Packing light
I like to pack light on my bike adventures. Really light. Ian seems to enjoy carrying as much as he can, but that’s not the way I roll, we have had a couple of heated moments regarding the size of toothpaste it is necessary to carry (I bought him a tiny one, why is he still carrying a fully sized, for 2 nights?!)
I’m going on a 2 night, hotel stay tomorrow and here’s what I’ve packed. I have a list I print out each time, that I shamelessly stole from the bike packing queen, Lael Wilcox. I have included the list below for anyone interested.
Saddle Pack.
In my saddle pack I have a set of off-bike clothes, all super small and light, with a pair of Tom’s shoes (they only weigh 200g!), a rain coat and toiletries (all as small as they can be, decanted sun cream and chamois creme into old lip balm pots etc). As I stay in hotels I’m provided with shampoo and soap, but conditioner is an essential bring for me!
Frame Pack.
In the frame bag I have charging bits, cables and a small battery pack. A pump and spare tube (they don’t fit in my mini tool caddy) and a mini first aid kit. I have also recently found that taking a mini pack of anti-bag wet wipes is really useful. I also take ID, a bank card, £20 note and a £1 coin (surprisingly useful!) and any train tickets in a little zip lock bag. I also have mini lock and sometimes a spare set of lights.
Top Tube Pack.
In the top tube bag I have snacks, hand gel, AirPods and face mask. I have an annoying habit of just carrying a lot of food and never eating it (for example a big bag of peanuts and raisins that travelled 500 miles to Edinburgh and are now back in my cupboard), so I would rather take less less and buy stuff if I need it.
Tool Keg.
Summary.
My Saddle pack weighs 1219g, my frame bag weighs 633g, my top tube bag weighs 289g and the tool caddy is 304g. Obviously staying in hotels (we go for Premier Inns as they are reliable and super bike friendly, letting you take the bike into the room) means we need loads less stuff, but I definitely fancy the challenge of camping and being totally self-sufficient, maybe next summer…