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10 Camping tips for a Bike the UK for MS Cycling Challenge

When camping on a Bike the UK for MS trip such as Land’s End to John O’Groats, it is essential to make sure you have the correct equipment and follow the camping tips below to ensure you have the best time.

Camping not for you? The Scottish Highland’s Bike Tour is a hotel’s only trip, or you can register your interest for a hotels accommodation option on the sign-up forms of the North Coast 500, King Alfred’s Way, Coast to Coast and Lon Las Cymru.

The 5 Dos

1. Test Your Tent!

Before you take on a Bike the UK for MS challenge it is essential to put up your tent. Whether it’s brand new or a trustworthy veteran of camping, the last thing you want to do is struggle to set up your tent after a hard days riding. Putting your tent up before going allows you to be confident in setting up your camping accommodation for the night on our trips as well as notice any damages or missing parts. Some of our trips, such as the North Coast 500 are in remote locations, therefore it won’t be the easiest to find a replacement – make sure everything is in good condition before trekking across the country to start your cycle challenge.

2. Test your Air Mattress

The Second camping tip applies if you are bringing an air bed. Firstly double check you have a way to pump it up when on our trip. Our support vehicles can help with a cigarette lighter or plug power source from our Jackery portable power supply but remember the pump and mattress must fit in your 80 litre Box. Once you have it inflated, test it can stand the test of time. The last thing you want is a poor night’s sleep before a day of riding because your mattress has deflated in the night. Of course, you can choose to bring a sleeping mat instead to mitigate these circumstances completely, that is a personal preference.

3. Bring a full set of tent pegs

Although items such as tent pegs should be included with your tent, and an item to be checking when testing your tent, it gets a special mention on this list as having no or very few tent pegs has been a common theme on our trips over the years. Firstly, make sure you have a full set of tent pegs as you will be setting up your tent many times in different locations – it is easy to lose a few pegs on the journey so don’t be short on them to begin with. Although we time our trips in the Summer to try and have the best weather to ride in, sometimes the UK has other ideas. The wind in the highlands can get seriously strong by the coast so make sure there’s enough tent pegs for the guide ropes too.

4. Plan your meals

When cycling across the UK, some overnight stops can be very rural, therefore you must plan your meals, especially dinner and breakfast. You Can view information packs with details of the accommodation locations and the amenities around them as well as rest stops throughout the day so you can plan your meals. A supported cycle means you don’t have to worry about the weight of your shopping so you can plan way in advance if you like. Some people choose to bring cooking equipment to make their own meals at camp, whilst others rely on takeaways and microwaves at campsites – this is a personal preference in which you can make an informed decision based on the information packs.

5. Dry your tent after the trip

After a long and hard Bike the UK for MS cycling challenge, you may want to come home and rest, and maybe not want to think about putting your tent up for a while, but if it was raining or there was dew on your tent on the last night of camping, you will want to set it up again to dry off. Not only will it keep your tent in a good condition for future use, but it will save you from a not so pleasant experience the next time you want to go camping – this can be said from personal experience!

The 5 Don'ts

1. Don’t bring a festival tent

Bike the UK for MS run supported cycling trips, meaning you don’t have to carry your camping equipment as you cycle. Therefore you don’t need to have the lightest or most expensive camping gear to join one of our cycling challenges. However, you still want to stay dry throughout the night and with the British weather that means a festival tent probably won’t do that for you. Make sure to bring a trustworthy, double skinned waterproof tent to ensure the camping doesn’t dampen your spirits.

2. Don’t forget about clothes for Camping

When packing, your thoughts may be on what to pack when it comes to cycling gear but remember you will also need to pack clothes (and shoes!) to wear when camping. These are clothes that will need to keep you warm during dinner and before you are ready to settle down in your tent for bed. A great item that doesn’t take up too much space is sliders or flip flops. These are great for in the night if you need the toilet or for walking to go to the showers. Speaking of showers – do not forget a towel! This is a staple item for after a hard day’s riding and has been a forgotten item before.

3. Don’t leave camping necessities in the van overnight

This is a Bike the UK for MS specific camping tip. The support vans that carry your equipment throughout the day will be locked overnight to ensure your belongings are as safe as possible. Although our route leaders are there to support you as much as they can, a midnight visit to ask for your pillow out of the van may not be appreciated. Our route leaders will try to keep the vans open for as long as possible and will let everyone know when they are about to lock the van for the night so make sure you have everything you need for the night already in your tent. At least one of the route leaders will also be up early to unlock the van for anything you need in the morning so you don’t have to take everything out of the van the night before.

