Thoughts about the things I carry

It's been almost two weeks back on the bike and I'm very content. I've been cycling more than 30 days and been from home for more than two months. As promised in October, I wanted to review some of the gear I'm carrying along. It might be useful for some of the readers if they ever wanted to go on their own bicycle journey and others may just be curious. I see myself as a bit of a gear fanatic, having spent a lot of time browsing the internet for different objects. Especially the camping stoves proved to be a loooong rabbit hole for me. In general I love to talk about gear and share my very young wisdom about it. A warning: I have to admit that a lot of gear is from Decathlon. I know it has many haters and I also disprove of the portrayal of outdoor sports as a means of mass consumption, but on the other hand, some gear is so well designed and cheap that it is hard to resist. I read often that Decathlon gear has an invincible price/quality ratio and I really have to agree with them. I decided recently that I will start buying more gear from Patagonia, because the company has converted to a profit-for-the-planet business. Of course secondhand material is the best solution to my dilemma of not wanting to consume, but still needing some gear. I lastly realise that I probably carry too much as well, but I prefer to be prepared for too many scenarios than too little. I bike by the philosophy of doing a lot of kilometers, but not being in a race, so some "unnecessary weight" is allowed.

The bike

My bicycle as it was before leaving. Notice the horns on the handlebars, the front rack, leather saddle and disc brakes

Let's start with my most important tool: my bicycle. It is a Velo de Ville L200 sport I got as a birthday present in 2020. Its price was around 800€, but since the Covid crisis bicycle and their parts got more expensive. I actually don't really recommend this bike. Quite soon, in the summer of 2020, I experienced some serious issues, like a broken bicycle stand and even worse: a completely destroyed bottom bracket (which is one of the most durable moving parts on a bike). Both got replaced, but the latter one necessitated a ride with a tow truck (the guy really laughed at me calling him for a broken bike) to the nearest workshop, in this case a decathlon. The next summer another weird thing happend: my front wheel with dynamo got completely stuck on itself in Italy, so I also replaced the whole front wheel, luckily with a secondhand disc (cheaper), but without a dynamo; I still remember the very nice Italian mechanic. I did already cover more than 10 000km before that, but it still feels like it was a bad quality wheel after all. My rack on the back also cracked (hey that rhymes!), around that time, but I fixed it with a little zip tie. So, some things broke on it that shouldn't have, and too soon to call it normal wear and tear in my opinion. On the other hand, I took it on a sufficient amount of trips to have all the faulty parts replaced, so currently it is a pretty good bike. The two specs I want to mention are first the Shimano Deore 3x9 speed system, which makes it perfect for almost all climbs. It offers good shifting performance and very precise gear settings. A downside is the fact that the parts are not that common and more expensive. 

Big maintenance after 2500km: new
 tire, chain, sprocket, disc and rear wheel

That is why I was carrying a spare chain and sprocket, to not waste time finding a mechanic when it was time to replace the parts. A few days ago it finally was time to replace everything, so I was happy that I had carried them along.  I now should be good for at least the coming 2000km, so I'll wait a while before looking for new spare parts. I'm curious to test out the rule that every time you replace the chain, you should replace the sprocket as well and see if one sprocket can outlive two chains. Coming back to the gear shifting systems,  I now think that especially the Pinion system in combination with a belt-drive, is far superior in terms of shifting and durability. It comes with a huge price (around 4000€) and the downside of when breaking down is really getting stuck as they are not easily replaceable.

Secondly the Shimano hydraulic disc brakes. Even though I think that a classic v-brake system is a bit more practical, repairable and cheaper when bikepacking, I really love my hydraulic disc brakes. I only swapped my braking pads twice, just recently in Bretagne and they are very reliable. I know that when I'll have a problem (like a leakage, cracked cable, damaged pump,...) I'll have to go to the nearest shop, but as these become more common thanks to the e-bikes it should be easy to get it fixed.

