Critique my kit list please?

jay_clock

I am off to NZ in 8 days time for a 3 week camping tour. I have camped for a couple of one nighters (feeble but true) and have done 5 one week tours staying in hotels. Bike is a new Koga Miyata World Traveller to replace my trad British 531 tourer.

Sorry for the long list pasted in below. I have packed it all in my four new Ortlieb panniers (front and rear backrollers) Plus an Ortlieb dry bag for the tent and ground sheet. The rear panniers weigh 10kg. the front 4.9kg and the dry bag 3.3kg. There are a few extra things in there not listed below (some freeze dried food for emergencies), and one or two of the things are not in yet, but the weight will be around a total of 18-19kg (max 20kg) based on what I currently have listed. For the weigh-in I kept out the one set of cycling clothes I will be wearing, plus helmet etc. I also have a small 3 litre bar bag but that is really just for essentials (wallet, camera etc). All kit such as sleeping and cooking is lightweight.

Weather should be like a good UK summer (south!) - ie 22-27deg day, 15-16 at night, quite possible some rain. I am risking SPD sandals for all weather.

Any views on

a) things missing
b) excess items (ie what the f*** you taking that for)
c) overall weight - how does it compare??

Many thanks!

Jay

bottles
lights

Sleeping bag
Thermarest
Pillow
Silk liner
Tent
groundsheet

Gas stove
lighter
Pans
Spatula, plate, cutlery, bowl, cup
food tubs + bottles
coffee
washup liq
sponge
swiss penknife

cycling shirt short sleeves
baggy shorts lycra
triathlon shorts
SPD sandals
bandana

Short fingered gloves
Helmet
arm and leg warmers
Buff
sunglasses
sunglasses case
ultralight jacket
Goretex jacket

camera
camera charger
tripod
phone charger
tikka headlamp
ipod
ipod charger
power adapter

shower gel
shampoo
hand gel
hand cream
razor
tooth brush
tooth paste
floss
shaving gel
nurofen
deo
nail clippers
suncream P20
lipsalve
wetwipes
tissues
Washing liquid
mozzie
plasters/first aid
sewing kit
flannel/sponge

rough guide
NZ map

Compass/thermomter
coat hangers
pegs
notebook

light fleece
ordinary socks
pants
trousers
t shirt
base layer
ordinary shorts
ordinary shoes
towel
baseball cap

wallet
passport
mobiles
Bum bag
goggles
eye mask
ear plugs
notebook and pen

cable ties
lock
spokes
spare cleats/bolts
multitool
inner tube
puncture kit
chaintool
pedal spanner
cassette tool
fake leatherman
lubricant
latex gloves
bungees/straps
spare pads
spare cables
pepper spray

ut_och_cykla

Looks like a lot but I know my list is similarly long!
I think your missing a towel of some description and a bike lock?
Have fun.

jay_clock

i put it a bit small, but towel and lock are both there!

clanton

I'm not a tourer (yet!) but am thinking about doing some touring so read your list with interest. One thing that struck me was the tools - casette ring and pedal spanner especially. You'll never be particularly far from help in New Zealand and that may be uneeded weight. Also a swiss tool AND a leatherman thingy might be duplication?
Otherwise looks like a very well thought of list.

BTW I assume your mozzie repellent does midges too? That is the one real hazard you will face in New Zealand - bastard things are everywhere especially west coast South Island!

jay_clock

Thanks. the pedal spanner I may well not even take, but in any event it will be left in the bike box at a friend's house in Auckland. The cassette tool will allow me to replace a drive side spoke if I can borrow a wrench from a passing pick-up truck, and I have sucessfully used a rag as a chain wrap to remove the rear cassette. The alternative might be a ride 50+ miles to the nearest town, followed by a wait till the bike shop opens. The cassette tool weighs about 25g.

The leatherman stays in the tool bag under the saddle. It also has pliers on. The Swiss knife is more for cooking etc

anagallis_arvensis

A pillow isnt needed, put fleece or something under your head. A plate and a bowl plus pans in plural seems luxuary as does cutlery. I take a spork, one pan, a plate and a mug. ultralight jacket and Goretex jacket? Both needed? why? A bandanna and a buff?? shower gel, shampoo, hand gel, hand cream I'd just take shower gel, certainly shower gel and shampoo seems exuberant.

