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Taking too many things or resigning from most of gear can make your trip a disaster. The below list include clothes and equipment which are necessary on almost every expedition. Planning your adventure think if a list is already complete or maybe you still need (water filter, gloves or more warm clothes).

 

Clothes

  • 2 t-shirts
  • 1 long sleeve, cool blouse
  • 1 long sleeve warm blouse
  • 1 cool raincoat
  • 1-2 cycle shorts with insert
  • 1 long cycle gaiters
  • 1 regular shorts
  • 1 warm, long pants
  • 2-3 pair of socks
  • 2-3 pain of underwear
  • flip-flops ( for shower)
  • scarf or cap under a helmet
  • cycle gloves
  • helmet

 

Gear

  • light tent
  • sleeping bag
  • carrimat
  • torch ( headlight is recommended)
  • camp stove
  • fuel
  • light pot/tourist set
  • plastic container
  • spoon, fork is optional
  • good pocket knife
  • lighter/matches
  • cosmetics
  • small rough dish sponge
  • small towel
  • first-aid kit
  • toilet paper
  • few sackcloth belts and elastic ropes
  • line ( for drying clothes)
  • bicycle blockade
  • pen and notebook
  • visiting cards and family photos
  • photographic equipment
  • spare battery
  • maps, guidebooks, tools
  • fork spanner (usually 6,7,8,10)
  • set of hex (allen keys)
  • 2 tyre spoons
  • tools to repair inner tube
  • screwdriver
  • small pliers than can cut ropes
  • star key to freewheel
  • chain locker
  • spoke spanner
  • good bike pump

 

Spare parts

  • 1-2 spare inner tubes
  • spare (roll) tire
  • 1 long brake cable
  • 2 long derailleur cables
  • spare brake pads
  • 6 spare spokes ( 2 front, 2 back-left, 2 back-right)
  • few spare screws, nuts, pads
  • container with solid grease
  • chain grease
  • insulating tape
  • few plastic clamp belts
  • 2-3 chain connectors

 

Important comments:

  • All your clothes should be light and quick-drying. Choose fabrics that easily remove sweat and guarantee perfect thermo-regulation. Unfortunately cotton is not good in that.
  • Raincoat should be light, otherwise you will get hot, even with a membrane. Make sure that your back is covered with a jacket.
  • The most effective is putting on many clothes “onion” style J - when it is getting colder you do not have to change, only put on some clothes. All clothes should match which means that for example jacket cannot be too small when you put a blouse under it. Putting all layers should give you thermal comfort in worst weather conditions in every climatic zone.
  • Leave some dry clothes for cool night. Riding in rain can be exhausting but night wearing wet clothes is a nightmare.
  • If your clothes from the last day are still wet and weather does not seem to improve, do not put your last dry clothes. If they get wet you will not have any dry clothes for the evening. It is better to put wet clothing and warm up .
  • Cycle shorts with insert can dry for a long time. During nice weather fasten your shorts to a bike till they dry up. For that time you can put a regular shorts.
  • Flip flops are very light. They are useful when using public bathrooms, having baths in lakes and stony streams.
  • A tent should be light and easy to pitch. You can put panniers or make a dish in extra vestibule, even a small on.
  • A sleeping bag should be adequate to temperatures of a region where you are going. Cheap sleeping bags bought in hipermarkets are too big ( like popular “one kilo” sleeping bags ) and do not guarantee luxury, that is why it is worth buying a good quality product.
  • The most practical from all types of torches is headlight, which does not need our hands during pitching a tent or bike inspection. Light-emitting diode torches are still quite expensive but waste less energy than regular torches. They are worth buying!
  • When travelling around Europe we usually need a gas stove. For further expeditions it is better to have a good quality stove for gas, petrol, paraffin and even diesel oil. Although this kind of stoves are pretty expensive, they are very efficient and wherever you are there will not be any problem with finding a fuel.
  • We recommend to buy a better quality tools produced by well-known manufacturer. There are plenty functional sets on the market which contain most of mentioned tools.
  • If your bicycle have some untypical bolts (for example disc rotor is mounted by torx key) remember to take to suitable tool!
  • Repairing set for tubes and pump should be a part of every bicycle taking part in an expedition, in case of loosing a team member or leaving him behind.
  • Remember that tires in the expedition bike are working under much higher pressure than in the regular bicycle. When you buy a pump, select one that will be able to generate the required pressure. Small pump can have a telescopic problems.
  • Chain grease should be kept in a bottle with batcher. Grease in spray are not efficient and take a lot of space.