dogontour

Cyril, I agree with you. I mean, yes, I did have to struggle more up hills than others but it didn't keep me from climbing them...plus, after carrying a 55 lb dog (not up big hills, she runs alongside for those) and her 20 lb trailer 50-55 lbs is doable. I wouldn't be worried about the weight if it weren't for just trying to make the box I ship to UT lighter and therefore cheaper to ship. In regards to that, I'm not worried about the weight of any of the toiletries since I will just buy little travel sized ones when I get out to UT. I wouldn't have a problem carrying my load again if I could drive to UT.

Last year we had some killer climbs in Southern UT. Part of the route we did was on the Western Express. The most notable climbs were from Loa to Fishlake, up the Hog's back toward Boulder and Boulder Mountain. If I remember correctly Boulder Mountain is not quite 4,000 foot climb in somewhere around 30 miles. I made all the climbs fine (except for the first climb). I was 5 miles from the top but my lungs were dying from not being acclimated yet. I didn't have that problem the rest of the time.

This upcoming tour's route hasn't been completely decided upon but it will likely be in the Moab and Goblin Valley areas in a loop tour. The ride leader was just down there driving different roads.

dogontour

It's 4 panniers and a handlebar bag which holds snacks and everything I want to carry with me when I leave the bike.

Machka 

As far as weight goes, I have found that I have trouble if the weight of my bicycle + all my gear adds up to more than about half my body weight. If I can keep the weight down below half my body weight, I can climb hills fairly comfortably, and carry my stuff up the stairs of hostels or train stations. The bicycle is also easier to handle and I don't get so tired when I cycle.

So ... on my tours my bicycle (which has recently been stolen) weighs 27 lbs, and I tried to keep the gear down around 40 lbs.

My gear fit into two panniers, a Carradice, and a handlebar bag (which was also stolen).


Choose things that have many uses ... a jersey, for example, is limiting. You wouldn't like want to wear a jersey around town on an "off" day, but a wicking T-shirt can be used both on or off the bicycle.

So as far as clothing goes, you have listed 8 tops (2 jerseys, 2 baselayers, 1 long-sleeved jersey, 1 fleece jacket, 1 thermal, 1 T-shirt) and 2 vests (one non-reflective and one reflective) and 1 rain jacket ... for a total of 11 things to wear on top.

How about going with a couple light wicking T-shirts which can be worn on or off the bicycle, 1 long-sleeved merino wool which can be worn on or off the bicycle, and a light fleece jacket which can be worn on or off the bicycle. Get one vest with reflective stripes, and bring the rain jacket. Now your total is down to 6 things to wear on top.

You can apply these same principles to the other things you're thinking of bringing. The more uses a single item has, the better. Take your kitchen stuff for example ... if you're bringing 2 pots, which you can both cook and eat out of, do you need a bowl and plate too? In fact, if you mainly eat raw food ... do you need 2 pots? Just one would probably do ... you can only cook one pot of whatever at a time, right? You list two spoons and two knives - can you get away with just one of each?


As for the question of what you can take on a plane ... have a read here, then look up the airline(s) of your choice to confirm the information.
https://www.ibike.org/encouragement/travel/bagregs.htm

dogontour

Machka, sorry about your bike! What an awful feeling to have it stolen!

You presented a very good way to break things down, thanks for your suggestions. That definitely helps me see it a little differently.

staehpj1

Fair enough if now isn't a good time to replace stuff, but for future consideration...

Lots of items are both lighter and cheaper depending on your choices. I personally don't see the attraction to expensive gear that is also heavier than anything else on the market. There are choices where you can pick items that are inexpensive, lightweight, and still serviceable.

For example... I find that I like my inexpensive, thin, lightweight, Sierra Designs rain gear very well. Similarly I prefer my medium weight lower priced racks (Nashbar and Blackburn) to some of the very expensive and very heavy ones. My zip off leg pants (World Wide Sportsman, lightweight soft nylon, from Bass Pro Shops) weigh half as much and cost half as much as most that are on the market and I like them better. My Nashbar Waterproof panniers weight less than half as much and cost way less than half as much as some of the premium stuff. For these items I would choose the cheap stuff even if it cost a lot more than it does.

