What piece of kit goes where, when you travel as a couple. Here's what's in our bags.

http://www.farawayvisions.com/whats-inside-bikepacking-bags/

I’ve been using this bivvy bag for a few years now and this is what I’ve found. Good and not so good.
http://www.farawayvisions.com/alpkit-hunka-bivvy-bag-review-what-bivi/

Hi Jay,
I've added a route and further useful information to the site today and will be updating over the next few weeks. I've added tyre details as well.
I used a GPS but took downloaded a pdf to a small tablet as backup.

Your question about a water filter - We used purification tablets for tap water until we discovered there had been an outbreak of Cholera. After that we decided to use bottled water as much as possible only using the purification when absolutely left with no choice. The rivers were brown because they were swollen from recent heavy rain and I didn't fancy spending days on the toilet. (Toilet paper was completely unavailable in one town) There wasn't even a napkin to be swiped as an emergency. But enough toilet talk.

The Viazul bus insisted on removing the seat post and the front wheel for transport, other companies may have different policies. Whether or not you could transport your bike in that bodybag remains to be seen. Airlines have their own policies on how they carry bikes and I've got a post about flying with your bike that you may find useful. I've included links to several airlines and their policy pages so it's always up to date. http://www.farawayvisions.com/flying-with-a-bicycle/

If you're going to Cuba, be prepared to be unprepared, as they say in Cuba, 'Cuba is Cuba' or to be more precise, 'Coo ah es Coo ah'. That's what makes it an adventure. There's always a surprise.  
Meraid

As 2015 came to a close, I took my bikepacking journal to Cuba and cycled the eastern provinces before economic changes transform this unique Caribbean island forever. This is a story about Bikepacking in Cuba.
http://www.farawayvisions.com/rum-beer-and-cigarettes-cycling-castros-cuba/

Preparing for a bikepacking trip to Cuba, my partner said: 'Ideally, I’d like a bag that’s long and just wide enough to take the cooking pot. Otherwise the material bunches up and it looks ugly.

I made two bags and have posted the instructions to make any tubular bag with a base. The same technique can be used to make a dry bag.

http://www.farawayvisions.com/diy-dry-bag/

It's chilly in November, but there's a lot to be said about catching the morning sun on the coast of England on the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire.
An artist's studio pod that rotates 360 degrees so that you can choose the view.


http://www.farawayvisions.com/observatory-look-in-look-out/

Do you own an Exped Synmat UL, the one you have to blow up with your mouth? If so, read on.
Being a fan of recycling and as tight as a duck’s arse when it comes to spending money, I’ve devised a yoke for inflating this mat that will cost you nothing A MYOG version of the Schnozzel. I've included my first demo video so please be kind.

http://www.farawayvisions.com/inflating-exped-synmat-ul-7/

That is a beautiful idea. Good luck on your journey.

The full route is as tough as you say. I'm not sure if I'll ever get the memory of burning thighs erased from my mind. Only done it once.

What if I fail? It’s a question many people ask themselves. A question that often stops us from getting outside our comfort zone. Dan and I planned to bivvy on the Isle of Wight. We failed. Yet we had an adventure.
http://www.farawayvisions.com/isle-of-wight-bivvy-fail/

It was the night of the blue moon, 55 miles trip with a night on a hill.
http://www.farawayvisions.com/blue-moon-bivvy-on-beacon-hill/

From East Cowes to Niton to West Cowes, there is a mixture of excellent singletrack, minor lanes, fields, bridleways and riverside paths. This route is 77km long with 1121m of climbing and mostly off road. To the east of the island, the going is sandy earth compared to the chalk and flint of the western half. Terrain is varied, but  difficult in monsoon conditions. I’ll be back to ride this route again when visibility and weather conditions improve.

http://www.farawayvisions.com/isle-of-wight-north-south-loop/

It's hilly, it's muddy and it's overgrown. An awesome night on a hill is a bikepacker's ideal 'date night'.
http://www.farawayvisions.com/bikepacking-wessex-ridgeway/

I always like a map. As a sailor as well as a bikepacker, it's always good to have a backup that doesn't rely on modern technology.

Thanks Mista Bone. I like to call a spade a spade. :-)

I'm a bikepacker and have put together a beginner's guide to wildcamping. You may find some of it helpful to get started.

http://www.farawayvisions.com/wildcamping-a-first-timers-guide/

I have a vintage Singer sewing machine that I got free on a recycling website. I only do a little bit of sewing these days, so no point in spending huge amounts of money unless you're planning on going commercial. I managed to make the frame bag with it. Some instructions too.
http://www.farawayvisions.com/diy-frame-bag-curved-top-tube/
Good luck

Thanks, it was an amazing trip.

My pleasure. 

I have a kit list you can download and edit here http://www.farawayvisions.com/bikepacking/bikepacking-kit-list/
It's for a couple - male and female.