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Shakedown trip with SK - Apr 2019

Thought on bike kit following shakedown trip with SK - Apr 2019

Riding kit	Waterproof poncho, space blanket, high viz, tools	Never leave home without this - it just lives on the bike
Riding kit	Helmet
Riding kit	Summer Gloves
Riding kit	Waterproof over trousers/jacket	Not needed, but was wearing jeans so would have needed them even in light rain
Riding kit	Spare gloves - waterproof winter	Not needed for an overnight trip - I could have coped with cold hands for a couple of hours
Riding kit	Ear plugs x4	Could have coped with one pair
Riding kit	Textile Jacket	Had waterproof and thermal liners in.  Could have coped without thermal liner
Riding kit	Riding jeans	Wore these all the time.
Riding kit	Map	Didn't use this.  Relatively short journey committed to memory + mobile maps when lost
Riding kit	Gopro	Didn't take it
Riding kit	Tripod	Didn't use.
Riding kit	Paracord	Didn't use.
Bike	Puncture repair kit + glue and tyre weld	Didn't use, although nice to have
Bike	Waterproof bags	Heavy duty bags containing bedding. Were strapped to the outside and kept everything dry. Great bits of kit
Bike	Bungies	Took one for external luggage.
Bike	Disc lock	Secure parking, didn't use
Bike	Security wire	Didn't take it
Bike	12v USB charger	Didn't use.  Phone made it through 1 night trip on "managed" charge
Camping	Tent	Took ages to put up compared to SK tent.  Starting to smell a bit odd
Camping	Mosquito "hat"	Didn't use.
Camping	Sleeping bag	4 Season XL bag.  Temperature dropped to around 3 degrees overnight and I was really cold.
Camping	Pillow	Replaced flat pillow with fatter one.  Good decision
Camping	Roll mat	Had this for about 20 years. As good on this trip as when it was new, although other guys had modern ones that are twice the thickness inflated
Camping	Head torch	Super useful.  Batteries need replacing before big trip
Camping	Lantern	Could do with a second LED to make it brighter, ideally a warm white one.  Batteries seem low.
Camping	Lighter	Used to start cooker.  Wouldn't work initially, a second lighter would be a good idea
Camping	Water bottle	Took a 1 liter Sigg
Camping	Pen knife	Didn't use
Camping	Cooker	Used for tea
Camping	Gas	Took smaller canister which was fine.
Camping	Pans	Used for tea
Camping	Cups	Used for tea and porridge
Camping	Sporks	Use for porridge
Camping	Phone charger	Didn't use
Camping	USB powerbank	User to charge phone overnight
Camping	Baby wipes	Didn't use
Camping	Pot washing pad + detergent	Didn't use, although lives in cooker pot
Camping	Clothes pegs	Didn't take it
Camping	Toilet Roll	Didn't take it
Food	Booze	4 cans of IPA.  Drank 2
Food	Water	Extra water not required
Food	Mixed nuts	Good snacks
Food	Sweets	Didn't take it
Clothes	Socks	Just used the ones I started in
Clothes	Pants	Just used the ones I started in
Clothes	Shirt	Just used the ones I started in
Clothes	Wallet / keys
Wash bag	Insect repellent	Didn't use
Wash bag	Paracetamol (cold/flu)	Didn't use
Wash bag	Toothbrush / toothpaste	Didn't use
Wash bag	Antiseptic cream	Didn't use
Wash bag	Ibuprofen gel	Didn't use
Wash bag	Antibac hand gel	Didn't use
Wash bag	Deodorant	Didn't use
Wash bag	Loose change for showers	Didn't use

I was cold at night.  I forgot my hat, which was the likely biggest contributor to this.  I should also have used my bike jacket as a cover ASAP.

Milk thermos.  The old one got converted for squash, so I need a new one for milk.  Check with CR before big trip.

I'm thinking of wiring 12v into my top box and then charging a much bigger powerbank in there.  Changing on the dash is a pain, and a single 4400mAh brick is not enough to charge a camera and a phone.

Need to take USB OTG adaptor for phone.

Need a block of wood for putting under centre stand.  Bike sank into grass and I had to be rescued by SK.

