Equipment

Below is a list of the kit I used at some point during my trip – I didn’t carry it all at once! I had specific bits posted out to me when I need them, changing gear for different climates. Depending on how much food and water I had on board I carried between 30 and 45 kg of gear.

The Bike

A Sanots Travelmaster. Santos are a Dutch brand that put together custom built touring bikes. I purchased it from MSG Bikes in Lancing, UK.
Santos Travelmaster 2.6 Cromo Rohloff
Frame
Travelmaster 2.6 cromo
Frame Colour
Santos Black
Fork
Santos Travelmaster (extra strong)
Headset
Chris King black
Mudguards
SKS Black – both now removed
Prop stands
Rear kick stand – broken and not replaced
Bottle& Cages
3 x water bottles & holders
Handlebars
Multi-position / ‘butterfly’
Grips
Leather brown – now disintegrated!
Stem
Adjustable
Saddle
Brooks B17 black
Seat post
Cane Creek Thudbuster Long travel
Shifter
Rohloff
Chainset & BB
Initially lightweight aluminium with SKF bottom bracket
Replaced bottom bracket after about 42,000 km to cheap Shimano
Chain
Initially KMC Gold (Titanium – Nitride anti corrosion) which did about 14,000 km. I usually replace chains every 8000 km or so.
Brakes
Shimano XT V-brake
Front Wheel
Handbuilt Son dynamo, silver, 36h, tungsten carbide touring rim. The rim is still the original. Replaced dynamo front hub. Currently using a cheap Shimano.
Rear Wheel
Handbuilt Rohloff silver, 32h, tungsten carbide touring rim. Again still using original back rim.
Tyres
Schwalbe – I use Marathon Extreme, Dureme, Supreme, Plus and Mondial depending upon the terrain.
Pedals
I started with Shimano 530 SPD & normal, long since replaced.
Bike Accessories
2 x Ortlieb Back roller plus panniers, 2 x Ortlieb Front roller plus panniers, Altura Handlebar bag, 40 L dry bag (sits on rear rack), Tubus logo back rack and Tubus tara front rack, Front and rear lights, Cable lock with combination padlock, Bungees x 2, Reflectors, Helmet, 3 Water bottles, A side mirror, A bell, Handlebar mounted compass.
Tools & Spares
Leatherman wave, Park MTB 3 rescue multitool, Adjustable spanner, Pump, Puncture repair kit and patches, Tyre levers, Grease, Lubricant, Chain tool, Old rag, Electrical tape, Lots of tie-wraps (zip ties), Old toothbrush, Extra inner tubes x 4, Extra screws / bearings / nuts / bolts / washers / cable end caps, Brake blocks / pads – Aztec, Spare Shimano brake and Rohloff gear cables, Extra spokes, Spare Chain, Spare tyre – Schwalbe, Tyre repair patches, Tent repair kit, Stove repair kit
Camping gear
Nomad expedition poncho (can also be used as a groundsheet / tarp / sleeping bag cover / to protect downmat), Exped downmat 9, Marmot Pinnacle Sleeping bag, Hilleberg Staika two man tent, 10 Litre Ortlieb water bag, Sea to Summit cotton sleeping bag liner, Assorted dry bags – Sea to summit
Cooking gear
Optimus Nova omnifuel stove, Thermos flask, 0.75 L Stove fuel bottle and petrol / white gas, Sawyer water filter, Resealable plastic bags, Tupperware x 1, Small saucepan and frying pan, Scourer, Corkscrew, Mug, plate and cutlery, Old film canisters containing spices, salt and pepper, Stock cubes, Little bottle of oil, Food incl 2 packets of emergency noodles in case I run out.
Clothing

Shimano SD65 SPD sandals, Trainers (‘sneakers’ for my American friends), Buffs x 2, Cap, Technicals Beanie, Sunglasses, Craghoppers Base T-shirts x 2, Endura Transmission long sleeved baselayer, The Cragghoppers Corey microfleece, One hooded sweater, Socks and underwear, Padded Endura lycra cycling shorts, The Craghoppers Kiwi Classic Winterwalk trousers, Polaris Surge Overtrousers, Endura Burner ¾ trousers, Endura Hummvee trousers, Polaris Attack gloves, Endura Fusion jacket, Endura windbreaker, Swimming shorts, Luminous cycling top

Electronic kit

Petzl MYO RXP head torch, Panasonic G1 camera, lead and charger with zoom and wide angle lenses, Go Pro Hero 2 Camera with waterproof and normal housing, spare batteries and cable, Tripod, Memory cards, IPod with 160GB memory and lead, Headphones, Kindle, Pill speakers, Spare batteries – assorted, Specialized cycle computer, USB Memory stick, Portable hard drive, Gateway Netbook, Electric plug adaptor, Kestrel Weather Meter, Credit card LED torch

Documents

Moleskine Journal, Business cards, Travel insurance details, Passport, Old Passport Photo of bike, Glasses prescription, Vaccination details and yellow fever certificate, EHIC card for healthcare when traveling in Europe, Important bits from various instruction manuals (stove, cameras), Emergency contact / NOK details, Useful phone numbers (including credit card loss/theft hotline), Passport size photos, Transparent pockets for docs

Medical kit

Bag / pouch, Antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin, Metronidazole, Co-amoxiclav), Doxycycline (antimalarial), Co-codamol 30/500, Paracetamol, Lignocaine (local anaesthetic), Antifungal cream, Water for injections, Loperamide (for diarrhoea), Ibuprofen, Chlorpheniramine (Piriton, antihistamine), Quinine (in case of malarial infection despite prophylaxis), Sublingual antiemetic, Oral rehydration sachets, Antacids, Stethoscope, Venflons, needles and syringes, Digital thermometer, Alcohol gel, Rolls of bandages and safety pins, Triangular bandages, Tubigrip, Gloves – normal / sterile, Stitches (novofil / ethylon), Steristrips (friars balsam), Elastoplast,, Sterile gauze, Water purification tablets, Micropore tape, Scissors, Stitch holder, Sterile drape

Miscellaneous

Money incl. 100 US emergency dollars stash, Wallet and fake wallet (contains low value bills and old credit card, keep somewhere accesible), Debit and Credit cards, International phone card, Two books, Wash kit with soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, detergent, toilet paper, Towel, P20 Sunblock, Universal sink plug, Survival kit with firesteel, waterproof matches and wire saw, Cord, Sewing kit and thread, Pens, Twisted clothes line, Safety pins, Ear plugs, Glasses, Small backpack for day trips off bike, Maps, Small combination padlock for lockers in hostels, Rubber bands, Insect repellent, Mesh bag for laundry

Comments (3)

  • Avatar

    Gombo Lama

    |

    thank you sir for sharing your equipment details it would be a great help to me

  • Avatar

    Abigail

    |

    Big thanks to you for sharing such great information.

Comments are closed