Our Kit List for Cycling Around the World

This is a comprehensive list of pretty much every single item that Laura and I have with us, in our panniers, on our bikes and about our persons.

We have written separately about particular areas of kit already e.g. wet weather gear, electronics and what we wore down to -20C. In the meantime, here is an unfiltered list. Questions and comments welcome as always.

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Bikes

Ridgeback Panorama (with shorter stems)

Brooks B17 leather saddles

Brooks handlebar tape

Tubus front and back racks

Decathlon bike computers

Ortlieb Ultimate 5 handlebar bag (one Classic, one Pro; w/Klickfix mount after originals failed)

Ortlieb Classic Roller panniers front and back (Laura)

Brooks Lands End and John O’Groats panniers (Tim)

Topeak saddle bags

Ortlieb rack pack (Tim winter only; Laura winter and after that)

3 bottle cages: 1 bike bottle + 1 water bottle each, plus Thermos (Tim) and 500ml Nalgene pot (Laura)

Abus bike lock and cable (cable lost on the trip)

Helmets

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Sleeping

MSR Hubba Hubba XP tent (with extra groundsheet and stakes)

Insulite 2mm roll mats (85 grams)

Exped Synmat UL Basic (with inflation bag)

Rab Neutrino 300 down sleeping bags (L/R zips to join together)

Berghaus Flare 1100 synthetic sleeping bags

(N.B. Summer in Europe we used the Rab down bags, in winter we used both pairs of bags, for the rest of the trip we just used the Berghaus synthetic bags)

Double silk liner

Ortlieb compression bags (for the sleeping bags)

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Cooking

Primus Omnilite Ti titanium multifuel stove (with spares kit and 1.5 litre fuel bottle)

Cheap gas stove (for puncture gas cannisters)

Primus ETA cooking pots (2 + 3 litres, w/plastic bowls inside)

Windshield and heat reflector

Home made wooden stove board (discarded)

Fire steel and spare lighter

Thin plastic chopping board

Opinel folding knife

Vegetable peeler

Titanium sporks

Wooden spoon

Assorted small plastic pots for spices, oil, soap etc (Nalgene and old 35mm film cases)

Small sealing tupperware pot (for left overs, butter, messy food etc) (sent home)

Cloth

Tiny 9-inch square travel towel (used as tea towel for drying)

Ortlieb 10l folding bowl

2 x Ortlieb 10-litre water bladders

Katadyn water filter pump (sent home)

Steripen UV water purifier

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Tim’s Clothes

Trousers, Berghaus zip-off x 2 (identical so only one pair of legs carried)

T-shirt, merino

Long sleeve top, BAM bamboo

Long sleeve cotton shirt

Pants x 2

Socks x 2(one thick, one thin)

Leggings, BAM bamboo

Fleece top

Primaloft top

Waterproof jacket, Berghaus Goretex Active

Waterproof trousers, Berghaus Goretex Paclite

Waterproof socks, Sealskinz

Waterproof overshoes, Sealskinz

Waterproof gloves, Sealskinz

Fingerless cycling gloves, Sealskinz

Merino liner gloves

Buff

Thin merino hat

Woollen hat (knitted by my mum)

Fleece headband

Hybrid sandals, Keen

SPD cycling shoes, Keen (sent home for winter)

Sunglasses (with replaceable transparent lenses)

Read full details of our clothing >>

Full details of our wet weather gear here

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Tim’s Extra Clothes for Winter

Winter boots, thick fleece lined (bought cheap from Costco, replaced SPD cycling shoes)

Socks, thick woolly merino

Tent booties, fleece

Leggings, woolly merino

Fleece trousers

Long sleeved top, woolly merino

Down jacket, Rab Neutrino Endurance

Balaclava, thick woolly merino

Buffalo jacket w/hood

Buffalo mittens

Waterproof winter mittens, Sealskinz

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Laura’s Clothes

3/4-length leggings, Ronhill lycra

Long sleeve cotton shirt

Trousers, Berghaus zip-off

Leggings, BAM bamboo

Merino T-shirt (rarely worn, sent home)

