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How the bag works
You drop it at the gear truck each morning and it is waiting at the next camp. It is numbered against your rider number, so nothing has to be hunted for at the end of a long day.
You will not see it between the morning drop and the afternoon arrival — anything you need during the day goes on the bike.
The list
Grouped by Where It Goes
Sleeping
Five nights on the ground is different to a weekend.
Tent
Sleeping bag rated for the low forties
A proper sleeping mat — not the cheap one
Pillow, or something that works as one
Earplugs
Head torch
Riding kit
Two of most things, so one can dry.
Three or four kits — you will not be washing much
Helmet
Gloves
Sunglasses, clear lens for early starts
Rain jacket
Arm and knee warmers for the mornings
Off the bike
You are out of the saddle by mid-afternoon most days.
Camp shoes
Warm layer for the evening
Long trousers
Something you do not mind being seen in at a festival
Towel and wash kit
Flip-flops for the showers
Body
Five days compounds anything you ignore on day one.
Chamois cream, more than you think
Sunscreen
Any medication, in its own bag
Basic first aid
Electrolytes
Insect repellent
Practical
The things people email us about having forgotten.
Charging cables and a plug
Battery pack
Cash for country stores
Reusable bottle for camp
Bin liners for wet kit
A pen — you will want one
October in the Delta
Warm Days,
Cold Mornings.
The spread between six in the morning in a tent and two in the afternoon on an exposed levee is the thing to pack for. People who get this right have a much better week than people who packed for one of the two.
Mornings
Cool enough in a tent that a warm layer and something on your arms is the difference between a good start and a miserable one.
Afternoons
Warm and exposed, especially on days four and five. Very little shade out on the farm roads.
Rain
Possible, and Delta gravel changes character when it is wet. A jacket earns its space.
Pack it once, then stop thinking about it
