Equipment
Tuborg, the greatest bike in the world, was not only my transport, but also my best friend.
It's a Raleigh hybrid type bike from the mid nineties. I painfully left Tuborg at Cape Agulhas backpackers in South Africa, for another budding adventurer to cycle off into the sunset on, perhaps back to Norway..
One pannier was branded, Altura I think, the hooks broke off early doors, but it held on nicely with bungy straps, unless the road got bumpy when it would fall off, but this was somewhat comical.
The other pannier was from Argos, it started off waterproof, but not for long. It was soon ripped to bits, and was on several occasions sewed back together. The hooks broke off this bag too, I used a combination of string and bungy straps keeping it attached to the bike on a permenant basis.
I had a Coleman petrol stove, it was great till it got bashed inside the panniers and broke. In Kenya I bought a German made stove from a local (who had been given it by German motorcyclists).
I had a waterproof jacket (Altura), this was quite good, but the zip became mis-aligned and was very difficult to zip up. I then lost the jacket in South Africa.
I had a nice coumbia shirt, but the sun got to it and it tore in two places at the back, I had it sewed up, but it just ripped again. A similar story occured with my trousers.
My waterproof trousers were great. I still have them and they are still in good condition.
I took a down sleeping bag, it got pretty sweaty and wet with rain, then it went moudly and the zip rusted. I washed it off and its OK now.
I took a Vango tent. It was great in the snow, but a bit warm in hot climates. It was attached to the bike with a ratchet strap, which ripped into the tent outer. I repaired several holes using inner tube patches. In Mozambique I set up camp on an ants nest. The little buggers eat through the tent and bit me in my sleep. Now I have about 100 little holes in the bottom of the tent. Ants got in again in South Africa, this time I opted to sleep outside and got bitten by the Moosquitos instead.
My front handlebar bag lasted the distance with only a couple of small holes. It was actually waterproof.