quick video.

[Danneaux]

Hi All!

Though I've always preferred to tour with front and rear panniers and find they result in much better handling and a more balanced load for my needs, I've also had good luck traveling light with just two front panniers. I prefer the handling and feel of having them up front if I'm touring with minimal gear.

Looking at my copy of Ian Hibell's Into the Remote Places yesterday, I notice he always preferred the traditional rear bags and HB bag only. Wouldn't work for me, but just goes to show...like most things cycling-related, individual preference holds sway and there's no one  for everyone.

Best,

Dan. (...who has it in the bag! Where in the bag is another matter!)

[jags]

Ian Hibell now theres a guy that know about touring (is he still alive)
i think that guy toured every part of the world and yeah rear panniers only good on ya Ian
you sure could teach the modern day tourer to cut down his load 

say Dan has he a packing list in that book.

[Danneaux]

Jags,

Sadly, Ian was killed by a drunk driver in Greece in 2008. If not for that, I have no doubt he'd still be going. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Hibell

has he a packing list in that book

Nothing I can cut-and-past here. For a good idea of what he took, see his presentation on Blue Peter in 1975, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny81vcxTZQk

Lightweight discussion at 2:07 and contents details starting at 2:40. Ian was a master at minimalist packing, and I recall his reasoning for taking only three socks: a pair to wear, and one to wash/dry at any one time in rotation. He always took a tin of shoe polish to keep his leather-cleated cycling shoes in fine shape, as well. I remember looking at his photos as I selected my philosophically similar Detto Pietro Article 74 cycling shoes...which still serve me well so many decades later. I leave the shoe polish at home, but would bring it on a world tour. Ian was no dummy. Oh! I still have and use the same Cutter first aid kit in my HB bag...I just update the contents annually and with use.

There is also a video of his Darien Gap crossing here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ylhWPCekdM , and a nice slideshow retrospective by Nic Henderson here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsQxt9-vK-k

Some nice pages about Ian here (root): http://www.bikebrothers.co.uk/ianhibell.htm

And showing his bike setups: http://www.bikebrothers.co.uk/ih_touringbikes.htm

I do have a detailed packing list of his reproduced in an old Bicycling magazine from the '70s. I'll see if I can find it, and will post his list here when I do.

All the best,

Dan.

[jags]

cheers i'll have a look at that lot later on,
i also remember the blue peter video great stuff.

anto.

[bikepacker]

Ian Hibell now theres a guy that know about touring (is he still alive)
i think that guy toured every part of the world and yeah rear panniers only good on ya Ian
you sure could teach the modern day tourer to cut down his load  

say Dan has he a packing list in that book.

I met Ian a few times as I lived for two years four miles from him in Brixham. He was nothing like what one would expect from such an intrepid traveller, a very shy and reserved man. If you want go to extreme basics then you can do the same as Ian. But I think you like your luxuries too much.

His Argos bike was on display in the window of a Bike Shop in Paignton for a while. The guy who owned the shop was a friend of Ian and had the bike as a publicity attraction. One day he left his wife on her own in the shop, knowing no better she thought it would be a good idea to clean the bike. Ian proud of his soiled expedition bike was not best pleased with the clean up.

[jags]

no i could never do what he done thats for certain guys like him are 1 in a million.
but i reckon with modern day lightweight gear you could still be a cute as old Ian .

[il padrone]

all i'm saying with very careful planning on the packing would you not think a much lighter load and lighter bike would make for a much easier ride.

Yes, I do this for shorter weekend tours, or if traveling and staying in accommodation. Usually I would still find value in spreading the lighter load out across four panniers for a better balanced ride. At times I have traveled with two front low-mount panniers and a rack-top bag or a saddle-bag. This has proven to be an excellent load distribution - I can get off the saddle and honk the bike up hills with no sway from the rear load nor front wheel lifting.

[martinf]

Ian was a master at minimalist packing, and I recall his reasoning for taking only three socks: a pair to wear, and one to wash/dry at any one time in rotation. He always took a tin of shoe polish to keep his leather-cleated cycling shoes in fine shape, as well. Dan.

I took a small, nearly empty tin of shoe-polish on my Spanish trip and used it a couple of times after drying out my shoes following particularly wet and mucky rides.

But 6 socks for me, in October they sometimes took 2 days to dry.