I’m a relative newcomer to cycle camping, if it wasn’t for the demise of the hostel network I’d never have started. Before family and other commitments intervened, I used to do a fair bit of backpacking,so I'm not a complete novice to camping. The most noticeable differences after a twenty year gap is how cheap, light and functional everything is. I had a top of the range Saunders tent in my youth, took me months to save up for, this time round my £75 Coleman is better in every respect.
The last three years have been a learning curve, I started carrying too much kit, cut it back too far and now think I’ve found what’s right for me. I’ve also discovered that although I like the idea of long extended tours, in practice frequent short breaks suite me better. I also found that I’d rather be cycling than camping, so spend more time on the road and less time at the campsite. For a few days I can’t be bothered to cook, I use a Jetboil to make hot drinks and occasionally soup. After a bit of trial and error I think I’ve found my perfect sleeping arrangements – Big Agness insulated air pad and matching large rectangular summerweight sleeping bag (the pad fits into a sleeve in the bag so you can’t fall off) I then use a down camping quilt over the top. It sounds a lot, but it packs really small, weighs well under 2 kg and has kept me warm and cozy on a frosty night. I’m still looking for my perfect tent, the Coleman Epsilon has served me well, though I’d like something lighter. I have a Golite Hex on loan, it’s got lots of advantages but I’m undecided. A friend has a Big Agnes tent that I really likw, the weak dollar makes them even more attractive if bought from the USA.
Here’s my Raven on route to York Rally 2005
The small Carradice panniers were sold after this trip, in theory they were big enough, in practice the shape meant they were awkward to pack. They were replaced with Vaude discover front, at 30L big for front panniers. My Ortlieb panniers started life as front rollers, they had a chunk cut off the top to fit a small wheeled folder. They carry about the same each as a bar bag. I like a bar bag for valuables and map/route sheet. The saddlebag carries everything I might need during the day, so I don’t have to open the panniers from site to site. This also has the advantage that if someone offers to carry my kit home, as sometimes happens after a Rally or Audax, I don’t have to think about repacking. With my present kit I could easily do without front panniers, except the Raven rides so well with four. I’m undecided as to whether the handling advantage is worth the extra weight, I’ll have to experiment some more.
