The special Yatsugatake edition of Ridealive is fast approaching. This time, Natsume-san from Yamatomichi has set us the challenge of keeping our necessary gear list under 4.5kg.
Furthermore, we need to load this onto our bikes and ride forest roads, including dirt sections, up to a trailhead at an altitude of 2150m.
The priority is gear that ensures a safe return, followed by keeping it as light as possible to improve mobility. We will be examining items often considered necessary for general mountaineering and hiking—which tend to become excessive—to determine what is truly needed in light of our various conditions.
I am also at a level that could be considered almost a beginner when it comes to mountaineering. I am preparing my gear while considering the techniques of bikepacking.
I think things might change slightly depending on the weather forecast and temperatures in the mountains, which can drop to near 5°C, but for reference, here is my current gear setup.
First, the gear list for this trip is as follows.
The 4.5kg weight limit only accounts for the weight of the luggage carried on your back during the hike.
Also, water and food are not included in that weight.
Required Bike Gear
Tires 26c or wider / Carrier or bags capable of carrying gear / Bottle, hydration / Puncture repair kit / Bicycle transport bag (rinko-bukuro) / Lock, lights / Helmet
Required Hike Gear
Water or beverages (2L or more recommended; you can refill water at the campsite on the first day.) / Compass / Moisture-permeable, waterproof rain jacket / Cold-weather gear for the upper body (down, synthetic, etc.) / Sleeping bag / Emergency sheet or waterproof sleeping bag cover / Backpack / Health insurance card (copy acceptable) / First aid kit (bandages, gauze, athletic tape, etc.) / Light & batteries / Trail food / Food for 2 nights / Cooker capable of boiling water, fuel / Mobile phone / Tent / Paper map
I’ve laid out what I currently have.
Excluding tools and food, the current weight is 2.972kg.
A paper map, insurance card, wallet, and iPhone will be added.
Looking at it this way, I don't feel as accustomed to this as I do to cycling, and there are still many things I want to try.
Items sold at Circles are marked with an asterisk (※).
Backpack – Yamatomichi mini 340g
Tent – Outdoor Research Helium Bivy※ 512g + Pegs 45g
Rainwear
Montbell Versalite Jacket 168g + Pants 90g + Stuff sack 25g
Cold-weather wear
Montbell Superior Down Jacket 188g
Adidas Techfit Heat Tights 164g
Sleeping bag – Montbell UL. Super Spiral Down Hugger #3 620g
Emergency sheet – SOL Heat Sheet※ 71g
First aid kit 38g
Light & Batteries
Black Diamond Ion 55g
Anker Astro 5200mAh + 90cm cable 166g
Cooker & Fuel
SOTO Micro Regulator Stove SOD-300S※ 73g
SOTO Power Gas 105 Triple Mix SOD-710T 207g
Snow Peak Titanium Single Mug 450 70g
humangear GoBites UNO 14g
Hydration – Platypus 1L※ 24g + T.A.F.U. Bottle 93g
Trail food – Trail Butter※ 128g
Food – Ultra Lunch Bivouac Ration※ 80gx2
Tenugui (hand towel) – Channu 33g
While most of these are basic items, only the Outdoor Research Helium Bivy is a bit distinctive. It can be used as a sleeping bag cover even without pegs, and since it weighs just over 500g and fits in a frame bag, it is highly recommended for long-distance cycling tours.
About the bike
As always, I will be taking on the challenge with a dingle-speed fixed gear. The gear ratio is 2.0 for climbs, and 2.7 for descents by switching gears.
I swapped in a steel fork to attach panniers. The handlebar is the SimWorks Wild Honey, set up for touring just like when I rode in Myanmar.
The tires are SimWorks by Panaracer Volummy. These are more advantageous than Homage tires when there are long paved sections.
And for this trip, I am testing a pannier that can carry a backpack directly, which I am developing with Inocchi from Welldone. I’ll attach a Porcelain Rocket micro-pannier on the other side to balance the weight. I’m also using flat pedals with Hold Fast straps, which allows me to use my hiking shoes as is.
About clothing
It’s not much different from when I’m in the city. If I were just cycling, a racing jersey would be best, and if I were just climbing, mountaineering clothes would be ideal. But I don't just do one or the other, and this isn't a race or an extreme adventure. With this "TOEtoTOP" trip, I want to rethink what is actually necessary from the time I leave home, climb the mountain, and return.
Since anything can happen in the mountains, of course, these aren't just my regular everyday clothes. I’m sticking to the basics of layering: functional innerwear for temperature regulation and sweat management, and an outer layer to deal with the weather.
For the bike part, I’ll wear Search and State S1-S Bib Shorts under Yamatomichi 5-Pocket Shorts. For the hike part, I’ll try using Finetrack's Skin Mesh as my upper-body base layer. My socks will be RAL Tabby, and my shoes will be Adidas Terrex AGRAVIC GTX. My cold-weather and rain gear are as listed in the packing list, but I’m considering adding one more pair of tights.
I still want to brush things up a little more, so I will summarize the final version in my ride report.
The event details are as follows.
You can find entry tickets here. The deadline is tomorrow night.
RIDEALIVE 2017 SP
TOE to TOP
September 13-15, 2017 (Wed-Fri) - Rain or shine
Meeting: 12:00 Wednesday, the 13th at Nobeyama Station
Dismissal: Around 20:00 Friday, the 15th at Kobuchizawa StationRoute:
13th (Wed): Nobeyama → BIKE → Yatsugatake Forest Road → Honzawa Onsen
14th (Thu): Honzawa Onsen → HIKE → Gyojagoya (Camping area)
15th (Fri): Gyojagoya → HIKE → Mt. Akadake, Mt. Ioudake → Honzawa Onsen → BIKE → Nobeyama, Kiyosato, KobuchizawaEntry requirements
Must be able to ride 100km+ on a bike loaded with most camping gear.
Must be able to maintain 7 hours of activity per day while camping for at least 2 nights.For more details, check RIDEALIVE 2017 at
http://ral.life/ridealive2017
SimWorks Monjya