Loaded tourer weight

[brand]

Don't buy unnecessary amounts of food make sure you have no more than 2 days maybe even 1 as you are in France. I had terrible problems with putting food in that I could do without. Sod it half a days food and eat at cafs. I am sure Vern would agree with me?

 

[frank9755]

I took 20kg of luggage on my first longer camping tour. I managed, but it was too much. For similar trips I now take about 12kg.
If you don't really need it, leave it behind!

 

[mcshroom]

Depends on what you are doing and what sort of distances you feel like covering. My tourer was about 15-16kg unladen, and weighed in at just over 33kg when I set off on LonJOG (I needed the kit for carrying on round the north and west coasts). So 17-18kg.

I'd packed some food I didn't need (left behind a full bag of pasta and some other things in in Tongue SYHA) but otherwise didn't feel i had too much stuff for a two week camping trip.

What sort of racks are you fitting to your bike and how is the weight distributed? I wouldn't be too happy with all 20kg behind me on a rear rack, especially on what is quite a lightweight bike.

 

[MarkF]

Wow, we take 1 x sub 20kg suitcase on our annual 2 week hols, for 2 kids and 2 adults.

 

[raleighnut]

20kg of luggage, are you going RTW?

I usually tour on a 2007 Dawes Discovery 501, it weighs about 14kg. To cross France I took luggage weighing about 5kg, inc 2 rear panniers, same for across Spain. For a camping tour, adding a tent (Quechua T2), bag and mat only adds another 3+kg, so a max of 9kg for fully loaded tour inc panniers.

Ps. My eating gear consists of a spork.

My luxury item is a glass...... Single malt cannot be drank out of plastic .... Or the bottle.

 

[Yellow7]

Well as my tour starts today (8th May) I thought i'd have a weigh in;

Myself 80 kg
Bike 23 kg (Includes 3 off one litre water bottles [3kg] + MSR fuel bottle, handlabar camera bag)
Front panniers 9 kg (maps, book, elecs) (food [hardly at present])
Rear panniers 12 kg (clothes, netbook, water filter, cooking ) (spares, sleeping bag, toiletries)
Top bag 7 kg (tent, ground sheet, tripod)

Bike & bags total of 51 kg

 

[raleighnut]

Well as my tour starts today (8th May) I thought i'd have a weigh in;

Myself 80 kg
Bike 23 kg (Includes 3 off one litre water bottles [3kg] + MSR fuel bottle, handlabar camera bag)
Front panniers 9 kg (maps, book, elecs) (food [hardly at present])
Rear panniers 12 kg (clothes, netbook, water filter, cooking ) (spares, sleeping bag, toiletries)
Top bag 7 kg (tent, ground sheet, tripod)

Bike & bags total of 51 kg

 

[Brains]

28kg of kit is about 8kg too much.
It's too late to do an overnight trail trip, so allocate day four of your journey to be near a post office and whatever you have not used by that day, send home.

 

[psmiffy]

28kg of kit is about 8kg too much.
It's too late to do an overnight trail trip, so allocate day four of your journey to be near a post office and whatever you have not used by that day, send home.

In your oponion

 

[Blue Hills]

28kg of kit is about 8kg too much.
It's too late to do an overnight trail trip, so allocate day four of your journey to be near a post office and whatever you have not used by that day, send home.

If it hadn't rained in those three/four days would that mean you'd send your waterproofs home?

What about the odd bit of medication/first aid stuff you might be carrying?

Condoms? (if single of course)

Other stuff.

 

[bigjim]

My touring bike weighs 12kg. It's a 90s Raleigh Royal 531 Tourer.
My touring kit weighs about 6/7kg including 800g pannier set and cheap barbag.
The £17 tent weighs 800g and sleeping bag 800g. If I take my good tent and mat then kit goes up to 9kg ish.

 

[Blue Hills]

Hi bigjim

I've read a bit of your excellent blog on your mis/adventures - don't you use B&Bs etc rather a lot though?

 

[MarkF]

My touring bike weighs 12kg. It's a 90s Raleigh Royal 531 Tourer.
My touring kit weighs about 6/7kg including 800g pannier set and cheap barbag.
The £17 tent weighs 800g and sleeping bag 800g. If I take my good tent and mat then kit goes up to 9kg ish.

That's very similar to the weight I carry Jim and I usually think I have too much stuff.

 

[bigjim]

Hi bigjim

I've read a bit of your excellent blog on your mis/adventures - don't you use B&Bs etc rather a lot though?

Yes, but I carry emergency camping gear as well. On the Paris South trip I got caught out without the camping stuff and ended up sleeping rough one night. In some B&Bs, you may notice I may have been better off in the tent!
I use B&Bs, hotels, caravans. warm showers, abondoned buildings. You've not read it all then?
I've some more trips to put one where I've camped the whole trip. I'm not the most enthusiastic camper.

 

[Blue Hills]

Yes, but I carry emergency camping gear as well. On the Paris South trip I got caught out without the camping stuff and ended up sleeping rough one night. In some B&Bs, you may notice I may have been better off in the tent!
.

Yes I know - I wasn't going to say your trips do sound somewhat hapahazard in the nicest possible way (though that may just be the way you've written it) so with respect I remain somewhat wary of following your advice on travelling light I prefer to camp, being somewhat stingy/perverse. Look forward to more reports on your blog, all the best