What I Carried On My Maiden Tour

Beast of burden. Somewhere in Senchal Forest

24th April, 2019: These are the items that I carried with me during my first multi-day self-supported bicycle tour in Darjeeling Himalaya. Read about the trip here . These items were carried in a handle bar bag (inside the handlebar bag the items were put in a LowePro dry sack), a saddle bag, a Sea to Summit Dry Sack rolled inside a plastic shopping bag and tied to the rear pannier rack (we call it a carrier), a 20 litre Deuter backpack with rain cover and a Deuter belt pouch.

Please remember I had packed for going to a place that is notorious for quick showers without much notice and also cold climate.

For the bus journey I carried everything in a huge North Face Badlands that I left behind in Siliguri with the transport sector clothing and a spare clean brief for the journey back home (we did the Calcutta-Siliguri to and fro journey by bus with the cycle packed in a cardboard box that was put in the luggage hold of the bus). 

Riding Wear 

Half-sleeve cycling jersey
Cycling bib
Socks (knee length Adidas Tech-fit)
Cycling glvoes
Cycling helmet
Trekking boots
Turkish small hand towel

Usually I wore these while cycling, except on the day we went to Darjeeling and the day we cycled down to Mungpoo. On those two days over and above these I wore my Kappa track pants and the Sierra Design synthetic jacket. 

Other than these, I carried the following items of clothing in my bags 

Half sleeve jersey - 1 (DNN - Did Not Need)

Cycling shorts - 1
Under Armour half sleeve T-shirt- 1
Dry fit material full sleeve - 1 (used once or twice because it was there)
Kappa track pants
Briefs - 2 (DNN)
Slazenger half pants with zippered pockets (DNN except in Siliguri)
Spare socks - 2 (one knee length Adidas Tech Fit and another regular sized Adidas sports socks) - Did not need the second Tech-fit
Marmot Precip Rainwear - 1
Sierra Designs Jacket - 1
Micro-light towel 
Columbia rain pants (DNN)
Cotton boxers for sleeping

I also had these items in various places but mostly in the front handlebar bag

Cotton rag - 1 (next time it will be microfibre)
Medicines (regular plus emergency for acidity, paracetamol etc)
Basic first aid kit (Boroline, gauge, cotton wool, Volini/Relispray, Band Aids, crepe bandage) - DNN
Toilet paper, Rin washing soap bar, toothbrush, paste, Nivea, Suncream lotion, comb (did not use the sun cream - a major mistake)
A spare Sea To Summit dry sack for the items on my back pack - should it rain
My red diary and two pens

Electronics

Head torch
Phone-charger
Powerbank
Topeak gauge (strictly speaking this is a tool)
Cateye Velo 9 Odo
Knight Rider front light for the bike
Knight Rider tail light (DNN)
Two tiny lights for the front and rear

Tools & Spares in saddle bag or elsewhere
Multi-tool
Tyre lever and puncture repair set (DNN)
Chain link - DNN
Pliers - DNN
Box spanner #7 and 8
Knife
Chain lube 
Pair of Tektro brake shoes - DNN
Two Schwalbe tubes - DNN
#4 Allen screws and washers - quite a few - DNN
Two spokes (they come attached to the chain stay as OE with Surly) - DNN
Long and short zip ties (about 6/8 each)
Rubber bands 

Tools that were left behind in Siliguri but used in hotel

Allen key #4 with T-handle (left behind in Siliguri)
Wire cutter
Scissors
Adjustable wrench (for Rana’s pedals)
3M Cello tape
Green electrical insulation tape
Thin rope (DNN) - this was meant to be carried on the trip but I forgot
One water bottle

Attached To Bike

Park Tool half pint pump (didn’t use but borrowed Rana’s)
Combination cable lock
2 bottles

Oh !! I forgot my fat wallet that got skinny by the end of the trip. It was inside the belt pouch :-)

What I Learnt

I carried what I carried because I was going to Darjeeling Himalaya where rain at any point of time regardless of season or month is a real possibility. That it did not rain during our rides is a huge blessing that the cycling God bestowed upon us. If I go to Darjeeling again I will carry exactly these items. But I will not have the belt pouch and two briefs for a 5-day trip is an overkill. 

I need a better pump. I have already ordered it and have put up my Park Tool for sale on facebook. I need better pannier racks and panniers.

I must carry spare nuts as well as bolts. In the Siliguri hotel after the journey I lost a nut from the mud guard. It could have been bad if it had happened on the way.

I did not carry any water filtering system. Must invest in one. We were lucky that nothing happened. But getting an upset tummy in the mountains is very easy.

And after this selfie, I have decided - come what may I am taking my shaving kit in all my future adventure trips :-)