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WorldTripping.net - The equipment used cycling around Africa.,WorldTripping.net - Equipment review. A comprehensive list of the equipment we used to cycle around Africa. What was invaluable, and what was dumped.,worldtripping,world tripping,cycle around world,bike around world,bicycle around world,cycle rtw,bike rtw,bicycle rtw,cycle europe,bike europe,bicycle europe,cycle africa,bike africa,bicycle africa,brighton,cape town,overland,brighton cape town overland,uk,sa,overland,uk sa,uk sa overland,coast to coast, coast to coast overland,cycle touring,bike touring,bicycle touring,cycle travel,bike travel,bicycle travel,cycle traveling,bike traveling,bicycle traveling,equipment review,equipment reviewed,cycling equipment,travel equipment,cycle equipment reviewed,bicycle equipment review,trek 7000,trek6700,blackburn rack,ortlieb panniers,carradice panniers,north face clothing,north face sleeping bag,cycle gadgets,cycling gadgets,travel gadgets,traveling gadgets,

Simon's Equipment.
	My lovely bike is a Trek '7000'. It's an ideal vehicle for either nipping to the shops or cycling over the Rockies.
Opinion - This bike has been faultless. No mechanical failures at all, not even a broken cable. The only maintanence that we have had to do is regular cleaning,and even more regular puncture repairs.
	Carradice 'Carradura' rear panniers are waterproof, durable and guaranteed to keep my pants dry.
Opinion - These have performed well, proving both durable and resistant to accidents. The only minor complaint is if the bags are overfilled, (a natural tendency) then the 'Prima' bag becomes more difficult to attach atop them.
	The Carradice 'Prima' bag sits between the rear panniers. It is essential for all those nick-nacks such as my handy hip flask.
Opinion - Useful, but not invaluable. As mentioned before the bag becomes difficult to attach to the rack when the panniers are overfilled. The protuding side pockets make securing the bag in place cumbersome.
	A Carradice 'Carradura' handlebar bag has an integral map sleeve. This will give me easy access to my maps whilst cycling.
Opinion - Overall this is useful, especially as it is quick to detach and carry around. The only failure was of the 'map case' which started to split early on, and the fastening grew less effective over time.
	The 'Blue Kazoo' from North Face is a down sleeping bag perfect for those cosy winter evenings under the stars. We even bought ones that zip together.
Opinion - A prized purchase. This bag proved invaluable. It was always warm even in the coldest conditions that we encountered.
	The 'Khumbu Jacket' from North Face is a 2 ply Gore-Tex waterproof jacket. So far it has only been given the trivial task of keeping me bone dry whilst walking the dog.
Opinion - Another prized purchase. The coat kept both the sun and the rain off. It kept me cool in the desert and dry in the forests. It was used as a pillow, a seat and and a blanket. Worth every penny.
	The 'Nuptse Vest' from North Face is an extremely warm down vest. Hopefully it will be warm enough for cold days either cycling or making a brew.
Opinion - This was never really tested to the full in Africa. generally, it was simply too hot most of the time. Although when it was used on those rare cold occasions, it did keep me toasty warm.
	A must have. A Lifesystems 'Micro Mosquito Net' is the vital piece of kit for keeping all the horrid bitey insects away.
Opinion - Simply a must have. It would be nice to have had more fastenings though.
	The Casio 'Pro-Trek' PRT-40E gadget watch has innumerable uses including telling the time.
Opinion - Pure gadget. Yes, its useful to know how high you are, or how cold it is, but it's not imperative. Occasionally the barometer and compass came in handy, but the most used function was the alarm. It may also be courting disaster to constantly wear such an expensive watch all of the time.
	Gotta have my music. The Sony 'MZ-R900' is another quality piece of work from the masters of miniaturization.
Opinion - Another pure gadget, but this one did get infrequent use. From listening to chilled tunes after a stressful day to just pedalling along listening to dance music. I did carry rather too many MD's though. (A problem which was handily solved when it was stolen.)
	American business spent a small fortune developing this device. The 'Space Pen' can perform even at Zero Gravity. The Russians used a pencil.
Opinion - This worked really well until I lost it.

