Cairngorms Loop Kit List
We planned to do the Cairngorms Loop at a leisurely pace, over a 3 day bank holiday weekend in May. My Cairngorms loop kit list needed to carry equipment for cooking, & camping in temperatures close to zero.
The Cairngorms national park ranges from 650m to 1300m, with the highest point on the loop being just shy of 800m. You can expect to see snow on higher ground through spring.
The route itself is best suited to a mountain bike. There are 2 harsh hike-a-bike sections – irrespective of the bike you take, you’ll be walking. I took my Pace RC529. A steel frame hardtail, 29’er wheels with 2.35 XC tyres, enduro front end with 140mm Rockshox Pikes & steep seat tube angle. I would be riding the Hope 1000 a few months later, so I really wanted to get my set up dialed here.
Apidura bar bag: Pretents soloist tent, Thermarest Vesper UL32, Exped SynMat HL, Montane Prism primaloft smock.
Apidura accessory pouch: Coffee paraphernalia, 4x Firepot food meals.
Apidura frame pack: personal hygiene ‘stuff’, first aid kit, battery pack, chain lube.
Apidura 6l saddle bag: Additional warm/evening off-bike layers, bike spares (mech hanger, cleats, gear cable, brake pads etc.), additional base layers, socks & undershorts.
Tools (pliers, multitool, levers, chain tool, needle/thread, tubeless plugs, tyre boot) will be in a Lezyne Flow bottle cage tool holder thingy.
Osprey 12l backpack: 2l water bladder + water filter, day snacks & pump, Primus Lite+ stove, midge net, head torch, battery pack/cables.
My cairngorms loop kit list was on the heavier side, given that the resupply options are few and far between when doing this ride at a slower pace.
