Garbage Run riders guide

SLEEPING MATT – You can pay a lot for these (up to £100) and
essentially what you’re paying for is the pack size and weight. The more
you pay the lighter it is. TwistMoto - a bike travel supplier - currently
offer a decent one for less than £30.
COOKING GEAR – A basic gas burner is the easiest and cheapest
solution. Less than £20 and a gas bong for a fiver. Job done. A couple of
pans, or just one, a fork and spoon out of the kitchen draw and some
Pasta n’Sauce and you’re away. Cooking gear is down to the individual.
Everywhere we stay there are facilities for buying a hot meal and
generally a hot breakfast. If you don’t take a stove then you won’t starve,
and it can save you a lot of space and weight if you don’t pack any, but
obviously it’s going to cost you more to eat in the nearby pubs or other
facilities. The choice on that one is yours.
ANCILLARIES: Torch, pillow (scrunched up jumper?), matches, toilet
paper (though not wholly necessary), medication, toiletries, towel (or
yesterday’s t-shit).
The tent to the right is a dome tent with a
porch. These have the same footprint as a
regular dome tent, but with an extra sheet
of fabric, sometimes supported by a third
pole, just to give you somewhere to keep
your gear dry during the night. They tend
to be a touch more expensive but not a lot.
To the left is a a Vango Beat 300. It’s a 3
man tent, they do do it in a 2 man format
but if you have the space, go for a 3 man. It
weighs a relatively lightweigh 3.5 kilos and
the beauty of a dome tent like this is how
easy they are to put up. This one is £22 in
the sale. Bargain.
A tunnel tent like this Vango Omega
350 (£200) tends to cost more than
a dome tent, but is more spacious
with a decent sized porch area for
cooking and gear storage. For an
extended time away they are more
‘enjoyable’ than a smaller dome tent.
Their downsides are that they’re a
touch heavier and take a bit more
time to put up and take down.
The final option is something like the Redverz Atacama tent or the equivalently
sized Lone Rider. These are the King Don of tents, with space for the bike to go
inside but cost in the region of £400-£500. They’re surprisingly stable in high
winds and tall enough to stand up in. A few brought them on the last run. I think
everyone was secretely jealous, but they are a bit overkill.
Then you just need a sleeping matt and
sleeping bag. Personally, I ‘d go for an
inflatable air mattress, one of the compact
ones that roll down small. They’re
more comfortable and warmer than the
traditional foam style, with a Multimatt
Adventure about £25 and well worth it.
As for a sleeping bag I’d just go for a
reasonably priced 3 season sleeping bag
from the likes of Vango, or see what you’re
local Blacks has on sale. You’re just looking
for something at the right price, which
isn’t hugely bulky, and which will be warm
enough for Spring time weather.