Getting ready for Kicking the States and kit list

Kicking the States has become a huge project. My initial hope was that we might be able to work out a lot as we went – how much to scoot each section and when to arrive in places – but it just hasn’t worked out that way. A big part of our expedition is raising money for our chosen charity, Africa’s Children in Education (please donate!) and one way we are doing this is by giving free talks en route in exchange for donations. Getting these booked has meant that we had to firm up dates and put together a schedule so we know what date we will be in what city. It means that we now have deadlines to meet but this really allows us to make the most of the opportunities that are coming our way and to maximise what we are able to fundraise.

On top of that, we’ve had an incredible response from kind members of the public. Offering to come take pictures, host us for a night, send us food vouchers, take us on a tour or to put us in touch with papers and magazines. Amazing!!

So it’s been busy coordinating everything but I’ve also really loved it. Our expedition schedule is now looking mega exciting.

How exactly are we carrying our stuff?!

One of the biggest logistic issues we had was working out how to carry our stuff on our Yedoo scooters. We had a pair of 17L waterproof OverBoard bags which size wise seemed fit the handlebar space perfectly. The only problem was that the clips were designed for a pannier bar and didn’t fit on the thick handlebar.

So my brother-in-law and Gil headed into the man cave for a few hours and returned with an additional attachment which works an absolute dream! the pannier bag just slots on and off and we used a small bungee cord to hold it in place near the bottom for extra security.

We will also be carrying small 15L Source Outdoor hydration bags.

Our Yedoo scooters are being boxed to take on the flight as ‘bike’ luggage (costing £20 each).

Packing light

We have just 32L of space each (which will need to include water and food) so are packing mega light for this expedition. We aren’t even taking a stove and will be relying on cold snack food and the occasional hot meal from diners we pass.

Here’s our packing list for the kicking the states expedition:

Luggage:

• overboard 17L Pannier
• Source Outdoors hydration pack

Sleeping gear:

• Tundra Pure and Dry 0 Sleeping bag
• Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Ztherm Mattress
• Hubba Hubba NX 2 man lightweight tent

Other

• Basic toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, LUSH Shampoo bar and mooncup)
• Sunglasses
• iPhone and Anker Power Bank
• Vivo life Thrive
• VivoLife Perform protein powder
• Water bottle
• Lumix LX100 Camera & spare batteries
• Osprey Ultralight Dry bags
• HardNutz helmet
• Topside helmet light
• Puncture repair kit

Clothes wise I’m taking a pair of Merrell shoes and a pair of flip-flops. Shorts and leggings, 3 tshirt, a hoody, a fleece and a jacket. I’ll have 4 pairs of knickers, 2 pairs of socks and a sports bra!

Feeling ready

I haven’t actually been out on my scooter once apart from a 10-minute ride around the block!! I’ve just been away lots and too busy. I also haven’t done any training. I’ve been keeping my general fitness up with adventures and challenges (with my prefered means of keeping fit anyway) and have been trying to eat healthily and take my VivoLife shakes daily to keep me on top form.

We fly to Vancouver on Sunday. We have packed our gear and cleared our emails. So the next few days will be spent with loved ones at home. Celebrating my 3 year anniversary with Gil, a friends wedding and a family trip to Peppa Pig world. The challenge ahead is too big for me to get my head around, so I’m not trying too. Instead, I’m just enjoying the feeling of excitement and nerves as I enter something bigger than I ever imagined doing!

I’ll be sharing our Kicking the States expedition on, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so do follow along! We also have a target to raise $10,000 for our chosen charity ACE to help build a school in a poor village in Tanzania. We won’t reach this target without your help so please do donate if you can. Thank you!! 🙂