Please help me pare down the weight
 

On my tour last fall I had an offer to help me pare down my weight by a guy who carries only a handlebar bag, a single rear pannier and a small dry bag on the rear rack. He did inspire me to leave my sneakers behind before setting out but that was the only thing I left and I really regretted that. The whole week I rode with him, I didn't take him up on the offer, mostly becasue I was embarrassed about bringing SOO much stuff, but especially my extensive first aid kit. I really wish I would have had him go through my stuff so at least could have benefitted from his experience and knowledge.

If I am able to pare down the weight I am having to ship to UT for a possible 8-10 day bike tour this fall, I may be able to afford to go. So I'm looking for help. I know I took too much with me last year so I know it's possible to pare down but I feel attached to everything I took so I need help.

I can't afford to replace items with the same type of item that is lighter so that's not what I'm asking about. I just want you to tell me what I might be able to ditch for this weeklong tour. This is the list of what I took last year. We had weather ranging from 30 degrees to the 90's, rain and hail so a wide range of clothes was needed.

Bike clothes:
2 jerseys
2 shorts
2 pairs of socks
biking shoes
2 pairs of underwear (top and bottom each)
rain coat
rain pants
rain gloves (not willing to leave any of the rain gear...I had to use it almost every day)
fingerless gloves
long sleeved jersey
vest
tights
shower cap for helmet cover
reflective vest

Off-bike clothes:
fleece jacket
thermals (top and bottom) must have for this time of year
capris
thin t-shirt
(didn't bring sneakers but I really regretted it and will be this time)

Kitchen:
stove
lighter
2 pots
collapsible bowl
collapsible cup
fork
spoon
knife
can opener (small scout kind)
folding spoon for cooking
small plate
2 Platypus bags (had to use both a couple times)
sharp knife (decided to leave that at home this time since the other knife will work)
cutting board

Camp:
tent
sleeping pad & mat (can't sleep without both so not willing to part with one or the other)
small couch pillow (same as above...clothes in a stuff sack doesn't cut it)
sleeping bag
silk liner
rope for hanging clothes to dry and food off the ground
clothes pins
headlamp
camp towel

First aid kit...I wont list what all I took but let's say that it weighed in at 4 lbs so I want to know what the average first aid kit consists of because I want to pare this down. I'm thinking that allergry medicine, allergy eye drops, advil for sure but what else should I definitely have? What does a road rash kit that most people take with them have in it? I had a horrible crash with bad road rash so I was carrying everything I needed to take care of it like I did at home but obviously that's overkill...

Toieltries: (items were travel size when possible)
hairbrush
tooth brush
tooth paste
deodorant
sunscreen
chap stick
lotion (well, I didn't bring it last time but won't go without it again)
floss baby wipes
multipurpose soap
nail clippers
toilet paper

Tools:
So I won't list what I brought here either...but the people I was with had more than enough tools so I'm just going to be bringing the stuff necessary to change/fix a tube and a multi tool to make minor adjustments in case I have trouble and they're not around.

Misc:
phone
camera
Garmin bike computer
compact charger for the three above items
wallet
tiny little pad of paper as a journal
cable lock (will definitely be bringing again)

Ok, now convince me why I should leave certain things at home...but leave the things alone that I have stated that I have to have because I won't go without them no matter how much weight/bulk it saves.

Tiff :)

The list is not bad, although if you'll eat and drink out of your cooking pots, you could leave the bowl, cup and plate behind. If you eat with your cooking spoon, or vice versa, you could leave one of those back as well.

I assume you have all the assorted toiletries in 'travel size' packaging already. If not, this is a big area you can trim.

You can probably get by without nail clippers for 8-10 days. Or trade it for a cardboard file.

Skip one of the short sleeve jerseys and bring one long sleeve and one short sleeve. Or sub the long sleeve one for a merino sweater you can wear on or off bike. Or trade the thin t-shirt for a less specific jersey that can be worn on or off bike.

For me at least, deodorant is pointless on tour.

Eliminate clothespins by threading the clothesline through an arm or leg of the clothing being dried.

You don't detail the weight of your things, but it's possible you could swap gear with someone else and permanently or temporarily and trade your tent, sleeping bag, pad and stove for lighter models. Alcohol stoves are practically free and weigh less than an ounce.

You might consider subbing your rain jacket with a light sweater under it for your fleece pullover.

1st aid: I carry a couple different size badaids, tweezers, 2 4x4 dressing pads, a small tube of antibiotic cream, OTC allergy pills, Aleve, and couple of antidiarrheal pills. If I need tape, I have some duct tape wrapped around my pump.

