Even if you manage to do the trip without a puncture it is likely that you’ll have to put some pressure back into your tyres after several hundred miles of cycling, possibly with a heavy load. And with that in mind you will need a bike pump that can achieve a reasonably high pressure.
There are a multitude of bike pumps on the market ranging from co2 gas fired ones to mini pumps to stand pumps. The stand pump is ideal for home because it can achieve a very high pressure with the minimum of effort. It’s a bit bulky for the bike though.
Having said that, I was very concerned about being stuck in the middle of nowhere and not being able to put enough pressure in my tyres if I got a puncture, especially with the extra weight on the bike. So I searched the internet and found a mini stand pump, which could achieve high pressure, albeit with a little more effort than a normal stand pump. It was also very reasonably priced at less than £15. The only downside is that it is a very tight fit on the bike. If I don’t put it on in a certain way the pedals knock against it. The first few times I used it, it took me longer to get the pump back on the bike than to fix the puncture.
There are many mini pumps on the market that claim to be able to achieve a very high pressure. I’m sure that some of them do. I know that some of them don’t because I’ve had them – and discarded them. One that does is the Lezyne Road Drive Mini Pump
Another good and reasonably priced option is the traditional, full length, frame fitting pump. But not all frames will accommodate them, such as mine!
