What is your total touring / bikepacking gear weight?

I was worse when I was thin and really fit

@martinhutch

Are you on an Oiz? If so, how did you find getting the bar harness to work with all the cables on the front? And do you have any issues with the rear wheel hitting the seat pack when the seat is dropped a bit?

I’ll be on an Oiz, usually bikepack on a rigid bike. Working out how to get the kit onto it with the ridiculous number of cables on the bars (an extra two for locking out the suspension) while also being able to drop the post a bit and not have the wheel buzz the pack

@spin – I don’t think tj is particularly unfit. I have met him BTW.

@tjagain – it surely depends on the deficit though – expending 4000kC in a day and only consuming 2000kC is somewhat different to consuming 3500kC but both are deficits. I seriously doubt any of us truly balance our energy input/output (let’s say within 1 or 2%) on a day to day basis, maybe astronauts since it costs a huge amount per kilo to get something into space, over a longer period if you maintain weight then obviously you are doing so. It’s a bit like the difference between weather and climate.

I’ve been on expeditions where it’s a two week walk-in (for acclimatisation as much as anything) and you are at camp for two months and say a week to walk out. With a team of four plus cook and liaison officer that’s 6 * 9 * 7 = 378kg of food. Plus your kit, let’s say that’s another 400kg. Porters are allowed to carry 20kg plus you need to feed them so you need 40 porters for your stuff plus porters for the porters food. Then since you are consuming food at 46kg/day you can send back two porters every day – rules state you can’t send one porter back on their own for safety reasons. Logistically interesting!

I would suspect whitestone that even at 4000 calories I am running a deficit

Edit – a few years ago I spent 3 months living off ( argentinian?)army ration packs supposedly 3000+ calories while doing a lot of physical activity. I was perpetually hungry and lost significant weight

I don’t think tj is particularly unfit. I have met him BTW.

It was a bit of a joke hence the winky face. However, it is something I have noticed, that up to a point the fitter someone is the less they tend to eat when exercising. Probably not a simple rule or relationship though.

Taken as a joke Spin and you may have something in that.

Are you on an Oiz? If so, how did you find getting the bar harness to work with all the cables on the front? And do you have any issues with the rear wheel hitting the seat pack when the seat is dropped a bit?

Yes, it’s an Oiz Trail. I don’t think there’s a perfect solution to the bar/cables issue, given the rats nest of lockout/dropper cables as well My bars are 785 wide which helps, and I’ve got an Acepac harness this year which creates a bit of room to tuck them around. First time out with it the front lockout cable was fouling, so I’ve made that longer. I think it all depends on how you like your levers set up.

The seatbag is a Revelate Vole, so quite a small one. It comes with a Wolftooth Valais that reduces travel by roughly 20mm. It’s a fairly new thing for me, and I’m still fiddling with the settings to try to make sure it doesn’t buzz the tyre at full compression, it did it once last time out, bottoming out off a little jump, but that’s it. I’m hopeful a bit more pressure in the shock should do the trick.

a few years ago I spent 3 months living off ( argentinian?)army ration packs supposedly 3000+ calories while doing a lot of physical activity.

I knew you were the special forces type. Hush hush mission in the Malvinas?

I’m less interested in pack size than what people do with it, but to answer your question re: meths stoves, here was my set-up this morning:

Zoom in and you’ll see an Alpkit mug in a Speedster stand/stove. I’ve had the latter on the go for at least five years, for a total outlay of, ooh, £15? As above, just stick the meths bottle in your clothing/sleeping bag for 10 minutes prior to use.

The stove/stand last July:

Copes well with wind (perhaps not as well as a cone, but it packs flat) and is not slow.

You’ve been up there a whole year? EDIT: fixed now. 🙂

I’ve got something similar. Old trangia burner with a wraparound alu windshield, 650ml mug on top.

Beat the edit, well done…

Speedster stand/stove. I’ve had the latter on the go for at least five years, for a total outlay of, ooh, £15?

I’ve got one of these and really rate it. I haven’t tried a cone but I have messed around with other meths stoves and it’s the one I go back to. I have the one with the felt like wadding rather than the more solid material in the cup. The solid one broke down after a few uses bikepacking and running due to the rattling.

Just packed my bike up for a trial overnighter before a week long tour starting next weekend.
18.5kg without water bottles but including food, snacks, clothes, cook kit, sleep and shelter.

My bike packing bike weighs 31lb fully loaded for a summer fast ride on a known / oft raced route that can be researched prior to leaving

Just did a weekend of following my nose on a 65lb set up.

Equally as fun.

Don’t get too bent on the numbers but be sure your prepared for situations that are likely to arrise.

Too many folk heading for the hills either not reading or Living in ignorance of the forecast.

Just did a weekend of following my nose on a 65lb set up.

I did see the pictures and wondered if yo had gone soft in your old age 🙂

It was partially to balance the books with my riding company and partially because we had no real idea what we were doing

Wait till next weekend going touring with Jnr in the trailer. It’ll be 100kg plus with her + trailer + tent + all the toddler stuff

Good training for something…

🙂

Too many folk heading for the hills either not reading or Living in ignorance of the forecast.

This, and also the weenies love to leave stuff out of their published kit lists anaw, UL cock waving contest!

Edit – a few years ago I spent 3 months living off ( argentinian?)army ration packs supposedly 3000+ calories while doing a lot of physical activity. I was perpetually hungry and lost significant weight

A lot of the calories would have been in the sugar in the brew kit, you are not supposed to survive for extended periods on ration packs they just keep you going until proper central feeding

Big and daft – these packs were designed to be eaten long term. We lived on them for 12 weeks at a time. Might have been Chilean army

these bags are great, also got a pack of foam insulated sandwich pouche from the ‘bay3- ideal for the eat from the bag food to keep them warm for a while and no burnt hands.