Anything you want. Linked to weights and this years auspicious BB200/300 rides...

Still contemplating taking just 700ml of water at a time and topping up. But have sorted my sleeping setup. It's a bit light and will go in a 400g Revelate Harness. Main thing though, it's kinda functional but doesn't lend itself well to 'wanting to use it'.


510g (ish) PHD bag inside a...
41g (just repaired for the occassion) Exped small drybag - probs a 5L or 6...
Which contains scrunchy air mat and superlight Black Diamond (thanks oh you Bearbones friend, you know who you are) 250g bivy bag. It's not entirely waterproof but at least it's entirely repackable.

Will keep thinking bout the water issue and update accordingly

Personally I'd take more, you always want to have some and filtering water from streams every couple of hours might be a pita

Your sleep system weighs a lot less than mine

I'm pretty certain I'll have at least a couple of kg of food. It's always my heaviest bit of my luggage aside from water (2.5 litres).

I'll probably eat something from a shop / takeaway, but I like to start with basically enough to get me around.

I’m going to have 2l in hydra pack with solutions added. This should last 4 hours in the predicted temps. I will also carry my empty waist mounted (Fanny style) pack that holds 1.5l and has a full filter. That way I can have one for “clean” and one I can refill if needed from streams/lakes etc for “dirty” water if I really need it.

Lots of high cal powered food with me plus grazing food as I have trained my body to cope with it for events like this.

Everything else will be the bare minimum to keep weight down. Still think about ditching some of my tool kit to only the min of things I have actually used in the last year rather than everything I might need. Of course that Totally tempts fate.

The required min for all other equipment as uncomfortable sleeping setup I find encourages me to not want to sleep.

500g for your tools is not going to make a meaningful difference to your finish time. I always go out with a fairly decent range of parts.

When packing for something like this, I always ask myself 'what's going to stop me' and then make sure I've got the things to help prevent it.

Still think about ditching some of my tool kit to only the min of things I have actually used in the last year rather than everything I might need. Of course that Totally tempts fate.

You just become THAT person who relies on everyone else carrying the kit and them being too nice not to ride past

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Wed Oct 04, 2023 8:29 am When packing for something like this, I always ask myself 'what's going to stop me' and then make sure I've got the things to help prevent it.

To a point.

I'm not going to be able to fix a broken frame (of any material) so that's an absolute ride stopper. Bent mech hanger? Well I carry a spare but TBH fitting it in the middle of the night in a gale would be another matter Tiny bolts with 2mm Allen Key sockets that haven't been undone in at least a couple of years, what could possibly go wrong

It's a bit like first aid - there are some things that are going to be beyond you given what you are able to actually carry.

To a point.

Quite (hopefully) obviously Bob but I don't just mean mechanical things - there are others like the cold, hunger. Something which has nearly stopped me before was indigestion following a pub meal. I'd have happily paid any price for some Rennies

riderdown wrote: ↑Wed Oct 04, 2023 8:33 am You just become THAT person who relies on everyone else carrying the kit and them being too nice not to ride past

Indeed. Fail to pack a multi tool / some tyre levers / pump and I'll happily leave your arse at the side of the trail.

I mistakenly rode without mine the other day, thankfully the person I stopped helped out.
I would never ride past a cyclist but I did once decline to give them both my inner tubes but did offer one ( I had 60 miles to go mind)

and then make sure I've got the things to help prevent it

Now where shall i pack the spare set of legs

My setup is likely to be:

• Bivvy kit - 1100g
• Bags and harnesses - 640g
• Electrical/electronic - 820g
• Spares/tools - 500g
• clothing - 200g
• Sundries - 200g

That's 3.4kg that will be on the bike. I'll be taking a small Camelbak for water, has a two litre bladder.

I've not listed a lot of the clothing as at the moment I'm not sure what I'll be taking: could be a lightweight wind/showerproof top or a full weight waterproof. Similarly there's no food listed, there could be 1.5kg to 2kg, maybe a slight detour early on to top up.

I think other than what I'm wearing it'll be the usual lightweight puffy and a bin liner style waterproof (which usually ends up as a windstopper of sorts).