There are a few items where I am inclined to buy a premium priced product. My Thermarest Neoair sleeping pad comes to mind. It is very light, very comfortable, and very expensive. I find tents in the $100 (or even less) range adequate, but did eventually spring for a lighter much more expensive one. Even so I only did it when it was on sale for half of the original price.

Then there are things like cameras. I really like my DSLR and extra lenses, but it is possible to take really good pictures with a camera that weighs a few ounces instead of a few pounds.

Chargers and batteries can add up. I figured out that I can buy extra batteries for my little Nikon for about $6 a piece rather that the $30 that Nikon charges. These tiny lithium batteries weigh very little so I can take enough pre-charged batteries to take thousands of pictures for less than an ounce vs several ounces for a charger. If taking a charger(s) I found that there are inexpensive 3rd party vendor chargers that are both cheap and much lighter than the oem ones. Also in many cases the same one can be used for several items especially since things seem to be standardizing on mini usb.

foamy

You mentioned this to me before. Did I listen? No. I wanted something cotton. Never again. Those cotton convertibles were the heaviest thing I had in my panniers. I realized that every one of the half dozen times I wore them.

AdamDZ

Machka, sorry about your bike That sucks.

Very relevant topic for me as I'm preparing for my first tour (May 16th hopefully). I will do one or two test overnight rides before that.

I'm also shooting for 50lbs, ~30 rear, ~20 front, some scattered across few frame bags. I'm not a minimalist. I may learn that, but right now I'd rather carry some extra weight than regret not taking something.

I will take notes along the way: what I used often, what can be improved and what wasn't needed at all. I'm sure the list will be significant after the first tour

Few ideas:

No cotton. I'm taking only biking clothes, merino wool tops, some poly t-shirts, lightweight rain jacket and fleece top. This stuff is light and compressible. I'm taking only one plastic plate and one stainless steel mug and my Jetboil Flash kit with a spare cup (one cup for water only, one for meals). I can eat straight from it.

He he he, yeah, no deodorant, pointless.

I'm taking my DSLR though. I'll save weight somewhere else, but I decided I don't want to go without it. Just one 17-55mm 2.8 lens. I really though about this a lot. I'm sure I'll regret not being able to take good photos. The only compact camera I have access to is not good enough. The camera is the only thing that uses proprietary batteries, although they're light and the charger is very compact as well. Everything else uses AA and AAA batteries (GPS, bike lights and small LED flashlight) so I'll just buy batteries as I go, no other rechargeable batteries and no chargers. Other things that will require charging:a cellphone, an iPod and a netbook. The netbook and the iPod run for like 10h so I may only need to charge them once or twice. I'll keep the phone turned off so it won't require frequent charging either.

I can't fit a decent solar charger in my budget for this trip so I'll just have to use the devices infrequently and recharge at campgrounds and libraries.

I'm also trying to use what I have. I already had to spend a fair chunk of money in preparation for the trip so my budget is not unlimited. The only thing I replaced was my tent. My tent was a large 12lbs one so I got a compact REI tent that weights 5lbs. I couldn't afford anything lighter than that.

I don't plan to ride after dark so I'm not taking any large, rechargeable lights, just small blinkies for visibility.

Sneakers versus sandals. I'm not sure. This is my first tour so I'll have take both and see what works for me. I'm riding with platform pedals, by the way.

blaise_f

If you have USB powered chargers, you could look into a Minty Boost.

AdamDZ

I have my eye on Brunton charger. It's almost $300 so it'll have to wait.

Cyril 

You know, even travel sizes of toiletries can be way more than you need of any one item.
I repackage almost all creams and liquids in eye drop containers.
Just monkey with the top and the whole thing will just pull away from the bottle.
Rinse the bottle well, fill the bottle with a bit of shampoo, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, or whatever , and pop the lid back into place. Hole in the top too small? A hot needle will enlarge it.

