camping

I'm looking for recommendations for a really big saddle bag. I am not a pannier rack fan, and my current bike (Van Nic Mistral) doesn't have mounts anyway.

I'm planning on venturing out a lot at weekends with a nice lightweight tent, a book, and a change of clothes + extras.

Yes, there is obviously Carradice, but I'm thinking more Mark Hall (http://road.cc/content/news/59716-interview-round-world-record-holder-mi...) than slow laden touring.

This Juice Pack Powerstation Pro from Mophie is one of the highest capacity portable batteries on the market, perfect to charge your devices on the go.

It stores 6000 mAh, which is enough to charge most phones several times. My iPhone 4S has a battery capacity of 1420mAh, so it can charge it up to four times.

The Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation Pro is a big battery, about the size of two iPhones back to back, but it will still tuck neatly into a bag or even a jersey pocket.

The Robens Air Impact Single 3.8 Sleeping Mat is seriously light at the price, and makes the difference between a good night's sleep and, well, no night's sleep.

There are, I know, a lot of hardcore bare-bones tourers among you who will assert that sleeping mats and the like are an unnecessary luxury and dead weight when bike camping. I would disagree. Find a compact, lightweight sleeping mat and it can make all the difference.

Axiom's Corker has a couple of functions that other multitools miss, adding to the usual collection of Allen keys and screwdrivers a bottle opener and a corkscrew. Cheers!

For non-winter bike camping adventures, a lightweight down sleeping bag like the Robens Lite 300 can be a good compromise, offering more warmth for its weight and size than a bag with synthetic insulation.

Part of a mind-blowingly large range of tents available from Danish outdoor company Robens, the Mythos Duo is an easily pitched, lightweight touring tent.

So why should a cyclist own a travel towel like this Sea to Summit Pocket one? Tourists who prefer campsites and hostels to B&Bs and hotels will want a towel, as will those commuters with access to a shower at work. Travel towels are much more portable.