You’re only going for a week or so? Just off the top of my head:

No underwear—what for?
Reflective vest—wear bright jerseys.
T-shirt—why? There’s nothing more comfy and nothing heavier than cotton.
Sorry you feel that way about your sneakers, they weigh a ton—crocs or something light.

What do you need a bowl for? You have one too many pots as it is.
Ditch the fork, use your knife or spoon.
Folding cooking spoon? No. You have one spoon—make it work.
Plate? Eat out of the pot.
Cutting board—make do with product packaging or whatever.

clothes pins are unnecessary. Make some out of sticks if you have to.

Deoderant—who ya try’in to impress?
Nail clippers—do that before ya go!
Travel size toothpaste.

Anyway, have fun!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that all the toiletries are travel sized. I guess you're right about the deodorant though. I either took a shower or a baby wipe bath each night so ok, I can live without that one. Kitchen needs a lot of work it looks like.

Foamy, how do you make clothes pins out of sticks??

A wool sweater is a great idea...I'll have to look to see if I can find a cheap one.

Great ideas...thanks! Keep them coming. :)

FYI, I picked up a merino pullover on clearance at Target last week for $17.

Great Truman, thanks.

And the t-shirt isn't cotton. It's some synthetic material that is lighter and smaller than any cotton t-shirt I own. It's shorter than it would need to be to bike in though. I would likely get a sunburn on my lower back if I used it for biking. So I should get a shirt that I can use as a backup if I had to on the bike then?

A week is a short time for all that gear, in my opinion. That said, whatever you feel like carrying is completely up to you. I prefer the lighter loads for quicker speeds, less strain and other obvious reasons. It means compromise, but not in the quality department, in my opinion.

I cut a green stick and split it to about 1/3 of the way up. Truman's idea of threading the line through your clothes is pretty fool-proof. I used that a lot and had forgotten.

His wool sweater idea is a keeper too. On the TA, I bought one for a dollar at a church thrift store in Fairplay (women's—I didn't care), it was the best buy I made.

You could get rid of the following items, if you want, but your list doesn't look too bad to me.

shower cap for helmet cover
sneakers

1 pots
collapsible bowl

folding spoon for cooking
small plate
2 Platypus bags (had to use both a couple times) - if you need extra water, buy it in one or two litre bottles, keep & refill until no longer needed then discard/recycle.

cutting board - i use a flexible plastic sheet cut to fit my front (food) pannier


sleeping mat - yes you can too sleep without it
small couch pillow - yes your clothes in a stuff sack do cut it
silk liner - unless your bag is too cold, just wear your fleece & thermals in the bag
clothes pins - girth hitch your clothes around the rope

deodorant

first aid kit = advil, a couple of bandaids, neosporin, a couple of leftover serious painkillers. If you are hurt really bad you're going to need a doctor anyway, so you can buy that stuff later.

your list seem's spot on to me .except for all the medical stuff.at the end of the day it's a wee bit of comfort your after. it is a holiday your on not a prison sentence.

What is a clothes pin?

I realize that my camping gear is an area where alot of weight could be saved but like I said, I can't afford to replace anything right now, or even before I go, IF I get to go. So I have to stick with what I've got. I have a one of the orange thermarest pads that go down pretty small and fits in the bottom of one of my panniers. My other one is a ridge rest pad which is bulky but very light. I'm not looking at changing my sleeping items though since I know what I have works for me and my back is very picky and without this setup, I get about 2 hours of sleep a night which makes biking the next day hard.

However, the clothes issues you brought up are sound and I will see what of that I feel comfortable with. Thanks for your help. :)

Clothing is heavy. After 12 weeks on the road last summer, I found that I nearly lived in these alone, and really didn't need anything else:
2 short-sleeved wool tops; 1 med-wt long-sleeved wool top (can layer or wear alone); 1 pr cycling shorts; 1 convertible pant (legs roll up to knees); 2 pr underwear; wind-proof vest and rain cover.
Once I reached the city I ditched the cycling shorts and rode in my pants... thanks to the comfort of my Brooks saddle.

The wool shirts are incredible; comfortable, breathable, odor-free, easy to wash, fast to air dry...

What does your gear and panniers weigh? Other than 4 pounds of first aid stuff it sounds close to right. There are some items to trim, but they were generally all mentioned already.

The thing is that your list could result in a total of 25 pounds or 70 pounds including panniers depending on your choices for each item. I think the key is to look at the individual items and pick lighter versions. I managed to drop 15 pounds without leaving many items home mostly by taking lighter versions of the stuff I was carrying. Perhaps you can do the same. Some items are especially good candidates for that like tent, stove, cook gear, sleeping bag, rain gear, camera , and so on if you are carrying heavy versions of these items.

