A couple weekends ago we did our first trial run fully loaded. We took the train to Ashford and cycled from there to the curling club, near Tonbridge, via the National Cycle Network Route 18. It was quite the challenge for us: a hot day, more hills than we’d expected and the weight of all the gear slowing us down.
Still, we managed a respectable 75km (including getting lost!!) and without a proper lunch too or many breaks. Once at the club we got our tent up and slept very soundly, then were able to fire up the stove in the morning and make ourselves a coffee and porridge. Not bad for a first go!
All in all we were pretty pleased with ourselves. We did learn a few things. Don’t leave your gear in the tent porch because the tent is very attractive to slugs which will crawl all over your stuff! Also, we really needed sleep sacks because our bags stuck to us in the heat. We have since made those out of old sheets. Oh, and we need to make sure we stop for good breaks. I think we would be in danger of exhaustion if we tried to go as hard as we did that day, every day.