Never Ending Power

One of the great things about cycle touring is that it's much easier to go for long periods without any planned stops than it is with hiking. Sure, you can carry 2 weeks of food in your pack but the one thing you will likely run out of long before food is power! Most of us are heavily reliant on gadgets nowadays, be that with smartphones, cameras, tablets or whatever. Even if you are willing to carry heavy additional battery packs, or unreliable solar chargers, you will eventually have to hook-up to a power-point. This isn't so with a bike, get the right kit and you will never have to worry about power again. The only problem is it can get very expensive.

Extremities - keeping them warm (2009)

A piece I wrote for Andy Howell in 2009 on keeping the extremities warm.

Extremities

Reading it now in 2012 it still looks valid.

Generic gear list

I'm regularly asked what gear I carry when out hiking. I tell them that every trip is different and that I rarely carry the same gear list twice. The list here is my generic starting point when choosing gear for my 2012 hikes. It's a good basic list that allows me to cope with most conditions in the UK and around the world. From this I will mix and match depending on the location, time of year, and my knowledge of that area.

What I ALWAYS try and do is keep my baseweight below 4kg for any long hikes. If its over, even by 1g, then I consider that a failure! Occasionally, certain sections of a hike might need specialised equipment such as crampons, ice axe or even an umbrella for the desert, so it's ok to go over the limit for that brief period. To some 4 kg will seem quite high and if you're hiking in a familiar location or over a shorter period then it's easy to go lower. On shorter hikes my baseweight would be nearer 2kg. when thru-hiking it's much harder, you will need kit that can cope with more varied weather and often hikes will be in unfamiliar environments. Comfort is also much more important and a good nights sleep should not be underestimated! Add to that extras like chargers, spare batteries, shaving kit, guide books etc and the weight really starts to add up.