With just 12 days to go before our great adventure, there’s definitely a bit of stress in the air. For some, it helps to make a list of things to do and items to pack. You can call me many things, but most of my efforts usually stem from curiosity. I was curious how much weight we would need to push forward. So, we put together a material list.
I wanted to know in detail, how much the weight of our luggage and material was. So we’ve started carefully weighing almost every item we’re bringing, from the tent all the way down to the nail clippers.
You can check out the details here if you feel like peeking (and wondering, “why on earth do they take that with them?”): The Material list. You can always revisit it by clicking the link in the links section.
But I will not bother you with all the detail here, so I made a bit of a summary:
The division of material between Jan and Leen isn’t completely accurate but it will help balance the weight we’ll carry when we start biking.
Bikes = 38,8 kg
Our new bike weighs about the same as the old Gazelles we used for bikepacking. They’re not lightweight, but we prioritized sturdiness. When you’re flying down a hill on a gravel or cobblestone road with all that gear strapped to your bike, it’s a relief that it doesn’t start rattling and shaking like crazy.
Travel total = 13 kg
What struck me first was the sheer amount of weight needed to simply carry all that material. The bulk is mainly bike bags, chains, and repair gear. So much for the light bags we bought 😂. To be fair, we did choose the sturdy ones, so yes, we could expect some weight.
Camping total = 10 kg
On one of our recent bike packing trips, we estimated our travel weight by stepping on a scale with and without our luggage. Each person carried about 15 kg of gear. Increasing to 20 kg makes sense, as the camping equipment alone is nearly 10 kg, something we’re trying for the first time as bike packers.
Camping includes a tent, sleeping gear, and cooking supplies. An emergency lunch is also packed, just in case Leen gets hangry at 12 o’clock and there’s no food for miles.
Electronics Total = 4 kg
Since I plan to do some photography and reporting during our journey, the electronics are an important consideration. This includes bringing a tablet, a gimble and some backup batteries for our camping time in the wilds of Sweden.
Clothing total = 12,5 kg
Clothing still takes up a fair amount, but that includes coats, shoes, and even what we wear on departure day. We opt for a one-week set of clothes instead of the two-day set many bike packers choose, as a bit of comfort we’re happy to carry. Still, if you check the detailed list, we really stuck to the bare minimum, at least by our standards.
Meds and Hygiene = 2 kg
Meds and hygiene aren’t quite complete yet, but we’re not adding any heavy items here. It’s all about keeping clean and healthy. Leen went out of her way to find lightweight gear, including a soap that doubles as both body wash and shampoo. We’re also going with an electric toothbrush because we want to take good care of our teeth. Plus, its battery supposedly lasts 120 days, making it perfect for bikepacking.
So after reading this, you are still curious about the complete list?
Just click here!
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