is he carrying way to much stuff, a bit over the top for my liking but each to there own
Hi jags!
I dunno...I am coming to think the amount and kind of stuff people carry is an individual thing ("each to their own", as you say). I know my cargo/equipment list continues to evolve even after some 35 years of riding...I've gone up, I've gone down...now I carry what I wish at the time and part of the fun is playing with the list, still learning as I go!
I never would have considered taking a *
chair* of all things, but am looking forward to doing so on the next trip; it will mean I can actually sit at rest breaks where the pavement is too hot to do so without getting scalded. I hear a little voice in my head crying, "Softy!", but it looks pretty good. And, my tent has gotten enough larger to actually sit upright when bent at the waist, rather than just propping my head on an arm bent at the elbow. Do I need that extra space? Not when I'm asleep, but it is kind of nice to have. This is my first "real" fly tent, with a bug-tent inner. I'm looking forward to spending some nights in heavy Mosquito Country with that mesh, rather than sleeping with the 'bag hood drawn down and awakening with my lips swollen twice-size from bites the next morning.
At the same time, I'm putting the final touches on my SOL kit (
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4251.msg19599#msg19599 ) so I will have a (perhaps deliberate) option to camp on really long day rides. It amounts to an ultralight camping kit -- down sleeping bag, pad, ground cloth, Gore-Tex bivy-tent, meths or butane stove and pot set, dehydrated food to cook with boiled water in a freezer bag cozy, rain gear and some tights or a longsleeve jersey and a cap depending in weather -- that weighs in at no more than 3.6kg plus the bags to carry it. I'm hoping it will allow me more time sleeping outdoors overnight on impromptu adventures (which sounds a lot like "touring"). It is light enough to easily add for 300km+ days, and will give me the luxury of exploring my surroundings "at the other end" rather than making these rides an "out and back" affair. So often, I've ridden a couple-hundred kms from home...only to have to turn back; it would be much nicer to stop and find that hidden waterfall or take those extra photos without being under a time restraint to head for home. The light down bag is good to exactly freezing (32°F/0°C) on my warm pad, or to about 25°F/-4C with the my father's ancient Gore-Tex bivy-tent (mine died after some 30+ years; his still has some use left in it). Here in the Willamette Valley, I'm set for about 9 months of the year; at altitude in the Cascade Mountains, perhaps the 5-6 months of the year when I'd be tempted to really use it.
The possibilities for a hot meal before turning in to a warm, dry bed and another hot meal on awakening has real appeal at the end of a long, hard day of riding. Moreso than turning back toward home for an equally long return ride with much left still unseen at the far end. In truth, the SOL kit is all I "really" need for an overnighter or a while bunch of them strung-together if I have access to food/water resupply.
I justify the SOL kit by telling myself "It's for emergencies", as I can't count on anyone being free from their schedules to come get me if there's a problem. The *real* reason for carrying it is the extra freedom it provides to go bike camping more frequently. An S24O (Sub-24hour Overnighter) is a real possibility and even makes for spur-of-the-moment fun when you've got basic kit already with you. Everything fits in my HB bag and rack pack, with the tiny tent laying across the rear rack, and is light enough to actually haul with me and not compromise my range much. If pressed, I *could* go for a couple weeks or a couple months on the same kit, assuming ready opportunities for water and food resupply. However, that would be a full-blown Tour, and I can readily tolerate a little privation in the short term that would begin to wear and chip away at me over much longer periods.
I'm becoming a two-mode tourist: For less than a couple weeks, I don't mind wearing the hair shirt a bit if it gets the job done -- light and fast. I content myself with the day's adventures and consider camp just a place to be unconscious and asleep in-between repacking the bike. On longer trips, I add a
little luxury (i.e. sitting down in comfort and being able to sit up in the tent and actually simmer food on a stove rather than just boil water to add to a freezer bag in a pot cozy)...there's a sort of travel fatigue that sets in over time, and those little concessions to comfort come to mean a lot and keep me going farther, faster in the long run. <-- Man...I hope I'm not getting Old. I re-read what I just wrote, and wish I could take the words back.
"Chair"?!? "Little luxuries"?!? Those words are new to
my touring vocabulary.
Huh, indeed!
My style and preferred locations for tours don't really lend themselves to "rest days" (limited supplies and few opportunities for restocking; blistering hot or freezing cold if I layover...and with nothing to do but sit and wait? Nah), so I keep going no matter the weather, and get my rest in other, little ways that sometimes add bulk and -- yes -- a little extra weight over the long haul.
Looking at this guy's stuff (and some of the things listed on his website), I see he's carrying some bulky things, including a Trangia cooker. Those kits are really nice, but can take up a lot of space -- sometimes a good part of a pannier -- depending on model. On the other hand, he's got room and fuel enough to cook available bulk foods like rice and/or beans without worrying about capacity.
And, too, he's going to be living on the bike for awhile (England to SE Asia), so I expect he has his "wants" covered as well as his needs. And, if he has overpacked, I expect he'll mail a bit home.
Thanks for the video link, jags; he did a nice job on it, and I enjoyed watching it.
All the best,
Dan.
