So…. I’m sure its not just me here that’s obsessed with kit and kit weights, how to carry it etc

I thought it might be interesting for all to see what people actually took and if they felt they had done it just right or ocer / under packed etc

I’ll go first so heres what I took, how it was carried and what it all weighed in the hope of comparing kit choices and learning a bit. Everydays a school day after all.

Bike
Ti hardtail with rohloff = 26.5lbs

Wildcat Bar Harness with Sleep Kit and Spare Clothes (2.2lbs):
Alpkit 5L bag, PHD Minimus, Terra Nova Moonlight, Helly ‘Warm’ Baselayer, Buff.

Small Wildcat Seatharness (3.0 lbs) :
Rab Waterproof Jacket
Toolkit (chaintool, links, torx keys, 8mm spanner, multitool, spoke key, patches and boots, brake pads, pump)
phone, Ipod, Petz Elite, Maps (just in case)

Other attached stuff (1.1lbs):
Etrex GPS, Exposure Toro and Diablo
Revelate tank Bag

So before food and water it was about 33lbs

I then added 1.5L of water in bottles (no camelback on this one)
A Malt loaf, 6 cheese wraps, trail mix, haribo, sour snakes, 3 gels, 300g of granola slices, a flapjack

Considering I stuffed some of the food in my pockets (and soon my face) the whole thing was 38.5lbs

What didn’t I use?
Malt loaf – had one bite and it was grim (I normally like it)
Sleepkit – obviously best to have this
Warm baselayer and buff – but would probably still pack it again
2 gels
Half my trail mix
Flapjack
Diablo (I used it in the last half hour, but only really because I had it. I didn’t need to, the toro was fine all night.
Ipod, Phone, elite, maps and compass

I was a bit dismayed at an almost 40lb bike but theres not much to be saved without an increase in either expense or risk I don’t think.

I’m certainly interested to see how it compares though.

Don't know the weights yet but this is what I took. Came back with some food (hard to eat after 2.00am) and didn't use any tools, spares or sleeping kit.

AlpKit Koala:
Sleeping bag ... something crap, rated to +12
Hunka ... I chose it as it's fully waterproof, rather than resistant.
OMM waterproof smock.
4 bacon + cheese pita - flapjack x 4 - various biscuit type things - 2 mini pork pies.
Pnone

Small TT bag thing:
Topeak micro + chain tool.
Basic puncure kit + quick link.
Mini Haribo x 6.

On bike:
750ml bottle.
2 tubes.
GPS.

In pockets:
Mini pump.
Cap.
Spare batteries.
Fiver.

On Head:
Joystick + single cell piggyback.
Micro rear light.

As a first timer, got my setup fairly nailed I reckon.

Bike: Cube Reaction GTC SL carbon thingy, 23lbs

Rear Wildcat Tiger:
- Borah Bivvy
- PHD Minim Ultra
- Exposure Flare
- Gore softshell jacket (wrapped more neatly than shown so I could get my arse further back when necessary)

Two toptube bags:
- Front full of jelly babies
- Under saddle: Spare mech hanger, patch kit, chain tool, spare link, screwdriver bits + driver
- 4 or 5 flapjack pieces and a pork pie

On Frame:
- 2 x inner tubes
- Lezyne pump
- 2 x water bottles

Front Gub extender:
- Exposure Maxx-D + USB output boost cable and custom made 2 way splitter USB cable to power garmins
- Garmin Edge 500
- Garmin Edge 200 (nav)
- tucked inside the on this, one sachet of chain lube

On My person
- Up shorts - 2 x gels (didn't use them)
- Jersey pocket 1 - Buff, gilet, phone, spare rear light battery, cash, credit card, ID, my maps printed on double sided A3 sheets x 2, 2 x water purification tablets just in case.
- Jersey Pocket 2 - more home made flapjack
- Jersey Pocket 3 - flapjack team sheffield gave me, torq bar, 2 x shot block packets, bannana
- Attached to watch - little compass for use with maps in backup.
- Helmet with Exposure Diablo (and most of the time my oakleys).
Was wearing initially shimano shoes, alpkit socks, craft lycra shorts, orca merino knee warmer, dhb baselayer, loughborough short sleeve jersey and pearl izumi short fingered gloves.

Total weight was about 13.6kg (30lbs) without the food or water.


BB200 Setup by zippyonline, on Flickr

Food wise, I had about 4 jelly babies left, torq bar, 1 gel (I lost one in the bog in carnau when I landed in it, knew I lost it, but couldn't see where it had gone), 1 packet of shot blocs and 3 flpajacks (4.5cm x 6cm x 1.5cm). So I got that right.

Water consumption went ok.

I used everything except those which I would classify as emergency - water purification tablet, phone, sleeping bag, bivvy, and only had a bit of food left at the end, so not really anything excessive.

Think I might want to rethink my nav. (was using edge 200, which is fine if you're moving, but when you're crawling along at pushing your bike over the carnau / those last terrible climbs out of the river, it zooms right out and isn't brilliant). The usb cable also stopped working charging on one of the splits after I submerged it in the bog at carnau, worked this out and swapped the cable end, and quite pleased my Maxx-D & USB boost, half the cable both garmins still worked despite submersion - I did do a bit of using inner tubes and o-rings for a bit of extra weatherproofing (but have to be careful with this to allow water to drain too).

So all in all, happy with my setup, might do a GPS improvement, but not quite sure what yet, otherwise all ok, chuffed with that considering it was my first time.

I was very pleased with how my Edge 800 performed. It's got OS maps on it, although the map display chews through the battery relatively quickly -- it was complaining of low battery after about 10 hours. I had a piggyback battery (from Amazon, little cylindrical one that went in one of those bar mounts for torches) and a very short USB lead so I could plug it in while riding. The Garmin was turned on for over 20 hours and there was some juice left at the end. Actual map display is great for the slow/ill-defined bits.

I went for comfort:

robin mather 853 hardtail. 26 er. with stainless expedition rack. it's not light, but it is sturdy and with a dry bag keeps my arse dry.

13l drybag on rack with sky high 800 sleeping bag, ron hill tracksters and helly base layer. w-proof 3/4s under straps.

8l drybag strapped to bars with 3/4 light thermarest, alpkit hunka and BPL tarp.

v-old karrimor bar pouch full of snacks, mounted in between mary's and extensions.

cheap frame bag full of food and 2 inner tubes.

Osprey hydration pack, with leg warmers and spare long sleeve top. pump, spare pads and puncture repair kit. and spare light battery.

Etrex 20 with os maps on bars. That was ace.

I carried a lot. and suffered pushing the bike up steep climbs. but when I bivi'd I was warm and dry. I've aso had bad experiences of carrying too little in this part of wales previously and suffered for it.

Didn't use the thermarest, or the extra warm layer. Had to swap my humvees i started in for the tracksters as I wore through the stitching on the arse!

Food leftover - a small piece of malt loaf. one pork pie, one eccles cake. some jelly babies and nuts.

Crap phone pic:

It didnt look like you had all that much stuff on the mather.

I stopped to say hi as you were setting up your bivi. Nice little flat spot that!