Kit for cycle touring/general camping

[Paul_B]

Looking to kit up with pots and tent for a range of uses from cycle touring (possibly backpacking too) through to short weekend car camping trips.

We've done all the UL solo tent/tarp trips in the past backpacking and both me and my partner have all that kit. We have also bought big heavy tents from a 3 man car camping vango omega through to a Vango 6 man week long plus trip tent with the car. We need something that is 3 possibly 4 man to take me, my partner and a toddler on a cycle tour but is large enough for a weekend trip with the car. I do wonder about those tunnel or semi geodesics with the extended porch like Lightwave, hilleberg and Nordisk do. i don't have hilleberg money spare for it though.

We are also looking at cooking kit. We use old pots that used to be used at home for car camping but they are very bulky and we are looking to reduce the bulk in the car. Also our lightweight stuff is not big enough for a family cook either cycle touring trip or car camping. So we need a good stacking set of pots which all goes into the larger pot for low bulk. Must also be reasonable weight. Wondering about the MSR Flex or their other system pots with plates and mugs.

We are using a low profile vango gas stove for short weekend and for cycle tours where we intend to camp. No pre-heater though so I want a new one that has a preheater. just can't justify even £45 for a primus spider.

If anyone has any recommendations for the tent, pots (with or without plates and mugs stored inside them) and perhaps a reasonable stove to use I'd appreciate it. All things must be suitable to be carried on a bike but also easy/nice to use when car camping.

PS just realized we need camp mats too. Would like Exped Downmats but they seem to be £150 to £200 each. I'm 6'5" so would need the XL ones which are pricey. Would need the standard or the one slightly smaller but not 3/4 for the missus and perhaps a small one for the young lad. Would like the mats to be joined (two together) with a kit like Exped and Thermarest do.

Any advice people?

 

[mrcharly]

I've done cycle touring with a toddler. Easiest way was to take a kids cycle trailer - they fell asleep in it and dozed for a lot of the riding. Easy to chuck in a cuddly toy, too.

Tunnel tents are good - decent interior volume for the bulk. Keeping bulk down is important.

Why the exped mats in particular? I know they have a good rep, but are pricey.

We used a sheepskin as a mat for our kid back then. Worked from age 5months upwards and doubled as a blanket in the trailer.

 

[tiger stacker]

When it comes to cooking pots i like to visit the Scout shop for inspiration. Dixies are always a good cooking pot, from frying to simmering. stoves well primus is still going strong, with hexi for the kelly kettle. Hope this helps

 

[Paul_B]

I've done cycle touring with a toddler. Easiest way was to take a kids cycle trailer - they fell asleep in it and dozed for a lot of the riding. Easy to chuck in a cuddly toy, too.

Tunnel tents are good - decent interior volume for the bulk. Keeping bulk down is important.

Why the exped mats in particular? I know they have a good rep, but are pricey.

We used a sheepskin as a mat for our kid back then. Worked from age 5months upwards and doubled as a blanket in the trailer.

We currently have car camping double mattress (leaked slowly from day 1, they always do). WE have gotten used to the comfort. I used to use a TAR and she used a simple CCF mat but that is really bulky. We're both from backpacking side of things although I went UL she was happy with a big sack. We have never done a trip together though. Partly because I go tarp route and she has a UL tent (one of the tiny Vango F10 versions of TN Lasers, about Zephyros sort of weight or a bit lighter). My summer mat used to be a torso mat I made out of a 130g Robens CCF mat. I lay down on it and drew my upper body from my shoulders to just below my torso then cut that out. Then I taped and scored it so it would naturally fold neatly into the back of my frameless pack. In case you didn't know Robens are one budget maker who actually makes cheap and very light CCF mats. I got a 3 season (very thin CCF) mat for sub £4 and it weighed 130g despite being full sized at 187cm x 75cm (I think the width is right, the length is right since that is the common length for standard mats).

Anyway, what I now have is not going to work for us so might as well get the same thing. We would like thicker mats for comfort, well I would but she is still considering getting some CCF and cutting it so it fits the inside of the tent completely. I would think we could find something from Wickes better and cheaper than buying a load of Karrimats (or multimats or other brands like Robens = cheaper ones). If there is anything low bulk, warm enough to cope with milder winter/autumn car camps, light and comfortable other than exped downmats or their synmats we'd be interested. There seems to a whole bundle of cheaper inflatable airmats out now but without sufficient insulative material in them (at the top layer and/or the bottom) then they can end up being cold. I reckon we are at the limit of our simple double airbed right now. the likes of Neo Air just seems too flimsy and centred around the UL backpacking brigade not more general use.

As said bulk is probably more of an issue than weight up to a point.

I like the idea of sheepskin to a point, similarly reindeer, but I only have memories of a sheepskin rug my parents had when I was a kid. it was still attached to the skin/leather (obviously) and was very heavy.

We have a child trailer and seat. We may end up taking both and just giving the lad a choice. He canbe happy in both but he does like the feeling of being in among us more on the seat. I can fit the seat on my bike above the rack with panniers but my partner can't so that would mean I'd have to have him on the seat. She could tow the trailer. We did wonder about getting a burley cargo trailer too. We both have hitches and seat brackets on both our bikes so we could swap trailers and/or child seat over too. Reckon a trailer would replace two sets of panniers or at least one set. Together with a bar bag and/or frame bag we would be sorted. Thinking of looking at getting one of those Alpkit bags designed to be strapped under the seat and other places. They are dry bags with strap loops fixed along the edge. Using the supplied 2 straps you can attache them to a range of places. I've seen tourers heading up the A6 nearby with them before. Even seen one guy touring on a road bike without panniers using them. I live on a popular route for the LEJOG so get to see a few tourers as I drive or ride on it.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

My heavyweight cycle touring kitchen is a MSR Whisperlite Internationale stove, and the MSR Alpine 2 cookset. It's not the lightest set out there, but it's proved to be very durable and works well together. The stove fits inside the pots, and then I have a pocket on the outside of one of my panniers for the fuel bottle to sit in. I have been pondering something lighter, and titanium for some trips, but I won't be getting rid of the MSR set any time soon.

I use Orikaso flat wear plates currently (now rebranded as fozzils). They work well, pack down to next to nothing, and weight very little. Not always ideal if you have a big hot stew in them. I have been considering the X-Plate and Bowl set. Or a titanium plate as a possible replacement, but haven't made my mind up.

I use an Exped Synmat 7 UL. It's lovely and warm, packs down tiny, and weighs very little. One of the best bits of camping kit I've bought. Unless you're planning on camping on snow, I'm not sure there is justification for the extra cost of the downmats.

I too have been looking for a new tent to use when cycle touring. I use a folding Brompton and want something big enough for me, and the bike. I posted a thread about it recently. In the bigger realm, there are some good value teepee/lavvu style tents that are light weight on the backpackinglight site. I have no direct experience of any of them, but the service from BPL is second to none, if you gave them a call I'm sure they could advise.

Julia

 

[Paul_B]

I've looked at BPL-UK shelters. There's the Luxe brand but IIRC they only come with a 2 man inner. I used to know about a Cumbria based cottage company making nests for pyramid/ golite sl3 style tents but not sure they're still operating or make custom nests for other brands. Also it makes the whole solution expensive.
I think I'm more interested in one of the extended porch Lightwave tents. I even emailed the company for their recommendations. A week later the founder/owner emailed me with some very good advice. He told me what they sell most to cycle tourers or bikepackers. The extended porch versions of tunnel or semi geodesic tents from the trail range. Gave me advice about other aspects of touring and backpacking. Good service IMHO. Plus I've found one selling at a really good.price too.