Depending on the type of enterprise you need individual equipment. If you plan a Transalp, your equipment has to be optimized for weight, size and weather resistance. The backpack should not weigh more than 13-18 lbs (6-8 kg), otherwise your trail biking fun will suffer noticably. Here I described the equipment I personally use when I'm on several day's mountain bike tours in the Alps:
 Video Feature: The equipment for a Transalp |
Packing List
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Backpack
The requirements for a backpack are clear: Water proof and a volume of at least 25 liters (6.5 gallons). Most producers offer rain covers for their bike backpacks. I have different products and never liked this kind of rain protection. The rain covers never were very effective. Especially during long rides through the rain the backpacks soaked at the back. Thus you are forced to pack yor things into waterproof bags in addition. The cover attachment usually is an annoying twiddling and fumbling. Also these backpacks mostly were not too robust.
In 2012 Ortlieb
released a new product, the MountainX 31. To my opinion this is the ultimate backpack for multi-day biking trips. Thanks to a new coated tear-proof nylon fabric it only weighs 1.2 kg (2.6 lbs), despite its size. Very remarkable are the two ways to access the interior: On the top it has a waterproof roll closure, which gives you a range of ±2 liters in volume, which I finde very useful. In the centre it has a waterproof zipper. Above this zipper you can button-in a divider. This way you can separate the backpack into two compartments (top and bottom) and can open it in the middle. A brilliant idea, finally you don't have to dig around anymore. The backpack also has a lot of handy pockets and a very comfortable carrying system with ventilation. It also has a sealing port for a drinking tube.
Back in 2009 I had discovered the backpack Ortlieb Flight, which met all my requirements at that time: Robust, waterproof, high quality, comfortable carrying system. It is available with a volume of 22 and 27 liters. For a Transalp you would use the one with 27 liters. Due to its carrying system you should not stuff the backpack too much. This backpack is also useful for daytrips and biking in the city.
Frame Bag
In order to unburden your back a little, you should try to store small objects like tools and spare parts into a frame bag. Those bags can be attached into the triangle of the bicycle frame. They are available in different size and shape by companies like Deuter, VauDe, Abus and others. Especially in the USA there are a lot of good vendors offering custom-made frame bags. Saddle bags can also be quite useful, but they should not be too big and must not bounce on difficult trails. Make sure the saddle bag does not constrain the lowering of the saddle.
Sleeping Bag
Weight and small size are the most important criteria for a sleeping bag. If you don't want to spend too much money you can only fall back to a summer sleeping bag. At temperatures below 10 °C however it is getting pretty uncomfortable, even if you wear all your clothes. Such a sleeping bag is especially useful if you're spending the night at the community bunk in a shelter
Useful summer sleeping bags are e.g. Salewa Sigma Micro 600 (1.3 lbs/600 g), Deuter Dreamlite 500 Regular (1.1 lbs/500 g) or Tagoss Sundance Ultra lite (1.7 lbs/750 g). They can be compressed to a size of about 11 x 4.5 inches (28 x 14 cm). The comfort temperature range goes down to 50-60 °F (10-15 °C). At lower temperatures you should put on warm clothing and also use a bivvy bag or tarp.
There are also high-quality down sleeping bags with a lower temperature range and still low weight. An important quality characteristic is the so-called fill power which is measured in cuin (cubic inches per ounce). The higher the value, the better the isolation effect/packing size ratio. High quality down like the Norwegian or Polish goose down have a value of 700-800 cuin. However, these sleeping bags are very expensive (several hundred Euro) and only make sense for people who plan to do outdoor trips at temperatures below 40 °F (5°C) quite often.
A very good and yet fairly priced sleeping bag is the X-Lite 200 from Cumulus with 850 cuin and a weight of 1 lbs/450 g. Its comfort temperature range goes down to 37 °F (3 °C).
More information about camping in the Alps can be found on my Transalp page
Sleeping Mat
The sleeping mat is absolutely necessary if you want to spend the night outside, because the ground literally sucks the warmth out of your body. The important factors of a sleeping mat are isolation, weight and packing size.
