finalpath.com

When I travel I strive to be a minimalist. The lighter the load, the happier I seem to be. For me, the less things I have to worry about, the more my mind is set free to absorb the trip I’m taking. I also like to minimize setup and breakdown times at the camp sites which allows for more time on the bike.

For tenting, I use the Eureka Solitaire Tent. Setup time is quick with its two poles and several support ropes. Even though there’s not a lot of room inside, it can warm up or cool down quickly depending on your zipper settings and its packed size is only 17in. x 4in.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___23888

I’m currently researching the idea of replacing tents with hammocks.

My sleeping bag is the Lamina 45 by Mountain Hardwear. It is good down to 45 deg and is so compressible when packed inside the included stuff sack it only measures 11in. x 6in.

For comfort I carry a Coleman self-inflating sleeping pad with inflatable pillow. You can add extra air to the pad manually but I find the self inflating feature provides enough air to work with.

For cooking, I carry a single aluminum pot and a single burner propane stove which mounts to the top of a small propane tank. I’m looking into other ultra-lite stoves and am particuarly interested in those that use twigs, etc. for fuel.

This approach to equipment is not at the top of the comfort scale but I sleep well and what it lacks in comfort is made up with its simplicity and rapid setup/breakdown times.