[LEL17] My gear checklist, feel free to copy or comment

[canuckystan]

Here's my checklist if you want to compare and contrast to yours.  Any comments welcome.

Personal Care Items
•   Chamois cream
•   Wet wipes
•   Kleenex
•   Sunscreen
•   Ibuprofen
•   Caffeine pills
•   Peptobismol chewable tabs
•   Sudafed or Claritin
•   Thin towels X 2 for drop bags
•   Microtowel (on bike)
•   One large, one small ziplock bag for food
•   Nuun tabs (some for drop bags)
•   Probars for bike and drop bags
•   Toothbrush / paste (travel)
•   Shampoo (travel)
•   Deodorant (travel)
•   Small first aid kit with bandaids, blister tabs, etc.
•   Ear plugs
•   Cash and credit card on bike
Accessories
•   Luggage straps
•   Portable bike lock
•   Duracell quantum AA batteries (4 AA on bike, rest in drop bags)
•   Spare front light with fork mount and allen key with fresh batteries (on bike)
•   Zip ties (on bike)
•   Multi tool,sealant and injecto, tire lever, chain breaker(?)
•   Air pressure gauge (on bike)
•   Pump with pressure gauge for trip (not on bike leave at BNB)
•   GPS
•   Attach LED flex light to carradice bag holder
•   Front and rear bags
•   AAA duracell quantum batteries (2 batteries)
•   Power battery charger and cable for phone
•   Sports watch with time and day of the week (not just date)
•   3 water bottles, 2 big one small

Clothing
•   5 shorts, wear one, 4 in bag drop
•   5 jerseys, wear one, 4 in bag drop
•   5 cycling socks, wear one, 4 in bag drop
•   Silk shorts for sleeping
•   Croc sandals (on bike)
•   Wool socks (on bike)
•   Undershirt (on bike)
•   Undershirt (one in bag drop)
•   Arm warmers (on bike)
•   Leg warmers (on bike
•   Gillet vest (on bike)
•   Reflective sash (on bike)
•   Rain coat (on bike)
•   Rain gloves (on bike)
•   Cycling gloves (on hands)
•   Clear sunglasses (on bike)
•   Tinted sunglasses (on face)
•   Helmet
•   Rain booties (on bike)
•   Mid fleece layer hoodie (on bike)
•   Thin headband (on bike)
•   Cycling shoes (on feet)
•   Crocs sandals (on bike)

Navigation/Planning
•   Print off “Let us help plan your ride” email from LEL with control cutoff times
•   Print cue cards from website
•   Download UK maps to Garmin
•   Download LEL rout to Garmin
•   Get offline map for phone (?)
•   Printed maps? Maps for controls?

[chrisbainbridge]

I would make sure that your routes are saved on the microSD card rather than in the main Garmin memory.  IF you have a total Garmin failure and have to do a full hard reset then you will still have the routes available!

[mongo]

For the drop bag items, you may want to weigh them individually & see how they total up to get 2.2kg/bag. 

I know I had to cut back on what I wanted to bring since my "food". skratch lab mix, took up 1/3 of the allowance which only allowed my 1 bib short, 1 heavy tights for cold/wet weather for North England/Scotland, 1 wool t-shirt, one wool rapha jersey, 2 pairs of light wool socks, 2 anker batteries to recharge garmin across 600-700K, 2 nuuns, 1 shorts for sleeping, one small sports towel, small bottle(50g?)of shower gel....& that is all I could fit into my Brampton bag

[Chris S]

I wouldn't do a ride over 200km without a supply of Immodium, but that's probably just me.

[Ivo]

I wouldn't do a ride over 200km without a supply of Immodium, but that's probably just me.

Indeed, an extra packet of tempo's and a keen eye for bushes is a good alternative

[Ivo]

Nowadays a sufficiently large powerbank for all the electronics you nowadays 'need' during LEL (phone, MP3 player etc.). Don't expect to be able to charge anything needing mains during LEL.

[Veloman]

I would make sure that your routes are saved on the microSD card rather than in the main Garmin memory.  IF you have a total Garmin failure and have to do a full hard reset then you will still have the routes available!

+1 to storing on SD card.

Also have paper copy of how to reboot after white screen of death just in case you forget to ensure a hard shutdown and tiredness fuddled your brain.  (Although not sure which Garmin you will be using)

Nowadays a sufficiently large powerbank for all the electronics you nowadays 'need' during LEL (phone, MP3 player etc.). Don't expect to be able to charge anything needing mains during LEL.

Again +1 and as an emergency even if you have on bike charging option for electronic items.

[Bolt]

Navigation/Planning
•   Print off “Let us help plan your ride” email from LEL with control cutoff times

I've just checked and I don't seem to have received such an email?  Is it a generic one or tailored to your start time?

[mongo]

The email sent w/ the customized control times for your start time was sent awhile back...May 14th.  So maybe it got buried.

[markram]

Any comments welcome.

