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:

http://pompinos.blogspot.com/

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