Equipment List
Credit where credit is due, my touring equipment inspiration has come from the ultralight hiking community, and a small picture blog, http://milly.org/rambouillet/index.htm, that Henry Kingman put together for a ride from Vancouver to San Francisco. The approach is to only take what you really need, take the lighest stuff that’s available and try to take items that have multiple uses. My target equipment weight is 25 lbs. Below is the Kingman Rambouillet set up for touring.
And here’s my interpretation, I have my quilt, clothes, food and bike stuff in the Carradice Nelson Longflap saddlebag and my tent is under the saddle. My personal effects are in the Acorn bag on the handlebars, stuff like wallet, phone and passport and my sleeping pad and cooking stuff is in the orange stuff sack on the front rack. I use 2 x one litre “Smartwater” bottles to carry water as they are larger than cycling water bottles, but still fit nicely in a regular cage and have a third water bottle under the down tube
Rivendell Rambouillet set up for long distance touring
If you are interested in lightening your touring load even further an excellent site is http://www2.arnes.si/~ikovse/weight.htm. This gives lots of practical advice to reduce weight, although I probably won’t put all my equipment into a stuff sack, as it recommends, as I like the convenience and strength of purpose built cycling bags.
Another blog that I have to give a nod to is this one:
These folks go one step further by using singlespeed bikes, hats off to them.
And finally the amazing ride of the Crane brothers
http://web.archive.org/web/20041211045554/http://www.koopmann.lightup.net/crane/
Even though I’m usually traveling during the summer I think its wise to plan for temps down to 32F particularly if you’ll be in the mountains. My camping gear is ultralight and includes a Tarptent Contrail which is a single walled tent that weights 24oz and a 15oz sleeping quilt by Jacks R’Better. My stove is a classic Trangia that burns alcohol and is as rugged no nonsense as a stove can be.
The Tarptent Contrail is amazing and provides good shelter with enough room for me to sit up in the entrance.
EQUIPMENT LIST
CAMPING
Summer down Sleeping Bag by Jacks R’Better, http://www.jacksrbetter.com
Sleeping Pad by Big Agnes
Trangia stove, http://www.trangia.se
Antigravity gear solo pot set plus Trangia frying pan, http://www.antigravitygear.com
Denatured Alcohol
Ti Spork
BIC Lighter
50′ Cord
CLOTHES CARRIED
Convertible Long Pants by Exofficio, http://www.exofficio.com
Touring Shorts, by Rapha, http://www.rapha.cc
Wool Long Underwear by Smartwool,http://www.smartwool.com
Padded cycling Underwear by Andiamo
Wool Long Sleeve T-Shirt, Smartwool
Long Sleeve “Adventure” Shirt, Rivendell http://www.rivbike.com
Stowaway rain jacket by Rapha
2 x wool Socks by Smartwool
Tai Chi shoes, http://www.gungfu.com/htm-apparel/shoes/apparel-shoes-kung-fu-basic-tai-chi.htm
Gloves by Pearl Izumi
Neck gaiter, Smartwool
Beanie wool hat, Smartwool
TOILETRIES
Mounthwash
Razors
Skin Cream
Sunscreen
Microfiber Towel
Shampoo
Toothpaste and Brush
DEET
Dental Floss
Toilet Paper
BIKE STUFF
Bike Cable Lock
Multitool
Leatherman, Juice
2 x Kevlar Spokes
Chain Lube
2 x inner tubes
Pump
2 x Patch Kits
Tire boots, Park
2x Powerlink, SRAM
Brake cable
Gear cable
Brake Pads
Misc Nuts and Bolts
4x AA batteries
Plastic Bags
Duct tape
MISC
Wallet
Map
notebook and pen
First Aid Kit
Sewing kit
small FM radio
iPhone
Emergency Food
Dehydrated soup and Raman noodles
Honey
Jerkey
Couscous
Energy bars
Tea bags
Clothing Worn, not included in weight
Padded Underpants, Andiamo
Long Sleeve T-Shirt, Smartwool
Cycling Knickers, Rapha
Socks, Smartwool
Cycling Shoes, Shimano MO76
Cycling cap, Rapha
Bandana, REI
BAGS
Nelson Longflap saddlebag by Carradice, http://www.carradice.co.uk
Acorn handle bar bag, http://www.acornbags.com
2x silnylon compression sacks
The total weight of my gear including bags is about 20 lbs. I carry 4 lbs of water and 2 lbs of food including dehydrated soup, chocolate, honey, instant oatmeal, couscous and beef jerky making my total touring gear weight 26 lbs. The bike weighs 27 lbs so the total is 53 lbs. If you exclude food and water the gear comes in at 47 lbs.
Nice setup! Especially like the big water bottles. Also, thanks for the link to the Koopman story. Good one!
On that ride (Vancouver Island to SF), all of that stuff (Rambouillet, 2-lbs tent, handlebar bag, etc… ) except maybe the sleeping bag and shortwave was borrowed from Grant, a very generous guy. It was about the nicest rig I ever toured with. Grant always has the best things, the niftiest tents, the nicest wool. The (old style, no longer available) Walrus Zoid tent was really snazzy (if coffin-like). But, the $30 China-made tent I later bought from rivbike.com is (almost) just as good!
Me, I’m lucky to start each tour with a functioning bike. My tour prep list usually goes, you know, rebuild rear wheel, replace bottom bracket, new chain and cogs, replace tires and pedals… then, I’m leaving in an hour, and still need to pack. Sigh.
Fortunately, I’ve found “Oh well, I’ll buy one on the road” usually works out ok. The last tour, I stopped at Wal-Mart on the way out of town and bought an $8 child’s backpack to use as a saddlebag, with the straps laced through the saddle rails. (The Carradice didn’t fit my full-sus rig.)
I remember another tour in the early 90s where I took some Tai Chi shoes as a backup to full Look road shoes. Wound up walking all over Europe in those things… wonderful minimalism!
-Henry
Hi Henry,
It’s great to read your comment and thanks again for that blog. I read it maybe five years ago and it got me off the four panniers, fully loaded bandwagon. Back then I was getting back into touring and and your blog was inspirational. Technology keeps moving on and I’m a bit of an equipment geek so tweaking my setup is something I enjoy. I was going to test it out in Iceland this summer, but those plans are on hold because of the volcano.
Yeah Tai Chi shoes are a great second pair of shoes. When I as in college I did some kung fu and we would go running around the city parks so they seemed like the obvious choice for shoes to wear off the bike.