To cycle around the world you really only need the desire — the will to do it. But having the right gear definitely helps. Now that we've stopped in Manchester (England) to work and save for a while, what better use of those savings than investing in quality kit that will last us years and stand up to everything our route throws at it?
The wish list is long, so we decided it was time to get down to it: researching what's actually best, hunting out deals and bargains, and starting to gather what we need.
Here's what we've bought so far.
Camping gear
- Swiss army knife: Victorinox Camper.
I lost my old one when Ilze insisted on putting it in hand luggage on our flight back from Southeast Asia.
Bought on Amazon for £14.64.
- Camp stove: MSR Dragonfly.
I compared a lot of options and ended up going for the most versatile. It has a wide base, runs on multiple fuel types, is very stable and lets you control the heat properly for real cooking. The downside is it's noisier than simpler models.
Bought at Go Outdoors via their "price match" scheme, which matches any lower price and throws in an extra 10% discount. £90.
- Camping pillows: Hi Gear brand.
Lightweight, foldable, compressible in their own sack. Not top of the range, but they'll do the job and add a bit of extra comfort night after night. We went for these over inflatable ones, which neither of us is convinced by.
Picked up in the Go Outdoors sale for £4.50 (£2.25 each).
- Head torches: Petzl Tikka 2 XP.
We went straight for the top of the Tikka range because they're extremely bright — and since we'll be using them not just for camping but also as bicycle lights, we decided not to cut corners.
Bought at Go Outdoors via price match for £63 (£31.50 each).
- Dry bags: 30-litre drybags.
Nothing fancy — well reinforced and supposedly tough enough for the punishment we'll put them through.
Grabbed in a Wilkinsons end-of-season sale for £4.98 (£2.49 each). - Head nets:
In countries where mosquitoes and sandflies are particularly bad, we'll wear these over our hats or helmets to avoid getting bitten on the face and neck while camping and cycling.
Bought at Wilkinsons for £0.98 (£0.49 each).
- Sandals: Teva Toachi 2.
I hate flip-flops and sandals — I genuinely don't understand why people can't just wear socks and trainers in 40-degree heat. But when you need an improvised shower in the middle of nowhere, need to ford a stream, or want to swim in a lake, decent sandals are a godsend. I had a rough time with my cheap flip-flops in Konglor cave, so I decided not to scrimp and bought a pair that's well-reviewed, durable and comfortable.
Bought at Go Outdoors in the sale — £44.97, not cheap for sandals.
Photography and video:
- Travel tripod: Benro A-069 with BH-00 Ball Head Aluminium Travel Angel Tripod Kit.
On our next adventure I want to take more photos and video — I'm also planning to buy an action camera to mount on the helmet and film our journey and daily life. For now, this tripod will let me shoot a much wider variety of photos and videos.
Bought on Amazon for £125.74.
And that's everything... for now.
Over the coming months we'll be choosing bikes, panniers, a tent, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, a video camera... Any recommendations? Do you like our round-the-world cycling project — fancy being part of it?