Still ruminating. Currently got my lightweight set up from last year (albeit re-distributed to make on the go snacking easier) but I'm still unconvinced that the storm about to bleuter Scotland isn't going to follow me down there....

I certainly wouldn't rely upon or ask other riders for help.

I'm not talking about leaving all tools behind, just not taking every tool going.

I was think about only having stuff for fixing punctures, allen keys for the bolts on the bike a leatherman for everything else, spare chain quick links, a hanger, a pump, tube, spare pair of pads and a spare gear cable.

That covers wheels/tyre and most drive train things.

The bike is well serviced and looked after and doesn't have any wear issues, so unless something crazy like frame/fork damage or perhaps a damaged brake line, I can't see a reason to carry anything else as I wouldn't be field fixable in a short period of time.

riderdown wrote: ↑Wed Oct 04, 2023 8:33 am

Still think about ditching some of my tool kit to only the min of things I have actually used in the last year rather than everything I might need. Of course that Totally tempts fate.

You just become THAT person who relies on everyone else carrying the kit and them being too nice not to ride past

You are So Wrong.

I wouldn't want help from other riders as that defeats the whole purpose of unsupported.

whitestone wrote: ↑Wed Oct 04, 2023 8:45 am

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Wed Oct 04, 2023 8:29 am When packing for something like this, I always ask myself 'what's going to stop me' and then make sure I've got the things to help prevent it.

To a point.

I'm not going to be able to fix a broken frame (of any material) so that's an absolute ride stopper. Bent mech hanger? Well I carry a spare but TBH fitting it in the middle of the night in a gale would be another matter Tiny bolts with 2mm Allen Key sockets that haven't been undone in at least a couple of years, what could possibly go wrong

It's a bit like first aid - there are some things that are going to be beyond you given what you are able to actually carry.

Here, here, that's what I meant but not taking every tool currently I have packed. There are real limits to what I would consider fixing on the top of a bog at 4am.

For the first time in many years, this summer I had a catastrophic tyre failure, so I just walked the bike miles to civilisation as I knew the limits of what could be fixed in the field.

dlovett wrote: ↑Wed Oct 04, 2023 7:43 pm I was think about only having stuff for fixing punctures, allen keys for the bolts on the bike a leatherman for everything else, spare chain quick links, a hanger, a pump, tube, spare pair of pads and a spare gear cable.

Yeah, that's a sensible setup. I don't carry a gear cable any more simply because there's zero chance I could replace an internally routed cable at the side of the trail.

Just weighed it, 1.7kg of food. That's enough to get me round without stopping, unless something goes horribly wrong.

Hi all, I'm riding this weekend (1st timer for BB200). Interested to hear how your water and food strategy worked out for you.

I took a mix of 21 energy bars and 4 energy drink sachets.
I carried 2 bottles, and filled up twice from rivers using a filter, and once at a shop. (8 bottles in total)
At the shop i bought 2 bananna and espresso and ate this on the bike.
I finished the ride with 10 energy bars in my bag.
***Note- this may not work for you, so dont copy / paste!

I think I got through about 8 litres of water total in sub 20 hours, which sounds about right.

Brought along some alternate tasting nuts which I thought I'd be able to go for when I went off food, but I couldn't really face them either. The only thing my body allowed me to eat in the end was liquorice... so I guess I'm glad I took some.

I got through between 6 & 7 litres of water. I was running low after it got dark and came to a village hall, thought to check if there was a tap. There was a toilet block round the back with a noticed pinned to the door: "These toilets are shut due to a lack of water. Sorry" Fortunately a few minutes later I passed a holiday chalet with a young couple outside drinking wine by a fire pit so I went cheeky mode and gatecrashed their love fest to ask for water Goodness know what they thought seeing me emerge out of the dark!

Food: I did manage to hit a couple of shops later in the ride but basically took everything with me. Mostly cereal bars, chocolate plus a couple of wraps. Had about a third left when I got back to Llanbrynmair.

There was a toilet block round the back with a noticed pinned to the door: "These toilets are shut due to a lack of water. Sorry

Oddly the gents had some water, urinal cistern was locked off but could flush after my poo and tap had water although very aerated.

Made a meal and dried my gloves under the hand dryer

Left it tidy apart from some mud on the floor