High-qualtiy self-inflating thermo mats have a very good isolation against the ground as well as relatively light weight. Amongst others, I have used the ProLite Plus mat from Themr-a-rest. This mat weighs about 1.5 lbs (690 g) and has a small packing size. The isolation is very effective and the material is quite robust. Nevertheless you have to be careful not to lay it down on sharp stones or thorns, otherwise you will have to use your repair-kit.
As an alternative you can also use a simple foam mat. There are different types of quality concerning the material (polyethylene). Cheap mats are not pressure resistant and don't keep their isolating effect for a long time. For a 7-day Transalp this will not make much of a difference though. Better mats are made of closed-cell PE foam, are more elastic and more pressure resistant. The isolation effect however is not as good as the isolation of self-inflating mats. Another disadvantage of foam mats is the bigger packing-size. Advantages are an almost neglegible weight (around 0.6 lbs/300 g) and low price.
Tarp/Bivvy
Should you be forced to spend the night outside in the Alps, you should carry along a bivouac bag or a tarp tent. Not only do they protect you from rain and bad weather, they also effectively shelter you from cold wind and thus improve the temperature range of your sleeping bag.
The most pracical and light-weight solution is a bivvy bag. With a weight of roundabout 1,1 lbs/500 g and small size it can be fit into any backpack. Of course, a bivvy bag should be water-proof. You also should know that your body sweats out a lot of water at night, which will condensate on the interior of the bivvy. Breathable bivvy bags are expensive and get less wet inside, but even those should be dried in the sun after use. If there's heavy rain a bivvy bag is not a good choice. Bivouac bags are available from several outdoor companies like Salewa or VauDe. A good and inexpensive product is e.g. the Salewa Bivibag Storm.
The advantages of tarps are that they are more comfortable (it always is good to have a roof above your head) and they don't have the problem of water condensation. You can also protect your gear or shoes from rain, if the tarp is big enough. They offer a better sleeping comfort, and sometimes they are even equipped with a mosquito net, which isn't really necessary for a Transalp. Single-person lightweight tarps weigh roundabout 1.3-1.8 lbs/600-800 g and are relatively expensive. Often pegs and cord isn't calculated into the weight.
Tools
For breakdowns and malfunction you need tools you can rely on. Standard tools are bulky and heavy. That's why you should use tools that offer all the functionality you need in order to repair a mountain bike, and are light nonetheless.
The Alien tools from Topeak have absolved many adventures successfully. The Alien II weighs only 0.6 lbs/270 g and has everything you need to solve most problems on your bike.
Concerning the repair-kit you should make sure that it is properly packaged so the tube of glue does not get damaged. Attention: Even new un-opened glue dries out over the years. This can be fatal if you have a flat tire. You should also carry at least one spare tube. This way you can change the tube and immediately continue with your journey, and repair the damaged tube later.
Protection
Of course you can also bring condoms, but that's not what I was aiming for... ;-)
A helmet is obligatory for mountain biking anyway. I'd also recommend using bike golves so you don't damage your palms when you fall. You can also think about using protectors for arms and legs. You have to evaluate your biking skill and readiness to take risks and decide for yourself if you need them. Especially shin protectors can prevent the typical scars you get from pedals and chain ring. Especially the plus in weight and the bulkiness of protectors should be considered.
Bike Lock
No sane person would drag a 1 kg steel lock across the Alps. The object of a bike lock is not to withstand the biggest bolt cutter but to prevent that someone quickly grabs your bike and just rides away. Since the bike should be with you all the time during the Transalp, a light-weight cable lock should be sufficient. The cable should be thick enough not to be opened with a side cutter. Interesting products are available e.g. by Abus. With a diameter of about 3 inches (8 mm) and a length of 6 feet (2 m) it weighs only 0.7 lbs (300 g) without the padlock. You can use it to secure up to 2 bikes.
