Gear
Bikes
THORN STERLING
Ali is riding a Thorn Sterling, a multi-functional Rohloff equipped touring mountain bike with front suspension, made in the UK by Thorn Bicycles. This bike is designed to travel long distances and over unsealed terrain while also providing an opportunity to play around on the mountains and trails that we find along the way.
Thorn themselves describe it as: ‘The most awesome trailer-pulling, adventure touring hard tail using V brakes and a suspension fork…drop the trailer and you have a very nice hard tail to explore/play on’
Ali has since modified his Thorn with a Tubus swing rack to carry front panniers with a suspension fork.
THORN eXXp
Anna is riding the Thorn eXXp, steel bliss designed to cover long distances with heavy load on rough terrain.
The spec of the bikes that we ride is: Magura Odor 100mm/85mm travel forks, shimano xtr v-brakes, Brooks saddles, Rigida Andra30 CSS rims, Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour 2.0 tyres (for Ali), Continental Travel Contacts 1.75 tyres (for Anna) and a Rohloff equipped hub.
check Thorn out at:
Panniers
ORTLIEB
We both use Ortlieb 'Bike-Packer Plus' panniers on the back and Ortlieb 'Front-Roller Plus/Classic' panniers on the front as well as of our 'Ultimate5 Plus' handlebar bags. We love the simple but effective nature of the Ortlieb panniers, extremely waterproof without the hassle of additional covers, and they look great too.
Lights
NITEFLUX
To store electricity while we are on the road, we use ruggedised Li-Ion rechargeable batteries from NiteFlux. NiteFlux batteries offer idiot-proof charging direct from a bottle dynamo or mains power.
We use NiteFlux lights to see in the night, commute around towns and villages after dark, and especially as safety lights on rainy, foggy, and cloudy days. We also use a small and simple adapter 'the Niteflux powerhub' with the NiteFlux batteries to charge our other electronic devices including camera, MP3 players, AA's and AAA's.
Tent
HILLEBERG - The 'Jannu'
Modified from the Hilleberg website:
'The Jannu is our strongest, lightest Dome Tent model. While it is an Ultralight tent, it is nonetheless ideal for harsh, high altitude use, as well as for above and below treeline use in all seasons and all weathers. Its compact footprint shines in limited-space sites, and it is very stable, even in high winds. Yet it is also easily light enough for use on long distance trips where low weight is a high priority. The Jannu’s single entrance and vestibule favor lighter weight over absolute comfort, and its Dome design gives it exceptional static strength for handling snow loading'.
Sleeping Bags and Sleeping Mats
MACPAC Latitude 700 LP
THERMAREST Prolite Plus 4
Kitchen wear
OPTIMUS Optimus Nova Multi-Fuel Stove
We use the excellent and reliable Optimus Nova multi-fuel stove for all of our cooking needs, easy to clean and maintain ourselves on the road with a maintenance kit from Optimus. Works faithfully at high altitudes and freezing conditions.
From the Optimus website:
'The benchmark for outdoor cooking equipment standards, Optimus Nova has it all; performance, durability and ease of use. Outdoor adventures, including those on polar expeditions, rely on the Optimus Nova to fire up in a snap with its patented quick-priming burner. Users can rest assured knowing that the Optimus Nova will always burn strong and clean thanks to the MAGIC magnetic cleaning needle. Its self-purging Flipstop pump makes shutdown a task simple enough for one finger and despite the Optimus Nova's long reach pot supports, it folds up smaller than its fuel tank. That means more room for food. Get cooking!'
MSR POTS The Alpine 2™
Water filtration
STERIPEN
SteriPEN® Classic (SP-RP)
From Steripen website:
'The SteriPEN Classic purifies water using Ultraviolet (UV) light. Whether your source is a clear running brook or a hotel tap, SteriPEN Classic destroys viruses, bacteria and protozoa, including Giardia and Cryptosporidium, in seconds'.
SAWYER - 0.10 Micron Absolute Water Filtration
From Sawyer website:
'This filter accessory allows you to connect your inline filter to most water taps. The adapter head is made of flexible PVC which allows connecting to different size faucet mounts. Great for traveling, camping, or for emergency situations when you're not sure if the water is safe to drink'.