Correct Weight?

Right now there is yet another discussion about the weight carried by touring cyclists in the touring section over at bikeforums.net. I seem to be among the minority as I have never actually made any attempt to weight my equipment before setting off on a tour. It would seem that most people will get out the bathroom scales and weigh just about everything, then go through their equipment and look to remove any little item that might save a kilo or two. To be honest, I've never really seen the point.

My own strategy on this issue is to decide on the basis of each item rather than the overall weight. Having now done a few tours, I have a fair idea of what I will or won't use during the tour (with further decisions being made after some research into my destination). Even before my first tour, I made sure of taking a short weekend tour in an area where I could get out of trouble easily if I needed to.

Once the utility value of each item is determined, that pretty much decides the weight of the equipment I'll be bringing. In short, if I don't need it, it stays home regardless of the weight issue, if I need it, I'll bring it. If that means I have to pay a few dollars in excess baggage charges on a flight (or fly with another airline), so be it. It's better than getting stuck in the Scottish rain with a leaking tent. There is a little room to move in terms of replacing equipment that might be deemed a little heavy -- but then there's an old saying to be ware of: "Cheap, lightweight, durable. Pick two".

I also think a lot of people make too much of a fuss over the weight of their bike or their equipment, and not enough over the weight of themselves. If we guess that the average person weighs around 75kg, it's clear that dropping 2-3kg of weight before the event is not going to be massively difficult to achieve if done properly. Personally, I'd rather do this than leave behind something I considered important just because I wanted to knock 2-3kg of my luggage weight. Admittedly, body weight doesn't come with airline baggage charges, but it still has to be hauled over mountains.

Another area I'm considering more important these days is the volume of what I'm carrying. This can actually determine the number of panniers one needs to bring along, which can, in turn, add to the weight -- not only the panniers themselves, but also the rack on which to mount them. Personally I've never really been a fan of front panniers, largely because of the requirement to remove them every time the bike is taken on a plane.

The current system I have doesn't require a great deal of dismantling when I box my bike at an airport, and the rear rack stays firmly in place. In short, keeping my equipment less bulky wherever possible pays off. Of course, weight and volume often go hand in hand, but not always. All things considered, it appears to me that getting out the scales (or buying some since I don't currently own any) seems a slightly redundant exercise. As I said before, if I don't need it, it's not coming anyway. I really should publish a packing list some day -- when I get around to it.