by Josie Dew
Sleeping Arrangements
Tent The North Face Tadpole. (With Gary, used The North Face Nebula.) The Tadpole stood up to New Zealand’s unreasonably unseasonable winds a treat, but is a very cold and breezy tent in winter. Also, after several months continuous use in continuous rain, it started to leak in places, which I suppose is quite understandable considering the testing conditions
Pegs The North Face Super Tent Peg plus a small aluminium sleeve (in case of pole breakage)
Groundsheet The North Face Footprint
Bivi bag Mountain Range Gore-tex. (On cold nights I slept in my inner sleeping bag in my sleeping bag in my bivi bag. And I was still cold)
Sleeping bag The North Face Blue Igloo. (Multiple-feathered luxury)
Silk sleeping bag Sea to Summit (Traveller)
Sleeping mat Karrimor Karrimat Expedition, ¾-length
Kitchen Department
Stove: MSR Superfly (canister mount). (Very handy, very efficient)
Gas canister
Saucepan: MSR Alpine 2-litre pot with detachable handle. (Eat everything out of here whether cooked or uncooked)
Mixture of plastic containers
Mini chopping board
Plastic mug
Sharp knife, vegetable peeler, spoon
Lighter
Mini pot scourer and small square of tea towel
3 × water bottles to fit bicycle frame-mounted water cages
4-litre Ortlieb water bag
Plastic bags – lots
Food – have always got porridge oats, honey and raisins on board
Clothing
Specialized S1 bike helmet
Freestyle Gore-tex helmet cover (keeps head warmer)
The North Face Gore-tex jacket and overtrousers
The North Face windproof gillet
The North Face lightweight windproof jacket
North Cape Thermolite Plus padded sleeveless top
The North Face fleece
Two The North Face long-sleeved shirts
Two The North Face T-shirts
Two The North Face vests
Two pairs (wear one, wash one) Corinne Dennis non-lycra-looking cycling shorts
Pair of The North Face zip-off-to-shorts convertible trousers
Pair of ¾-length The North Face leggings
Pair of full-length thermal leggings
Pair of cycling mitts
Pair of The North Face Windstopper gloves
Pair of Extremities Gore-tex overmitts
Fleece hat
The North Face baseball cap
Pair of Eager Clothing Overshoes
Buff neck gaiter
Pair of The North Face hill-walking shoes (used for everything)
Pair of cheap flip-flops
Three pairs of knickers
Two sports bras
Three pairs of socks
Speedo swimming costume
Pair of Speedo swimming goggles
Washbag/First Aid and other essentially non-essential paraphernalia
Mini fast-drying travel towel
Lightweight washbag filled with toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, shampoo, soap, bodily ungents etc.
Mini flannel
Stash of toilet paper
Lipsalve
Sun-block lotion (which blocked the sun a little too effectively – I mostly saw rain)
Tiger Balm (good for aching muscles, sticking sandflies to and making your eyes water)
Arnica homeopathic pills and potion
Small bottle tea tree essential oil (good antiseptic)
Small bottle lavender oil (good for anything from burns and insect bites to soporific pillow aromas)
Pair of washable foam earplugs (good for those moments when you find yourself camping beneath a tree full of fighting and hissing possums)
Eyeshade (good for those moments when you find yourself camping beneath a streetlight or sleeping on the floor of a ferry)
Small selection of plasters, safety pins, needles and extra strong thread (good for sticking bits of clothes, tent and body back together again)
Mini Swiss Army tweezers (good for extracting sharp thorns and undesirable spiky objects out of tyres)
Mini mirror (good for starting fires and hoiking airborne insects out of eyes), mini nail clippers and clothes pegs
Office: pen, pencil, half a rubber, mini Pritt Stick, mini Sellotape, writing paper, envelopes, small notebook, Oxford Mini dictionary (good for reading when nothing else available and for reminding me how to spell)
Mini address book
Book(s) and maps. Best maps I used were the full set of New Zealand AA (Automobile Association) district maps scale 1:350 000. Best cycle touring guide books are the lightweight but information heavy Pedallers’ Paradise by Nigel Rushton (very fun, very informative but detail a few too many mountainous contours for comfort)
Mini compass, mini thermometer
Leatherman Wave pocket knife with very useful pliers
Wallet, cash, credit card, debit card, American Express traveller’s cheques, US dollars (the US dollars are good for using when I find myself in a country that I don’t expect to be in)
Passport, driving licence, mobile phone, Dog Dazer (good for teaching bicycle-chasing dogs a lesson)
Petzl LED headtorch
Sunglasses
Mini Sony shortwave radio
Casio digital watch
Very old Cannon Sureshot camera
Even older Cannon AE1 Programme (SLR) camera with Tamron 70-210 lens
Mini Minox tripod
20 × Fujichrome Sensia 200 ASA slide film (36 exps)
Leica 8 × 20 BCA mini binoculars
The North Face bumbag
The North Face backpack
Bicycle Tools and Bicycle Bits
Two spare inner tubes, plastic tyre levers, patches and glue
Spare spokes, brake and gear cables
Allen keys, lightweight pedal spanner, mini adjustable spanner, chainlink tool, Shimano cassette remover tool, spoke key, few spare nuts, allen bolts, washers, zip ties, webbing, pannier clips
Gaffer tape, insulating tape, short length 4 mm rock-climbing cord
Oil, rag
Topeak Road Morph bicycle pump
Bungees (or ‘sriiitcheees’ in local Kiwi lingo)
Cable lock and padlock
Cheap bike cover (good for hiding bike from bicycle-thieving eyes)
Reflective vest (good for life preservation)
For the latest news about Josie’s travels and
information on all her books,
please visit her website at:
www.josiedew.co.uk