Gear

Equipment and Gear List

In 2009 after coming up with the idea to tour, I went through the motions of selling everything I owned, short of a few books and kitchen supplies. Things become very real once your bed is sold, so I moved to a furnished apartment to finish the rest of the selling and donating. I commenced the acquisition of gear and planning a budget for travels which is to be detailed on another page.

I’ve broken down the gear used into a few categories, and also list the decommissioned parts that just didn’t cut it for me, broke, wore out, or were lost along the way. A fair amount of research has been done to find the right combination of gear, delicately balancing budget vs weight.

If you click on the the link of the gear it will open a new window with the option option to buy the part from a retailer that I have partnered with. While it is not much, I do receive a small commission which can help further my travels.Go ahead and check out the various parts and click on them for a photograph, more detailed information, and if you so wish, purchase one for yourself! It’ll help me continue traveling.

Costs are in Canadian currency, and all weight is measured in grams.

Total Weight:42.8 kilograms

The Bicycle

While a bicycle should last one an entire tour, I’ve switched my bicycle components around 2 years into riding. See, I hadn’t ridden a bicycle in about 20 years and jumped into this literally over the course of a weekend of research. Luckily, the folks who gave me the first starting advice put me towards the right path and I chose a rock solid bicycle that is certainly capable of making it around the world. Being the over-engineering type, I started to think after I had put a significant amount of mileage on the first bicycle on how I can further increase my efficiency, save time, and still have a reliable bicycle. Check below for more info:

---

Camping Gear

Since finding a roof over my head at the end of the day can be difficult at the best of times, I figured it was best to carry camping gear so that I could go hop in the bush on the side of the road if necessary (I actually prefer this to campsites, pricey hotels, cramped hostels) and pitch a tent without anyone bothering me – also known as Stealth Camping.

---

Living

As above, I can’t guarantee that I’m going to have restaurants and grocery stores available to eat on demand, so one of my panniers is actually food and cooking supplies. I can cook a surprising amount of food with my little cook set, not to mention run any sort of fuel in my stove should I be in a remote location. If I didn’t have my hot coffee in the morning, I don’t think I’d make it more than 5km per day…

---

Clothing

I’m ready for all 4 seasons depending on where I’m going to be, and the key is layering my clothes. While in hot climates it’s not necessary to have much clothes, so I end up wearing one of the layers in colder climates as a base layer. I’ve got enough clothes (and in my mind too many in general) to keep me going for a few weeks without washing them, as they stay generally clean, and are able to avoid most foul odours. I love my merino wool!

---

Tools & Spare Parts

While I try not to have too much weight, it makes sense to carry along a set of tools for maintenance of the bicycle and some spare parts should failures occur. Electrical tape and zip straps can usually get one out of most situations temporarily! Plus, it makes another passing cyclist feel really good if they are having a problem with their bicycle or gear and I can help them get back on their way with a quick fix.

---

Technology and Electronics

In order to keep in contact with friends and family, update the website, archive and upload photos, reload music players, I carry the following electronic components with me to make my life easier. The goal now is consoidation, and I’m always on the look out for shock proof, water resistant tools that have good warranties. So far it’s a bit of a pipe dream.. The worst part of the mass of electronics is the fact that I have to charge each component and some of them come with their own proprietary charging connectors. I’ve attempted to standardize on Mini USB. I have a series of components that allow me to charge everything that I own while riding. It takes a while to get things fully charged, but I figured since I was riding anyways, I should get some benefit out of it, saving me an hour a day trying to find AC power to keep components running.