Top Touring Tips

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

toekneep

Senior Member
Location
Lancashire
We carry ultra light absorbent kitchen sponges. They come in packs of three or four from most supermarkets and are a substitute for a traditional dish cloth. They proved to be invaluable on our recent long tour. These are our three favourite uses:
You can take ninety percent of the water (weight) off the tent before you pack it on a dewy morning
After a shower if you sponge down with one of these first a travel towel works much better
When arriving wet-through to camp, wiping most of the water off your rain gear and panniers before putting them in the tent porch makes a huge difference.
 

ThompsonCrowley

Active Member
Location
Barcelona
Put bin liners in panniers and other luggage to keep clothes etc dry - even the best panniers seem to let water in eventually.

... and I'm sure everyone knows about wringing out your washing by winding it up in a towel.

... and talking of towels, a small "magic towel" is a touring must - even if just to dry face and extremities at a tea stop when it's really raining hard

Rob
That's totally right Rob. No matter, even if the sun is beaming and the air is dry, some dampness will be sure to find its way into the panniers. Have you seen the bigger magic towels? Curl up almost small enough to fit in your hand, but unfold large enough to dry with after a shower. And they dry really quickly too! And only 3 pound from BM's. Nice.
 

rm90

Member
What knives are you allowed to carry, uk/europe, I am guessing nothing above a swiss army knife, maybe not even that, mainly for cooking(chopping food) and a few other things, like cutting, string/ties etc, I take it a bigger knife is a no no?
 
Location
Midlands
I always carry a small sharp knife in a plastic sheath for cooking - not huge but bigger than the 3" UK restriction often quoted for carrying a knife in a public space - In europe it is not a problem - in UK I have always gone for the line that a) it is unlikely that I would be randomly stopped and the contents of my panniers searched for offensive weapons b) if I was I can claim "reasonable cause" and as such it always lives in my cooking stuff - obviously carrying in hand luggage for flights is a big no no
 

badolki

Über Member
To get the best use out of your camp towel, i.e. avoid getting it too wet and having the hassle of trying to wash and dry it, check out these items at www.bodyflik.co.uk . I purchased the large one for home and the pocket version for travelling and find they do what they claim. I also have in my toolkit a length of gaffa tape wrapped around a piece of broom handle and a selection of cable ties which have proved their worth on several occasions.
 
Location
Hampshire
I always carry a small sharp knife in a plastic sheath for cooking - not huge but bigger than the 3" UK restriction often quoted for carrying a knife in a public space - In europe it is not a problem - in UK I have always gone for the line that a) it is unlikely that I would be randomly stopped and the contents of my panniers searched for offensive weapons b) if I was I can claim "reasonable cause" and as such it always lives in my cooking stuff - obviously carrying in hand luggage for flights is a big no no

Going out of Portsmouth to Caen last year I was stopped by customs (the only time either way of many trips) and after a somewhat cursory dip in my panniers the bloke asked me if I had any knives with me.
Me; yes I've a small kitchen knife
Him; no lock or flick knives?
Me; err.. no.
Him; ok off you go

It seemed a bit odd as you can buy all sorts of pointy sharp things in France that are illegal in the UK and I'd hardly be smuggling flick knives from here to there, maybe he got mixed up and thought he was on the inbound side.
 
Location
Hampshire
You won't be lonely, whenever we've been touring in northern Spain there seem to be thousands (mostly on foot but quite a few on bikes) doing it.
 

mmmmartin

Random geezer
I was stopped by customs
No you weren't, he was from Brittany Ferries security. Exactly the same thing happened to several of us when the FNRttC went to France last year.
I think it might be because there are restrictions on what foot passengers are allowed to carry on to the boat and bikes count as foot passengers. Now, there's nothing to stop a car driver carrying a knife in the car and walking on to the boat with it. Nor is there anything that stops a foot passenger acquiring a knife from the kitchens on the boat. And I've never seen it at any other ferry terminal in Europe.
Bonkers.
 
I always carry a small sharp knife in a plastic sheath for cooking - not huge but bigger than the 3" UK restriction often quoted for carrying a knife in a public space
In UK law, you can carry a knife without any reason if:
1. It is folding (non-locking) AND
2. Blade length <3"
A fixed/locking blade of any length (<=>) 3" requires good reason to carry. Camping is a good reason.

I use a Kuhn Rikon paring knife in a plastic sheath, and take a flexible plastic cutting board.
On smaller and non-cooking tours I just use my Swiss Army knife for food, but cleaning it is harder than a paring knife.
I prefer to use separate blades for food and dirty work.
 
If you get some dust or a fly in your eye, you need a mirror. I usually use a car wing mirror, but a Superdrug store card has a dinky makeup mirror on one side. Also good for signalling.
A button compass is useful on a dull, overcast day in all kinds of terrain inc. cities and woodland.
Effervescent vitamin tablets turn some of the more chemical-tasting water into nice-chemical-tasting water.
Carry an empty 1-2l water container in addition to your normal carry. You can fill up in the afternoon and be self-sufficient for 1 night of wild camping. A tough orange squash bottle works. Water bags pack better.
 

Eurostar

Guru
Location
Brixton
When low on water knock on someone's door and ask. This always seems to go better than you might think.

Never ask anyone in America for directions. The only thing they know is how to get to the nearest Interstate.

PaulSB mentioned vacuum bags for packing clothes. They're brilliant - not just for saving space but for speeding up packing and unpacking and generally reducing faff. Argos have them http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produ...3|rnd:8613663936046284535|dvc:c|adp:1o6|bku:1

For a hot meal with no pans or plates or stove or boiling water, take a US army MRE (Meal Ready to Eat), a surprisingly tasty 1250 calorie meal, packed light and small, which comes with a Flameless Ration Heater - basically an envelope with clever chemicals in it. Each meal is about £10 on ebay. There are 24 different ones. Make sure the heater is included, some sellers don't provide them


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ9ByZw7YO0


Fit a Mirrycle mirror to your bars. The best cycle mirror ever made - as good as a car mirror - and a far better contribution to your safety than a helmet if you ask me.https://www.mirrycle.com/mirrycle_mirrors.php

Clip-on tri bar bars are soooo comfy and they give your hands a break. They also allow you to install hands-free drinking http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media...l_progressive,q_80,w_636/17txbpd73i32cjpg.jpg Don't knock it til you've tried it!

If you're masochistic enough to do high mileages in hot weather your sweaty, soaking shorts will start chafing your bits. It's agony, cos of the salt in your sweat. Even perfectly fitting flat seamed shorts do this. It's nappy rash, and is easily treated with any cream with zinc in it. If you can't get nappy rash cream, high factor sun block will do fine.

A motion-sensitive alarmed cable lock is very small and light and may tell you when someone is rifling through your panniers when you're in the supermarket https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/p...PJXw&ei=hcEFVfG-E8OAUaCRg-AK&ved=0COMBEKYrMAg

If you can't bear to be seen in Crocs there are lots of running shoes which weigh less than 300g per pair. They take less space in your bag than trainers or Crocs and you can use them for gentle hiking

Some ultralight shoes: http://www.inov-8.com/New/Global/product-select-fitness-shoes.asp?G=Male&L=26&A=Fitness&WA=% All the big name running shoe companies also have 'em.
 
Top Bottom