bike as a torch. But I disagree about the clothes. I'd rather have the spare cycling clothes. I can live with walking around or going to the pub in lycra in the evening at an emergency hotel stop more easily than wearing something damp because it didn't dry before I needed it. (now I need one of those sick face emoticons )

[Reigncloud]

Can your phone play mp3s? If so you can lose the ipod. And for battery charger one of these seem fine, though I've not tested it on the road

Mobile-Quick-Charger.jpg (14.24 KiB) Viewed 37609 times

I use a topeak hexus multiool with chain tool built in - saves a bit of weight. Also, do you really need pliers? I've not had any call for them on my rides. Even for brake and gear cables you can just do them to finger tension and then use thebarrel adjuster to tighten up.

Can you get away with a single lock between two bikes? Last year in Europe we used a small and very light alarmed lock for when the bikes were left outside the tent and in cities. Worked fine.

Could you give away the mugs for just using your bike water bottles (tough one I know!)

[thirdcrank]

I'd start off by accepting that you will never be far from shops for stuff that you unexpectedly need, except for specialised cycling tools (which are useless anyway, unless you know how to use them. eg no point taking spokes unless you know what to do with them, in which case, you need one of those little gismos for getting a cassette off when the broken spoke is on the driveside, which is usually the case.) Puncture repair stuff and spare tubes + tyre levers has to be top of the roadside repairs list. Pliers seem to appear quite often on this sort of list but the only time I can ever remember seeing a pair used at the roadside was as part of an emergency chain tool (the chain was rested on the slightly open jaws and the rivet was driven out with a nail punch.)

I used to recommend a list of bike shops along the route but we did have a thread where somebody pointed out that can be done on a modern mobile phone. Knowing which way to head for a suitable bike shop which will be open when you need it would be invaluable.

I've never had any use for a Swiss army knife.

Bike lamps will double as torches unless you are using dynamoes. (As you are going in summer, you shouldn't be in the dark too much.)

I stopped bothering too much about first aid stuff fairly early on. Perhaps I was lucky, but I've never had to deal with blisters on a bike tour and Vaseline would not be on my list. Since all the talk of skin cancer, I've always used a high factor sunblock. If you can get a recommendation for something truly effective against mozzies, that's worth considering, but you would still need to be able to apply it on the move, as they home in as soon as you stop.

[hubgearfreak]

I've never had any use for a Swiss army knife.

as a cyclist, no. as a camper, yes. as a bottle opener & tin opener it's worth it's weight. there's a couple of screwdrivers there too.

as for bowls, why not just eat straight from the trangia pan?

[hubgearfreak]

also, if you want to speak to loved ones, there's phone boxes. you and your mate could chat to each other & other poeple on the campsite instead of listening to music. disposable cameras can be used and then posted home/to processors

[crazyferret]

hi, im the friend cachao is doing it with.
thanks for all of the sugestions.

we are planning on camping on sites but wild camping as much as possible as well as staying with relitaves where ever we can. Sorry we left the puncture repair kit off the list, it is an obvious one and i gues we forgot to put it on. regarding the multi tool, i have a prety good one that has lots of stuff and should cut down some weight. we can probably do withone lock between the two of us especialy if we hide the bikes behing the tent or something.

if you can think of anything else to cut or have anything we have missed or could swap something for it would be great.

Also we are just planning the initial route, comments would be appreciated.
http://www.bikemap.net/route/787052#

Thanks

[Reigncloud]

Get some of these as your puncture repair kit. Weighs next to nothing, works very well. Note, don't get the Lezyne patches as they're an inferior quality (trust me!)
http://www.topeak.com/products/Tools/flypaper

[thirdcrank]

For anybody intent on a Swiss Army Knife (or having a Swiss Army Knife actually in their tent ) this at around £450 (with free supersaver delivery, so long as you don't order at the last minute) may be the one to consider, if only because the Amazon reviews range from mildly ironic to downright sarcastic and so are well worth a read.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wenger-Swiss-Ar ... 01&sr=8-24

Suprisingly, the folding bits don't include a Brommie.

Being a bit thick, it took me a while to work out what a "Stroke counter with 12 graduations" might be fore (heavy clue there.)

In the meantime, I note that the thread title is "Cut That Kit."

[horizon]

crazyferret: just to stir the discussion a bit, I would contend that what you cut depends very much on your planned daily mileage. For a high mileage, doing LEJOG in say 10 days, I would say ditch the Trangia and more. If you are planning on three weeks then I would suggest keep everything and add a TV set (though I am still unsure if it is all x 2).

[hubgearfreak]

this at around £450

you may mock, but that is as good a chain tool as exists. i had one of these (pictured below), but it's disappeared



if i had a spare £500, i'd have that big one, just for the fun of it