Linen shirt, Marks and Spencers with 3/4 length sleeves

Long sleeve top, Trekmates bamboo

Dress (bought en route)

Fleece top, Berghaus

Primaloft top, Rab

Knickers x 5

Socks x 2(one thick, one thin)

Shock Absorber sports bras x 2

Waterproof jacket, Berghaus Goretex Active

Waterproof trousers, Berghaus Goretex Active

Waterproof overshoes, Sealskinz

Waterproof overmitts, army surplus

Fingerless cycling gloves, Sealskinz

Full-fingered windproof gloves

Buffalo mitts

Swimming costume

Swimming goggles

Lightweight travel towel

Windstopper headband

Buff-style headband

Fleecy Buff-style tube (to wear round my neck or use as a hat)

Mosquito headnet

Hybrid sandals, Keen

SPD cycling shoes, Keen (sent home for winter)

Sunglasses

Yellow-lensed sunglasses (which I’ve never worn)

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Laura’s Extra Clothes for Winter

Merino leggings

Additional long sleeved top, BAM bamboo

Down jacket, Berghaus

Buffalo jacket w/hood

Socks, thick bamboo

Waterproof socks, Sealskinz

Winter cycling mitts, Sealskinz

Gloves, Sealskinz merino liner

Tent booties, Primaloft

Winter boots, thick fleece lined Khombu winter boots (bought cheap from Costco, replaced SPD cycling shoes)

Read full details of our clothing >>

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Electronics

Cheap mobile phone (dual SIM, quad band, QWERTY keyboard)

Nexus 7 tablets (with one Bluetooth keyboard and USB travel mouse)

Kindle 3 keyboards with 3G

Tupperware pot for storing both tablets and Kindles (crush, dirt and water-proof)

MP3 players (with earphones)

Portable speakers

Universal travel adaptor (with USB)

Universal travel adaptor (USB only)

Assorted USB cables for charging

USB 4-port hub

USB card reader

32gb USB memory stick

32gb SD card

Camlink Z1 universal charger

AA/AAA USB battery charger

GoPro Hero 2 video camera (with helmet, tripod, head and handlebar mounts, and spare battery)

Canon EOS 550D (with 50mm prime and Canon 18-200mm lenses)

Joby GorillaPod tripod

Petzl Militikka head torches (with rechargeable batteries)

Petzl Myo RXP head torches (with rechargeable batteries)

Read the full details of our electronic set up >>

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Toiletries

Travel towel

Flannel

Toothbrush and paste

Deet mosquito repellant

Suncream

Alcohol gel

(Laura also has: tweezers, nail clippers, razor, small tube Balm Balm moisturizer, soap, occasionally shampoo, lipbalm, tea tree oil, ShePee, Mooncup)

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Spare, Repairs & Tools

Leatherman pen knife

Bike multi tool

Leatherman bike tool (includes spoke key)

Tyre levers

Chain tool

Puncture repair kits

Lezyne Pressure Drive pumps x 2

Spare inners x 4

Magic chain links x 4

Assorted spare nuts and bolts

Spare brake pads x 8

Mini cassette removal tool

Spare spokes

Emergency kevlar rear spoke replacement

5 metres cord

Gorilla duct tape

Cable ties

Sewing kit

Hose clamps x 2

Seam Grip glue

Tent repair patches

Platypus repair patches

Exped matt repair patches and glue

Loctite putty

Bungees

Velcro strap

Extra strong rubber bands

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Extras

Ortlieb Cycling First Aid Kit (with additional bits)

Compass

Paper maps from France to Iran

Money belt

Business cards

Pack of cards with family photos on

Pass the Pigs

Mini whiteboard and pen (discarded)

10 x paperbacks (discarded over first few months)

100 x sporks (given away)

Diaries

Notepad and pens x 2

Knitting

Ukelele

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There are over 40 cycle tourers’ kit lists available to browse on the Database of Long Distance Cycle Journeys…