JohnClimber wrote:

ianfitz wrote: synthetic bag purchased for proto-vegan daughter

Did I just read that right?
The worlds gone mad, mad I say

It's ok. I'm sure she can read a map.

Planet X have a load of bikepacking bundles going - actually look decent value too...

https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/deals/bun ... ng-bundles

Also got 42t expander cogs for £8 if anyone still uses those? Just fitted one to my fatty and it shifts well (but not ridden properly yet...)
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CAAROSA/a ... 7075t6-4mm

Half price Exposure Switch MK2 at Evans...
(Massive URL so here's a tinyurl:)

https://tinyurl.com/yxptxw83

Bargain? Depends on your point of view but I think so ... PlanetX Full Monty gravel bike for £500. SRAM Apex, BB7, etc.

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/EBPXFMA1/ ... da17a6c568

Bearbonesnorm wrote:Bargain? Depends on your point of view but I think so ... PlanetX Full Monty gravel bike for £500. SRAM Apex, BB7, etc.

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/EBPXFMA1/ ... da17a6c568

Eyeing up the cost of replacing the knackered drivetrain and scruffy bb7s on my Fargo versus buying this and swapping the bits over!

Could you buy a small? I'd probably take the frame off you !

BobCatMax wrote:Could you buy a small? I'd probably take the frame off you !

There was only a single medium left when I looked. All gone now I expect!

Montane Prism jackets at half price (£60) in Go Outdoors. One of my bikepacking essentials, it's usually the first thing I unpack when I've stopped riding for the day.

good link but sizes start at medium -

Lazarus wrote:good link but sizes start at medium -

My local tk maxx had some Prism jackets in sizes m, l and XL yesterday, for around £60. Colour was a strange lime green, but looked a not bad deal.

This is a bargain - adidas terrex alpha gilet, L and XL only though (too big for me)

https://www.sportsshoes.com/product/adi ... et-~-aw18/

Terrex kit is surprisingly good. Well made stuff with quality fabrics. I have the adidas terrex skyclimb vest and it's very good (but made of primaloft). I also have a couple of polartec alpha tops and rate it.

Nice looking Lumix camera half price... Waterproof, freezeproof, built in compass & altimeter, 4k etc...

https://tinyurl.com/y6o5jqju

If something's cheap does it automatically become a bargain? I don't know but the Ti cookware towards the bottom of the page certainly seems cheap.

https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/outdoor/cooking/cookware

Looks like all the pictures and descriptions are mixed up?

Oh yes, looks like the Ti pot set and Ti pot set with frying pan have their images crossed but a quick glance and everything else looks as it should without delving deeper.

So in you guys educated opinion this range would be a good buy?? Been waiting for something to come along that fots in itself (like a mug and pot for water/soup) so can doscard my original cheaply bought GoOutdoors pot which never seems to keep anything warm. Even a coffee as soon as the water is boiled and even after preheating the mug it seems that the water is cooled down super quickly and the coffee exp is not whay one expects...

Ti frying pans aren't very good. Their heat conduction is poor so you get hotspots. It's fine for certain things, but Ti is really best at boiling water and low heat cooking.

My Ti frying pan is part of a Snowpeak 1400 set (also had the big evernew one) and it's rarely used as anything other than a lid

Aluminium is much better, get the hard anodized stuff

Ben's right, aluminium is actually a far better conductor of heat than Ti is, which is why your brew goes cold quickly. Aluminium is also lighter than Ti but trouble is, aluminium isn't as robust, so pots need to be made thicker to stand up to continual use.

Is it good? Don't know, not seen any in the flesh ... although many Ti pots / pans look similar at a glance, the high end stuff from the likes of Evernew and SnowPeak do tend to both look and feel nicer but only the individual can decide if Japanese Ti is worth the premium over Chinese stuff. If I were in the market I'd probably take a punt on the 600ml pot.

benp1 wrote:Ti frying pans aren't very good. Their heat conduction is poor so you get hotspots. It's fine for certain things, but Ti is really best at boiling water and low heat cooking.

My Ti frying pan is part of a Snowpeak 1400 set (also had the big evernew one) and it's rarely used as anything other than a lid

Aluminium is much better, get the hard anodized stuff

Although to be fair any thin pan will have hotspots.

I have the Alpkit one from the Mytistax set. It's very good - probably mostly because it has a non-stick coating. I can make pancakes and everything with it.

probably mostly because it has a non-stick coating

It'll make a world of difference.

Thats a revelation. I always thought the novelty of the ti stuff was not only the lightweightness and that the ti won't corrode (for want of a better word) into ones tea...

So whats you guys are actuallly saying is that alu is best for heat retention etc (obviously being thicker material to make it 'less soft') and that ti is only good cos of its weight (and potentially that the alu doesnt wear out/off into the cook8ng...

I think I only have one proper 'agenda' which is to ensure the tea/coffee stays hot until its drunk (pretty quickly) and easy to pack (inside the framebag I would think but am looking yo start us8ng up the 3 holes either side of the TravisProngs very soon) and lightweight... sorry thats 3 agendas

So whats you guys are actuallly saying is that alu is best for heat retention

No, just the opposite. Aluminium conducts heat better than Ti, if you want your brew to stay hot for longer - buy Ti.

Daft question but does your ali pot have a lid? My Ti one does and it makes all the difference. Again mine was Alpkit, but there are loads more around now.

Thats basically my cooking stuff bar a mug (which was a plastic travel one from GO which I dahsed away after it starying to taste horrible and last time I just took a mug from home). The pot does have the top but I darent ever use it (and besides, when cooking the tea I ensured the water was poured straight to yhe tea/coffee) in case it melts

The pan I've never used so I guess dont really need one.
Everything needs upgrading bar the msr stove thingy...