Packing for our ACE ride. Saturday 18th July 2015

@suukii and I are packing ready to catch Ferry to Santander.

This is everything I need to get into my two panniers - everything we need for cycling and living in hotels for three weeks as we ride back from Spain through France to Caen/Ouistreham to catch ferry home. 

We have done a few practice runs staying in pubs overnight over recent weekends. And our packing list from #LEJOG in 2012 was still pretty good - although we are taking less winter clothes for a mid summer ride through France.

Ready to go!

We are intending that this trip  will be a little more sedate than the LEJOG, and hopefully the weather will be a little better! We intend to travel around 80km/50 miles each day, and we are choosing quiet cycle routes rather than more direct but busier roads.  We are staying in pre-booked hotels each night, and have scheduled 4 rest days on the three week trip (actually 19 days). Given that we will be traveling in some popular holiday areas during August, we pre-booked all the hotels for the whole route in April.

Here's my packing list for this trip

Hugh Clothes

1 pr Sandals with cleats

1 pr deck Shoes 

5 pairs pants/ Padded pants

3 pairs socks - wicking/merino

2 pairs shorts

2 smartish trousers

2 smart linen shirts 

1 merino jersey

1Gillet

2 short sleeved merino T-shirts 

1 long sleeved merino shirts

1 polo

swimming trunks

Swimming hat

Web Belt

Silk dressing gown

Waterproof top

Waterproof trousers

Overshoes

White Reflective jacket

Helmet

Cycling Gloves

Tools

Pump

Multitool

Inner tube

Blow-up cylinder (Get you home instant tyre inflation)

Tyre Repair kit

Gaffer Tape

Cable Ties

D-lock and cable

Chain repair link

and for this trip we had to take the following as we were require dto pack our bikes for the coach trip from Santander to Irun.

Bike Bag (we bought 2 new mattress bags - but the CTC bike bag would have done as well)

Parcel tape 

Pedal removing tool

Technology

iPad and lead

iPhone and charger lead

Technet 10,000 mAmp-hr Batteries (keeps a handlebar mounted iPhone going all day with no trouble)

USB plug and converters

Lightweight extension lead

Others

Water bottles

Lightweight mugs 

Bamboo Spork 

Water Boiling Element (French hotels do not usually give you tea or coffee making kit)

Lightweight rucksack

Plastic bags

Tickets!

Passports

Wallet including euros and our French Carte Blue

Shower bag and shampoos

Pills

Wet Wipes

Small First aid kit (Elastic bandage, Melomine, antiseptic)

Deep Heat or equiv.

Sun Cream

Nose cream (50 SPF)

Talcum powder

Mosquito repellent

Clothes Hand Washing liquid

Dynaband

Sunglasses

Penknives Swiss  army

Camping towel

Washing line

Sewing kit

Tea Bags and coffee sachets

Sudacreme

Body glide

Zeros (Electrolyte sports drink tablets - 3 per person per day)

It looks quite a lot, but it all packs up nicely in Eagle Creek Pack-Lite bags and fits easily into my two 20L Ortleib bags, and comes in at around 12kg.  Its certainly not a minimal set-up, but it does mean we have all we need to keep the bikes on the road, the technology working and to be presentable at hotel restaurants in the evenings!