Hello collective…

I’d love some lightweigh bike packing kit suggestions, a compromise between budget and weight.

Have bags will travel is the mantra right? I have furnished myself with bar, saddle and frame bags, now working out what to fill them with.

Planning on a series of Long – 250km a day rides with a camp.. both on road, and off, varying from full MTB to audax. Generally in British weather and not middle of summer.

I have myself a snazzy jet boil stove from my ice climbing adventures but the bags and set up used on walls is slightly heavier than I need for wales in april.

Really need a new bag, mat and bivy. I’d also welcome any other kit recommendations that have either been light, super value or generally made stuff easier. I’ve got loads of standard outdoor garb (headtorches,clothing etc) but if you have any tips.

Taa

Might be too expensive but I’m selling a brand new (with tags) Hilleberg Akto for £390 ono. The ultimate one-person tent for bike packing, wild camping etc. Email in profile if you’re interested.

More generally…

Mat – Neoairs are great.
Bag – Alpkit Pipedreams are very warm and light.
Bivvy bags – Alpkit Hunka is cheap and good.

Mat – alpkit numo, light and packs up tiny, but really comfy. Although not 100% convinced about reliability as have had to swap mine for a replacement when it developed a small leak near the valve, but alpkit were fine about this

Bivvy bag – I’ve got an old army one, not the lightest, but goretex and plenty of room, I have also used a small Hunka and found it very constrictive (5″11 and 72kg), a large one might be ok though.

Although for nicer weather/longer trips I tend to just use a Tarp with an alpkit tent footprint. My tarp is a DD superlight 3×2.8m, great tarp and good for 2 people if pitched from bikes and probably 3 (or 4 at a push) if using poles in ok weather. With my carbon poles this setup comes in at about 720g which isn’t bag considering how much living area you get, but can get it down to 590 pitching from trees/bikes. I used this setup with a mate for doing the lakeland 200 last april, we had frost, snow, wind and rain and never missed not having my bivy bag.

Have a look at Bearbones forum …loads of good stuff there