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EQUIPMENT
BIVOUAC EQUIPMENT
Yes, the bivouac equipment IS as critical as the bikes! Don't try to save up money on this.
Fortunatelly, this is not our first trip, so we are quite experienced and the bivouac equipment remains the same wherever we are going!
We explain below our choices for this adventure.
TENT
Landscapes and environments changes every day but not the tent.
Don't forget that during your journey your tent is your home and it's crucial to have it comfortable and light as well because you need to transport it every single day in your bags. This is the place that will give you shelter from the wind, rain and cold after entire days of pedaling...
We have been traveling for a few years now with a Hubba Bubba tent from MSR brand. A very good compromise of weight, size, impermeability and price (although quite high).
Its cover color is khaki green, which makes it discreet during bivouacs, a must-be in some areas!
We also have the MSR universal footprint which is placed under the tent and adds a little insulation to the latter. The side flaps of the tent allow storage of non-essential items close to but not inside the tent. Access on each side is also needful for night pee !
BEDDING
For bedding, we both have self-inflating mattresses that provide a very good insulation/space ratio when packed. Their only drawback is that they puncture easily (also with the MSR tarpaulin under the tent). We won't forget the patch pack to fix all that!
Concerning sleeping bags, we will both opt for Valandre, very warm to comfort us after a long day of pedaling. This brand offers a washing/re-feathering service which is pretty interesting and... French!
According to Tommy, (and only to Tommy) mini pillow is also mandatory to spend good nights like at home! But still not found the perfect one !
KITCHEN
For cooking, we need a stove. Until now, we had a gas stove, but during our last trip to Kenya, the bottles were rare and extremely expensive!
But the solution for the traveler exists: multi-fuel stoves, allowing you to burn both petrol and bottled gas. Several equivalent models exists, we chose the Optimus Polaris Optifuel, allowing to pass from the bottle of gas to the petrol without too much difficulty (another equivalent stove is the MSR Whisperlite).
We will therefore have to go to service stations to fill our 750ml fuel bottle, it will be interesting...
Otherwise the equipment is classic: meals, cutlery, bowls and folding cups.
We also carry a foldable sink (10L from See to Summit) for small dishes and washes.
WATER
When it's not 100% clean, it may be the cause of critical health issues and we don't feel like risking it...
In this area also a multitude of solutions exist. For us, it is impossible to envisage the consumption of plastic bottles on a daily basis, our environmental impact would not be consistent with our adventure. The LifeStraw system is the cheapest but requires drinking from the source, not very easy... Filter water bottles have the annoying tendency to leak. Would ceramic filters withstand a fall from a bike?
It would seem that the best solution is the most expensive (yeah, unfortunately...) with the MSR Guardian filter pump and its 10,000L of autonomy. Every adventurer's dream, but weight and price are its weak points.
So the idea is to fill the portable sink with tap water and then filter it towards our bottles - as much as possible. Then of course there will be the traditional muddy puddle where we need to filter water from...
chaise helinox
En voyage, chaise ou pas chaise ? La question que tout voyageur se pose avant le départ. Pour notre part, nous étions divisés sur la question. Après un partenariat bien tombé avec Helinox, nous sommes maintenant addict à nos chaises ! Nous les sortons mati, midi et soir ! Et oui, maintenant, la nature et notre spot de bivouac/repas est notre salon. Impossible de faire sans.
Pour le poids ne vous inquiétez pas: les Helinox Chair Zero pèse 490g chacune !
Aeropress coffee
Quoi de mieux qu'un bon café pour commencer la journée et se donner de l'énergie pour pédaler ? Nous nous sommes longtemps posé la question et n'avons pour l'instant pas trouvé de réponses ! Grace à un partenariat avec le célèbre groupe Aeropress, nos sens se réveillent tout en douceur avec les cafés locaux de chaque pays que nous traversons. Un régal !