It would make sense to use the odd shape in the NS pannier better for stuff that stays on the bike, such as the tyre foam.

Peaks trip kit list + thoughts

Kit list from an overnight trip to the peaks with CR+SK.

Riding kit	Helmet
Riding kit	Gloves	I considered using only my winter gloves, but was glad I had these
Riding kit	High viz	Never leave home without this - it just lives on the bike
Riding kit	Waterproof over trousers	Used these on day2. Would have been very wet without them
Riding kit	Waterproof over jacket	Used it on day2. Would have been very wet without it
Riding kit	Spare gloves - waterproof winter	Used these on day2. Would have been very wet without them
Riding kit	Ear plugs x10	Could have coped with one pair
Riding kit	Textile Jacket	Used this with waterproof liner on day1 and without liner (but with over jacket) on day2
Riding kit	Riding jeans	Wore these all the time.
Riding kit	Map	Didn't use this.  Relatively short journey committed to memory + mobile maps when lost
Riding kit	Gopro	Crap once again.  Need to figure out battery life issue
Riding kit	Tripod	Didn't use.
Riding kit	Paracord	Didn't use.
Bike	Tyre weld	Didn't use, although nice to have
Bike	Puncture repair kit + glue	Didn't use.  Probably didn't need for relatively short trip - tyre weld alone would be OK
Bike	Waterproof bags	Heavy duty bags containing bedding. Were strapped to the outside and kept everything dry. Great bits of kit
Bike	Bungies	Took one for external luggage.
Bike	Disc lock	Used at night.  Didn't leave helmet with bike
Bike	Security wire	Didn't use
Bike	Zip ties	Fitted in tool kit. Didn't actually need one
Bike	12v USB charger	Didn't use.  Phone made it through weekend on "managed" charge
Camping	Tent	Shared with bro again.  Did a great job, although starting to look rather worn out.
Camping	Mosquito "hat"	Didn't use.
Camping	Sleeping bag	4 Season XL bag, mostly unzipped.
Camping	Pillow	I will never ever go camping without a proper pillow again. It made the experience so much better.  Pillow is starting to get a little flat however, needs replacing
Camping	Roll mat	Had this for about 20 years. As good on this trip as when it was new, although other guys had modern ones that are twice the thickness inflated
Camping	Torch x2	Used lantern while sat in circle drinking beer - very good.  Used head torch in tent
Camping	Lighter	Used to start cooker
Camping	Water bottle	Took 2.  Once for group tea, the other for personal supply.  Could have coped without group bottle as only drank tea at campsite and on way home.
Camping	Pen knife	Used to cut sausage
Camping	Cooker	Used for tea, twice
Camping	Gas	Used for tea, twice
Camping	Pans	Used for tea, twice
Camping	Cups	Used for tea, twice
Camping	Sporks	didn't use
Camping	Phone + charger	Didn't use charger
Camping	USB powerbank	Didn't use
Camping	Baby wipes	Didn't use
Camping	Pot washing pad + detergent	Didn't use, although lives in cooker pot
Camping	Clothes pegs	Didn't use
Camping	Toilet Roll	Didn't use
Food	Booze	6x cans of beer + half bottle of scotch
Food	Water	Way more than required, although panniers were not full so not a problem
Food	Mixed nuts	Good snacks
Food	Sweets	Good snacks
Clothes	Socks	Just used the ones I started in
Clothes	Pants	Just used the ones I started in
Clothes	Shirt	Just used the ones I started in
Clothes	Wallet / keys
Wash bag	Insect repellent	Didn't use
Wash bag	Paracetamol (cold/flu)	Didn't use
Wash bag	Toothbrush / toothpaste	Didn't use
Wash bag	Antiseptic cream	Didn't use
Wash bag	Ibuprofen gel	Didn't use
Wash bag	Antibac hand gel	Didn't use
Wash bag	Deodorant	Didn't use
Wash bag	Loose change for showers	Didn't use

Skye trip 2018 kit list + thoughts afterwards

Been to Skye for a week with Chris.  Took food and wild camped and couple of nights, stayed on campsites and went to the pub for the rest.  Kits and thoughts:

