I am a huge fan of Merino Wool clothing, such as IceBreaker & Ibex. The thicker pieces are very warm, the thinner pieces wick very well, and look nice. They function as on and off bike clothing. I usually carry about 2 sets of clothes for most backpacking/bike touring trips, but have never ever found myself doing laundry every day or every other day. Let's be honest, there is no reason you cannot wear clothing for few days in a row. The nice thing about Merino wool is that is is very good at keeping body odor at bay. The longest I have worn an Icebreaker top without washing was 22 days, and at the end, it had only the
slightest smell to it. And half of those days were very strenuous skiing. Merino is also much better keeping you warm when it is wet than other materials.
As far as first aid kits go, I tend to carry quite a bit. This comes from me being an EMT, and having grown up spending most of my time in the backcountry, be it backpacking, bicycling or skiing. With that in mind, this is my first aid kit of the top of my head:
- various 2", 3" & 4" sterile gauze
- various sizes of Band-Aids
- individually packed antiseptic wipes/alcohol swabs
- decent amount of moleskin
- small roll of athletic tape
- 2 rolls of sterile gauze
- 1-2 sets of nitrile gloves
- disposable CPR faceshield
- small ACE bandage
- suture kit
- SAM splint
- safety pins
- small tweezers
- Imodium (Good for stopping things up, bad because it doesn't let the bad stuff make it's way out. Only use when neccessary!)
- Advil
- Tylenol
- Benadryl Quick Dissolve Strips (Fast acting antihistamine. Also functions as a sleep aid.)
- Vicoprofen
- Cipro (Very hardcore antibiotic. For really, really bad stomach bugs, UTIs, Traveler's diarrhea, etc.)
- Oil of Oregano gelcaps (Good to treat diarrhea by actually killing bugs. Also for treating oncoming colds, flus, coughs, etc.)
- Cayenne capsules (Also good for treating oncoming colds, flus, coughs, etc. I have heard of 1/2 teaspoon in hot water stopping heart attacks, no subsitute for an ER, but if you are in the middle of nowhere... Good for stimulating circulation, and gives you a
great energy boost!)
- Traumeel creme (A homeopathic cream good for bruises, sprains, etc., but also great for general muscle soreness.)
- Neosporin creme
That's all I can think of right now, but it all doesn't end up weighing that much. I don't have an exact weight, but it all fits in this:
http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/...2010%20Edition
Stuffed to the gills, which is 8x5x3.5. The only thing not inside there is the SAM splint.
I am also a HUGE fan of Big Agnes tents and pads. Their tents have great space to weight ratios, and are well made. Their Insulated AirCore pads have allowed me hundreds of nights of comfortable outdoor sleeping. I have only had one puncture, and they have a repair kit built into the stuff sack. I have heard many tales of Thermarest NeoAir pads puncturing regularly, plus they are a bit more expensive. I know you stated you did not want to buy new gear, but this piece has made one of the biggest differences in my outdoor experiences....