The Gear

I will be living out of my kayak and bike for 2 months, so there is a lot of gear that I will be taking on the trip. Below is a snapshot of all the gear I will be taking and some details about some of the key pieces of equipment.

The Kayak – Mirage 582

The kayak I will be paddling for this trip is a Mirage 582. This is an excellent, lightweight sea kayak that is perfect for expeditions and will provide me with plenty of storage space for the 2 months. This kayak is being manufactured especially for this trip, so while I wait for it I will be paddling our Mirage 532.

Mirage 582

Specifications:

Length:         5.8m
Width:            55.5cm
Weight:         18kg

Rear Hatch: 90L
Front Hatch: 80L
Day Hatch: 27L

The Bike – Kona Unit X

The bike I will be riding during the first section of the expedition is the Kona Unit X.

Kona Unit X

As described on the Kona site “The Unit X has become a cult favourite among die-hard Kona fans. Maybe it’s the Cromoly frame. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s a bikepacking monster, or its SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain, or modular dropouts which give you the ability to run it as a single speed if that’s your thing. Maybe it’s because the rigid fork makes it that much more of a classic. We may never know why the Unit X is such a popular bike, but we can only guess it’s because it is one of the most practical machines in our lineup.”

Specifications:

  • Frame Material: Reynolds 520 Butted Cromoly
  • Fork: Kona Plus Fork
  • Wheels: WTB ST i30 2.0 TCS 29”
  • Crankset: SRAM SX Eagle
  • Drivetrain: SRAM SX Eagle 12spd
  • Brakes: SRAM Level T with 180mm front/160mm rear rotor
  • Seat Post: Kona Thumb w/Offset 31.6mm
  • Cockpit: Kona XC/BC Riser Bar/Kona XC/BC Stem with Kona Lock-on Key Grip
  • Front Tire: WTB Ranger TCS 29×2.6”
  • Rear tire: WTB Ranger TCS 29×2.6”
  • Saddle: WTB Volt

Pack List

The full pack list can be found here.

Below is a good indication of the type and amount of gear I will be taking on the trip. I generally paddle a fairly heavy kayak (I like my luxuries) and as you will see I tend to carry a fair bit of camera gear.

Paddling Gear

  • Kayak
  • Paddle
  • Paddle – Spare
  • Booties
  • Spray Skirt/Deck
  • Buoyancy Vest
  • Sponge
  • Deck Pack
  • Trolly

Bike Gear

  • Bike
  • Helmet
  • Bike Pants
  • Pump
  • Bike Repair Kit
  • Paniers x3
  • Handle Bar pack
  • Straps
  • Water Bottles

Repair Kit

  • Duct Tape
  • Aquaseal
  • Tent pole bracket
  • Patch Kit
  • Spare Batteries

Safety & Health

  • First Aid Kit
  • Eyedrops
  • Anti-Inflammatories
  • Panadol
  • Insect Repellent
  • Stingoes
  • Zinc Cream
  • Suncream
  • Blister Patches
  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Hand Sanitiser
  • All Purpose Wash
  • Deodorant

Camping

  • Tent
  • Tent Poles
  • Tent Pegs & Guy
  • Sleeping Bag
  • Sleeping Bag Liner
  • Sleeping Mat
  • Pillow (inflatable)
  • Light Tarp
  • Clothes Line
  • Head-torch
  • Chair

General

  • Dry Bags
  • Towel
  • Garbage Bags
  • Ziplock bags
  • Tie Down Staps
  • Pocket Knife
  • Toilet paper
  • Trowel
  • Clothes Pegs
  • Guide Book / Map
  • Rope/straps
  • Novel
  • Notebook
  • Pen
  • Credit Card & Cash

Electronics

  • GPS with SOS
  • Laptop
  • Laptop Charger
  • Camera (DSLR)
  • Camera (GoPro)
  • Tripod
  • Spare Camera Batteries
  • SD Cards
  • Drone
  • Drone Batteries x 3
  • Drone Accessories (Spare props, ND filters etc)
  • Phone
  • Charging cord
  • Headphones
  • Powerpack x 2

Clothes

  • Sun Glasses & Strap
  • Broad brim Hat
  • Cap
  • Rash top
  • Board-shirts
  • Goretex Paddle Jacket
  • Paddle Gloves
  • Wetsuit Gloves
  • Underwear
  • T-shirts
  • Socks
  • Shorts
  • Pants
  • Warm Pants
  • Shoes
  • Fleece top
  • Thermal Top
  • Thermal Bottom
  • Warm Gloves
  • Down Jacket
  • Waterproof Pants
  • Beanie
  • Buff

Below is a video that Andrew put together that talks about the gear he uses and tips & tricks for multi-day kayak trips.