Durston do the highest quality lightweight gear possible and upon hearing about the challenge, Dan Durston himself has offered an X Dome 1+ tent.

In their own words, "Durston designs ultralight gear from the first principles of materials and geometry to improve the weight and performance of backcountry gear."

As I'm 55 and have engaged in a great deal of outdoor activity throughout my life, I know how poorly I perform after a bad night's sleep. At the expense of weight, I carry a 10 cm (4-inch) thick Therm-a-Rest mattress and a Therm-a-Rest pillow. They take up space, but I never regret ensuring I can sleep well.

Instead of a traditional sleeping bag, I use a high-quality down quilt. It can fasten very tightly, is rated to 0°C (32°F), and, more importantly, can be opened up to provide less coverage when needed. After 32 years of living with MS, I know that my feet often feel (falsely) as though they are on fire.

My clothing will be a mix of a few items from Canyon and a substantial amount of #RideCanada4MS branded cycling gear generously provided by the kind folk at Scimitar. A big thank you to Tom for his support.

As this is a self-supported ride, weight is a critical consideration—though not at the expense of functionality. For instance, why carry an extra pair of shoes when one pair can serve as both cycling shoes and walking shoes? With this in mind, I contacted the team at Canyon, makers of the Scampr shoe, and asked if they would provide a pair for the ride.

Not only did they agree, but they also generously supplied additional items. Clothing needs to be functional on and off the trike, with a good fit being essential, as fluttering cycle clothing wastes energy.

For my helmet, aero is everything (as is a visor, since I wear glasses, and my MS means my prescription doesn't work with sunglasses). I opted for the Ekoi Aero 16, which comes with three interchangeable visor tints. It looks normal, or like a stormtrooper, depending on the visor!

As the trike has a seated riding position, padded shorts are unnecessary. For hygiene and wicking, I am leaning towards synthetic underwear worn under Lycra shorts.

Arkel has kindly offered a pro discount on their highly desirable touring panniers, the Orcas. A pair is now fitted to the trike.

I will be carrying several spare water bottles and relying on a 2.5-litre (2.5 kg or approximately 5 lbs) water bladder for day-to-day hydration. Additionally, I have a compact Primus stove for cooking.