HT 550 practicle stuff

[Mariner]

Many thanks to all posters of HT550 accounts I stand in awe.

On the practical front could you perhaps spare a few words on how you managed power devices ie gps SPOT and lights.
Did you just take a big bag of batteries or did you have a any charging devices?
If you changed batteries was it as required or on a regular basis every so many hours?

I cant imagine that after an eighteen hour slog against the weather and you arrive cold wet and hungry at a bivvi site you look forward to a spot of bike maintenance but is there any consideration to the bike during or is it considered sorted before you go and just deal with things if they occur?
I think Markus listed a few pairs of disc pads in his kit. Did anyone need to replace theirs during?
Any other spares mechanical bits or tyre/tube?
Having rescued riders who used all their CO2 and had no pump is a pump preferred to CO2?
How much slime do tubeless set ups carry?

Any other information or accounts of things what broke and where fixed or frigged.
Looking at the photos there seemed to be a distinction between the minimalists with maybe only one dry bag and the people carrying fairly full front rear and frame bags.
Did anyone not carry a stove or tent/tarp?

I am not really a gear nerd just trying to understand how you view the risk/hardship factor.
Travel light travel fast and deal with the conditions or slightly slower with more gear.

[AlasdairMc]

Batteries - carry a GPS that takes AAs for mapping, and a wee rechargeable one for logging, charged from a dynamo. Spot and head torch share batteries so once the Spot set can no longer be used in the Spot, they become the spares for the head torch as it'll run much lower voltage.

No stove this year, didn't miss it. Bivi and tarp, used both.

Bike needs to be perfect before you go. Any slight niggles will only get worse before they get better. A mechanical out there is unthinkable. Carry two spare sets of bedded pads with two new but bedded sets in the brakes. Lube regularly. Cleaning the chain isn't important as the river crossings do that for you. Whatever slime you normally use, add more. I didn't take gas this year, I had it last year but it didn't fix the split rim which was the cause of my flat. For that, I carried two inner tubes, only one was used.

[touch]

I have a Gen3 spot which lasts forever. I took some spare batteries just incase but I knew I wouldnt need them.
For everything else, I took 2 of these batteries and charged them with the dynamo hub through the day and used them to charge my phone/lights/garmin overnight.

My spares kit included:
Lube - intended to lube the chain each morning but forgot a couple of times
brake pads - 4 pairs, only changed one set, thought they felt odd but there was actually loads left on the old ones when I took them off
3 tubes - I was running tubeless but if I'd punctured I would have put a tube in rather than patch/repair the tubeless setup.
tyre levers
pump - no co2 for me, the time difference in inflating a tyre doesnt matter for a race like that and I wasnt going to try and inflate a tubeless tyre.
magic links - took 4 sets, they are tiny and weigh nothing so i'd rather have too many than not enough
multitool - includes allen keys/screwdriver/chain tool
spoke tool
mini leatherman type multitool - I needed this for the pliers because my brake pads are held in place with a split pin. I'll make sure my next set of brakes dont need any extra tools for swapping pads.
zip ties + duct tape - actually forgot to pack the tape but it should have been in there

Other than the lube and 1 brake pad change, I didnt need to use anything else.
I didnt do any regular daily maintenance or checks (other than lube) on the bike until it needed it. I made sure everything was running smoothly before I started and that was it.

I was one of the ones riding fully-loaded. Slow but (relatively) comfortable. I didnt take a stove - I wouldnt have had room for it.
I'm thinking I might do it again next year in a light and uncomfortable style. Not a lot of the toolkit listed above would be changed though - weight would have to be saved elsewhere.

[boxelder]

As above, batteries last the event in the Spot
etrex 20 on all time while riding needed one battery change
Pump - never used CO2. the time saving here is irrelevant. 2 tubes, no punctures
2 spare sets pads and needed both (Hope X2)
Tent, as it was the same weight as bivi and tarp
Stove and Alpkit Mytimug in stem cell - easy to whip out and brew up without unpacking, and it was a godsend on 4 occasions. I always had at least a days food in the bag - no food stop panics.
I didn't take lights and headtorch failed, meaning a moonlight trip over Devils Staircase and an extra 'camp' at the Kingshouse. With lights I'd have carried on and finished in the wee hours (saving 4-5 hours). Not bothered though, didn't need them anywhere else.
Proper waterproof (Montane eVent jobbie with hood - another godsend). Plastic/poly gloves from service station/garage - I forgot and blagged some builders 'condom gloves' off Giacamo at the start - came in very useful on the last cold damp morning.
Don't fret about gear - just keep it simple.