Category	Name	Comment
Riding kit	Helmet	My helmet has a slide-down sun visor which I used a LOT. It would also double as short term eye protection if the main visor got broken.
Riding kit	Gloves	Summer gloves. These got extremely wet in a sudden rain-storm and took a LONG time to dry. If there's enough threat of rain to justify water-proof clothing, you also need waterproof gloves.
Riding kit	Buff x2	ADV style jacket and waterproofs cover the neck - didn't use these at all
Riding kit	High viz	Never leave home without this - it just lives on the bike
Riding kit	Waterproof over trousers	Didn't actually use these and got very wet in a storm as a result
Riding kit	Waterproof over jacket	Didn't use this in a HEAVY storm, and the ADV jacket wasn't adequate
Riding kit	Spare gloves - waterproof winter	Should have used these more. Were very nice to have when on the motorway for over an hour in the rain.
Riding kit	Ear plugs x10	Used about half of these, although re-used the ones that I did open a lot. Worth using a fresh pair for long motorway slogs
Riding kit	Textile Jacket	RST Adventure 3. Surprisingly cool with all its vents open. OK for light/medium rain with the waterproof liner fitted
Riding kit	Textile Trousers	RST Adventure 3. Acceptably cool with vents open. OK for light/medium rain with the waterproof liner fitted. Failed miserably in heavy rain
Riding kit	Riding jeans	Wore these to ride 50% of the time when weather was good. Wore them to the pub in the evenings. Well worth the space in my luggage.
Riding kit	Map	Mostly used a mobile phone + Google maps. Was glad it was there as a backup.
Riding kit	Gopro	Not at all happy about my camera setup. Mostly just used my mobile to take stills.
Riding kit	Tripod	Used this a few times to hold my mobile with a delay. Should have made more of an effort with it in hindsight as shots were good
Riding kit	Balaclava	Didn't use this at all. The weather report showed it was never going to get below about 10 deg centigrade at worst so didn't need winter kit like this.
Riding kit	Paracord	Took about 20 meters, used about 20cm. Useful, but don't need much.
Bike	Tools	Thankfully didn't need these
Bike	Tyre weld	Thankfully didn't need this, but wouldn't take a long trip without it based on previous experience
Bike	Puncture repair kit + glue	Thankfully didn't need this. Probably redundant when already have tyre weld, but is very small and portable.
Bike	Waterproof bags	Heavy duty bags containing bedding. Were strapped to the outside and kept everything dry. Great bits of kit
Bike	Bungies	Didn't use this. In the event the "main" bungy snapped, it would have been possible to patch it back together, Won't be taking a spare bungy again.
Bike	Disc lock	Used this a lot. Acts as a "tip over" and tamper alarm during the night on campsite for peace of mind. Used "reminder" wire to secure helmets to bikes during the day on occasion.
Bike	Security wire	Didn't use this, although very small to pack and have been useful in the past
Bike	Zip ties	Fitted in tool kit. Didn't actually need one
Bike	12v USB charger	Used this a lot to re-charge power-brick on the go. Took ages to charge the brick. Used the brick to charge mobile at night.
Camping	Tent	3 man Eurohike (as per 2017 trip). Great tent, got the job done. Insect mesh screen in door was invaluable for this trip
Camping	Mosquito "hat"	Invaluable. Would have been pretty much impossible to camp by Loch Lomand without it
Camping	Sleeping bag	4 Season. Slept on top of it when warm, and was nice and cozy when it was cold. Perfect.
Camping	Pillow	I will never ever go camping without a proper pillow again. It made the experience so much better.
Camping	Roll mat	Had this for about 20 years. As good on this trip as when it was new.
Camping	Torch x2	Tent "lamp" generally handy. Used head-torch for reading at night.
Camping	Lighter	Part of cooking kit. Piezo starter on stove failed, so it's a good job I had this
Camping	Water bottle	Sigg 1 litre. Not a great shape for a top box, but a good size and reliable
Camping	Pen knife	4 inch carbon steel. Great knife, but overkill for trip, mostly used for slicing spicy sausage.
Camping	Can opener	Used once to open can without ringpull. Should just buy cans with ring pulls.
