Friday, 3 July 2009

Not weight, volume...



I've started assembling things that I'm going to be taking - one step up from the lists I've made. What's immediately obvious is not the weight of the stuff, but the sheer volume of it. Even squashed down, my sleeping bag is the size of a small loaf (which, I'll admit is pretty tiny) and my Terra Nova tent is the lightest tent in the world, but still 18in long. My seat pack is probably going to be the length of the entire tent...



I've got my 'ghetto' main triangle frame bag set up on the Fargo at the moment, awaiting the one from Epic Designs, and I'll have that, plus the seat pack in which to fit everything. Currently, my frame bag is holding:

Cookpot (which will also house the stove and gas), minimal first aid kit, waterproof jacket, sleeping mat, er and that's about it at the moment.




Just how/where I'm going to stash my tent, I'm not sure. I reckon that if I pull the poles from the tent bag, it'll crush down pretty small and I can run the poles in the frame bag, or strapped to the frame. I reckon I'm just on the cusp of needing to go back to plan A and run rear panniers and a rack, but if I can get everything in the frame and seat bag, that'll be a Good Thing, even if it means I'll have absolutely no room for luxuries (like a second pair of socks...)

Bike weight, with frame bag and gubbins (and big 29er WTB knobblies) is 31.4lb

Oh, and what's just turned up? Some tyres from Conti. Let's have a look...
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4 comments:

  1. kate3 July 2009 at 17:11

    definitely pack the tent in separate parts, including the inner and outer. it'll be much easier to squeeze in. spare socks? just turn them inside out ;)

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  2. Nick6 July 2009 at 11:13

    And don't forget you can four days out of a pair of skiddies if you do the back to front and inside out trick ;-o

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  3. Chipps6 July 2009 at 14:56

    Who said I was going to take any pants at all, Nick? :-)

    I'm currently going for an Epic Designs frame bag, seat bag and gas tank. I MAY decide that I can't fit everything in and add either a tiny Nitto front rack or take a small Camelbak too. I should have everything by the weekend and I'll try to crush it all in.

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  4. Nick6 July 2009 at 15:29

    Those lucky french laydeez!

    Instead of a Camelbak if you can manage to get most weight onto your frame what about one of the waist packs/bladders that dR j0n uses? Much easier on the shoulders, and less sweaty on the back. I sometimes use a North Face Sports Hiker, which doesn't have a bladder but can hold two water bottles.

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