Other mentionable things are for example the front racks, that I permanently borrowed (or did I end up paying for them? I don't remember) from a friend's old Koga Myata. It fitted well on my broad front forks and they are doing their job, even though sometimes one of the screws tends to get loose, a thing I had to go to a bike shop for in Rennes recently. My saddle is presumably a vintage leather Brooks saddle (probably a B17, but without holes), I bought secondhand for 10€, an incredible steal! It is very comfortable, but it's showing cracks near the sides. I've no idea how much it will last,  but I try to take good care of it with leather grease.  I bike without padding, as I found I got saddle sores even with them and I prefer a good pair of pants or shorts with pockets that is easily washable, dries quickly and doesn't make you look like an idiot (my apologies to the many bikers who wear them). The saddle doesn't chase my bottom pains away, but it feels good to sit on, which is the main reason I don't replace it.

I prefered to use my pre-installed front and back lights, but didn't want to invest in a new hub dynamo so I chose something very unpopular in the bikepacking community: a bottle dynamo, one of those old things that run on the side of your tire. I mounted it with some scraps of metal to my fork and so far I've been very happy about it. It slows you down a little (although the resistance becomes quite insignificant at around 15km/h or so), but the luxury of only generating energy when wanted and not having to stop to mount battery-powered lights —that (dammit!) you probably forgot to charge the other day— is very underrated. Only drawback is probably the noise, that for some could be irritating, but I don't mind at all. I can recommend this solution if every your hub dynamo dies on you.

Other modifications are little horns I mounted on my handlebars to have different hand positions. In the past, I got painful hands after a while from always carrying a part of my weight on the same area's of my hands. A first solution were special bicycle gloves (that tend to stink terribly after a while), but since I installed these horns, I never got any pains again. A butterfly handlebar is probably an even better idea, but more laborious to install and I didn't manage to get my hands on one. These horns are anyways sufficient for me! 

A last experiment I did was modifying my chain guard. I always get frustrated by a clean chain that then gets splashed with for example dirty water when riding through a puddle, so installed an old second chain guard flipped over the first one to better protect my front gears and chain. They still get dirty, but a bit slower is my belief, so it's not a necessary modification, but does not harm either. I think it looks quite cool, as a little inconspicuous detail as can be seen on the left here.

Tools

Coming from the bicycle another thing I suspect some readers might be interested in is which repair tools I carry with me. I will clarify some tools that might not be clear in the picture here above. From top left on, I have a rag and grease that I use for the saddle and for my shoes. It helps the last-named to fend off drops and the morning dew, but they will of course get wet in the rain. The three wrenches, of 8mm, 10mm and 15mm are the only ones you normally need on a bike (sometimes a 12, 13 or 14 is needed for the saddle or seat tube). They are complemented by the adjustable wrench. The rear sprocket key (next to degreaser can) is used in combination with the chainwip (self-made from wood and old chain, next to adjustable wrench) to dismount the sprocket. The degreaser is a very good bio-based one from Decathlon. It is itself quite fatty, but gets easily washed away with water taking most of the dirt away. I apply it with the toothbrush so to immediately remove the worst dirt particles off the chain. The grease in the tube is mostly for ball bearings, but I also use it as mounting paste for screws, so to prevent them from rusting or locking. The crank puller (next to the tube) is not super important, but it doesn't take up much space and can be useful when I want to replace a broke crank or clean the front gears. Under the tube is my chain opener. This is of course necessary when replacing a chain. Although with quick-links you could also use the specialised set of pliers, that I don't have, I think a chain opener is more versatile. I carry no spare inner tube, as most of the time the flat tires come from a sharp object. Then only a inner tube patch is needed to cover up the hole, which takes up way less space and costs much less. Another tool I appreciate a lot is the chain wear measurer, next to my screwdriver set. It can show if the chain is worn for 50, 75 or 100% and indicates thus exactly when to replace it, preventing excessive wear on the front and rear sprocket. Also, gloves might seem like a luxury, but often having little water at my disposal or having to look for another thing in my bags, I am very grateful for keeping my hands relatively clean. The tape, sand paper and zip ties are general tools I often end up applying on different things, they weigh a little and should be taken along in any case. The little fastening pincers are also quite general in their use, but I discovered that they are an excellent tool to accurately measure the wobble of the wheel rim, when truing a wheel. Very handy! Something not shown in the picture, but of course indispensable is a little bike pump!

