Got my bike sorted, rack, parts and 4 empty panniers so looking for camping gear and essentials to fill them with!
I've not got to the point of researching which models of equipment to look for yet, just want to plan what I need for starters and visualize which panniers to put things in. I'll keep adding to this but at the moment shopping list reads:
Purchased:
Front Pannier: 2 x front Ortlieb Roller Classic (total 25l) Rear Pannier: 2 x rear Ortlieb Roller Classic (total 40l) Bar Bag: Ortlieb Ultimate 6 Plus Handlebar Bag (7l)
Possible Layout:
Rear pannier 1 = Sleeping equipment Rear pannier 2 = Clothes Top pack = Tent and there should be enough room for any wet items including wash equipment Front pannier 1 = Bike maintenance Front pannier 2 = Cooking equipment and food Bar bag = maps, snacks, gadgets
Kit Required:
Tent +Mallet + Sleeping bag + Pillow + Sleeping Mat 10l bladder with showerhead / wash kit (soap + towel) Lock Spare clothes / shoes Multi-fuel stove + Fuel canister + Lighter + Windshield Cooking/eating pot + Mug + Cleaner Fork, knife, spoon Swiss Army / Leatherman First aid kit
Clothes:
Maintenance:
Help me out guys
Last edited by Bike-Rich on 8 Mar 2014, 7:41pm, edited 4 times in total.
A quick overnight camp in the back garden, leave the house locked, will expose any gaps in the list for you…
I would add, gadget to light the stove, maybe a windshield too drinking mug something to clean/dry the pot/cutlery after use sleeping mat of some depth to give a reasonable night’s sleep - I like my sleep foam kneeling mat, can double for sitting on. sponge for mopping wet tent/groundsheet radio/phone book map(s) first aid kit for bike/tent/person toilet bag with necessary contents lightweight towel tissues plastic bag (supermarket type) for waste money
Got my bike sorted, rack, parts and 4 empty panniers so looking for camping gear and essentials to fill them with!
I've not got to the point of researching which models of equipment to look for yet, just want to plan what I need for starters and visualize which panniers to put things in. I'll keep adding to this but at the moment shopping list reads:
Tent Sleeping bag
What panniers to put these in is tricky to visualise without knowing how bulky they are, which in turn needs a bit of thought on things like what are the conditions I'm using them in, what are my camping priorities and how much do I have to spend. A quick summer raid and I'd take my lightweight summer down bag, which will easily fit in pretty much any pannier, but a 4-season synthetic will need serious carrying capacity. And so on.
Bike-Rich wrote:Canvas Mat
What for?
Bike-Rich wrote:Multi-fuel stove Fuel canister
If you're taking your fuel you don't especially need a multi-fuel stove. Multi-fuels are heavier, more expensive and fiddlier (depending on model often quite a bit less controllable) than a plain gas stove and their only real advantage is fuel re-supply in relatively out-of-the-way places. I have one, which I take on things like paddling tours of Shetland, where heating oil or petrol should be just a case of finding a house and asking nicely, but for trips where gas resupply (or just not running out to start with) isn't an issue then I much prefer plain gas. Some multi-fuels do gas, but they don't do it as well (in terms of efficiency, speed and noise) as a pure gas stove.
Bike-Rich wrote:Can opener
The can opener on a Swiss Army Knife is very good, and gives you quite a few other handy things. Like a bottle opener and a corkscrew!
julk wrote:A quick overnight camp in the back garden, leave the house locked, will expose any gaps in the list for you…
I won't presume to list everything I take, but I will offer the following tip: I take 3 bags, a rack pack on the back and 2 panniers up front where I can easliy reach the kit there-in...
In the rackpack goes everything I know I will not need during the day. The bag is rolled up and strapped down tight. In the front right pannier goes anything to do with clothing - waterproofs, gloves, shades, hat etc. In the left front pannier goes all the rest - navigation, lunch, tools, etc.
