There are still things to be done, and items to be purchased, but we're almost there!
The next couple of weeks are going to be busy finalising everything - from where we're going to stay, to what we need to take with us, and more importantly, what we don't actually need.
Essentials are simple, food and water, clothing and shelter, and of course, the bikes!
Both bikes will be serviced before we go, in preparation for their "epic" journey. And, we'll be carrying basic bike essentials, just in case. Essentials such as spare inner tubes - easier to replace on the go, and carry out repairs later - lubricants, and the odd tools and spare parts - even though they probably won't be needed - fingers crossed!
Food and drink
Whilst my military head says "carry all the food and water you'll need for at least 24 hours", my sensible head realises, for this endeavour at least, it's not really necessary. We'll never be that far away from civilisation, and most of the camp sites we'll be using, have a shop on site, or have local shops nearby. And, on most days, we'll be passing through towns and cities, where we'll be able to pick up whatever we need.
So, as long as we have enough food and water, to cover a twelve hour period, we should be fine.
I may take a few military style "boil in the bag" meals, for those unexpected delays and situations, but only for use, as a last resort.
Stoves
I did ponder over the type of stove we should take, and finally decided upon a simple windproof gas stove, as opposed to the liquid fuel type.
Camping gas canisters are readily available, and weigh less than liquid fuel. Add to that a converter from the standard propane/butane gas canister screw thread, to the attachment used for the tall thin butane canisters - often sold in packs of four for less than a tenner - and we're covered!
Note to self - remember to take something to light the stove with! And no! I didn't get a stove with one of those piezo ignition things - they're often fragile and unreliable on such compact stoves anyway.
Shelter
The matter of tents has already been covered in an earlier post, so I won't say much more here, other than to reiterate - AVOID! those tents with the plasticky type sewn in ground sheets, and go for those with a waterproofed Oxford fabric type - they're lighter, and pack down to a smaller size.
Charging all the techy stuff
After trying out a couple of things, I've decided to use a portable solar panel to charge a power bank whilst on the move, and for campsites with no power. And, to purchase a camping hook up lead (16 amp blue plug type), with a 4 way socket panel, for use on pitches with a power supply.
Clothing
Clothing will be pretty minimal, as underwear, shorts, cycling jerseys, shoes and socks, are all we'll need whilst riding, and a helmet, of course - apart from the helmet, they're all lightweight and pack down small. Plus a pair of jogging pants, a lightweight fleece, and waterproofs, when needed.
Ablutions and laundry
Fortunately, most campsites have facilities catering for such needs, so apart from carrying the obvious essentials, there's not a lot else to consider - except for the occasional site with - none of the above!
Sleeping
A good night's sleep is quite essential on such a venture, so warmth and comfort need to be considered.
I've purchased two, theoretically 4 season sleeping bags, though I probably wouldn't want to use one below 0 degrees C. But, for September in the UK, they should be fine - only time will tell.
I've also purchased two self inflating sleeping mats. This however, was a slightly more complex decision. Most sleeping mats - whether of the closed cell foam type, or the self inflating type - roll up into a size that is too wide to easily carry on a bike.
I finally found a self inflating mat, that folds down the middle, before you roll it up, making it a lot easier to stow in the pannier bags on the bikes. It even comes with the added bonus of an attached inflatable pillow!
That's it for now - there'll be plenty more updates before we leave. Happy cycling!
Additional information and links
The JustGiving pages for the dementia charities can be found at:
Alzheimer's Society page - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/martyn-feather-as or text ASDP84 £2 to 70070 (if you wish to donate more just enter a different figure after the £ sign - e.g. £5)
Dementia UK page - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/martyn-feather-duk or text BIJJ81 £2 to 70070 (if you wish to donate more just enter a different figure after the £ sign - e.g. £5)
We are now also raising funds for a West Sussex based charity, Dementia Support - https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/martynfeather1
@inmemoryofmymum can be found on both Facebook and Twitter, so you can follow the ride there too. You can also find me on Facebook - Martyn Feather (Skippy), and Twitter - @ZkidooKreativ
The text and photos contained within this blog are the intellectual property of Martyn Feather, unless otherwise indicated. © Martyn Feather 2017
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