Bicycle bags

Handle bar configuration:
Front pannier, tube bag and grey
 bag containing
my camping mattress (see below)

I carry most of my stuff in four Ortlieb bags. The two light brown ones are more than 10 years old! Ortlieb really lives up to its name of durability, and  even though other brands make decent bags as well (Decathlon, Vaude), I think my experiences show that Ortlieb really is the brand to go for. The old ones are kind of loosing their waterproofness, and that's why I put that orange raincover over them, even though I have remarked that some water also gets in from the underside, but so far nothing I really worry about. The little blue bags are brand new, bought them secondhand from a lady that didn't like the colours, for half the price. A huge steal! Combined with these bags, I have an Ortlieb front pannier that hangs on my handlebars that contains item I want quick acces too, like beanie, gloves, sunglasses,... this bag is completely water-proof and super handy with a magnetic closing mechanism. It is really an upgrade to consider if ever bikepacking. It even has a see through part, where you could put a map or phone to guide the way. I used it when entering Paris and having to follow the gps closely. A little handy decathlon back is hanging on my upper frame tube and around steering pen, it contains more items that have to be ready at hand, like multitool, pump and cutlery. Lastly I have a little saddle bag, that contains the orange raincover and a bag that I cover my leather saddle with when it's raining and I'm not sitting on it.

Cooking system (rabbit hole warning!)

After initially going on adventures with a gas stove and for a long travel experimenting with a petroleum (multifuel) stove, I became interested in alcohol stoves. I dislike gas stoves as they function on an expensive, fossil fuel, that also has this very bulky gas cans, that apparently are hard to recycle and cannot just be thrown away in the general trash or metal recycling bin. Multifuel stoves are very efficient (it vaporizes the fuel before burning it, so the flame is very clean), but I was disappointed to learn that the only fuels that don't damage the system are white gas (very pure but very expensive and hard to get by) and petroleum, something that is a bit expensive and also sometimes not widely available. It is nice that in emergency you can use the stove with gasoline or diesel, but I don't feel comfortable with it, as gasoline literally corrodes your plastic and aluminum parts and diesel tends to clog the tubes. Let's also not forget that all of these are fossil fuels with serious environmental hazards. It made me turn to burning alcohol as a fuel source. It is often made of organic waste from other industries and thus is quite renewable. The general downsides here are that it has a less high density in calories, so it cooks slower using up a bigger volume of fuel. This is not really a problem unless you're in a hurry. I don't mind; I like to do other things like setting or folding up the tent while the stove is cooking water.  The same goes for the volume, which is not bothersome while bikepacking. I even tend to pick up a 500ml soda bottle from the side of the road to get rid of the 1l bottle when it is half empty. Another problem is that is burns quite soothy, but I found out that it depends on the brand of alcohol and also how close the pan is to the flame (which reduces the sooth, somehow). Alcohol also becomes harder to ignite in colder temperatures, but there is nothing that a good lighter or matches can't do. I also think of the problem of having to pour the alcohol in the burner, so you can only estimate how much you need. I became quite good at assessing that amount, plus if you overshoot in the evening you can snuff out the flame and burn the rest in the morning if you cover up the burner. If during cooking you fall short on alcohol, you simply refill and ignite again of course. So most of the downsides are not really big problems that in my opinion don't add up to the versatility, sturdiness (no moving parts!) and cheapness of an alcohol stove. A secret plus side is that you can use that alcohol as a disinfectant, for example after you have gone to the toilet.

I tried to cook with a self made one (look up "soda can stove"), but was not satisfied with how fragile it was and the lack of good windscreen or system to hold up pans. I found a Trangia cooking system secondhand in 2023 and immediately fell in love with it. It is a brand originally developed by the Swedish army to provide it's soldiers with warm dishes even in harsh Scandinavian winter, which I think is a cool history! The very efficient windscreen that also house two pans and can even fit the tea pot (which I found in our basement funnily enough) or an extra pan, is a very cool design (very minimalist as well!). It also holds the pots really close to the flame, so I actually don't get a mess. I also like the cutting-board/strainer system. All to say is that after a couple of years of searching and experimenting, I will rarely use another system again.