The exact content varies from tour to tour, season to season, but the layout never varies... (Dr Moulton kindly arranged for me to have my panniers in a sensible place )
Not mine, but one like it...
IMG_0777.jpg (60 KiB) Viewed 1515 times
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
Is this a camping checklist or a complete kit checklist? It it's the latter, there are a lot of things missing. I agree with the other posts re. sleeping mat, gas stove, knife, etc.
Where are you going, and what sort of camping are you planning on doing? I'd personally leave the shower head at home.
Bike-Rich wrote:I'll keep adding to this but at the moment shopping list reads:
Tent Sleeping bag Canvas Mat 10l bladder with showerhead Pillow Lock Spare clothes / shoes Multi-fuel stove Fuel canister Cooking/eating pot Fork, knife, spoon Can opener
A few queries with your list
Canvas Mat - what is this for? 10l bladder with showerhead - why do you need this? Can opener - this could be part of another bit of kit
What i would add based on too many years camping
water container - maybe a purification system depending where you are headed first aid kit toilet paper! wash kit sleep mat off bike light sleeping bag liner insect repellent/bite treatment/sunscreen mallet kettle - more efficient than a pot for heating water - tins can be heated directly on your stove if you are trying to keep kit to a minimum. don't forget tools and spares for your bike!
I'd suggest the following bag splits
front bags - clothing/footwear - i put upper clothing in one, lower in't other rear bags - cook/wash/food in one bag, tent/lock/bedding in the other - you might need to carry the tent on the rack top depending on size. This split has worked very well for weight distribution and organisation - i only need to go in one bag to get my 'home' up, everything else can stay sealed which is very useful if its raining!
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!
It's a document that sits on my phone. Get all that out, organise it, put back what I don't need for the specific trip, put it in 2 back roller classics and a bar bag.
Guys, a massive thanks for all help. This will be my first tour and very grateful for your useful inputs.
I have 2 front Ortlieb Roller Classic (total 25l), and 2 rear (total 80l) and a Ultimate 6 Plus Handlebar Bag (7l)
jamesgilbert wrote:Is this a camping checklist or a complete kit checklist? It it's the latter, there are a lot of things missing.
Yes complete kit list. The items mentioned were the only things I could think of off the top of my head, I realized there would be a ton of stuff missing, just wanted to get a foothold started and work from there. I will start going through all the advice and update the original post (and keep updating once purchase made with product name).
I produced a list for my camping trips, it doesn't go into the detail of what goes in which pannier but the list is as follows: (This is for summer use)
2 Rear panniers. 2 Front panniers. Bar bag - map case, lip salve, camera, Nexus 7 Tablet, bike lock, E-Werk and cache battery, bag of USB cables etc. wet wipes, sun cream, phone, wallet, passport. Front pocket of bar bag – zip ties, spare inner tube, pump, paper handkerchiefs, more wet wipes
Personal Kit:
2 prs cycling shorts. 1 pair leg warmers 1 short sleeve cycling shirt 2 long sleeved cycling shirts 1 short sleeve casual shirt 1 shorts, off-bike 1 long trousers, off-bike 1 swim trunks 2 underpants 1 long sleeve merino vest (for sleeping in) Lt Wt long johns (for sleeping in) 2 prs cycling socks. 2 pairs waterproof socks Cycling sandals or shoes. If sandals socks not required. Waterproof over-shoes Helmet. (In France I probably wouldn't take this.) Helmet cover. Waterproof jacket Waterproof over-trousers. Waterproof gloves Mitts Lightweight windproof on/off-bike jacket Clip-on sunglasses Wash kit (toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, deodorant, razor, soap, wet wipes, ear plugs, facecloth, comb, rear-end cream, dental floss, toilet tissue, sticking plasters, a few cotton buds 1 light weight towel 1 thin fleece top. Watch Crocs Trekking hat Two compression sacks, one for cycling stuff, one for other clothes.