Seems a lot:

cable ties
lock
spokes :?: missing few isnt too bad.
spare cleats/bolts
multitool
inner tube
puncture kit
chaintool isnt this on multitool? :?:
pedal spanner :?:
cassette tool :?:
fake leatherman :?: and a multitool?
lubricant
latex gloves :?: what for?
bungees/straps
spare pads
spare cables
pepper spray :?: why?


nail clippers, wet wipe? Are you going to use a sewing kit?
All the camera kit and mobile phnes is up to you I suppose, Seems a lot of stuff, Less is generally best.

redddraggon

anagallis_arvensis wrote:

spokes :?: missing few isnt too bad.

pedal spanner :?:
cassette tool :?:

latex gloves :?: what for?

pepper spray :?: why?

Spokes - Apparently you can get kevlar spokes (Ref: Zinn's Maintenance book), these would probably be better to carry than rigid ones.

Pedal spanners and cassette tools - I'd Assume that if you needed to use these you'd be replacing parts - purchased from a bike shop perhaps - any good shop would let you use their tools if you took your bike to them.

Latex Gloves - If you get a problem on the road with the drivetrain or a rear puncture, there's bound to be lots of that black crap that's difficult to remove without warm water and soap so you put the gloves on - I carry gloves as standard in my repair kit.

Pepper Spray - yeh, why?[/b]

jay_clock

pepper spray for dogs - i am terrified of them.

A decent pillow is a MUST HAVE for me. My three one night trips taught me that

My plastic plate/bowls etc weigh next to nothing

Ths shampoo was a mistake- am not taking it. a lot of the toiletries are samples and the whole lot is pretty light

the pedal spanner is not travelling on the bike - being left in Auckland....if I even take it

the latex gloves are an amazing addition - I always have them on the bike. even a simple puncture makes your hands filthy, so i would not be without them. and they weigh about 1g each.


the cassette tool weighs 25g. with a borrowed wrench in the back of beyond, plus a twisted rag as a chain whip I can remove the cassette and avoid a 50mile plus wait for the next bike shop - which may be closed anyway

julk

I cannot see a pump anywhere on your list, did I miss it?

I would take something to sit on, chosen from a chair kit for the Thermarest, a small 3 legged stool or a foam kneeling pad as on sale in garden stores. All these are lightweight, easy to pack and can add a lot of comfort once you have pitched the tent.

I like to take a pair of flip-flops for around the tent and taking showers. The SPD sandals are great for cycling, but a bit clunky for wearing around the tent and in the shower.

If you could get cold and wet weather, then a pair of sealskinz socks can keep your feet warm in the SPD sandals in these conditions.

geoff_ss

I would use a Trangia meths stove in preference to gas ... and get the pans included which you can eat out of.

Why do you need a silk liner?

I'd buy the anti -midge/sand fly stuff in New Zealand - they know what works, though we didn't have any trouble when we toured in 1999. Don't take anything you can buy in NZ to save weight.

Also bear in mind a lot of NZ camp sites have kitchens.

Do you need a ground sheet as well as the tent (which probably has a ground sheet?)

Do you need 2 jackets?

Rather than leg warmers take Ron Hill tracksters that will double for evening/travel wear

Do you really need an ipod? and its charger. Also can you avoid chargers all together by using primary cells in your camera? I must admit in 1999 mobile phones, digital cameras and ipods weren't available. The only thing I'd want now would be the digital camera - I wouldn't bother with the rest. There are internet cafes all over the place, at least on South Island and probably North Island too

razor? what are they? Grow a beard.

Coat hangers? A few clothes pegs might be useful though.

Tie wraps are a very good idea. I repaired my pannier with them in Franz Josef and it's still OK 9 years later - though I only use it for a rack pack now.

Take more than one spare inner tube - I'd take 3, but 2 at least.

I always taped spare spokes to the pannier frame. That way they take up no space and, hopefully, you won't need them anyway.