Clothing
•   Croc sandals (on bike)
•   Crocs sandals (on bike)

You probably only need one pair of Crocs!

[Moleman76]

Perhaps:

One extra of each critical nut or bolt that might rattle loose.
Spare shoe-cleat and cleat bolts (you do have "check shoes" on your "ere we part from Canuckistan" list, correct?)

If taking the chain breaker, a few chain links and repair links?
Spokes of appropriate lengths

Small bottle of chain lubricant (might have to buy in UK if not an item allowed on aircraft)

Stocking cap (in case ears chill at night)

Some hand-held or helmet-mounted light for reading cue sheet at night, repairing tyres

Off-line maps on phone implies "phone"; will it also be your camera?

Small tablet and pencil / pen
Postcard map of Canuckistan so you can show people where you live.

And maybe a few more ziplock bags

[canuckystan]

Added!  Thanks.

Perhaps:

One extra of each critical nut or bolt that might rattle loose.
Spare shoe-cleat and cleat bolts (you do have "check shoes" on your "ere we part from Canuckistan" list, correct?)

If taking the chain breaker, a few chain links and repair links?
Spokes of appropriate lengths

Small bottle of chain lubricant (might have to buy in UK if not an item allowed on aircraft)

Stocking cap (in case ears chill at night)

Some hand-held or helmet-mounted light for reading cue sheet at night, repairing tyres

Off-line maps on phone implies "phone"; will it also be your camera?

Small tablet and pencil / pen
Postcard map of Canuckistan so you can show people where you live.

And maybe a few more ziplock bags

[mongo]

You may want to add a hat/helmet cover for when it rains.

Sleep mask...not sure if it is needed at the controls, but could be handy if trying to catch a nap during the day.

Seat cover...depending if your saddle is leather or not & if you expect it to rain

Lip balm....I have seen nasty cases of burnt, chapped lips from the wind

Long finger gloves for when it gets cold...the rain gloves may be sufficient, but thin long finger gloves are nice especially if you need to work the Garmin

[Dai P]

Bike will need one to carry all the gear.

[frillipippi]

I would make sure that your routes are saved on the microSD card rather than in the main Garmin memory.  IF you have a total Garmin failure and have to do a full hard reset then you will still have the routes available!

If you store important data on the microSD then be careful not to repeat my experience (with etrex, maybe other Garmin models are built in a different way): while I was changing batteries, the microSD (with the map of the surrounding area) fell out: I didn't realize it immediately and when I came back to the place where this had happened, I was unable to find it. I spent the rest of the day without the map.

[grams]

small bottle(50g?)of shower gel

A reminder that liquids aren't allowed in drop bags ("Each bag must weigh less than 2.5 kg and contain no fluids, oil or sharp objects"). They're going to be stacked up in huge piles and shoved about and rummaged through so leaking is likely and could ruin a lot of other people's rides.

[aidan.f]

Huge piles of flammable materials cut with assorted li-ion batteries. I do hope the orgs have a fire plan..

[mongo]

I didn't really think of the shower gel as a liquid, but can see that POV.

My chamois cream & the gel are near the same consistency, so we are not allowed to put chamois crime in our bags either?

Just want to understand as I partition the various items into the control bags & what's goes into my Carradice on the bike.

TIA, Scott

small bottle(50g?)of shower gel

A reminder that liquids aren't allowed in drop bags ("Each bag must weigh less than 2.5 kg and contain no fluids, oil or sharp objects"). They're going to be stacked up in huge piles and shoved about and rummaged through so leaking is likely and could ruin a lot of other people's rides.

[thing1]

AIUI the spirit of the no-liquids rule is really to stop it ruining another riders gear should it break & spill. A small half empty "hotel sized" bottle of shampoo, sealed in my washkit bag, and wrapped in spare clothes, would be "impossible" to leak form my bag. That said, a bar or 2 of soap would work just as well so can be avoided.

Sudocrem / lantiseptic is even thicker so I'll certainly feel no worries in packing that in drop bag

[vorsprung]

too much crap

to lose:
•   Thin towels X 2 for drop bags
•   Microtowel (on bike)
•   Deodorant (travel)
•   5 shorts, wear one, 4 in bag drop -   4, 3 in bag
•   5 jerseys, wear one, 4 in bag drop - 4, 3 in bag
•   Croc sandals (on bike)
•   Mid fleece layer hoodie (on bike)

[Wobbly]

You're missing the essential midge repellent.



Or maybe do as me and ride the northern section in a full mosquito net 

[LittleWheelsandBig]

You'll have to take my daily-fresh bike shorts from my cold, dead ...

[Karla]

You don't need shower gel, just take a bar of soap (preferably half-used) and use that for all cleaning purposes.

[mattc]

You don't need shower gel, just take a bar of soap (preferably half-used) and use that for all cleaning purposes.

You'll ruin your lovely hair, darling!

[Karla]

Already ruined: I've been doing this round Central Asia for the past fortnight!