Here are some things that I learnt during my latest bike camping trip on the Munda Biddi – shared so that others can benefit plus so that I can remember for next time!

Food

1. Dehydrated eggs are a lot of hassle to make and are not very nice to eat! Don’t go there.
2. Make smaller portions of dehydrated meals – e.g. using 500g of meat = 5-6 meals (not 4)
3. A non-cooked breakfast would give me the option of eating a bit later in the morning, or having a faster start and less complicated logistics in the morning.
4. I don’t need any snack food (thanks high fat low carb diet!)
5. Lunch can be relatively small e.g. rice cakes and basic toppings
6. Next time, try taking milk power plus a small container to mix it up before use, so that I can use it in tea/coffee/muesli like real milk.

Sleeping

1. My Sea to Summit aeros premium inflatable pillow is super comfy! And it does have a micro-adjustment to take air out (took me a while to realise this).
2. Using a blue foam mat underneath an inflatable mat does help with comfort, and the foam mat weighs very little. It is just a matter of attaching the foam mat somewhere on the bike.

Packing

1. An elastic cargo net can always be put to good use.
2. Extra straps can always be put to good use (e.g. tarp hanging).
3. Anything that is attached outside of bags should have a protective bag put around it to keep the dirt out (e.g. blue foam mat was wrapped in two calico shopping bags. Plastic bags would also provide rain protection).
4. It is easier to leave the panniers attached to the bags the whole time, and just take out bags of stuff as needed – so put things into bags within the panniers based on when you will need them. E.g. breakfast and dinner food in one bag, lunch and snacks in another bag. Evening clothes in one bag.
5. Next time, try use water bottles attached to the front fork to carry spare water – this will remove the need for a camelbak on my back to carry water, and distribute the weight more evenly on my bike.

Clothing

1. I can definitely get away with wearing the same kit for 3+ days in a row.
2. Use a jersey without an elastic waist, as it is more comfortable – particularly with over-eating or bloating from unfamiliar foods and routine.
3. Cycling shorts (as opposed to bibs) are a good option for bush pit stops.
4. I can also get away with wearing the same evening clothes the whole trip.
5. A singlet top plus long sleeve top gives a good range of temperature options.
6. My rain jacket is very warm when cycling so don’t need any other warm layers to go under that.
7. I don’t need a down vest plus jacket – only the jacket. And no need for a separate jumper.

Logistics

1. Travelling 40-60km per day took 4 – 4.5 hours, average speed was 8-12 kph depending on terrain. This was a good amount of travelling time per day – we probably could have done one more hour, but not much more.