Is it possible to tour with just a backpack?

[Cycleops]

Undecided about what bike to take. I have a few which I have bought here. A Schwinn 14 speed racer, Dawes racer, Giant cfr (not suitable), Marin hybrid (too heavy) and a Norta belgian racer. The Schwinn although twenty years old has hardly been used so might be the most serviceable. I could always pick something up in the UK when I arrive but that could be a can of worms! Had also thought about hiring.

As for budget I reckon about £200 for a tent and maybe another £400 or so for the rest of the gear.

 

[Cycleops]

This is the Schwinn.

 

[willem]

That looks like a sweet bike, even if the gearing may be a bit high. Fit the widest possible tyres, and keep your luggage weight low. Here are some tips for lightweight kit that would roughly match the budget:
tent: Wildcountry Zephyros 2 Lite, model 2013 (not yet out, but announced at shows), about 1.3 kg for about 200 pounds. But check for length, because from the bike it looks like you are tall. If it is too short and low for you, look into the MSR Hubba HP. http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/msr_hubba_hp_2_skin_solo_tent_high_performance_version.html
mattress: Exped Synmat Basic UL M http://www.exped.com/exped/web/expe...4165F2D80CD5F4ACC12579C200351322?Opendocument 410 grams, about 70 pounds
sleeping bag: keep an eye on the PHD sale in February. That should net you a superb bag for about 200 pounds (Minimus 300). Get an extra long model if you are indeed tall. There are a couple of cheaper (but heavier) alternatives, but few of those will be long enough for a tall person. Check the Alpkit Skyehigh (long) if you need to save some money.
Stove: Trangia 27 UL HA about 80 pounds.
Panniers: Ortlieb City Line rear panniers: 70 pounds.
total: 420 pounds, add 75 pounds for the MSR Hubba HP, or subtract 50 pounds for the Alpkit bag.
I understand you already have a rear rack.
This is all reliable and serious quality light gear rather than sub standard stuff.
Enjoy,
Willem

 

[samid]

You can also shave about 50% off stove cost and weight if you go for the Trangia mini cookset - same burner but smaller and lighter pans. I have used it for several bike trips and it is perfectly adequate for making tea, soup from bags, or scrambled eggs for one. Although I'm now thinking of maybe getting the Trangia 27 recommended by Willem for my next trip, mainly for the better windscreen.

 

[steveindenmark]

Don`t even think about hiring a bike in the UK. Wherever you go it will be expensive and you have to get the bike back to the place you hired it from. That can really mess up your travel plans.

Steve

 

[oldfatfool]

I will go out on a limb and say the chainstays look too short to accommodate panniers on the schwinn. I toured this summer and had a 3ltr camelbak and was comfortable with 4kg on my back, wouldn't want to go much above this though.

 

[Cycleops]

Thanks for the tip about the mini trangria set Dimitri, still undeceided about which to take.

Steve, thanks for your tip about hiring. I think I will almost certainly take one from here. Had read on another thread thay Scotrail were running a scheme in association with bike shops that didn't require you to return to your pick up point.

 

[andrew_s]

The Trangia mini doesn't have a proper windscreen, and with the relatively low heat output from meths may well give problems cooking or brewing up in windy weather. You can make a wind screen from heavy gauge aluminium foil (pie dish type), but this won't be as good as the full Trangia setup.
The Trangia 27 UL is fairly easy to find (Blacks, Go Outdoors), but the HA hard anodized version will probably need to be an internet order.

 

[Hitchington]

Get a Zephyros 1 tent (made by Wild Country). Based on the design of a Terra Nova Laser Comp but a fraction of the price, got mine for £90. You could even go for a Zephyros 2 for extra space...
http://www.livefortheoutdoors.com/Gear-Reviews/Search-Results/Tents/Wild-Country-Zephyros-1-2011/

 

[willem]

The Trangia 27 has two advantages over the Trangia mini. The first is the windscreen, and it does matter in the UK. The second is the ability to cook real meals. The pot and frying pan are bigger, and you also get a second pot. If budget is tight, cooking your own meals from fresh ingredients makes a huge difference. And I rather like it.
Willem

 

[Cycleops]

Get a Zephyros 1 tent (made by Wild Country). Based on the design of a Terra Nova Laser Comp but a fraction of the price, got mine for £90. You could even go for a Zephyros 2 for extra space...
http://www.livefortheoutdoors.com/Gear-Reviews/Search-Results/Tents/Wild-Country-Zephyros-1-2011/

Thanks for that. I have now deceided on the Zephyros which I understand there is now a 2013 model.