4. Don’t leave items outside your tent

Leaving items such as your towel or trainers outside overnight can be easily done, but if it rains overnight, you’ll soon know about it when you go to put your shoes on in the morning. We would never recommend leaving your items outside unattended during the night even if the weather is nice, but for items such as towels or damp clothes, our camping tip would be to hang them protected in the van before getting them out in the morning to dry off better.

5. Don’t leave a mess behind

We are lucky to have many camp sites and communities support our cause by donating their space and amenities to us for little or no cost to maximise the amount of money donated to those living with MS. We want to keep and build these relationships as we have done in previous years to make sure all your hard work is going towards a great cause. This is why our final camping tip is to leave the place we have stayed cleaner than we found it; and that is a lot easier to do when we all work together to clean our own camping areas and personal mess.

Did you find these camping tips helpful? Read more of our training and top tips blogs here.

Want to join us for an unforgettable cycling challenge across the UK? Join us one of our trips here!

Take a Look at our Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with all content such as awareness campaigns, how your donations are making a difference and Q&A Opportunities.

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Charlotte and Olivia’s Bike Rides

Placement Students Charlotte and Olivia took to the saddle – not once, but Twice! Felix set them on a challenge to document their own autumnal bike ride as non-cyclists, sharing their experiences from a new rider’s point of view before meeting for a Bike the UK for MS team ride with alumni Joanna.

Olivia's Ride in Lancaster

 

I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and go around the local canal, taking my dog, Dot, along for the ride. The ride started off smoothly, with beautiful views along the canal, and we even spotted a few ducks that Dot was very keen to greet (chase)! However, halfway through our ride, we ran into a bit of an obstacle- building work on the canal blocked our path. Instead of turning back, we took a slight detour to get around the disruption and complete our loop.

Though our unexpected detour added a bit of time, it gave us a chance to explore a different area, with new sights and trails. Dot was excited as ever, just enjoying the outside and new smells. However there was slight over

 excitement from Dot, running into fields and chasing birds- which resulted in me ringing mum to come and meet me to take over the responsibility of keeping her eyes on the dog!

Charlotte's Ride in Suffolk

When Felix set me the task of going on a bike ride I genuinely did not think I would have as much fun as I did! As a team sports player with very little endurance background and even less cycling experience my enjoyment truly surprised me. What could have been a simple 10 minute ride to get some footage ended up as an 11km hour long ride and I could have happily carried on!
With my bike recently stolen, I borrowed a mountain bike and started my ride. I decided to use all its suspension features and ride on the local Warren, where no bike transport would be needed and I wouldn’t have to tackle any road cycling.

As a true beginner cyclist I felt the things that made me so content on the bike was knowing that although I was physically cycling by myself I knew Olivia was doing this to, just like others will all be training throughout the year to then come together and complete one of our routes. The thought of doing a long bike ride daunted me but I realised that once you have made the step to just get out on the bike – even if it is for 10 minutes – you realise you are much more able than you think.

I also set no expectations on myself about the time it would take me to ride and stopping mid-cycle – something our trips also offer, and I really understand why now! This cycling exercise that Felix set up made me realise you don’t have to be a cyclist to enjoy cycling! After being in the vans this Summer seeing some beautiful scenery and getting on the bike for a ride, I can really see why you’d want to put the two together for a summer experience of a lifetime!

Our Team day Cycle

We recently had a team working day in Loughborough, and it was a fantastic mix of work and fun. We went on a bike ride together and there is definitely a competitive streak in the Bike the UK team as multiple races were had. Surprisingly, there were more hills than expected for the Midlands– though they were only small ones. It was a fantastic day out with the team, full of laughter, a little friendly competition and an opportunity to get out on the bike with friends.

Firstly, we got some help from the cycling professional to reassemble our bikes as we had to transport them with the wheels separate in our cars. With Felix and Joanna all kitted out in their cycling gear, we felt a little underdressed but still excited nonetheless. After a few lessons on gears as Charlotte was borrowing a bike with a techy gear shift mechanism (yes, Felix did have to tell me what it is called!) we were set to take on a blind route that Felix had planned.

With no idea where or how far we were going, we focused on having a good time and enjoying all the terrains Loughborough had to offer us. One of us may have got a little more competitive than the other when it came to a track stand competition and sprint race during our ride, but you’ll have to watch our reel on Instagram to find out the results! gear shift mechanism (yes, Felix did have to tell me what it is called!) we were set to take on a blind route that Felix had planned. With no idea where or how far we were going, we focused on having a good time and enjoying all the terrains Loughborough had to offer us.