An aluminium spoon can be made into a spork with a hack saw, small metal file, and a bit of wet/dry sandpaper.

You can make a pop can alcohol stove for about the price of the soda cans. These work really well and are very light weight.

I often cook in an enameled aluminium camp cup (Wal-mart about 3 dollars).
my alcohol stove fits inside. So does my spork. (I shortened the handle).

Cyril

staehpj1

Do you mean those little .5 to 1 ounce things? You must only go on very short tours if you can get by with those for sunscreen and shampoo! They don't seem like they would hold a single application worth of either. We must have bought sunscreen a dozen or more times on our TA (73 days) and on a one week tour one person might go through more than the smallest sized bottle/tube that most stores carry.

I think good way to minimize the load is to limit the number of different products you carry. Some folks use Dr. Bronners for everything including bathing, shampoo, dish soap, laundry soap, and tooth brushing. Similarly I have used camp suds for all of those except tooth brushing. For our upcoming trip we plan to try using baby shampoo for bathing, shampoo, dish soap, and laundry soap. It has the advantage of being available pretty much in any grocery store or mini mart. With two of us using it we will probably need to buy the regular small (7 ounce?) bottle a few times in the course of our spring tour.

My preference is to not have to rely on mail drops for sunscreen and shampoo so the smallest regular sized bottles we find in the stores along the way suffice.

Machka 

I use shampoo ... whatever brand/type happens to be available ... for washing my hair, body, laundry, my bicycle, and sometimes even dishes. I don't see the point of carrying a whole bunch of different soaps. Once again, one item that has many uses.

And if we happen to be at a laundromat that has those little boxes of soap for sale, we might go that route ... or if we happen to be at a hostel or camp kitchen that has dish soap, we'll use that for dishes that day.

stedalus

Except for the 4 lb first aid kit, your list doesn't look unreasonable. I'm really surprised it came out to 60 lbs. First, I would collect all your stuff into your panniers, and weigh them using a bathroom scale to check that that's accurate. (Weigh yourself holding the panniers, then subtract your body weight.)

Next, if you have access to a small scale, weigh each item individually. It's tedious, but it really shows you where you can cut weight. (If you don't have one and can't borrow one, I've seen scales in post office lobbies. Go at a non-busy time and you basically have it to yourself.)

I would make specific suggestions, but based on your list I could only cut 5 lbs or so (9 if you count the 1st aid kit). At 60 lbs, you ought to be able to cut way more than that, so I'd want to straighten that out first.

cyccommute 

Touring is very individual. Some people want to tour in a monastic style with hair shirts and hair shorts going for days at a time without bathing and eating whatever road kill they can scrape off the pavement...prairie dog jerky seasoned with asphalt is considered a delicacy in eastern Colorado

Others want more creature comforts. Going with a handlebar bag, a single pannier and a dry sack is probably not most people's cup of tea (which you can't really enjoy if you are traveling with a handlebar bag, a single pannier and a dry sack). Go with your own level of comfort off the bike and decide on what you want to carry on the bike.

Many, so far, has been telling you that you only need on set of bicycling clothes for a week's worth of riding. It depends on how often you want to do laundry and how you feel about riding in wet shorts. Even in Utah (very low humidity compared to Georgia), padded shorts may not dry completely overnight. It depends on how much water you get out of them when you wash them and on the overnight weather. Nothing worse than leaving the shorts out to dry overnight and then have it rain on them. If they are your only pair, you'll have a soggy butt in the morning...Ick!

For a week long tour...or any tour for that matter...I carry more sets of bicycle clothes than only 2 or 1. Carrying 1 or 2 sets means you'll have to do laundry every day or every other day. How much washing do you really want to do?

On your list above, about the only thing I'd say to ditch is the shower cap, and the reflective vest. The other vest may not be necessary or should be replaced with a wind jacket.