 

[willem]

Wildcountry have announced Lite versions of the Zephyros 1 and 2: http://terrybnd.blogspot.nl/2012/07/wild-country-zephyros-lite-helios-2013.html These should be lighter, better and still not very expensive. I would go for the 2. However, note my concern about length.
Willem

 

[Crankarm]

You can also shave about 50% off stove cost and weight if you go for the Trangia mini cookset - same burner but smaller and lighter pans. I have used it for several bike trips and it is perfectly adequate for making tea, soup from bags, or scrambled eggs for one. Although I'm now thinking of maybe getting the Trangia 27 recommended by Willem for my next trip, mainly for the better windscreen.

I wouldn't bother with the 27 series of Trangia (1-2 people). If you are cycle touring you need to eat a lot and it is too small to serve up a decent sized meal in one go for a hungry cyclist. Go for the 25 series which has larger pans as it's supposed to be for 3-4 people. I have he 25-6 non stick. It will probably out live me. No problem with the non stick finish. I also use an MSR Whisperlite as a 2nd stove and an Express Spider as a back up. I cook with butane gas. I can't stand meths, smelly and takes to long to cook with. I use the frying pans as lids so water boils in about 2 minutes using gas in the Trangia. I have never used the kettle so save this weight. That's my 2ps worth.

Nb the Schwinn road bike posted earlier does not look like a very practical touring bike if you are carrying anything more than a credit card.

Re sleeping bags. Cotswolds are doing the North Face Kazoo for £150 at the moment, £60-70 off.

 

[willem]

And I thought I eat a lot.... When I go with my wife we take the 25, but when I go alone I take the 27. I only use meths in the 27, but in the 25 I either use meths, or the multifuel burner. I/we like to cook real meals, even though simple: a steak vel sim, some boiled vegetables or a salad, and french bread. Alternatively, we have a simple vegetable pasta as a first course, and then some meat, chicken or fish with salad and bread. Or some fried vegetables with bacon. Anyway, I am happy with what we eat, and for a solo trip the 27 suits me fine. Remember, the original post is about what to take as a minimum. One thing where many small cooksets let me down is the size of the frying pan, if they have any at all, that is. The market for small and light sets seems to be dominated by US style heat/boil a ready meal use. That is fine for a long weekend backpacking trip in the wilderness such as many US hikers do, but not really for a cycling holiday of a few weeks. At 188 mm the Trangia 27's frying pan is just big enough, but anything smaller is indeed really too small.
Willem

 

[Crankarm]

And I thought I eat a lot.... When I go with my wife we take the 25, but when I go alone I take the 27. I only use meths in the 27, but in the 25 I either use meths, or the multifuel burner. I/we like to cook real meals, even though simple: a steak vel sim, some boiled vegetables or a salad, and french bread. Alternatively, we have a simple vegetable pasta as a first course, and then some meat, chicken or fish with salad and bread. Or some fried vegetables with bacon. Anyway, I am happy with what we eat, and for a solo trip the 27 suits me fine. Remember, the original post is about what to take as a minimum. One thing where many small cooksets let me down is the size of the frying pan, if they have any at all, that is. The market for small and light sets seems to be dominated by US style heat/boil a ready meal use. That is fine for a long weekend backpacking trip in the wilderness such as many US hikers do, but not really for a cycling holiday of a few weeks. At 188 mm the Trangia 27's frying pan is just big enough, but anything smaller is indeed really too small.
Willem

Good point. You need a fry pan that allows 4 rashers of bacon or a fillet of cod to be fried without having to bend or to have to cut it in half.