Pedals and Shoes
At first you have to decide whether you want to use cleats or not. Cleats make the power transmission a little more efficient, because you can drag the pedal up with your foot and are able to bike more consistently. Also you have better control over your bike on difficult downhill trails. Apart from that, the advantages of cleats are quite limited. The disadvantage is that you have a limited choice of footwear. Also, if you have to stop unexpectedly it can happen that you don't manage to get out of the cleats fast enough and tip over with your bike.
I prefer using simple standard pedals and taking any shoe I find suitable for the appropriate situation. Because there's usually a lot of pushing and carrying on difficult terrain on my Alpencross tours, I like to wear hiking shoes. It is important to me that the shoe has a stiff sole, is light-weight and water-proof.
GPS Device
You find a lot of information about GPS on my navigation page. I've been using the Garmin eTrex Legend HCx. It is robust and water-proof. A big advantage is that it can be run with standard AA batteries and lasts about 20 hours. This way I can use rechargable batteries on day trips or take along spare batteries (or buy them on the way) when doing a Transalp. The display can be read quite well in almost every situation even without illumination because it reflects the light of the environment. Which saves a lot of power. It is equipped with a 2 GB MicroSD memory card, on which I have stored all maps of the European Alps including contour lines. I'm using the maps of OpenMTBMap.
Careful: I would not recommend to use the original Garmin handle bar attachment. The device is not attached safely, it shakes and rattles when you ride. On my Transalp 2010 I lost the GPS while riding down a trail, although it was attached thoroughly. Such a GPS loss is very awkward if you depend on it. You should try to find a safe attachment!
Digicam
While a good SLR certainly makes better pictures, I wouldn't use it during the Transalp due to its excessive weight. I'd recommend to look for a small compact camera with good quality and all the necessary features. The picture quality depends mostly on the size of the CCD sensor and the quality of the lens. The camera should also have a zoom lens starting at 28 mm or less.
For my Transalp 2010 I used my old Canon Powershot G7 verwendet. Since 2011 I'm using the Canon Powershot G12.
Gorillapod
In order to be able to make pictures with the self timer, I am using the Gorillapod from Joby. This miniature tripod is very handy and a great invention! With its flexible legs you can place the tripod on any uneven ground and even wrap it around branches, posts and trees. The digicam needs to have a tripod socket. I'd recommend using the Gorillapod SLR, because it can hold cameras weighing up to 1.7 lbs (800 g). It also has a small water level device which allows you to align the camera horizontally.
Flashlight
On a Transalp you should carry a small yet bright flashlight in your backpack. It is not only useful in case of emergency at night, but also as bike lamp when you have to drive in darkness or pass a tunnel. There are many very good products with ultra-bright LEDs from different producers. I've been using a flashlight from Fenix, for example the LD10. It is very small, needs only one AA battery, is water-proof and really very bright. For little money you get a handy handle bar velcro attachment that holds the flashlight nice and tight. If you pass tunnels you should also consider taking a small LED rear light along.
Beverage and Salt
You may call me a Spartan, but I drink exclusively water during my bike tours. Juices and lemonades are way too sweet for my taste. I never use isotonic drinks because I consider them nonsense and they don't taste well. Same with mineral fizzy tablets which taste disgusting, especially when the water is warm. In almost every region of the Alps you find drinking water which tastes good and is free. I drink about 2-2.5 gallons (8-10 liters) a day, mostly warm from my bottle and not directly from the spring. In Germany and Austria, refilling at one of the numerous fountains is no problem. Fountains and springs beneath alpine pastures should be avoided though, because the excrements of cows and cattle may have contaminated the water. Even in Italy I always was lucky with fountains (if you have doubts about the quality, just ask the residents), but they are much more scarce.
Since I drink and sweat a lot during the Transalp, the body loses a lot of sodium. To avoid a lack of sodium and the associated symptoms (cramps, loss of power, dizziness, nausea) I often put a pinch of salt into my drinking water.