[Richpips]

Lithium batteries for GPS and SPOT.

I wouldn't dream of using CO2 on anything other than a circuit race.

Forgot to take chain lube, though that was an oversight. Other than a bit of squeeking not really noticeable though.

Wore through a set of pads on the rear, had spares but made it back with just the front brake.

Other spares, tyre boot, spare links, gear cable (not used).

Took a tent this year and last, no stove though.

No lights last year, but took them and used them this year. It's doable without though.

Travel light travel fast and deal with the conditions or slightly slower with more gear.

This ultimately depends on your athletic ability, the weather, your mountaincraft and maybe knowledge of the route.

if you're cold wet and hungry at the end of the day, then those things need addressing, you should be tired, but none of the others.

I guess the bottom line is go out and do some long rides with your stuff and see how you go. If you haven't got a solid setup, the HTR will probably find you out.

[fatbikephil]

Took lots of tyre repair stuff - tub thread and needle, motorcycle patches, park tyre boots and superglue for sidewall rips (not needed).
Bag of odds and ends to help bodge a repair if needed - cable ties, spare jockey wheel, spare rear mech mounting arm, a few bolts of different sizes, 2 spare chain joining links and a hyper cracker so I could get the sprockets off if I needed to bodge the freewheel.
I swithered about a brake bleed kit but went without. This nearly cost me dear as its the one thing that did go wrong
I carried a leatherman as it has pliers and wire cutters - useful for further bodges using fencewire!
I took an exposure joystick but never expected to do much riding in the dark
I used a tent as its quick and easy to put up when your wasted and a dry shelter from the poor show weather
I carried a gas stove as I need a brew in the morning plus was able to cook a freeze dried meal on my one tea away from civilisation in Canmore bothy.
I trashed 2 sets of pads (1 brand new sintered and one set of half worn organics)
I had full waterproofs and gaitors which were a major factor in me making it round - my paramo quito was exceptional. I dressed much warmer than I would normally for the time of year - this helped to keep my pace down as I'd overheat if I went too fast and was a life saver over Torridon.

[GregMay]

Not going to type it all again :

http://www.gregorymay.ie/?p=1830

Setup from the HT450 in year 1

[Ian]

Not going to type it all again :

http://www.gregorymay.ie/?p=1830

Setup from the HT450 in year 1

I wonder if the time you wasted having to take your helmet off to change your jacket was equalised by the use of your CO2 canister to inflate a tyre?

[GregMay]

Honestly, the jacket thing was a faff. I tend to strip layers a lot - since then I've not used a bag, or 3/4 zipped jacket. It's made a difference to me. C02 was for if a tubeless tyre burped off the rim. Nothing to do with speed.

[AlasdairMc]

Not going to type it all again :

http://www.gregorymay.ie/?p=1830

Setup from the HT450 in year 1

A good point there about minimising faffing to save time. I've got far better at this by planning my stops in advance to make the most of them. Filling up my bottle, emptying my bladder, changing a layer and grabbing my food are done in one go, and I do really notice the difference it makes

[Alpinum]

[...]to take your helmet off to change your jacket [...]

I only use smocks and have been doing so since the first Rab Demand pull on (~5 y). I don't have to take the helmet off, neither with the Demand nor with the Montane Minimus. Same with Rab Boreas pull on.
Ever figured out where the zip of a jacket usually fails first? Exactly, at the bottom. Is it faster? Dunno, seems very similar. It pack smaller, is a little bit lighter and more convenient to wear once its on. Then for backpacking and mountaineering (hip belts, harness) there's more comfort with less material around your belly. Just a few thoughts.

[GregMay]

[...]to take your helmet off to change your jacket [...]

I only use smocks and have been doing so since the first Rab Demand pull on (~5 y). I don't have to take the helmet off, neither with the Demand nor with the Montane Minimus. Same with Rab Boreas pull on.
Ever figured out where the zip of a jacket usually fails first? Exactly, at the bottom. Is it faster? Dunno, seems very similar. It pack smaller, is a little bit lighter and more convenient to wear once its on. Then for backpacking and mountaineering (hip belts, harness) there's more comfort with less material around your belly. Just a few thoughts.

Depends on the size of the hole, and the helmet :)

[Alpinum]

Well I did adress the holes. My helmets are an Alpina Mythos and Fox Flux, latter being a beast of a lid. I'm sure Inov-8 and Berghaus smocks would work too.

[Ian]

Depends on the size of the hole, and the helmet :)

*sniggers*