Layer, Layer, Layer
This can't be said enough when talking about the best way to travel light and travel in mixed conditions. It does not matter if you are hiking, trekking, cycling, kayaking, or just walking, layering is the key to dealing with conditions.
For example, on my winter Gaspe' bike expedition last year, I was garunteed to encounter conditions that ranged from zero degrees at night to highs in the 40's during the day. Snow, sun, sleet, and rain were all in the three week forecast. In order to deal with these types of conditions, while still meeting my goal of traveling light and in a bike-packing stye, layering was critical. In my book, everything in your kit should have multiple uses and this is absolutely mandatory when it comes to clothes.
Riding the beaches with bergy bits
My upper body clothing kit included:
- Base wool
- Medium weight wool
- Rain Proof Soft Shell
- Patagonia Puff
- Winter Parka
With this kit, I could start the day out cycling with just my base wool and softshell. As I heated up, I could vent the soft shell and regulate my body temperature very easily. Wool is a great insulator, does not stink, and dries out very quickly. At rest stops, when temps were cold and the wind was blowing, I simply threw on my Patagonia Puff to keep in valuable insulation and provide one more layer of wind break.
At camp, I would simply take off my soft shell, add my medium weight wool and throw on my parka. This allowed me to be somewhat comfortable while cooking, and then absolutely toasty in my sleeping bag. By layering up with my clothes, I was able to take a 20 degree bag into 0 degree conditions and sleep very comfortably.
Everyone is different with regards to how they react to cold and heat, so you will need to adjust accordingly. For me, I actually run a bit cold up top and a bit warm down below. So for this trip, I spent most of my time in my cycling knickers, only occasionally adding my wool knickers for added warmth. At camp, I would just throw my insulated pants over everything was good to go. On extremely cold days, the addition of my rain pants over my knickers was all I needed to warm up my lower body.
Lastly, the same was true for my head and my feet. Layering up my feet with sock liners, seal skinz and wool cycling socks was all I needed during the day. At night I would replace the seal skinz with a pair of heavy weight wool socks and my feet were then toasty warm for the night. My head was almost always covered with a Buff and then at camp, breaks or in the hammock, I would add on a beanie for additional warmth.
With this kit, everything had a purpose and nothing was wasted. By layering up, I was able to compensate for changing conditions and still have everything fit in my 3 bag (Seat Bag, Frame Bag, Handle Bar Bag) setup.