Bikepacking Scotland will help you to find the best gear for Scottish bikepacking expeditions, long or short. Let’s make a start with the Skins RY400 baselayers, which Markus has tested on a few bikepacking trips now, after using a pair of Skins long tights on his round the world trip (and various other trips before).
From minus eight to warm indoors conditions, both the long tights and the long sleeves did a great job helping the body to recover after a long (and mostly wet) days in the Scottish hills. If you have never worn them before, Skins are much tighter than your usual base layers, but once you have learnt to put them on, they are are great addition for spending a comfortable night in the sleeping bag on bikepacking trips. Both tights and long sleeves pack light and don’t take up much space either.
The great news is that they stimulate your muscles and help the body to recover much quicker. This is the crucial functionality for me, as I love very long days on the bike, but not waking up shattered and drained the next morning. The RY400 range was created with recovery in mind, helping to reduce muscle soreness. Stimulating my circulation after a long day makes me feel much better. I used them for a few overnighters, and after sleeping like a stone I woke up fresh and ready to go for the next day. Their bio-mechanically positioned panels and seams support and stabilise the muscles to reduce fatigue and risk of injury.
At £85 for the long sleeve and £90 they are not the cheapest, but a very worthwhile investment to help you recover while enjoying the starry nights in a bivvy bag or the comfort of a bothy or hostel. Get them at the Skins website.