I always carry at least 0.5 gallons (2 liters) of water, which usually is sufficient to take me to the next refill. I don't use bottle holders on my bike. They are difficult to attach to a full suspension bike, especially if you already are using a frame bag. They also would constrain me in riding difficult trails. I prefer a water bag in my backpack.
Home-made Granola Bars
Most granola bars you can buy at the supermarket are not very valuable. The contain too much sugar, chocolate or other unwanted ingredients. Through various attempts I figured out a good recipe for granola bars. These things are not only tasty, they are compressed energy! More than once they saved me from the typical bonk. The following recipe yields about one baking tray or roundabout 30 to 35 bars:
Ingredients:
- 50 g butter
- 400 g honey
- 80 ml water
- 50 g flour (wholemeal)
- 6 tea spoons of cocoa powder
- 200 g wholegrain oat flakes
- 400 g ground nuts and almonds, sunflower seeds etc.
- 300 g raisins, dried fruit etc.
- (The mixing ratio of oat flakes, nuts and dried fruit can be varied.)
Preparation:
- Grind the nuts, chop dried fruit and raisins into small pieces.
- Heat butter and honey in a pot.
- Mix flour with the water until it is chunk-free.
- Put everything into a pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix it until you have a homogenous mass.
- Let it brew at low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Spread the dough on a baking tray (use baking parchment!) and level it out from the top by pressing it with a second baking parchment.
- Bake in the oven at 280 °F (140 °C) for about 30 minutes.
- Take it out of the oven and cut the dough into bars before it cools down.
Best before...
You can store those granola bars in the fridge for several weeks. I had no problem to keep them in the backpack for two weeks, so there shouldn't be a problem either. Of course, no responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information.
Home-made Dried Meat (Beef Jerky)
My favorite snack on mountain bike tours is dried meat or beef jerky. It has a high nutritional value, contains proteins, vitamins and minerals. Also it provides you with enough salt, which is particularly important when you sweat a lot. Dried meat can be stored for many weeks if it is prepared correctly. Also it hardly weighs anything. Perfect for bike tours of several days' duration.
Attention: Since dried meat is made of raw meat, it is very important to be thorough with the preparation. To prevent the development of bacteria or salmonella, you should wash your hands thoroughly before getting started. You should make sure the raw meat is exposed to warm temperatures as shortly as possible. If you have injuries at your hands you should never touch raw meat, otherwise dangerous bacteria can spawn and spread.
Ingredients:
- 500 g beef or game meat filet with as little fat as possible
- 6 spoons of soy sauce
- 6 spoons of vinegar
- 2 tea spoons of sugar
- 4 tea spoons of salt
- 2 spoons of garlic powder (alternatively 4 garlic cloves)
- pepper, chili
- Other spices according to your personal taste
- Don't use oil!
Preparation:
- Remove the fat from the meat and deep-freeze it.
- Mince the rest of the ingredients to a puree.
- This marinade tastes extremely intense and salty, don't worry about that!
- Cut the frozen meat with a sharp knife into 3-5 mm thin slices.
- Put the meat slices directly into a zip-lock bag and cover them with marinade.
- Press the air out of the zip-lock bag and close it air-tight.
- Spread the marinade inside the bag by carefully kneading it.
- Leave the marinated meat in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
- Take the meat out of the fridge, open the bag and remove as much of the marinade as possible.
- Spread the meat on paper towels and remove the remaining marinade. The less liquid there is, the faster the drying process.
- Now dry the meat gently at 105-120 °F (40-50°C). The slower it is dried, the less tough it will be. You can dry the meat in the oven or in a special drying device.
- If you dry it in the oven, leave a small gap in the oven door open so the moisture can get out.
- Leave the meat in the oven for about 8-10 hours.
- The dried meat is finished as soon as it has no more soft parts and you can break it with your fingers.
- Let the dried meat cool down completely before you put it into zip-lock bags and close it air-tight for storage.
Best before...
If processed correctly you can store dried meat in air-tight containers for at least 3 months or longer. After a few weeks you may notice a white covering on the meat which usually is not mold but salt. Of course, no responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information.