I suppose you know helmets are compulsory in NZ, though a member of our CTC group in 1999 hardly ever wore his and was never stopped. We only toured South Island. We stayed at small hotels and motels etc but were unsupported and carried all our own luggage. My wife and I have cycle camped a lot in Europe including the Alps and Pyrenees so I'm aware of the needs.

We shared a Hillegerg tent but we managed to keep the weight of our bikes and luggage inside the 20kg allowance for travelling by air. However, we did it by carrying pedals and tools etc as cabin luggage which, i suppose, is a no no nowadays.

I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself and have a great time. Don't worry about forgetting anything too much; you're going to a civilised country which is also geared to outdoor activities so what you forget you can probably buy.

Oh, the hardest climb I've ever done is Arthur's Pass from west to east and it brought us to our 24" gear. The other hard one was the Crown Range from Queenstown to Wanaka but that was un surfaced in 1999, I understand it's sealed now.

HTH

Geoff

cycladelic

You have washing-up liquid, shampoo, shower gel and shaving gel. One or two could go.... certainly the shaving one. I always use regular soap.

cycladelic

I also take a pedal spanner when flying - for removing/replacing pedals at the airport. Actually it's a dinky adjustable wrench, which may come in handy for other things.

Michael Falk

I'd use a very strong sunscreen (50+ for example). I've was a little bit amused when I was in NZ about some incredible sunburns of people from UK. It can be bought in NZ, which maybe you're planning to do anyway.

In 4 months of touring in NZ I can't remenber a dog incident, but I love dogs anyway. Also, NZ customs may not allow you to enter with pepper spray.

Depending on your tyres (26" Miyatas used to have Conti Travel Contacts which are very tough tyres), I think 1 spare tube may be fine. In a NZ 3 month tour with these tyres I never had a puncture. After all, your trip´is only 3 weeks & if necessary, a tube can be bought in many places.

It is possible to camp at many hostels (at a lower price than in the hostel) & often they are at a far more convenient position relative to a town compared to a campground. The hostels allowing camping will often have far more comforts than a campground at a similar (& at times, less) price.

A good dehydrated range of meals (I forget the brand name) are made in NZ so you can buy it there almost definitely for less than the cost of dehydrated food where you're from. Insect repellent & tubes can be bought there probably for less too (maybe that's what you're planning).

Campgrounds in NZ are usually excellent compared to other countries related to their cooking fascilities. I think you'll need your own things though for the times that you get to a poorly equipped campground or a DOC one.

It's a lovely place to ride around.

Michael

anagallis_arvensis

yeah the DOC campsites are poorly equiped but in some amazing locations. Pillows are for girls!!!

Tourist Tony

I wouldn't take the plate and bowl, I'd eat straight out of the pan. Second the spork, and why the two multitools?
Carry a pepper spray and get arrested, in the UK. They are illegal and classed as very serious offensive weopans. If you are flying from the UK, and airport security spot it, kiss your trip goodbye.
I would suggest you find out their legal position in NZ as well, unless you fancy a VERY short tour.

andymiller

Too many clothes! I would invest in some merino tops which give you warm thin layers you can put on as it gets colder and take off when it doesn't.

You don't need showergel and shampoo. Use the shampoo all over.

Tube of travelwash.

Just carry an ordinary spanner rather than a pedal spanner (assuming that you didn't tighten them up super tight before you leave).

Pillows are for people who value a good night's sleep - but consider an inflatable pillow or a pillow case that you can simply fill with a fleece etc.

I'd take long Johns.

Have you thought about convertivle trousers? I have some nice ones from craghoppers which are quite light and convert into shorts or three-quarter shorts.

If you're in the UK muji.co.uk is the best source for small plastic bottles of things like shampoo.

Universal sink plug?

Of course you need an iPod.

Pump? (Oh and take pump rebuild kit as well).

I'd take three inner tubes.

Chainlube,

Tourist Tony

I had three cycle tops, three pairs shorts and a pair of rock climbing trosers, plus a single proper shirt, on my last long trip. One paircycle shoes, one pair trainers, and one pair very light flipflops for showers etc.All the stuff like insect repellant, soap and sunblock were bought on arrival.
A lightweight Altura fleece and a very light mountaineering waterproof top, plus overshoes, did me. Add a Buff and a cotton cap--sorted

hobo57

I am heading off shortly on a year long tour.

