Some
people respond with looks of utter bewilderment when they hear we are planning
a trip through both Central and South America, so I want to address the
nitty-gritty, nuts-and-bolts of our trip by describing what gear we are
bringing, and why/how it made the list. Firstly, it is important to recognize
that we are undertaking a purely self-contained bicycle expedition. Meaning
that we will be carrying all of the gear we need, for the duration of the trip
without outside help.
Bikes
First and foremost we need a bicycle able to carry 30-50 lbs of gear, and ourselves, over diverse terrain for an extremely long distance. Others in the international long-distance bicycle touring recommend steel framed bicycles, especially in Latin America, because of their immense durability, and fix-ability. Finding someone with the know-how of steel welding is much more likely than aluminum welding. While this will make our bike much heavier, we will be confident in our bikes ability to physically make it to Ushuaia.
The more bicycle repairs we are able to do ourselves the better, but we must consider traveling light and pack-ability, so we will bring a small wrench set and bike multi tool, spare tire tubes and patch kit, extra chain (if uncommon), extra spokes, lubricant, bicycle pump,barge-cement and duct-tape. Ideally the bike we will end up getting for the trip will have relatively international parts. Certain gear we will all carry individually, but some will be considered group items, and will be carried inside of two rear mounted riding panniers, and possibly a front saddlebag as well. Waterproofing is a must since we are expecting heavy rainfall, and a capacity to hold our food, cooking equipment, camping gear, first aid kit, fuel, camera, water purification, clothing, paperwork, extra socks, hacky sack, etc.
Food and Lodging
Have we mentioned we are planning on camping, and cooking our own meals whenever possible? Well we are! Time to bust out, both mine and Ben’s backpacking tents which sleep two persons each, and prepare them with additional waterproofing seam sealer, zipper lubricant, uv protective spray, and an air freshener! We are sure to experience heavy bargaining for whoever has the luxury, or misfortune (leopard infested jungles), to be in the solo-tent. The rest of our camping and cooking gear is similar to what you would experience on a backpacking expedition. Our cooking equipment includes a MSR international stove (uses a variety of fuel sources, including gasoline), one large pot, fry pan, pot grip, lid, and possibly an outback oven (insulating cover which would allow us to bake). While I cannot speak for the other two members, my additional camping equipment will include a ¾ length, 1” thickness, Therm-a-rest, which I like because of the lightness and compact-ability combined with the comfort of an inflated mattress. Additionally, I will bring a synthetic (not down-filled, because of greater heat retention when wet) sleeping bag rated to 20 °F, head lamp, and as is always a staple to bring on my back country trips, a balaclava my sister gave me.
Safety First
While it has not been put together yet, our first aid kit will be designed with three goals in mind. First to prevent injury or illness, second to deal with anything that might happen, and lastly to be practical and packable. The first will be accomplished by containing extra water purification chemicals (aqua-mira), extra soap to keep our hands and food clean, latex gloves, and blister/hotspot treatment. Considering the most likely medical issue we will encounter on the trip will be traveler’s diarrhea, we will have anti-diarrheal medication, and general antibiotics. Furthermore, we will carry athletic tape, gauze, aspirin, steri-stripes, ACE wrap, electrolytes, a nasty tasting glucose source (so we don’t prematurely eat it), Benadryl, tincture of benzoin, syringe, etc… In addition to our first-aid kit, each of us will each carry a smart-phone, or ipod, which can be used to connect to internet sources in cities, and used to blog, contact home, send dirty emails, get help, and so forth.
How You Can Help
We already have lots of the gear we need. However, if something has been sitting in your garage or shop for too long, feel free to inquire if we could make use of it. For example, travel sized ukulele, funkily decorated helmet, recently sweated in jerseys, not completely worn out biking shorts, a personal memento, or really anything, never hurts to ask!
Bikes
First and foremost we need a bicycle able to carry 30-50 lbs of gear, and ourselves, over diverse terrain for an extremely long distance. Others in the international long-distance bicycle touring recommend steel framed bicycles, especially in Latin America, because of their immense durability, and fix-ability. Finding someone with the know-how of steel welding is much more likely than aluminum welding. While this will make our bike much heavier, we will be confident in our bikes ability to physically make it to Ushuaia.
The more bicycle repairs we are able to do ourselves the better, but we must consider traveling light and pack-ability, so we will bring a small wrench set and bike multi tool, spare tire tubes and patch kit, extra chain (if uncommon), extra spokes, lubricant, bicycle pump,barge-cement and duct-tape. Ideally the bike we will end up getting for the trip will have relatively international parts. Certain gear we will all carry individually, but some will be considered group items, and will be carried inside of two rear mounted riding panniers, and possibly a front saddlebag as well. Waterproofing is a must since we are expecting heavy rainfall, and a capacity to hold our food, cooking equipment, camping gear, first aid kit, fuel, camera, water purification, clothing, paperwork, extra socks, hacky sack, etc.
Food and Lodging
Have we mentioned we are planning on camping, and cooking our own meals whenever possible? Well we are! Time to bust out, both mine and Ben’s backpacking tents which sleep two persons each, and prepare them with additional waterproofing seam sealer, zipper lubricant, uv protective spray, and an air freshener! We are sure to experience heavy bargaining for whoever has the luxury, or misfortune (leopard infested jungles), to be in the solo-tent. The rest of our camping and cooking gear is similar to what you would experience on a backpacking expedition. Our cooking equipment includes a MSR international stove (uses a variety of fuel sources, including gasoline), one large pot, fry pan, pot grip, lid, and possibly an outback oven (insulating cover which would allow us to bake). While I cannot speak for the other two members, my additional camping equipment will include a ¾ length, 1” thickness, Therm-a-rest, which I like because of the lightness and compact-ability combined with the comfort of an inflated mattress. Additionally, I will bring a synthetic (not down-filled, because of greater heat retention when wet) sleeping bag rated to 20 °F, head lamp, and as is always a staple to bring on my back country trips, a balaclava my sister gave me.
Safety First
While it has not been put together yet, our first aid kit will be designed with three goals in mind. First to prevent injury or illness, second to deal with anything that might happen, and lastly to be practical and packable. The first will be accomplished by containing extra water purification chemicals (aqua-mira), extra soap to keep our hands and food clean, latex gloves, and blister/hotspot treatment. Considering the most likely medical issue we will encounter on the trip will be traveler’s diarrhea, we will have anti-diarrheal medication, and general antibiotics. Furthermore, we will carry athletic tape, gauze, aspirin, steri-stripes, ACE wrap, electrolytes, a nasty tasting glucose source (so we don’t prematurely eat it), Benadryl, tincture of benzoin, syringe, etc… In addition to our first-aid kit, each of us will each carry a smart-phone, or ipod, which can be used to connect to internet sources in cities, and used to blog, contact home, send dirty emails, get help, and so forth.
How You Can Help
We already have lots of the gear we need. However, if something has been sitting in your garage or shop for too long, feel free to inquire if we could make use of it. For example, travel sized ukulele, funkily decorated helmet, recently sweated in jerseys, not completely worn out biking shorts, a personal memento, or really anything, never hurts to ask!
-Jonathan
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