Camping	Cooker	Piezo starter failed but was otherwise good
Camping	Gas	Coleman 500. Chris also took one. We could have coped with a single 300.
Camping	Pans	Used a few times, although needed Chris's kit at same time to cook for 2 people.
Camping	Cups	2x insulated mugs. Keep tea hot for too long - makes stopping for a quick cuppa time consuming
Camping	Sporks	Used a few times, did what you'd expect. Good decision to take these
Camping	Phone + charger	Didn't use this. A combination of pre-charged power bricks, modern phone batteries and bike charging made it redundant
Camping	USB powerbank	Took 2, used 1.
Camping	Baby wipes	Used about 10% of pack, mostly for cleaning visors each day. Quite bulky, will only take a half pack in future.
Camping	Book	Doing 1200 miles in 5 days meant I was pretty tired so didn't read much.
Camping	Water filter kit	Used this a few times. Quite handy. Only need the basic kit (1 bladder, 1 filter, 1 pipe, 1 backflush)
Camping	Headphones	Didn't use these
Camping	Pot washing pad + detergent	Used these a few times. Very handy
Camping	Clothes pegs	Didn't use these
Camping	Toilet Roll	Didn't use this - we touched civilisation enough that facilities were available
Food	Booze	Didn't use this
Food	Water	1 litre + filter. Made sure to buy drinks whenever possible.
Food	Chilli beans	Very bulky to carry
Food	Steak	Very bulky to carry
Food	Rice	Quick cook. Good, but only with something else.
Food	Mixed nuts	Should have taken more of these
Food	Sweets	Wine gums - didn't melt. Was nice to have a few each day
Clothes	Socks x3	2 days per pair
Clothes	Pants x3	2 days per pair
Clothes	Shirt x3	2 days per shirt
Clothes	Trousers - lightweight, non riding	Didn't really use these
Clothes	Warm hat	Didn't use this. Better planning would have shown it was going to be plenty warm enough
Clothes	Towel	Use a couple of time. Was slightly difficult to get dry after use as it needed to go back on the bike
Clothes	Wallet / keys	Don't forget these. Even in remote Skye, all fuel stations accepted Visa. Cash for camping.
Clothes	Comfy shoes	New ADV boots not great for pub use, so used these a few times. Could have put jeans over boots for pub.
Wash bag	Sun cream	Obviously
Wash bag	Insect repellent	DEET. Strongest you can find. Use lots
Wash bag	Paracetamol (cold/flu)	Didn't need these, but would still take them again
Wash bag	Toothbrush / toothpaste	Obviously
Wash bag	Antiseptic cream	Used this on insect bites that were under sweaty gloves and threatening to get infected
Wash bag	Ibuprofen gel	Didn't use this, but very small and would take again
Wash bag	Insect bite cream	Used a lot
Wash bag	Antibac hand gel	Used a few times
Wash bag	Deodorant	Obviously
Wash bag	Loose change for showers	Didn't need this, but very small space required

Samsung LE40A558 power supply

I have a Samsung LE40A558 television that I recently had to repair due to a faulty power supply.  The TV started having trouble during startup with the power LED flashing for a long period before starting - this happened a few times before it stopped working altogether.  I did some research and while I couldn't find anything about this specific model of TV, it seems that there is a common problem with the power supply capacitors in similar TVs so I decided to take the case off and have a look.  Surly enough, the power supply was the same as the ones I'd seen online and the problem capacitors were bulging indicating they had failed.

Bulging capacitors marked in red

I read the specifications off the bulging capacitors and popped down to my local Maplins in Rugby and bought some equivalent ones for about 50p.  I then simply removed the existing ones and soldered then new ones into the gap and voila, the TV was working again!

Pleonasms are more better

So, I gotta start somewhere.  I'm planning to use this blog as a place to dump things that I find interesting or useful.  Perhaps no-one else will read it, but at least it's somewhere to put things before they evaporate from my increasingly poor memory...


I used to work with a guy who used to say things like "it's more better".  Turns out this is a pleonasm - "the use of more words than are necessary to express an idea".