Gear choices feel rather personal to me. They are heavily discussed around events and when I started off, I searched the internet to find out what the pros were doing. In the end, I scraped, scrounged, and hustled to build a kit with what I had and a few extra basics; this did the job just fine. Starting from a pieced together kit, the rest is just refinement, step-by-step.

My Mountain Equipment sleeping bag was purchased for my very first bikepacking trip in 2016. It was what I could afford at the time and all I needed. This sleeping bag has been my go-to for 7 whole years! I have washed and treated it as well as possible, but it’s surely time for it to retire, but I still use it now and then. Recently, I needed an upgrade for the Silk Road Mountain Race, and the quilt I bought was a big investment, and a 7-year jump forward in quality. My new quilt packs smaller, is lighter, and keeps me warmer at night. Perfect!

Initially, I thought my Mountain Equipment sleeping bag would be perfect for my “light set-up” in this instalment of reflections on my bikepacking gear. However, as I wrote down all the specs, I realized that this bag wasn't light at all, especially after accumulating 7 years of dirt, sweat, and dust. It used to be my only set up, or what I considered to be my light set up, but things have changed. Perhaps that will be the point of this series about my gear - often, the stuff you already have will suffice… and it’s probably just fine, especially if you don't have much to compare it to!

While I continued using the slightly heavy sleeping bag, I decided to buy down pants in 2022, inspired by Lael Wilcox. This added an extra layer of insulation, and crawling out of the comfortable burrito during crisp mornings was transformed from uncomfortable to tolerable. Now I wear both my down pants and puffer jacket in the early mornings, even while cycling, until I warm up enough to starting peeling layers off.

Another solution that I frequently use is the emergency blanket. I could probably buy an emergency bivy like the SOL model, and maybe I'll be convinced one day since it basically does what my blanket does, but I’m stubborn. My emergency blanket acts as an extra layer to my sleeping system, either on top or under my quilt and sleeping pad. If I know I will likely be using my emergency blanket as a component of my sleep system, I bring a second one to truly act as an emergency-only blanket and to comply with race rules. These blankets are generally fragile and get destroyed through regular use, not ideal if things go pear-shaped.

CHAPTER I

INTRO