I think what people are missing on the underwear question is that you are a woman (I think).

If you don't have mountain bike style shoes for riding, you should consider them. They aren't half bad for walking and they work well on the bike.

Here's where you can lose a little bit. The fleece jacket and the thermals can go. Use your bike tights and long sleeve jersey in combination with either your rain jacket and/or a wind jacket for insulation. Your rain pants can do double duty as wind pants to keep you warm(ish). The capris are okay but a pair of light pants with zip-off legs would have more utility. They give you a pair of shorts when it is warm, a pair of long pants when it cool and can be worn over tights and under the rain pants in the cold mornings.

Instead of sneakers, bring a pair of sandals. You can use them with or without socks.

If you are going solo, one pot will do. If you are riding with someone, share equipment...and food. No need for everyone to carry their own stove, pots and utensils.

For a week's tour, you may want to consider a butane stove if you haven't already. The work very well at the altitude you are going to and they are light and easy to use. Alcohol stoves are an option but they are slow and not terribly efficient...especially up here (Utah is close to Denver's altitude).

Ditch the Platypus bags and get a Camelbak. It does the same thing...hold water...but it is closer at hand and easier to use. You'll be riding in high desert and, trust me, you'll need lots of water. Much more...and much more often...then you think. A Camelbak can tote water while in camp too.

Ditch the butter knife and get a good single blade pocket knife (not a multitool, you don't need that). It can spread peanut butter just fine, cut up vegetables and other food, as well as about a thousand other uses.

The collapsible bowl can do double duty so leave the plate at home or get some Orikaso plates. They really do work as cutting boards and are very light.



Get light rope or even parachute cord if you haven't already.

I'm not sure what the 'mat and pad' are. A Big Agnes Insulated Aircore pad offers 2.5" of comfort and is very light and compact. Not too expensive either and it weight 24 oz.

A good lightweight tent and sleeping bag should be something you consider for the future...it does save a lot of weight.

Cut this down a lot. This kit is comprehensive enough and weighs in at a svelte 2.5 oz. You aren't need an emergency room, just enough to get you there I'd add a feminine pad to help stop major bleeding (a tip I picked up from a first aid instructor), otherwise you can improvise most any thing you might need (another reason to carry a good sharp knife)

Ditch the deodorant and, as has been suggested, use lotion with sunscreen in it. I can understand the lotion, however, Utah is dry and you might want something. I'm used to scaly and cracked skin...I'm not really happy with humidity until the skin around my fingers bleed...but you might not be.

One place to save a little weight is to ditch the baby wipes (on open package will be a dry package out here) and get foaming towelettes. Oil of Olay and others make dry towelettes to which you add water and they foam up. They cleanse well and can be used in the shower or anywhere you have water.

Just be flexible, make stuff do double duty and don't envy what other people do, or do not carry. Touring isn't about how far or how short or how hard or how easy or how much suffering or how little suffering you do. It's about the trip. Enjoy it.

AdamDZ

Yeah, that's the problem with wet wipes, they dry out Would you happen to have a link or product name or picture? When I google for "dry towelettes" I get facial cleaners, nothing that matches your description. Thanks!

stedalus

I don't know anything about the product cyccommute is talking about, but dried out baby wipes can be made new again by putting them under the tap for a second. As far as I know, the stuff in baby wipes is all water soluble, so the only thing that evaporated is the water.

valygrl

The wet-wipe thing kind of goes against the idea of lightening the load, as well as not being very environmentally friendly. A corner of the towel you are already carrying with a few drops of the (biodegradable) soap you are already carrying and a few tablespoons of water is lighter and better for mother nature.

stedalus

I can't speak for other posters, but I use at most 1-2 baby wipes per day on my "undercarriage" if I can't otherwise get a shower. Hardly a drain on resources. And if I used a towel for that purpose, it would need to be washed after each use.

valygrl

Yeah, I thought of that after I wrote that - I was thinking of face-wiping. nevermind.

cyccommute 

Here's one product from Neutrogena. Here's another from Oil of Olay. There are generic ones at my local Safeway and Clearasil used to make a product that was the best...cut through road grim like a dream. All of these can be used in cold or hot water.