I love buying new stuff especially if I can justify it because it's the lightest, latest version etc. It feels good saving a few grammes here and there.
However the area where I have the most control over and the one which has the biggest impact on the performance and wear and tear on the bike is my own body weight.

I am 6'2 and can weight up to 15 stone
When I am in good shape I can get down to almost 13.7 'ish

So as well as buying stuff like the NBT2 lockring cassette remover I have also been focusing on getting my weight down.

If I drop say 10kgs well then I can bring an extra luxury or two which may add 1 or 2 kgs which is a fair exchange

andrew_s

Jay Clock wrote:

The cassette tool will allow me to replace a drive side spoke if I can borrow a wrench from a passing pick-up truck, and I have sucessfully used a rag as a chain wrap to remove the rear cassette. The alternative might be a ride 50+ miles to the nearest town, followed by a wait till the bike shop opens. The cassette tool weighs about 25g.

The NBT2 from Spa will allow you to remove the cassette lockring without either a big spanner or a chain whip

Bigparsnip

Leave the Razor at home (three weeks should be long enough for some good pictures at the end) and slip in a small pack of sudocrem or similar if this is the longest ride you've done yet (unless you have an arse of steel). One other thing I didn't see, wihch always comes in useful (even just a a clothes line), is about 10m of parra cord from a climbing shop it's realy strong, cheep and doesn't weigh much.

jay_clock

Thanks Parsnip

Ar5e-wise I am generally fine. Have done 5 one week tours of typically 100km days with no probs, and last summer did a 200km day with panniers on. Also the saddle on my new bike is my old Brooks whihc has done over 4000 miles. However may take some cream anyway.

With regards shaving, I like to be clean shaven. I like to be clean too. I am slightly puzzled about replies on this I got on Cyclechat. The ones suggesting minimal washing etc are either from people who do not do much of that when not touring (not my style) or they are people who normally do shower etc every day but suddenly have different standards when touring. This seems odd? My shaving kit weighs about 60g in total.

Will look into the para cord - could be useful

alfablue

I too am a pillow guy, I use one of these Multimat self-inflating pillows, it packs really small but inflates fat! I have previously used clothes in the sleeping bag stuff sack, but still got neck ache - this is far superior.

I too would go for 2+ inner tubes, sometimes they can't be repaired (valve breaks off, splits) and I would be nervous with one only.

A multitool like the Topeak Alien DX includes a small 15mm spanner for your pedals, providing your pedals are not too tight to start with it is plenty good enough to fit and remove them (and there is no point in having them extremely tight IMHO).

I also take Duck Tape on tours - I wrap a length around my small washing-up liquid bottle, could be useful to fix split saddle, tent tear or ripped pannier for example; and of course cable ties of assorted sizes, including some fairly big ones - you can repair all sorts with them.

I use the Thermarest seat adapter - well worth it, nothing beats sitting back and relaxing whilst cooking your meal after a long day in the saddle.

I also take a Therma-rest repair kit (very light).

The silk liner is a good idea if you can spare the weight / size, on warm nights it may be all you use.

If you think you need a washing line and pegs, how about this Lifeventure Travel Washing Line - it does away with the need for pegs and it easily stretches between tent and nearby tree or fence. You could fit about 4 or 5 items on it. I always take mine, use it mostly to hang up the travel towel after use, and the odd handwash if I am somewhere without laundry.

Oh and a particular quirk of mine, I take a ziplock freezer bag (well, double bagged to prevent leaks) of Ready Brek mixed with dried milk powder, and sugar if you want, then I always have an emergency meal if I am completely away from civilisation, just add hot water (my sons think this is a bit naff, but I like it).

I have been using a Trangia copy (from Lidl, £5.99), but my son bought me a Jetboil cooking system which I will try next time - okay if you are touring somewhere you can get gas easier than meths, and a lot faster to cook with, and less bulky. You can also get a larger cooking pot or a frying pan as accessories.

In the first aid kit I always take Piriton or some other antihstamine - good for stings, bites, allergic rashes and reactions. I also take some Steri-Strip (or cheaper equivalent) skin closures, and some non-adherant dressing pads (10cm x 10cm) with fabric plaster tape.

