{"id":4498,"date":"2016-04-10T17:34:22","date_gmt":"2016-04-11T00:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gonesouthblog.com\/?p=4498"},"modified":"2016-04-10T17:34:22","modified_gmt":"2016-04-11T00:34:22","slug":"clothing-for-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rideeatcamp.local\/clothing-for-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"Clothing for Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We\u2019ve decided to take a trip. We\u2019ve chosen the location: Europe<\/a>. We\u2019ve determined the duration: 5 months. And we\u2019ve settled on the mode of travel: tandem bicycle<\/del> single bicycles. We\u2019ve also discussed the tools<\/a> and cooking supplies<\/a> we\u2019ll be bringing. Now it\u2019s time to talk clothes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Clothes can make or break a trip. If you\u2019re wearing the right clothes, even a long ride in the rain can be fun. Since we want our trip in Europe to be fun, we researched the strategies for what to wear while living outdoors. One of the best resources we found is the website of accomplished hiker and \u00fcb\u00e8r g\u00ea\u00e1r n\u0119rd Andrew Skurka<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Skurka has a great, systematic approach for how to pack for trips. He first analyzes the conditions he\u2019ll likely see, taking into account historical extremes. Based on this research, he selects an optimized clothing system. I say system because that\u2019s what it is. The clothes are designed to work together to provide comfort and performance while taking into account weight and bulk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following Mr. Skurka\u2019s lead, I looked up weather averages for cities we\u2019ll be near during our trip:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Location<\/th>High (\u00baF)<\/th>Low (\u00baF)<\/th>Precipitation (inches) per month<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
London<\/th>64<\/td>47<\/td>1.8<\/td><\/tr>
Cardiff<\/th>63<\/td>47<\/td>2.8<\/td><\/tr>
Cork<\/th>63<\/td>50<\/td>3.2<\/td><\/tr>
Galway<\/th>64<\/td>51<\/td>3.4<\/td><\/tr>
Londonderry<\/th>63<\/td>50<\/td>3<\/td><\/tr>
Glasgow<\/th>66<\/td>52<\/td>2.7<\/td><\/tr>
Aberdeen<\/th>64<\/td>51<\/td>2.6<\/td><\/tr>
Troms\u00f8<\/th>60<\/td>49<\/td>2.9<\/td><\/tr>
Bod\u00f8<\/th>60<\/td>51<\/td>2.6<\/td><\/tr>
Bergen<\/th>62<\/td>52<\/td>6.7<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Hamburg<\/th>72<\/td>55<\/td>2.9<\/td><\/tr>
Amsterdam<\/th>66<\/td>51<\/td>3.2<\/td><\/tr>
Brussels<\/th>66<\/td>52<\/td>2.7<\/td><\/tr>
Paris<\/th>65<\/td>52<\/td>2.3<\/td><\/tr>
Madrid<\/th>66<\/td>50<\/td>1.9<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody>
Average<\/th>64<\/th>51<\/th>3<\/th><\/tr><\/tfoot><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The plan is to head further north as the summer gets it\u2019s start, only to reverse course as fall approaches. What worries me though is the precipitation. Hi, my name is Nick, and I\u2019m a water woosy. Living in a city with an average annual rainfall of 11 inches, I seldom ride my bicycle in the rain, and I\u2019m on my bike nearly every day of the year. According to the averages, we\u2019ll see around 15 inches of rain in 5 months. That\u2019s about 325% more rain than I\u2019m used to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since we\u2019ll be living outdoors most of the time, we\u2019ll also have to figure in sun exposure, humidity, and biting insects. Here\u2019s a breakdown of what we expect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n