General tools

A quick word about my most important "general" tools. The most important one is my Leatherman multitool. It contains besides that superb set of pliers, different screwdrivers, a saw, file, awl (to make holes) and two blades. I use it in very different scenario's and I like the sturdy build. Leatherman also offers a lifetime warranty, which is nice. I actually contacted them a few years ago, having a piece broken off on the Leatherman my mom had. They immediately offered to replace the tool with a refurbished one (the one I carry right now), just to say that they live by their promises. My foldable cutlery (brand is Sigg, but there are many) is also very handy, especially the knife and the spoon that I use for every meal. They are very minimal and easy to clean, so I expect them to last a lifetime. Last but not least is the little Victorinox SD, which although is meant as a manicure tool, has a super useful pair of scissors and a very handy little knife. I can really recommend having such a thing on your chainring. 

Planning my route down the Cotentin
peninsula and the map in the etui

Also an important tool is clearly my map etui, which holds my Michelin maps. Waterproof and handily hanging across my shoulder it enables me to always know where I am and where to go. I can clearly recommend navigating this way, as the maps shows points of interest. This and the ability to generally overview a broad area gives a lot of flexibility. I often only decide how to ride in the morning or even at a junction and even then can adapt. Compared to mindlessly following the suggestions of an algorithm (and not deciding for yourself what you want to see) or planning everything up front, it is a very relaxed system.

Camping equipment

I chose as my sleeping bag the "Makalu Light 3 down". It is from the Decathlon Simond brand and costs 300€. For a winter sleeping bag that has a comfoirt temperature at -10°C that is a very low price. So far it has been too warm to sleep in it with the zipper fully closed, so it's very promising for the colder temperatures of the coming months. I might invest in a more expensive sleeping bag in the future, but so far I'm really happy with it. The only problem with winter sleeping bags is that they are so bulky and a bit more fragile. It takes up more than half of one of my rear bike bags, and I am constantly worried I might compact the down too much, it is next to my bicycle the piece of equipment that I stress the most about. Accompanied is a small liner bag of polyester (not silk), I use it mainly as a way to keep the sleeping bag clean. Together with the sleeping pad it is also a Decathlon product. I have the insulated foldable pad from Decathlon because I was tired of every inflatable pad eventually becoming punctured after a not even a year of use. I prefer the lower comfort of a sleeping pad to waking up in the middle of the night, feeling the ground completely underneath you through the deflated mattress. I solved the bulkiness of the foam pad by hanging it from my handlebars protected in a custom made bag (merci maman! :))

The new tent!

I have always used tents made by Quecha/Forclaz (Decathlon). With Nicolaas I started out with their tunnel trekking tent. It is a very durable model, the one I had has been used since 2018 and is holding out just fine! As we split up in L'impasse du Mage, he returned with that tent and I bought the dome tent from the same Decathlon series from Guillaume. So far i'm really happy with it. It offers much more space, both for the luggage, since it has two storage rooms and offers room inside for myself to sit up in. It is a bit more long to set up and break down and packs less easily, but I find that the comfort is really worth it. I also think that, even though it is a few hundred grams heavier than the tunnel tent, it is more versatile. Since the outer shell can be separately packed easily from the inner tent, it can be shared between people when for example hiking. Another huge upside is that it can stand on itself, and doesn't need the tension from pickets. The design of some details is also nice, with the zip taking the outer flap along when opening up, so that you don't have to deal with a wet sheet that hangs in the way when getting out in the morning. Also a few hooks in the ceiling, enable you to dry a few things during the night. Lastly I also brought a tarp (from Decathlon), that I use to cover my bike with when the night is rainy (as too much rain is not good for a bicycle). It is a very versatile piece of equipment, I can use it to create a temporary shield against rain, for example when cooking or eating or in case of very heavy rain to protect my tent itself. It can even serve as a back-up tent in case of emergency.

