Category: Advice Articles
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Everything you ever needed to know about desert expeditions
Just a quick blog to draw attention to my newly published Desert Expedition Resources. I’ve collected all of the articles I’ve written about desert expeditions which cover, amongst other things: the definition of what actually constitutes a desert, daily water rations of famous desert explorers, which minerals you need to replace to avoid dehydration, a…
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The Best Podcasts for Travelling
On my first big cycle trip, I deliberately didn’t take an MP3 player. Part of the trip’s joy was to get away from modern life and make me appreciate its trappings all the more when I returned. On my current trip, a year or more on the road, my MP3 player has been an absolute…
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How to get the best night’s sleep on an air mattress
A guest blog today from James Menta who runs the Best Air Mattress Guide. If you’re looking for an inflatable bed then his website is the place to go. You might also like my Comparison of Camping Mats article. Now, I’ll let James put you to sleep… [divide] How to get the best night’s sleep…
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Communicating without language
In the middle of a cafe shack, somewhere in the Vietnamese jungle, Tim mimed pulling his trousers down and squatted on the floor. The two lady cafe owners fell about laughing, then shook their head and shrugged. They clearly had no idea what we were talking about. We’re getting nowhere and I’m desperate. Let’s just…
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Exped Synmat UL 7 – Camping Mat Review
The Exped Synmat 7 UL (ultralite / ultralight) is a new inflatable sleeping pad / camping mattress from Exped. My wife and I have been using two of them for the last nine months as we have cycled from the UK to Asia. This review is based on our experiences with them and 15 years…
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Are Bivi Bags Better Than Tents For Cycle Touring?
A question from a reader about using bivi bags on cycle tours rather than a tent: Mr. Moss, Having just finished reading about you wild camping in Seoul, I was wondering if you and Laura even bother with tents anymore, or what your rationale is with using bivy sacks instead. Cheers, and happy trails! Andrew…
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PacLite is Dead, Long Live Goretex Active
Berghaus have provided clothing for our trip and, in particular, waterproofs. Our jackets and Laura’s trousers are made of the new fabric known as Goretex Active. For many years prior to the release of Goretex Active, the de facto lightweight waterproof material was Goretex PacLite. PacLite is/was known for being the lightest form of Goretex,…
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How to Make Your Sleeping Bag Smaller – Ortlieb Compression Dry Bag Review
Your sleeping bag is often the largest item in your bag. When it comes to packing it, you usually have one of two choices: A compression bag – squeezes it down small but leaves it at risk of getting wet A dry bag – keeps those precious feathers dry but leaves you with a…
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Brooks Lands End & John O’Groats Panniers – Reviewed
Brooks England are best known for their iconic (and excellent) leather saddles. However, they do in fact have a wide range of other products. Most of their products fall into the category of beautiful but expensive. Their new pannier range – Brooks Lands End Panniers and Brooks John O’Groats Panniers – however, also happens to…
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Expedition Travel Insurance
Complete listings of all the best travel insurance companies for expeditions and adventure. Including: cycle touring, mountaineering, climbing, Arctic, Antarctic and Greenland icecap. Updated February 2020 Expedition travel insurance is a topic about which I have received a lot of emails. People struggling to get cover for trips of a long duration, particularly cycling tours,…
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Polar 101: Everything You Need to Know About Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions
Well, perhaps that’s a bit of an exaggeration but here is a collection of articles that I have written about travelling in the Arctic and Antarctic. UPDATE: Download a copy of my new ebook How To Get To The North Pole now >> I’m not a polar explorer, or even a “polar adventurer”, but I…
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Managing knee pain and back pain for cyclists
Knee, hip and back pain are common complaints among cyclists. They are certainly my weak points, with a gait that is often more akin to an old woman, rather than a relatively fit thirty-one year old. I am not a physio and have no training in sports massage, personal training or anything similar. Over the…