» Kit & reviews

Bike

4x Ortlieb back roller plus
4x Ortlieb front roller plus
2x Ortlieb ultimate 4 plus handlebar bag
2x Map case
1x Camera insert
2x Ortlieb dry bag
2x Dawes ultra galaxy touring bike
2x Helmet
2x Cateye TL-LD1000 10 LED rear light
2x Cateye HL-EL410 3 LED front light
2x Cateye micro wireless computer
4x Klean Kanteen 27oz water bottles + sports cap
2x ToPeak Road Morph Pump

Camping

2x Terra Nova laser tent
2x Ortlieb classic light self inflating mattress
2x RAB quantum 250 endurance sleeping bag
2x Terra Nova discovery bivi bag
2x RAB mummy Silk Liner
1x MSR whisperlite international stove
Fuel
1x MSR Duralight Gourmet cookset
2x Orikaso fold flat plate
1x folding trowel
Toilet roll
2x Mug
2x Terra-Nova titanium 3-piece cutlery set
2x Petzl tikka plus head torch
1x Mora training knife
2x Maps
2x Compass
1x storm-proof lighter
2x lighter
Matches
1x Washing up kit
1x travel wash
2x Ortlieb 2 litre water bag
Ziplock bags

Medical

Insect repellent
Suncream
Chap stick
2x Wash kit
2x Toothbrush
Toothpaste
2x Flannel
Tweezers
Lifesystems travel medical pack
Antihistamines
Pain killers

Accessories

1x Sunlinq 6.5 watt folding solar charger
1x Digital SLR + zoom lens
1x Digital DV recorder + tapes
1x Multi-battery charging pack
2x 4GB MP3 player/recorder
1x Gorillapod SLR tripod
1x Frisbee
1x Travel games compendium
2x Diary
2x Book

Clothing

1x Altura Night Vision Waterproof Jacket
2x Altura dryline trousers
1x Endura cycling shorts
4x Montane deluxe bike undershorts
3x Casual shorts
2x Howies NBL light l/s thermal long sleeve shirt
2x Howies NBL light s/s thermal t shirt
2x Patagonia R2 Pullover
2x Specialized BG gel gloves
2x SealSkinz activity glove
2x SealSkinz winter hat
8x Terra Nova adventure racer sock
2x SealSkinz thermal liner socks
2x SealSkinz mid-thermal socks
6x Boxers
6x T-shirts
2x Trek towel
2x Watch
2x Sunglasses
1x Shimano MO75 SPD shoes
1x Shimano RO73 SPD shoes

Spares and Repairs

2x Inner tubes
1x Schwalbe Marathon Supreme foldable tyre
4x Brake pads
Spare nuts and bolts
Brake and gear cable
Cable ends
Chain links
Tent spares and repairs
Stove spares and repairs
Ortleib pannier patches
2x Bike computer battery
Duct tape
Zip-ties
Wet lubricant
1x Puncture repair kit
1x Sewing kit
1x Beto multi tool

Documents

Cash (including $US)
Credit cards
Photocopies of Visa, passport, insurance
Blood group, emergency contact info
2x Passport

Things left behind/sent home/given away/lost/stolen

2x Dawes Ultra Galaxies
2x Magnum chain lock
2x Ortlieb mud racer seatpack
Tom’s (broken) bivi
Indigo wind-up lantern
1x Montane Velocity DT jacket
2x Howies NBL long johns
2x Howies NBL mid layer
2x Patagonia micro puff pullover
2x SealSkinz thermal liner glove
2x Neck gaiter
2x SealSkinz skull cap
2x SealSkinz Hi-Vis socks
2x SealSkinz thermal liner socks
2x Pair trainers
2x Inner tubes
1x Schwalbe Marathon Supreme foldable tyre
1x Sealskinz activity glove (right hand)
1x Wind-up radio
1/2x Lifsystems medical pack

Reviews

- Bike stuff 

Bike – Dawes Ultra Galaxy ‘07 - we were fortunate to get Dawes’ top model (twice) and there is very little to complain about. For our purpose (road use only) it is perfect, also it seemed OK on poorer roads although it’s not designed for them. But, it’s not cheap (1300 pounds) and I doubt it’s that much better than the model below - which is 300 pounds cheaper – or a previous year’s model – which is 200 pounds cheaper.