I appreciate all the suggestions everyone, but I am not looking to replace any of my gear with lighter versions. I realize that if I had a lot of money I could easily spend it on lighter versions but that's just not in my cards. I'll be lucky to afford the airline ticket and to ship my bike out...no extra money for anything. My gear is probably mid weight items. I have a 2 person tent (will look into borrowing a 1 person tent like someone suggested but will take it if I can't find one to borrow) but aside from that I have no plans to change my sleeping pieces. I have tried out several versions of things and combinations and what I have right now allows me to sleep for more than 2-3 hours a night which has been rather hard to come by on anything other than my own bed. I like my setup even though I know there are lighter/smaller versions available.

Oh, and I meant to say that my gear was put in a box and shipped to UT. It weighed right around 60 lbs on their scale. I probably ended up leaving about 5 lbs of the stuff in the box. Anyone know how much a checked bag on an airline costs these days?

Another thought - for a one week tour, do you really need to cook? You could blow off the entire kitchen and just eat sandwiches. That would save all the weight except the knife.

I am doing a mostly raw diet right now but at most we'll pass by one grocery store the whole week and I can't get enough fruits and veggies from gas stations...and while I eat a lot of pb&j sandwiches on a bike I can't eat that many. I mean, I could if I had no other option but three meals of that...no thanks. Once I know who's going for sure, I could proabbly make a deal with someone who is bringing a stove, I supply the fuel for the both of us and they let me borrow the stove to cook my food. That might be doable.

Maybe you've already mentioned this, but what's your set-up (panniers, HB bag, Saddlebag, etc.)?

Way to much stuff IMO for only 8-10. Have fun hauling the 60LBS.
Care to tell us where in Utah you want to go or when?

Check
Frontier or Southwest.

I did raw diet all the way through Utah Spent a whole month in Utah.
put in a bottle with water and poof meal. oatmeal, ramon noodles, apricots, and carrots.

Unlike the other repliers, I think you're not carrying enough. Because you're bicycle touring and already carrying too much weight, what's another 1, 2, 3, or 20 lbs?

Along with the knives you have, take along a butter knife, steak knife, and butcher knife. That should cover most of your cutting needs, and don't forget a salad fork.

For clothes, also carry a nice dress shirt, dress pants/skirt, and dress shoes.


Just kidding.


When I first saw your post, I thought it was okay until I had to keep scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling.

Certain ways to pack may help you reduce weight:

1) take only 2 panniers and rear rack, and leave behind anything you can't carry on top of the rack or inside the panniers;
2) if you can conveniently purchase it and don't use it often, abandon it (excess clothes for example); or
3) if you don't use it often, forfeit it (sometimes you keep things you may not use at all like bike tools).


I think one reason people carry too much stuff when they travel is their fear of leaving behind their security. The mind can be very innovative when you allow it the chance to develop and shine.

Looking at your list, I can see removing about 35-50% of the stuff.

-Lance

Ditch the rain pants, just wear the tights when it rains.

Can you share cooking gear and a tent with your touring partner? If your tent is pretty heavy, can you improvise with a tarp instead? What's the smallest number of tent pegs you can bring and still set up your tent?

I have a hard time believing that you can't just stuff clothing into a stuff sack for a pillow.

Forget the shower cap for your helmet, just grab a plastic shoooing bag from a supermarket if it looks like rain.

Baking soda makes great toothpaste, deodorant, and shampoo(in a pinch).
It will also scrub a pot clean and is environmentally friendly.

there was a time , not that many years ago, that the proper weight for a backpack was up to 1/3 the hikers body weight. In other words, if you weighed 150 lbs, you could carry up to 50 lbs.....on your back......all day.. :)

50 lbs on your bike is nothing. Its nice to lighten the load, but not the end of the world if you overpack a bit.

Have a great trip!


Cyril

Maybe for you, Cedar city Utah to Cedar breaks NM is 4,000 feet of climbing in 23 miles.

Personally the best way to tour is to practice or tour, then you know what you need. Obviously people carry way more than I would.
Most recent 11 day tour, longest stretch 90 miles with out services (70 miles with 10,459 feet of climbing)
Most food and water in one (bear bag) pannier 5 days food and 1 gallon. Total 3 days water 2.5 gallons.
25lbs of gear weather was 30 degrees during the night at 8,000 feet.


http://images.fotopic.net/?id=62417409&noresize=1

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.

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

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.
http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/travel/bagregs.htm

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.

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.