Leah's Equipment.
	My Trek '6700' is ideal for off road mayhem or even a trip to the seaside.
Opinion - The only alterations I had to do to this "man's" Trek was add a..... to the handlebars to shorten the length and change the painfully narrow saddle for a comfortable, gel filled one.
	The 'Blue Kazoo' from North Face is a lovely down sleeping bag perfect for those cosy winter evenings under the stars.
Opinion - Expensive but necessary when in the mountains or when the temperature plummets in the desert. Take a cotton inner to avoid having to wash it en-route.
	My Ortlieb 'Back-Roller Plus' panniers. Perfectly waterproof and durable. Ideal for monsoon weather and flooded roads.
Opinion - The best investment. No messing around with bin bags, clothes remained dry even in torrential downpours. The bottom layer of clothes did get damp when cycling through flash floods in France. Two small tears from falls on rocks but I managed to repair using a puncture kit. Take care not to overfill and pack essential items near the top for easy access. Take all spare clips as these do have a habit of coming off and being lost.
	The natural companion to the panniers is an Ortlieb 'Rack-Pack Light'. Again 100% waterproof.
Opinion - You have to unclip to gain access to your side panniers although all three come off together if you crash your bike....thus preventing unecessary pressure on your bicycle frame.

Shared Equipment.
	The MSR 'Dragonfly' is a wicked little stove. It burns everything from cow dung to vodka (probably). It'll be great for when we fancy a cuppa, no matter where we are.
Opinion - Absolutely invaluable. Remember to get a spares kit as it needs cleaning after sub-standard fuel has been used.
	MSR fuel bottles for the above stove (or for carrying vodka).
Opinion - Two 750ml bottles was probably right. One full of fuel, the other primed with the pump.
	The Terra-Nova 'Solar 2', is a lightweight cyclo-touring tent. Pitch it anywhere from a desert to a glacier.
Opinion - Another invaluable addition. Light, easy to pack. Relatively quick to dry out. We pitched it in deserts, forests, beaches and on boulders, decking and sand. After a few operator-error teething problems it was a godsend.
	A LifeSystems first aid kit is invaluable. All the medical equipment we'll need to perform anything from covering a simple graze to giving a blood transfusion. See our immunisations.
Opinion - The medicants that we took with us returned unused. However the kit did fill up with all sorts of exotics en-route. Favourite pill - paracetamol.
	A Sony 'Vaio', 'nuff said.
Opinion - Worked well until corrugated roads sounded its death knell. It simply shook apart. Luckily we managed to get the data recovered and a 'new' second hand Toshiba from Computer Facilities in Kampala.
	The Canon 'PowerShot G2' is an exceptional camera. We'll be able to shoot both stills and moving images and then upload them to our laptop.
Opinion - An excellent camera. I loved it right up until it was nabbed.
	ICP Global Technologies have become one of our sponsors, and have donated an iSun solar charger to help keep our electronics working.
Opinion - Capable enough to keep the MD and rechargable lights alive. It spent a lot of time strapped to various items of luggage. It still works, it's just a little grubby now.

Some other bits and pieces not pictured.

Therm-A-Rest - Ours were virtually indestructable and lasted for the entire journey. Well worth the premium paid.

Swiss-Army Knife and Mini-Maglite - Both utterly invaluable; from looking around temples to making sandwiches.

Toolkit - All sorts of odds and ends. The spare gear/brake cables were never needed. A spoke key was barely used. The chain link remover was used on occasion. By far, the tyre levers were the most popular item. Cable ties were the second most thankfully packed piece of equipment.

Toiletries - As few as possible. Virtually everything can be bought en-route anyway.

Maps - In the West, we used the free tourist maps available in most cities. Then we got to Africa, and existed on photocopies and verbals; until Khartoum where we picked up a 25 year old Michelin map. (Not a lot had changed.)

Books and DVD's - Begged, borrowed and traded.

Herbs and Spices - Is it curry or chilli for tea ?

Drugs - Paracetamols and codeine for hangovers and midday sun-headaches. Buy abroad to get a scoopfull of pills at a bargain price.

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