One Week to Go: Weighing

Some people go through life never questioning how much their pants weigh. But when you have to drag your possessions up a steep hill into a headwind using what's left of the power in your legs, light pants are the order of the day.

The sweet spot in packing is to go as light as possible without compromising function. On my last cycling tour I bought the lightest pair of casual shoes I could find, but then couldn't walk across the road to the pub without them really hurting. So with that in mind, weighing all the pants you own in order to select the lightest is a given, but shopping for a thong.......a definite no no!

Of course, you need to take all your stuff in something, and a couple of Tesco bags for life just won't cut it. Bike panniers are sturdy, waterproof and with secure fittings. All that functionality comes at a cost, in my case almost 1 kg per bag - a depressing dent in my aspiration to keep my total load to around 5 kg.

So here's how it's done (if like me you have a touch of OCD):

1. Make a list of everything you plan to take.
2. Weigh each item - this may involve weighing several options to find the lightest.
3. Compile a spreadsheet of all the data.
4. Sort the list by weight.
5. Consider if you can lighten any item further - I replaced my multi tool and am currently researching deodorants. I haven't cut the end off my toothbrush (yet).
6. And remember the most weight can be saved by removing stuff from the list altogether (how many casual tops do I really need for 4 days?).
7. Congratulate yourself on managing to lighten your load by 573 grams, then remember you have to fill your water bottles.

I have made only 2 exceptions to this approach. Firstly, I replaced my GPS bike computer for a newer, heavier model. The additional battery life, bigger map screen and the ability to navigate back onto the correct route if I took a wrong turn seemed to justify the additional weight gain. The second was to ignore the obvious alternative way to reduce the overall weight carried, by focusing on the mass above the saddle and cutting down on the many coffee and cake stops.

And a final word to those who are still pondering light pants, it's 45 gams a pair. And while we are on the subject, why do we refer to pants as pairs when there is clearly only one of them?Read more