Part of the reason I carry these is to not carry the water of a wet wipe. Considering that my mode of travel already has a smaller foot print than an RVs, I figure a 1g piece of polyester in the solid waste stream isn't going to that bad. Of course, you should dispose of the used cloth in the proper manner.

AdamDZ

Thanks for the links, I'll try these.

Stedalus, thanks for the tip on wet wipes, I was actually wondering about that.

dogontour

I have had the same package of wet wipes for about 2 years now (opened the day I bought it) and it was the same package I took to UT with me last fall. They are still moist. Not as moist as at first but not dry yet...I think a week in the desert is not a problem. I think it would last quite a while since I was living in UT when I bought it and then lived in ID for a while...both hot and dry in the summers.

cyccommute 

Adding water to wet wipes can work but it's easy to overload them and wash all the soap out. The foaming cloths also have more soap in them. I use them in showers so that I don't have to carry around a messy bar of soap or use liquid soap (mostly water)

The advantage of the foaming cloths is that you don't have to worry about sealing a package or about them drying out at all. A little on them and they are foaming like crazy. They also use detergent formulations that are meant to remove oils from the skin and, in the case of the Oil of Olay cloths, put it back

They cut through sunscreen crud wonderfully at the end of the day and they can be used in hot or cold water...sometimes very cold water! My daughter (who turned me onto these) and I used them at a cold water spigot at Jerry Johnson Campground to wash up in lieu of a shower and we used them in the extremely cold water of Roosevelt Park campground in Washington.

The point being that you don't have to huck around the water in the wet wipes. The product I linked to has about 30 towelettes in it. It weighs around 9 oz with the packaging, probably closer to 5 oz once you remove the package. You can even take as many...or a few as you like.

A similar pack of moist wipes weighs in at around 10 to 12 oz and you can't get rid of the package...or the water. Plus you have to keep them sealed so that they don't dry out. I have nothing against wet wipes. I keep a pile of individually packaged ones in my truck so that I can clean the fish slime off my hands before I eat lunch while fishing. I keep a couple in my fishing backpack for the same reason. But those are small and, in the case of the backpack, insubstantial in terms of weight. But I wouldn't want to carry around a weeks worth of them.

Your original question is about saving weight. This is one small bit of weight savings. The product also just happens to do a really good job while saving that weight.

Niles H.

Tiff,

You mention having trouble letting go of things because you are attached. This (the psychological aspect, the feeling or habit of this kind of attachment) is an important area for making some changes. Why not pay some attention here as well? Learn to be different about it. Just experiment. Try something different. Boldly go where you've never gone before, on the psychological side of it. Practice letting go....

Find a way (or several ways) around this habit of being attached to unnecessary things. There are some great alternatives.

***
Eight or ten days is not an eternity.... You can live without a lot of those things for longer stretches than that.

***
Lose the cooking business. It means a lot of unnecessary weight and time and trouble.

Use tighter-fitting clothing wherever possible. It's less bulky and lighter and more efficient.

Ditch the toothbrush. Use a corner of a small microfiber towel instead. It works great, and the microfiber towel has a lot of other uses as well.

Take half a small, travel-size tube of toothpaste, or a little baking soda in a miniature plastic bag.

Take one pair of excellent lightweight shoes or other footwear.

Think about how you can go for a day without a lot of this stuff. You can go for two, you can go for three. It isn't that different.

SteveA

Unless you really need (3) jerseys for 8-10 days (I never did) - consider 2 short sleeve jerseys and a pair of arm warmers. The weight should be less than (2) Short-sleeve and (1) Long Sleeve (and 'just slightly' heavier than (1) short sleeve and (1) long sleeve jersey).

If you look for areas where things can serve multiple purposes (as above) or in your cooking/eating items I think that you get get rid of a good deal of weight.

Steve A.