UKH

Afternoon.  

I'm really not feeling very good at all.  I'm sick of being inside alone.  It's driving me insane .

So I'm just sorting through my bike trekking stuff for either heading off tonight or tomorrow for a few days.  See how far I get maybe out to Hathersage and edges or reservoirs sort of area .

Gonna wild camp more than likely. If I can find suitable hidden spots.  

I'm going through all my stuff now.  

Help me pack please.

What do you think I might need.

I have ;

Multimat inflatable

Small coffin tent 

Bike

Spare inners. Repair kits

Alpkit cooking mug , micro stove, gas, cutlery.

Lights 

Microlight sleeping bag. 1 season

Water , pumps and chlorine tabs.

Micro shovel.  Toilet roll

Change of clothes

.

Please add any suggestions

Foods so far is cous cous , sauce, meaty sausage snacks. Nuts.   

Ps : it's going to be very low key trundle. And I'm a very good wild camper. 

I just don't want to overlook something obvious.

TWS

Windshield and lighter for stove?

Whisky.

Maybe a little bit of soap or shower gel.  Could also use for washing up.  Or baby wipes.  

Personally I don't go anywhere without tea bags and some sort of milk. 

Spare batteries.

Lighter or matches 

Have a good trip. 

Great idea.  I have one of those.

Whiskey a none starter.  I don't drink.

Thanks.  For that though wouldn't have thought of that. 

Check I will pack some.

Cool yes I have instant coffee sachets

Check , and a couple of power banks

Have a fire iron and lighters

Thanks.  I'm hoping I'm ok and don't fret when I've got myself far from home and it's late .

Not been that far on my bike for a few years now.

Simple first aid kit / tick spanner / inhalers / medicines etc

Breakfast stuff

Sounds like a nice little plan.

I always take a map. 

Climbing shoes and chalk bag if you want to chuck a few easy solos into the mix.

Book or magazine on your phone for something to read once camped.

Power pack  particularly if you are using phone for navigation, Strava, taking photos etc.

If your sleeping bag is half decent, and particularly if it is a down bag, a very light liner is a good idea because you can get so muddy particularly if you are mountain bike bikepacking. Much easier to wash a liner than a down sleeping bag.

Where you from?  You should join us on one of our long rides...Normally three of four days along national cycle / sustrans routes.  We're a bit too old and grumpy for wild camping these days (b&b's usually although if we can organise a mate with a van to carry the gear we do consider camping now and again...)

This years ride was cancelled due to Covid, but we're planning Glasgow to Inverness around summertime next year.  We're a small friendly group (friendly, but also grumpy old men who sometimes like a bit of banter along the way, sometimes like the solitude of just being miles from anywhere).  Size ranges from 2 people to 6 people dependant on who feels like it / can afford it / can get passes from family etc.

We sometimes do training slogs around Goyt Valley / Cat & Fiddle to get the hill legs ready.  

Edited: I've never actually been 'wild' camping by the way, it's always been campsites.  Although I have passed placed on the Scottish rides miles from anyway and thought 'I wonder if I could wild camp there...'

I hope it works out.  Fresh air and a distraction.

I've my phone which has a full signal nowadays out that way.  I might pack a map of the dark peaks to. I have power banks for changing 6 times. 

I'm in Derby .

Sounds tempting . Is this mtb riding.  I've no road bike ? 

God that goyte valley hill is a killer .  Wild camped there about 8 years ago on Halloween.  

Murderer with a bike loaded with gear.

I thought that.  Mmmm 

Yeah got a new book today.

Check got 2 . Enough for 5-6 charges.

 Not got a liner,   but saw some in Aldi today I think.

Thanks

I’d take a small bike lock so you can pop into a shop without worrying. I’ve a small kryponite 30cm cable thing with an aluminium combination padlock that’s lightweight. 
 

Maybe leave some food behind and buy fresher items on route as it’s tastier but can also give you the opportunity to have a chat with people which can be nice on solo trips.

Enjoy! 

I know you said lights, I presume for the bike. Head torch? 

Yeah both of those. 2 for the bike one headtorch for me.  With extra batteries now.

Yes. I've a cable lock.  

Can't carry my massive d lock.

I'm hoping to eat out and meeting people and chatting. So I will take a minimum.

Thank you

cham cream (possibly not the whole tub - maybe you ca decant a bit into a suitable container)

30ml shower gel (hotel size). Flannel. Toothbrush & dentist sample toothpaste. Being able to go to bed a bit cleaner feels nice to me.

Food: I prepack cinnamon sultana cashew porridge mix, using Nido milk powder, and hot chocolate, also with Nido. I like chorizo for cooking, as you can render out the fat, and use it to fry onion & peppers, both of which survive quite well in a pack. As so tasty. Make the cous cous a bit wetter than normal, and mix it all together. Can chuck in a few cashews, too 

I ride a mountain bike purely because I'm the size of a house and kept popping spokes on my road bike whenever I hit a pebble, but it's better suited for the course to be honest.  At a VERY rough guess, I would say about 10% is on actual roads, and the rest on cycle paths, old railway paths, gravelled paths, etc.  There's even a bit of it which is the old A9 road so it's sort of old knobbly tarmac, running parallel (but well separated) from the new shiny A9 road.  So a mountain bike copes fine with it.  I wouldn't do it on a road bike. it would ruin it probably (although I'm sure some people do it)

The first time I did it, I swapped the MTB tyres for smoother road tyres. All on my tod.  It was the most amazing thing being out there alone, not seeing a soul for hours at a time.  