Electronics

I don't carry that many electronic items right now, but I know that they can add up quickly. I have a headlight,  an e-reader being a secondhand bought Kindle, my smartphone (a Fairphone 4, please check out this amazing brand) and my laptop (macbook air). I also took little cabled earphones, with a usb-c connecting dongle. To charge everything up, I took two powerbanks with me. And old one from decathlon that used to have a capacity of 10 000 mAh and a secondhand bought Anker of 20 000 mAh, that is still very powerful. They so far give me at least autonomy for a week, but I probably could hold out longer if I didn't use my phone to record my routes and as a hotspot for my laptop. The latter can actually also serve as a back-up powerbank. I used to take solar panels with me, or dreamt to install a dynamo powered charging system on my bike, but I realised that it's rarely really useful. It's much cheaper and simpeler to just ask people on the way or stop in bars to charge up. Only in very remote places and with a lot of devices like drones and cameras does it seem useful to me

Clothing

A lof of clothes I carry are pretty straightforward, like socks, t-shirts and underwear. I have enough of them to hold out for a few days at least. I bike with one pair of pants, that I until now have carried like shorts; it's one of those trekking pants with legs that can be removed with a zipper. It's a decathlon model and I like it because it is light and dries really quickly, yet at the same time is super sturdy. I feel that pants like this don't have to be washed often, as long as you change the underwear enough. I have a set of thermic clothing, consisting of a turtleneck and tight pants in a very smooth fabric. I mostly wear the turtleneck now together with my blue fleece sweater. They work really well together to keep me warm in this cold weather and at the same time remove excess heat from efforts (like climbing a hill). When stopping I often put on my last layer, consisting of my shell jacket of Patagonia '(Torrentshell), that I bought in Paris. It also is my protection against rain and strong wind. After one month it still holds up pretty well, but I should wash it soon to restore all its water-resistant properties. I like the simplicity and lightness of the jacket. A luxury I allowed myself to take along is a pair of what I call "civilian" clothes, consisting of a normal pair of pants and a comfy woollen sweater, that I can carry when not cycling, for example when exploring a city or staying at a place. It also sooo nice to put them on after a shower when getting hosted in a house, it just feels more cosy than putting back on the cycling clothes. They take up quite a lof of volume, but they proved to be very useful, especially when staying for three weeks in L'impasse du Mage and giving the opportunity to change clothes enough.

I have low-cut hiking shoes (from decathlon), that are quite comfy and sturdy. They don't dry as quickly as I want to, but they also take a longer time to get completely soaked in the rain. I have flat feet, so it is nice to have good shoes I can put my orthopaedic soles in. In general I feel that shoes are not that important and that you can bikepack with any shoes you like, as long as they are comfortable for you.

For cold weather I took along a beanie (that fits under my helmet), a buff (perfect for cycling), and two layers of gloves. My silk undergloves have worked really well up till now, just fending of the wind, as to keep my hands warm. But in the last days, temperatures have dropped even further, soon will be the first sub-zero night, and it is time for the big gloves (that were special Shimano Gore-Tex cycling gloves). Unfortunately I managed to loose one of them in the last days, but at the same time they were a bit too small for me (I have no idea why I didn't notice when packing). I thus bought good woollen ones in... yes, a Decathlon. They are really nice and will probably take me through the biggest colds, especially if used together with the undergloves, ... as long as I don't loose them of course. I have also little cycling gloves for when my hands get painful, but so far I almost didn't wear them. Last items on the list are a visibility jacket, a pair of swimming trunks, a trekking towel (one of those that dries quickly) and last but not least a helmet. I want to stress that piece of equipment, because I've seen so many bikepackers without helmets and even though I understand the amazing feeling of the wind in your hair, unconstricted by that polystyrene box, it is so vital for your safety. I admit that when commuting in town, I don't wear one. I should, but then a helmet is not practical for when stopping and having to carry it along and also there is this sensitive question of pride and vanity of not wanting to look like a fool (not helped by the fact that very little people in Belgium carry helmets in town). But out on the roads, your time on a bike increases dramatically and also your chances of falling or having an accident. It can happen in many scenarios, like Nicolaas who fell in the Ardennes because of a slippery wet stretch of downhill tarmac. That's when a helmet is crucial and life-saving. When working as a cargo bike courier in Antwerp, I fell once in similar conditions, landed on my back and smacked with the back of my head on the ground. Luckily I was wearing a helmet and didn't hurt myself. But I felt the violence of the impact and I don't want to imagine what it would have been without that protection. I can add that a helmet offers also a few plus sides. It works really well to keep rain out of your vision and also gives shade against bright sunlight. I put some extra high-visibility tape on it, so I am even more safe at night.

