Originally Posted by
gauvins
elcruxio I am not criticising -- they are at one end of the spectrum (more than 100L). My months long kit fits inside 25L and I met trans-am bikepackers carrying less than that.
This being said, (1) there is no mention of a storage system for food & water. Puzzling. (2) what looks excessive: a Woolpower mid-layer (29oz, incredibly large packed size); two down jackets (Rab Microlight + Rab Positron); a 3 outlet power strip and a USB cables kit requiring a large storage bag (my cable system is the size of a pencil).
Their kit lists (
here and
there) are exhaustive and certainly worth considering. Personally, I think that this is too much stuff and there are several large/heavy items for which smaller/lighter alternatives might be considered. In another video the guy makes the point that the (loaded) bike is too heavy to push on muddy roads.
For not criticising you seem to be doing a lot of criticising.
For the amount of electronics they're carrying AND wild camping it's reasonable to be able to get as much amperage from a socket as possible whenever possible. One way to achieve that is using several powerful chargers at once (multiport usb charging hubs typically have a fairly low amperage per cable when all ports are in use).
two down jackets isn't all that peculiar when living on a bike for long durations. It could either be a clothing rotation reason (keep one dry while other is in use) or a break jacket / staying warm jacket combo or both.
As to the woolpower. I understood they were going to scandinavia and iceland. I'm assuming their timetable would put them there around autumn and perhaps even winter. Of course you must know this as you state your criticisms in such a certain manner, but if you go live outdoors in scandinavia during autumn and winter months with just down to keep you warm (let alone just one down jacket) you'll either freeze to death or you'll get incredibly lucky with the weather. Down doesn't do anything once it gets wet. A thick wool layer with a rainshell on top will keep you alive in sub freezing rain. It's no wonder thick wool is so popular around here.
So sure, they could ditch the down jacket(s) but then they'd need even thicker wool which would then be even heavier and pack even larger.