Did it again a few years later with a few pals and a van

Itching to get back up there again because it's an absolutely spectacular part of the world.  You seem to be out of Glasgow and in the sticks in the blink of an eye and then it's just hills, forests, lochs and nature in all directions.

Seriously.  Consider it!!  There's no egos in the group, no competitiveness.  I'm generally "fat lad at the back".  We sometimes play games of tag to keep the spirits up and the pedals turning. 

Whalley Bridge to Buxton (and back again) was one of the first big hills (Is it called Long Hill / Long Road?) I ever did when I first bought a bike.  It's horrific.  It never ends. When I found the little turn off that runs down to the Goyt, passes the reservoir, and then up to either the Cat and Fiddle or Windgather I was chuffed.  It's such a pretty part of the world.

PM if you're interested.  I'll keep you informed with developments.  

Just a note though...my bike pack tends to consist of

three t-shirts, underpants, socks, plastic bag, phone charger, map, wallet, spare innertubes, bike pump, tyre levers, toothbrush, showergel / toothpaste....erm....phone charger.....um...that's about it generally...

Thank you Thunder 😀

Will do.  

I guess you've got spanners, allen keys, chain link tool etc?

If you're out this wekend, it's going to be hot. So sun cream, hat, glasses and a water proof would cover it.

Gaffer tape. Wrap some around your frame, rather than carrying a roll.

Midge repellent. 

Face mask.

Salt, pepper, chili powder, cupa soup, oats with sugar / drinking choc premixed, instant whip, smash.

Someone's mentioned repellent but have you got a midge net? I hate the greasy feel and sting of jungle formula. A net is almost essential in August.

Yeah got those.  

Definitely. Though that myself

Good idea.  I have some cammo gaffer tape

Wilma's Nordic summer. I love the smell of fire smoke, peat and burnt wood.  

Yep

I'll pack some seasoning.

Cheers

Ill dig one out if I can find it .  Didn't consider that.

Strangely I've not really suffered .Only when I've not ridden for many years , so I've never used any.  

Buns of steel. 

I got a silk liner from Decathlon, it was only about 20 quid so cheap compared to most silk ones and way lighter and more compact than all the non-silk ones I could find.

Price seems to have gone up, but they're still doing them. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/sleep-bag-liner-trek-slk-wht-id_8578334.html

No idea if it works in England but Smidge all the way. Smells great and super effective against the wee feckers in Scotland.

I agree though, embrace the beekeeper look!

I'll take those .  Not sure I'll get any space on a campsite but I'll try  as I will stink after the riding.

Thanks

My bike packing set up last week touring the west country was:

Bar Bag:

Pan set (containing canister top stove, 100g gas canister, small tupperware pot of washing up liquid, small pot of spices, lighter and Scouring pad)

Belay Jacket

Spare clothes (trousers, underwear, socks, fresh bib shorts and jersey all in own dry bag)

Sleeping bag and liner (in own dry bag)

Pouch on front of bar Bag:

Toothbrush/ Toothpaste

Deodorant

Bar of soap (in small sandwich bag)

smidge

sun cream

Bin bag

Isotonic tablets (not sure I will bother with these on future trips)

Spare Chain (wouldn't bother for a ride in the peak as escape is straightforward).

Saddle Bag:

Inflatable Pillow

Tent Flysheet and inner

Alpkit Numo (inflateable mat)

Trowel (very light sheet metal thing)

Sheath Knife (for cooking)

Tissues

Bum bag (6L):

Towel

Headtorch

Rear Light

House/ Van Keys

Cards and cash

Face Mask (in small waterproof bag)

2 * Water bottles (around 1L total)

Waterproof Jacket

Kindle

Charging Kit

Frame Bag:

Food for breakfast/ dinner

Spork and Spoon

Spare set of van/ house keys (in case bike or bum bag is stolen so I can still get into my van and home)

Stem bags:

Water (750ml in each), bag of sweets in one, phone in the other

Top Tube Bag Front:

Gels and chocolate bars (may not bother with gels, they leak occasionally and don't seem to give me the mental perk of a chocolate bar)

Top tube bag rear:

Spare tubes *2

Tyre levers

Multi-tool

Lube (this moved round and never settled in any given place, I need to find a bottle which is a sensible shape for lube as Muc-Off fits poorly)

Spare fasteners for mudguard

Cable ties

Spare Chain Links

I think that's everything

Waterproof trousers conspicuous in their absence as I reckon they're useless for cycling with.

Thanks mate. 