Bike Repair & Maintenance Kit:
Tank Bag – Multi-tool, tyre levers, spoke key, rear wheel nut spanner, 8mm spanner, Allen key for chain tool, spare nuts and bolts, insulation tape, disposable gloves, power links, spare spokes (in rear pannier), spare inner tube, puncture repair kit. (In front pocket of bar bag (see above) - tyre pump, second spare inner tube, wet wipes and zip ties Small plastic bottle of general lube.
Other gear carried
3 Drinks bottles. Maps USB charger Continental mains adaptor Small "hotel" type sewing kit. Notepad and pen Passport, travel insurance docs, Euros cash, credit/debit cards, Post Office money card, ferry “tickets” and timings, list of possible campsites, list of passwords etc for CGOAB. Clothes line. Bungee strap (on rear rack) GPS + Lithium disposable batteries French phrase book
Camping Equipment
1 tent + footprint + pegs Sitmat for rear rack to prevent tent chafing Sleeping bag & compression/dry sac Sleeping bag inner. Exped downmat Exped inflatable pillow Jetboil + Saucepan Plastic plate, mug, Spork. Spatula Small sharp knife Salt & Pepper Herbs – Oregano, Thyme Plastic bottle of olive oil Washing up liquid and sponge. Small packet waterproof matches
Food:
Boil in the bag rice Small tin tuna Pasta Small tin tomatoes Tube tomato puree
This list needs revisiting as I want to get rid of my front panniers and use a frame bag. This will force me to carry less but the more storage space you have the easier it is to carry stuff you really don't need for summer camping in Europe. "Stuff" equals "Weight".
a kit list is another one of those subjective things that changes over time, as you want more comfort or less weight/fuss. I'd suggest your own interpretation on :
1. every-day cycling clothes (whether that's a full lycra onesie or normal clothes) 2. a change of clothes, for when you get wet or wash yesterdays clothes 3. multiple changes of socks/underwear, as you need to keep your skin healthy (you can wear t-shirts more than once, but socks/etc I wouldn't) 4. you need to sleep, so whatever that means (tent + bag + thermarest-thing) 5. if you need to eat either cooking stuff + food and utensils, or eat local/street-food 6. bike tools + puncture repair outfit and tubes
a couple of points :
a. there are shops abroad, so you are not in trouble if you forget something or can't decide, right now, if some item is a good idea. b. Ortlieb panniers are waterproof both ways, so don't put wet stuff into them or everything will smell bad (and stay wet!). a bungee across the rear rack secures wet stuff (ie, tent, wet socks, etc)
a couple of separate overnight trips to test things out is well, well worth it.
Interesting. I always keep one pannier for stuff that is/can be wet. So one rear pannier holds my tent, spare shoes (crocks) , waterproofs, shoe covers etc. Usually space for food that is in bottles, cans, packets that don't mind being wet as well. Other rear pannier for cooking stuff stove, gas, pans, mugs, plus food, toilet paper. Front panniers remain closed pretty much all day, one has sleeping bag and mat, the other clothes and wash kit. Bar bag has money, kindle, glasses, phone, maps, wet wipes, sun cream. Tent poles go on top of rear rack, along with water bladder if I think I will need extra water (only filled late on in the day), can also carry extra food etc. here if needed but not often I need to. If I have wet stuff and it is not raining I put that on the rack to dry it.
I have my kit list saved online too, on Google Docs - after a trip I go through it and note which items I could have gone without and which (if any) I needed to get en route.
Then before the next tour I copy it and make changes according to time of year, destination, etc.
The one big lesson I've learned (after doing a few 'easy' tours in Europe) is that shops do actually exist in other countries, and a lot of the 'just-in-case' items can be bought on the road if needs be. Obviously this doesn't necessarily apply in all parts of the world.
I liked the tip I read on this very forum, which was, "The night before you go, spread everything out on your bed, including your wallet, then throw half the kit away and double the money!"
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
Mallet! Where are you planning to camp? Joking aside we had to borrow a mallet once to get pegs in the ground in a New Forest campsite but I wouldn't consider carrying one myself.
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