Miscellaneous

Different not very connected pieces of gear that I want to review quickly are a thermos bottle that I fill in the morning and make tea in at noon. Drinking something something warm in cold weather is very good for the digestion of food, an Alpine guide once told me. I have also a big camelback-style water container of 5 liters; not useful in France, but it's good to have it in case of emergency or when cycling in drier places like Turkey or Morocco. In tandem with it I brought a water filter, that I so far haven't used, but might be soon. I also have a special gadget consisting of a rubber mesh with metal parts that can be put under the shoe, and which enhances grip on ice and snow. I imagined myself having to push the bike up a snowy and icy hill and took it along (it was a birthday present from a while ago). It's probably one of the least useful, but bulky things I carry. I'll see if I keep them or not after Christmas. 

I further took along —naturally— a medical kit, which contains many different things, like different medicines, bandages, disinfectant and even a handy little sowing kit. 

Also a quick word about toothbrushes and toothpaste. It's more a call to stop wasting plastics than really a primordial thing for when trekking. I have one of those toothbrushes where only a small head needs to be replaced and where the handle is continually used. During an earlier trek half of the handle broke off, but I simply connected half of a bamboo toothbrush handle with a screw onto it, and now I have probably one of the coolest toothbrushes out there. I find extra heads in waste- and package-free shops in larger cities. The toothpaste is also very interesting: I have "Dent tabs" with me, that are small pills of toothpaste that just begin foaming like the regular one if chewed on a little. They are often bought in bulk in the same kind of shops, and even a handful can last you for weeks and weeks, as they are very small. They contain fluoride, so it's as healthy for your teeth as the regular brands. As with many products, a lot of brands sell you partly just water, and denttabs are a nice way of circumventing that rip-off, tackling a big problem of plastic tubes along the way. When on a short trek you can even count how many pills you should take along and reduce weight and volume to a minimum! I've been using them every day for a few years now and it feels as natural as any other thing of my daily routine.

Another thing I would like to mention about hygiene is that for more than one and half years I have stopped using shampoo or soap to wash myself. I simply rinse myself off with (preferably) warm water. I scrub a little extra on the parts that accumulate more sweat, like armpits, arms or pubic area and I take time to massage my hairs well, and so far I've been doing just fine. I received no complaints of smelliness (what I was most afraid of) and no special skin disease has appeared. My hair is a bit more fatty than when washing it regularly with shampoo, but it is actually hard to notice. I have some periods with dandruff, but that happend in my "shampoo-life" too. The reason I decided to stop with this products is first of all the realisation that many shampoos and shower gels are not very good for environment and climate. Even though more nature-friendly alternatives exist, the fact that I don't really need them, made me persevere. I also feel now (and this is not really backed up by science whatsoever) that my skin and skin bacteria are good at regulating themselves and I don't need to remove them with soap every time I wash myself. Now when trekking and only having the opportunity to wash once in a while, I consider this decision as a huge win: I don't really feel that dirty, compared to a few years ago when I stopped every night in a camping to be able to take a shower. A drawback to this, is that in general I avoid swimming pools whose water contains chlorine. It is essentially the same as any soapy product and after a splash last year, I could feel how my hair was completely dry again. You need to go though a period of quite greasy hair when stopping with shampoo and I had to go through that phase again after the visit to that swimming pool. In general I don't judge people at all for using soap and shampoo, maybe I'm just lucky with a body that is regulating itself well, but I hope I've managed to inspire a few to just test it out for themselves...