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.