One of us may have got a little more competitive than the other when it came to a track stand competition and sprint race during our ride, but you’ll have to watch our reel on Instagram to find out the results!

Take a look on our Instagram and Facebook to see the full adventures video documented during our day in Loughborough!

Packing

Charlotte’s Guide to Packing as a Route Leader

As the elected most organised packer of the Bike the UK for MS team, I am going to talk through my must haves for our trips as a route leader. It can certainly be difficult packing for your first trip, but after having a few goes this Summer I have found the best way that works for me, and may help you.

Camping Gear

You don’t need the most expensive and most definitely don’t need the biggest tent for our trips. A two-person, double skinned tent is perfect. Your tents go separately in the van so you don’t need to worry about your box space when it comes to the compactness of your tent when packed up and now would be a great time to look for any summer sales for a bargain if you don’t have one already. Make sure you have tent pegs packed with them, as this mistake has been made in the past!

A sleeping mat or air mattress is personal preference; we’ve even had camping beds used on our trips but remember that it does go in your box. Personally, I have a roll mat for ease and no risk of ending up on the floor halfway through the night, but that’s something Felix could tell you more about. In conclusion – check your air mattresses keep their air before bringing it on the trip! A camping pillow is a great comfort to have especially on a sleeping mat. Once again this is personal preference. Takeaways, cafes and meal deals get me through my trips; however, a gas stove or jet boil is a good item to have for a healthier diet than me! I do make sure I bring cutlery though, which is an easy item to forget and always comes in handy.

Clothes

As route leaders you will be in and out of the vans all day. It is important to wear things that are comfortable as well as all-weather appropriate. Alongside the obvious underwear and clothes needs, there are a few must haves when route leading a trip as you will be outside when camping and at rest stops. Waterproofs – a waterproof rain jacket is essential, and I would recommend waterproof trousers. Nothing fancy and expensive, some basic over trouser waterproof have put me in good stead, especially on the Lon Las Cymru trip this year!

There has not been a single trip this year where I haven’t worn my jumper. As route leaders you may be waiting out of the van at rest stops for an extended period so something to keep you warm, even in the dryer weather is needed. Layers are your best friends, and long sleeve layers are even better when fighting against the midges in Scotland. Something that can be easily forgotten are pyjamas; some accommodation is shared in halls so some form of pyjama is required.


A few things that are nice to have is evening wear and a form of slip-on shoe. Once you’ve reached camp and showered its nice to spend some time in camp at dinner, some comfortable clean evening wear is nice to have. Having shoes like sliders and flip flops are great to have especially when heading to the showers or to the toilets during the night at camps. I like to be optimistic and pack one pair of shorts, you’ll find trousers will be a go-to the majority of the time. My first trip I was too optimistic with the shorts to trouser ratio!

Toiletries

Along with the usual toiletries you would pack for any kind of overnight stay, you must also remember any kind of items required for camping. Personally, I have some hand wash leaves and hand sanitiser just in case there isn’t any at rest stops or camping sites. I also have face and body wipes for similar reasons. The most forgotten toiletry items are toothbrushes, towels and sun cream.
Smidge spray and midge nets are an absolute essential on the North Coast trip unless you are an absolute warrior like our route leader Katrina – you can certainly tell she lives in Scotland!

Things to Have on Hand During the Day

Instead of a rest stop box I have a backpack that comes in the footwell of the van with me. This has my food and anything I want during the day. This is where I will have my charging leads and a portable charger as you may be using a lot of battery communicating with riders or following a gpx route. Although a portable charger isn’t necessary due to having the Jackery power supplies, it is great to have one so you can charge your device away from the back of the van and on the move.

Other items like sunglasses, a water bottle and a travel mug also great to have on hand. These items aren’t necessary but they are small and great to have during the trip for sunny, hot and cold occasions.

How to Pack

Ultimately the best way to pack depends on the trip and type of transport you are taking to get to and from our trip destinations. But you must also consider the bag you pack in must also go in the van, ideally in your tub. For me, and I must admit this was a specified buy with the cycling trips in mind, I have an 80L foldable duffel bag which is the same volume (although not dimensions) of the box my stuff must go in.
A couple of things I use to help me utilise space and keep organised throughout the trip are a vacuum bag for my sleeping bag and pillow – this primarily helps me get all my stuff in one bag, as well as taking up less space in my box. Packing cubes help keep all my clothes organized throughout the trip and means no hectic rummaging in my box. These are definitely not necessities, but it does make my life a little easier in the mornings when getting ready for the road.