Panniers – Ortlieb have a great reputation and have been fantastic for us so far. There are a few tiny flaws I may as well note here: if they’re not totally full with gear then water can seep in when it rains; the handles will rub on the spokes unless you cram them between the bag and rack; the detatchable strap on the handlebar bag sometimes frees itself, which isn’t ideal when there is a camera in it.

Saddle. The one we have (the cheapest – the B17) is supposedly the best for touring. Of course the breaking in was pretty uncomfortable but after the first week or so we have had no soreness from them at all. It’s a shame that you need their own special spanner to adjust it and as we didn’t have one mine started to lose shape a little but it wasn’t a big deal and it’s fixed now. We are yet more brooks fans.

Pump. This seems to work pretty well, it’s not as good as a floor pump of course but with a little effort you can get to whatever pressure you want and also (reasonably accurately) know when you get there.

Bottles. We went for steel to stop the plastic getting into our water over a long time. Sometimes I do want to be able to squeeze more water out of it but generally it’s behaved well for us.

 - Waterproofs

Montane Jacket – This is perhaps my best piece of kit, it’s lightweight, totally waterproof, a good cycling fit and as breathable as any others. Also it’s not too expensive for a jacket (100 pounds).

Altura jacket. It was totally crap. It was very bright but otherwise useless – not at all waterproof or windproof or breathable. he has since bought a standard GorTex jacket, which isn’t ideal for cycling but definitely a big improvement.

Trousers (waterproof). These are really well thought out and worked well to date. Minor complaints are that unless you consciously sit on the padding you end up on a non-padded bit and so we have both worn through in the crotch, also the waist is way too big, even for Tom.

Gloves (waterproof)- These are waterproof and warm. I would prefer that they had a removable liner though. As it is the liner is built in, which means firstly you can’t take it out if it is hot and wet and secondly, as often happen, if the liner comes out with your hand then it is a real hassle to get it back in (takes about 5 minutes). Also the sizes seem a little messed up, we got a large pair each but they are quite tight on us both.

Hat (waterproof). Great for everything except cycling, when it is too big to fit under the helmet so you have to choose between them.

Socks (waterproof). They say they’re waterproof and they are. The thermal ones don’t work too well for cycling though as the wind passes through them and so overshoes might be a better option for that.

- Thermals

Hat (skullcap). It might not make you look great but I think this works pretty well, although I almost never used mine as I find that my head wasn’t ever too cold and I overheated with it on.

Howies l/s thermal. It’s a really decent thermal base layer and the merino wool is amazingly comfortable. I haven’t really needed it as well as the Active Tee though.

Howies Active Tee. This is awesome, all the way from freezing to quite warm and just so comfortable to wear, I really love it.

Howies long johns. These were really comfortable but of course I couldn’t really wear them for cycling so it was just for really cold evenings or sometimes to sleep in so I sent them home. Now it is getting colder again and I need them, bugger.

Howies mid-thermal. Again there is nothing to complain about here. It is fairly thin and so when it gets cold you definitely need a thick jacket over the top, or another layer and a shell.

Patagonia R2 pullover. I really like the way Patagonia think about details, like with this the zip does up slightly to the side so that it doesn’t rub or catch on your beard if you happen to have one. It’s a good layer and I wear it a lot.

Patagonia Micro Puff Pullover. I sent this home when it got warmer but it was great, not only for when it got really cold but also for short stops and the beginning and end of the day. It’s great for such a compact jacket but I think I will get a warmer jacket if we end up in Alaska in the winter.

- Cycling clothes

Extremities socks. These are designed for long distance walking and running so are probably overkill for the lower-impact cycling but they have been very comfortable and neither of us have suffered any blisters so that’s nice.

Montane undershorts. These are incredibly comfortable (padded) shorts. They are mainly made of merino wool and don’t chafe at all and so is greatly preferable to lycra. The downside is that they can only be worn under shorts, not just because they look like underwear but also because they start to wear away on the inner thigh if you. Mind you, one hole after 5000km isn’t too bad.

Shimano shoes. Both our shoes have been fine, I had looked at the touring-specific shoes before getting mine but I can’t say I’d know what they could do better. Incidentally, I definitely prefer cleats to straps.

- Camping stuff

Solar charger. This has worked without fault so far. Of course it works best in strong sunlight and without it charging takes longer than normal (normal = 3 hours) but the multi-charger pack we had broke in Sweden. Luckily we were able to replace it fairly soon and that too has worked well so far.