So below is myself riding in a self supported cycling event called the Kiwi Brevet.
I was riding the short course a 750 kilometre long loop of the upper part of the South Island in 2015.
I learned about trying to ride with too much camping gear and this photo is of myself with my Bike overloaded!
I had with 18 kgs (plus food) of camping gear, on my next Kiwi Brevet I was down to 8 kgs (plus food) and a year later I was down to a much more comfortable 6.5 kgs (plus food) and a much bigger and comfortable tent etc.
So how come when people load up their Suzuki Jimny or any 4×4 do they carry so much more stuff?
I’m planning to carry a maximum of 20 kilograms and this includes recovery gear and food to go away for a weeks adventure.
My ultralight tent weight is only 0.6 kilograms and extremely easy to put up, and very compact.
So why would anyone use an overweight and extremely bulky canvas tent?
P.S. i’ll be sleeping inside my Jimny and don’t need a tent.
Also, why do so many people use a fridge in the vehicle?
In the 1990s, I drove tours up in Scandinavia and throughout Europe plus crossed North Africa through the middle of the Sahara desert. Despite not seeing shops for up to 4 to 5 days to buy new food we never had a fridge!
This was to keep the weight down and have more space for the passengers.
I will need a very small fridge to keep some medication that I need cold, but this is the only reason.
Hope this post might have you thinking about saving weight and going further with less?
Happy Adventures