Camping on my Brompton

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chriscross1966

Über Member
Location
Swindon

Henrietta all setup for a recent trip to BlueDot festival...

Front bag is a Fiets-a-Parts Rolltoptas, they're a dutch company, the bag is made for them by RadicalDesign (the folks that make Brompton bags for Brompton), it has my thermarest mattress, my tent and a waterproof poncho/blanket in it and the pockets contain my washing kit (left) and my self-inflating pillow, an umbrella and a tyre reflator (emergency with latex type). On top of it is the OuterEdge transit bag that I use when on coaches.

Strapped to the back of the handlebars is a Brompton saddle bag (that would normally have the cover in it) and it's holding some tools and a lock.

On the back of the saddle is a Tacx triathlon twin bottle cage with a pair of 750ml bottles and under them on the seatpost is a swivel mount with a tool bottle and a CO2 reflator plus cartridges.

The bag that is hard to see is a standard Brompton Racksac, modified with four sets of Ortlieb pocket holders. In the Racksac is mostly my cooking stuff, a very small coldbox with a set of army mess tins, and a couple of takeaway containers in it, plus various dehydrated food items (noodles and the like) plus a few tea and coffee bags and hot chocolate sachets, it also has a folding sink and a folding toaster.

On the left I run a bottle cage with my thermal cup and a small pocket that had a pair of gas bottles for my stove wrapped in a pair of gloves, on the back is a mesh bag with my waterproof jacket and first aid kit, on the right is a large waterproof pocket that is mostly things like phone chargers and snacks plus a travel neck pillow and my headphones. When I'm on a coach I can detach that pocket and it has everything I need for the journey in it, by adding the shoulder strap from the Racksac it also becomes my day bag on festivals.

Finally on top of the Racksac is bungeed a 20 litre Ortlieb drybag with my clothes (for five days) and my sleeping bag in it. If I was just away for a single night or two and was just riding to the site then I wouldn't need the transit bag and the reduction in clothing and phone chargers would mean I could stuff a change of clothes in the big pocket and do away with the big drybag.

Next expedition is due in September and I'll try and dig out some more pictures plus design thoughts on making my own rear bag for camping stuff..
 

wisdom

Guru
Location
Blackpool
Well you've kitted that out well.
Meticulous planning.Brillant.
 
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chriscross1966

chriscross1966

Über Member
Location
Swindon
Where's the kitchen sink?

Must make the fold a bit difficult. :smile:
The kitchen sink is a folding design and is packed in the Racksac next to the folding toaster. Seriously. Surprisingly fast to load and unload. Front bag comes off the block in the normal way. Undo two bungees over the top of the drybag and the one that holds it to the seatpost and it comes off the top of the Racksac. Undo the rear strap on the Racksac, then the seatpost velcro, unlatch the triangle and the Racksac and all its pockets comes off as one piece. Bit of a fiddle to swing the tool bottle holder round and up the post a bit and the bike folds normally. Takes a couple of minutes either way...
 
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chriscross1966

chriscross1966

Über Member
Location
Swindon
Well you've kitted that out well.
Meticulous planning.Brillant.
Not totally... i was thinking about making my own rear luggage but then lucked into the Ortlieb pockets on ebay and went with them. ... still might make my own rear bag, it'll likely still have a set of Ortlieb pockets but it will fit two smaller drybags along with the coldbox and also feature some zip-out pockets for shopping at the last shop before the campsite as well as some strapping rings for bungeeing stuff to the top of it plus i want to integrate a rear reflector and light. It will also offer the chance to have a rucksac system for lifting it as it is probably the easiest one of the three bags to strap to ones back, giving me one on the back and one in each hand, a much easier thing to move around a coach station than the four bags that i have now..
 
There’s a guy on here who can’t ride his touring bike empty, says it’s unstable.
I would love to see him manage yours, loaded or not, some horse you have there,
just goes to show how some people adapt while others moan.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Camping on a Brompton? Surely you'd find it more comfortable camping inside a tent?
 
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chriscross1966

chriscross1966

Über Member
Location
Swindon
This post leads rather neatly onto a question I had a while back...

What's the maximum load the front block is rated for?
Standard block is 10kg, I've got a CNC alloy block and high tensile bolts so I reckon I could go a bit higher, but that bag is around 10kg in that state. The tent is 3kg, the mattress is about 1, as is the transit bag.
 

rualexander

Legendary Member
Easily. Disc brake on the back.

Vostok rear triangle?
All looks good to me.
Here's mine, winter camping in the Western Isles :

1020225-01.jpeg
 
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