ThatGuyOnABike

you have just a headtorch but is that bright enough? i prefer a 2 d battery torch, heavy but gets me through the dark. two multitools are a bit much as the others have said but then again i have a multitool and a survival knife so i can't criticise too much. and the i-pod is useless. listen to the road while travelling and take a really compact radio for camp, i have a hitachchi something or another that runs on two aaa and is about the size of a pack of cards, just enough for filling a tent with music or with headphones. i've seen even smaller ones. music should be to waste the most boring of evenings but otherwise it can be done completly without.

oh and you definatly need a van full of equip following you

andymiller

alfablue wrote:

... my son bought me a Jetboil cooking system which I will try next time - okay if you are touring somewhere you can get gas easier than meths, and a lot faster to cook with, and less bulky. You can also get a larger cooking pot or a frying pan as accessories.

Oh I missed those, but I did get the doobrie that turns it into a cafétière.

jay_clock

I thought about the special clothes lines but was not certain I would find places to hang it.

with regards the "i-pod is useless" I think that is a bit harsh. Mine has a long battery life, and nealry all sites have elec even if I just get 20 mins charge up in the shower block. I put a lot of value on enjoyment, and having great music and a load of podcasts might be nice. also I hve photos of the family on there

the tikka headtorch is fine for pottering around the campsite.

I do have 3 spare tubes.

For a pillow I now have a inflatable one (flat like a mini flat airbed mattress, plus a small polyester one (40x30) which is actually a cushion, which I have covered in fleece. I will wrap the cushion in clothes, then put it inside a pillow case with the inflatable one. Keeping my fingers crossed!

alfablue

andymiller wrote:

alfablue wrote:

... my son bought me a Jetboil cooking system which I will try next time - okay if you are touring somewhere you can get gas easier than meths, and a lot faster to cook with, and less bulky. You can also get a larger cooking pot or a frying pan as accessories.

Oh I missed those, but I did get the doobrie that turns it into a cafétière.

My son bought the cafetierre doobrie as well (he is very generous!). The frying pan is new out this year so is hard to find in the shops, but the pot is fairly easy to find. For the kind of cooking I do I think I will just buy a "companion cup" (same as the jetboil cup without the burner) so I can make the coffee then cook brekki.

Tourist Tony

Jay Clock wrote:

Thanks Parsnip

Ar5e-wise I am generally fine. Have done 5 one week tours of typically 100km days with no probs, and last summer did a 200km day with panniers on. Also the saddle on my new bike is my old Brooks whihc has done over 4000 miles. However may take some cream anyway.

With regards shaving, I like to be clean shaven. I like to be clean too. I am slightly puzzled about replies on this I got on Cyclechat. The ones suggesting minimal washing etc are either from people who do not do much of that when not touring (not my style) or they are people who normally do shower etc every day but suddenly have different standards when touring. This seems odd? My shaving kit weighs about 60g in total.

Will look into the para cord - could be useful

Yebbut, some of those replies came from a particular person who thinks mobile phones work everywhere. You have already worked out whom to ignore over there...

lateralus

Tourist Tony wrote:

Carry a pepper spray and get arrested, in the UK. They are illegal and classed as very serious offensive weopans. If you are flying from the UK, and airport security spot it, kiss your trip goodbye.
I would suggest you find out their legal position in NZ as well, unless you fancy a VERY short tour.

I used to be a prosecutor for NZ Customs. If you take pepper spray, they _will_ find it (they are very thorough with their x-rays) and they will take a very dim view. They'll probably kick you out, probably after having prosecuted you first. Don't do it.

pneumatic

anagallis_arvensis wrote:

Pillows are for girls!!!

I don't know what your marital circumstances are, but that might be a very good reason to take the pillow!

Special K

get one of these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Solio-Universal-Charger-Connection-Silver/dp/B000H1MY9C

charge as you ride

anagallis_arvensis

pneumatic wrote:

anagallis_arvensis wrote:

Pillows are for girls!!!

I don't know what your marital circumstances are, but that might be a very good reason to take the pillow!

Good point well made!