I’ve been a bit busy (and a bit lazy) but I’ve finally gotten around to doing the equipment posts I promised. In this first one I will deal with the bits of equipment I am replacing/upgrading detailing why I’ve chosen to do so. I’m on a pretty tight budget for this next stage of the trip so I’ve had to put a lot of thought into what I spend money on so hopefully some of you reading this will find my choices helpful!
Packed ProLite on the right and XTherm on the left. SD Card and A4 paper for scale :).
Firstly the upgrade that in my mind is the most important, which was also the priciest, my new sleeping mat. I’ve decided to replace my Therm-a-rest ProLite sleeping mat with a Therm-a-rest NeoAir Xtherm for several reasons. Mainly the old mat was just not warm enough for camping out in close to zero temperatures. The XTherm is, by all accounts, the warmest carry-able sleeping mat there is. It’s even suitable for sleeping on snow which may prove very useful when I ride up into the Turkish mountains in February. The only mats warmer are big heavy things used when setting up a long term camp.
James Finnerty 