*What do you think? ... it's something I read. I believe the thinking behind the comment is that it's easy to pack your insecurities, 'I'd best take this just in case', 'maybe I should be carrying one of those in case this happens', 'perhaps I need to take this big heavy thing' etc, etc.

I don't actually believe it's as cut and dry as that myself but that's only my opinion. It's possible that those with lighter set-ups who take less do have more confidence in their gear and their skills.

*Devils advocate mode

To some degree coupled with the level of "suffering" your prepared to endure for not having say a cooker, or mattress or tarp or warmer clothes. Cost too of course.
Personally my whole working life in engineering revolves around having adequate spares, and preparing for all feasable senarios, its hard to drop that especially on longer trips, and I'm a wimp.

So two spare mech hangers, overkill :?

Two spare mech hangers isn't going to make much difference to overall weight, but I guess it's the principle and once you start with two mech hangers then where do you stop?

Couldn't you leave a bag of bits with someone who could post them on to you in case you need them? Might mean you have to chill out for a day or two, but that's only if you do break something you can't bodge.

It's only mech hangers and maybe brake pads depending on the brakes you have, that would be difficult to find in Europe, it wasn't all that easy to get a spare Fargo hanger quickly for instance.

I suggest you sell that nice full suss and replace it with a steel framed machine that can be welded by anyone anywhere in the world, you'll be a lot more relaxed and less insecure :)

Riding lots in all conditions is a good way to address many of the insecurities I think, at least from a clothes & sleeping point of view. If you trust your kit, know it's limits (and yours!), and can realistically gauge the kind of conditions expected for a given trip then I reckon that's half the battle.

I also do struggle with the spares side of things though. Just how far do you go? For the TD next year I'm thinking of taking a spare ss chainring & sprocket. Overkill? I dunno, maybe, but the implications of needing them and not having them...potentially game-breaking. But then where do you stop? Spare handlebars? Seatpost? Pedals? One TD racer recently mentioned that he took a spare stem faceplate with him due to previous failures!

Definitely worth considering what would or wouldn't be available locally though. Again, in the USA, Hope brakes are probably not that common so I'll be taking all the pads I need from the start. If you know you'll regularly be riding past shops, then I suppose you could take more risks (less / lighter kit) as there's always the option of picking things up along the way.

Of course, the first most sensible thing to do is start riding a nice simple & reliable (mostly!) rigid singlespeed

Like Stu say's, it's not cut and dry. An experienced person will take what is required for the conditions. Some people are prepared to add a little weight for comfort, pillow, radio etc. A stove is not a necessity but it's nice to have hot food/drinks and in adverse conditions hot food/drinks can give a great psychological boost. Someone who is full of himself but inexperienced may go out light but then end up in difficulties, you hear of it all the time, fell rescue called out to yet again to people who have no idea as to what the weather can throw at you out in this country's hills.
As for tools I take what is required to fix the most common breakdowns and thats it. Never carried a mech hanger though because iv'e never ever broken one (doh!, iv'e said it now, next trip out, just you watch).
Lastly, the amount of money you can spend on kit will make a difference.

When I'm sorting kit lists I always think to myself 'If I unfortunately I managed to forget or lose X, would I survive the trip without it?'

A chainring Mark?!!! I'd fit a Surly stainless SS ring safe in knowledge they last 3x longer than alloy for a 20g weight penalty.

When you get back from a trip layout your gear and spot what you didn't use and why. There are variables (like rain / temperature etc) but it's a workable rule of thumb to help you identify what's needed and what's unnecessary extra.

i agree - with me (as someone who carries too much) it's more about experience than insecurity.

as i've do more trips i grow in confidence regarding kit choice and usage.

you (stuart) saw when we were on that little trip in April that i asked your advice on a bunch of things as i've simply not done those things before (and know you have - many times).

if there's no-one there to ask then there's not a problem, i'll get by but i'm more likely to be overly cautious and take things 'just in case'.

like this trip i'm planning tomorrow - the forecast says it'll stay dry but i'm still (at this point) planning on taking a 3m x 3m tarp as i don't (yet) feel confident pitching my 1.5 x 3m tarp (if it were to unexpectedly rain).

it's 700g instead of 300g and i know i'll be annoyed once it doesn't rain but i always over-pack!

Anthony wrote: A chainring Mark?!!! I'd fit a Surly stainless SS ring safe in knowledge they last 3x longer than alloy for a 20g weight penalty.

yeah I've considered this but I've heard that steel chainrings can be a bit bendy, even if something as simple as a chainring bolt comes a bit loose. No direct experience of a steel chainring though, I've always run alu ones.

Nick wrote:I suggest you sell that nice full suss and replace it with a steel framed machine that can be welded by anyone anywhere in the world, you'll be a lot more relaxed and less insecure :)

What like the Ala Carte I have

i decided to MTFU and take the small tarp!

i've also culled a bunch of other 'luxury' and/or 'just-in-case' items in order to see how little i can make do with.

we'll see how it goes.....

Go for it Gairy.......... PS How's the 29er coming along?

cheers ray.

i'm just up with Amelie (daughter - got up at 06:00 this morning!) now and leaving in an hour.

i'm loving the 29er - it's taken me a while to realise what a different beast it is (and in what ways) but i now feel that i've got the measure of it and i'm really enjoying it.

this weekend's trip will be on the 26er as i've not yet received that mudguard thing to butcher for my bag-mount but i'll be heading out soon for my first 29er bikepacking trip.

I tend to overpack I would say. Last year I did ~5,000 miles bikepacking and did not get a single puncture but carried around a tube and sealant (for 4,000 miles). Still won't risk WRT without a spare tube though.

For a weekend I will trust the forecast for clothing but longer trips I take enough to cover all eventualities as I feel the cold a bit.

this thinking can be carried to all aspects of spending time outdoors. I have done a fair bit of packpacking now so the transition to bikepacking was not that great, just a few extra bits etc.

I think I travel reasonably light with not so expensive or uber light gear (medium grade reliable robust stuff).

A friend of mine got a smashed windcreen on his land rover when we were driving some desert pistes in Morocco. we got it fixed in 2 days in Casabloanca, bit of a ball ache but these things happen. The year later he drove to South Africa and took a SPARE windscreen I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen! It sat behind the front seats, wrapped up. Its still there now, behind the seats being kept in Petoria

I think when people get 'odd' failures, they are more likely to gravitate towards that and carry spares for when it happens again. Other than a chain tool, allen keys, 2 tubes and a pump I wont carry anything else bike related for the WRT.

G

Thing is gear list should be driven out by time out, several hundred miles of Alps, buggered mech hanger for Salsa, pain in the butt!

WRT long weekend, worse case phone Stuart to come get you

or a taxi 'cause Stuart doesn't do rescues

Stuart doesn't do rescues

But if I did, they'd be the best rescues in the world