- rain & wind jacket
- polar fleece
- rain pants
- bike shorts (the ones without shoulder straps)
- light running shoes
- leg & arm warmers
- thin gloves
- fleece gloves
- plastic gloves (the ones used for house cleaning)
- bandanna
- cycling jersey
- overshoes
- long city pants that convert to short pants
- 2 extra pair of socks, one warm
Each item will have to go trough my kitchen scale test. After tent and sleeping bag, clothes are on the top of my best-bang-for-the-buck weight-saving list. Each piece of clothing may not weigh much, but if you add them together then the weight becomes significant.
It may seem not much stuff for 40+ days on the road, but it is enough to keep me going even at temperatures around -5 Celsius, or in heavy rain.
This is no fashion show. Each piece is functional and some even have multiple uses. For example the bandanna can be used as a wiping cloth for tent condensation. While I wash and dry the bike pants, I can wear the city pants or the rain pants.
Same with the cycling jersey - I can use the polar fleece while it is drying.
This is a moderate version of the list that is used by more "extreme" ultra light travelers.
Some guys use women nylon stockings as leg and arm warmers. These keep warm and are lighter than regular warmers.
I don't dismiss the idea, I will try it, but there's a limit to how ridiculous I can allow myself to look, don't feel like crossing it.
After much deliberation I chose to go with my winter overshoes instead of using plastic bags to cover my feet in rain. At just 190 grams they keep me very warm and are fully waterproof. Never had numb feet even in cold winters. And if some nights get really cold I could even wear them while sleeping.
I have a very light pair of long pants that turn into short pants. It's a good idea to have something to wear other than the regular bike tights to look less conspicuous and blend in some rural areas.
So no cycling shoes?
Nope. Only one pair of footwear. And I need to be able to walk with it and be as comfortable as possible. None of my bike shoes fit this description. So I'll go with light running shoes with a tougher out-sole for more efficient pedaling.
The combination of flat pedals & regular footwear also weighs less than clipless pedals & cycling shoes.
Ok, I won't be as efficient as I could be in the hills, because I cannot pull the pedal, I can only push. But the thing that actually matters more for efficiency is removing the weight of the non-pushing leg off the pedal.
Gloves, like the pants and the upper layers, are meant to be combined depending on the weather conditions.
For dry moderate cold I'll use thin gloves (the stretchy silk-like kind). These are amazingly warm considering their light-weight. In 3 degrees Celsius I don't have any problem with them. They can be found cheap at Decathlon store.
Fleece gloves get over the thin gloves if things go below freezing (also found at Decathlon).
Plastic gloves are for rain. I chose these over some other Gore-Tex cover gloves because it's obviously the lightest&cheapest choice, and are 100% water proof.
Gloves, like the pants and the upper layers, are meant to be combined depending on the weather conditions.
For dry moderate cold I'll use thin gloves (the stretchy silk-like kind). These are amazingly warm considering their light-weight. In 3 degrees Celsius I don't have any problem with them. They can be found cheap at Decathlon store.
Fleece gloves get over the thin gloves if things go below freezing (also found at Decathlon).
Plastic gloves are for rain. I chose these over some other Gore-Tex cover gloves because it's obviously the lightest&cheapest choice, and are 100% water proof.
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