Just packing all my stuff ready for tomorrow. Going to feed myself up tonight as I've been struggling to eat much of late.  Been surviving on meal replacements .  Hopefully this will motivate me.  

If I have a bad time of it I'll come home early .

Just planning a route . 

If you're short of anything feel free to give me a shout, it sounds like you have everything you need though.

Definitely need proper fuel for bike packing!

I hope you enjoy yourself mate

All this talking about the Scottish ride has wound me up. We should have been setting off in a couple of weeks if it wasn't for covid. Boo. 

I prefer instant  lemon tea  to instant coffee.  Trouble is it all seems to be 'reduced sugar' stuff now.  The manufacturers clearly have no idea what's what - so i have to pack sugar as well.

A block of iced fruit cake from Sainsbury's - about £2.50 and the rough equivalent of a dozen bars/gels.  Cut it up and wrap the pieces in grease proof paper.

Great idea.

Don't forget any medicine you may be on. 

Thanks. Not currently taking anything. 

You seem to have a good list going, don't overload, it's warm out, food is available and hygiene is optional. Have fun wild man. 

Have a great trip mate - have ear plugs been mentioned? (if you happen to be near snorers/running water/zombies ; ) and ear phones for phone/music etc 

Perhaps a bit niche but I always take a Bluetooth mini speaker that also takes an SD card, loaded up with camping tested music, as I have developed tinnitus over the years and the silence of the outdoors (if not raining) can sometimes be a trial. Creative Muvo 2 is what I use. My favourite gadget.

Take less, not more!

This is advice that I give but regularly fail to follow and regret as I'm puffing up an incline....

A big beard and an instagram account.

I don’t go out without silicone rubber earplugs and without a DIY rehydration mix of sugar/salt dissolved in orange cordial in a small bottle, ready for dilution if needed.  Well these days I don’t go out on such trips at all, got no one to blame for that but myself...

Also, a good book.

A dry sack big enough to stuff your spare clothes in to as a pillow, with a t-shirt as the pillow case.  Bonus - you have a dry sack if we get a thundery break down.

Chain tool and a short section of spare chain links.  I’ve only used mine twice in perhaps 15k miles but by god I’m glad I had it those times.  

500 ml of clean water and a basic first aid kit (wipes, savlon, a few posters and dressings).  Burn cream if you’re taking a stove.

Don’t forget a dog. If you don’t have alcohol a dog is a must. I must have a dog and alcohol then my kit list is fine

Great to hear your plan TWS, sounds ace.  A highlight on my one and only bike packing trip was a twig burning stove.  Amazing how the caveman telly made our camping spot feel so warm and welcoming.  I have a Solo Stove Lite, it's a beautiful thing.

It feels like a difficult time at the moment.  I think we are all anxious about so much.  Hang in there mate.

Sounds great 

It's real difficult presently.  The argument last week with my friend has made everything worse.  

Still not speaking to me. 

 I am all packed bar food.  But I'm having thoughts of postponing now. 

It's going to be 28 degrees or hotter.  Not sure I can take that much heat.  And it could be rammed out everywhere which is probably going to be overwhelming for me . 

I just don't know what to do anymore.  I'm just f*cking pathetic .

Get the bike out, shut the door and go!

Midge repellant. 

That's not pathetic - that's a desire not to be a fried Scallion!

Maybe take a shorter, lighter, ride in the heat, and move the bikepacking to the inevitable cooler patch that'll turn up?

Thanks.  That's my current thinking .  It's all loaded so that's a good thing.  I can take my other bike out for a jaunt around the local parks . 

I'm not a good heat person.  

Should have factored this in .  45 miles to Hathersage my planned route. With a bike loaded might just kill me.  

I'm also still lacking calories too.  

Lost about 2.5 kg this last 2 weeks.  

I might bike to my mum's to watch the dog play in the pool we brought her.  She loves it.  

Also I put a water feature in for my mum yesterday which she loves to drink from.

Sounds like a good plan - a cycle with a pool and water feature at the destination fits very well with the weather, and a nice dog usually makes things more fun!

Good decision I reckon.

I cycled 26 miles with a camping load last Friday in similar temps. Felt like I was going to vom climbing the first hill (completely without shelter in full sunlight), started feeling weirdly shivery, and at the bottom had to sit down in the shade for a while to feel more normal. Cycled a few more miles then spent the hottest part of the day in the shade outside a tearoom for a couple of hours, and then slowly made it the rest of the way to the campsite, but it was tough going and I was hot and clammy that night in my tent. Even the breeze felt like a hairdryer.

Enjoy the dog watching, that sounds lovely.

Take it easy!

Don't over plan. I hate planning so don't try to make too many as they rarely turn out so why bother? I've not had a proper break since March and I'm off all next week. Do you know what the sum total of my plan is? Three fifths of sweet FA. I will fill the car up with camping stuff and put some petrol in it. Then I'm heading up the road somewhere. I'll avoid anywhere busy as I'm a miserable antisocial b*stard. Probably be in the Dales or up the North Pennines. I will take my midge net!

Sounds sensible. It's too bloomin hot.