Top Touring Tips

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friedel

New Member
Location
On our bikes!
The chopstick idea (good one, by the way) got me thinking. If you are on a long trip and need to replace or just refit the pump cup on your MSR stove (see arrow pointing to part below), it can be tricky to get out of the plunger barrel. We used the end of the antenna on our SW radio to pull it out but you could also use a bit of pliable metal (bent to create a hook at the bottom) or maybe a broken spoke. Sometimes the cup popped off when we overfilled our gas canister and there was no room in the bottle for more pressure.

msr.jpg
 

Road Fiddler

New Member
Take a good strong knife, it can be used to make a digging stick to dig a hole to crap into instead of lugging a trowel around with you. You can use it to carve a spoon or chop sticks with and if you are adventures even a bowl on those long lonely evenings. If you loss a tent peg or two you can carve new ones. Make pot hangers for cooking over an open fire. And, its great for cutting things.

Don't forget a First Aid Kit (FAK) with stuff for covering road rash.

Alcohol hand cleanser is great, use it after every trip to the loo, hygiene is most important when out and about. It can be used as a fire starter or to prime a stove. And, can be used to get grease marks off your bike.

Carry a toilet bag containing toilet paper, alcohol wipes, hand jell, sanitary products for the girls and trowel if you carry one, this keeps everything close to hand and easy to grab when you need to go.

If you have dirty or burnt pans and have plenty of fuel and water, boil water in pan for a couple of mins then leave it to soak also try adding some salt and lemon juice to aid cleaning.

Rap a length of duct tape around something it mends loads of things.

Carry a whistle for safety and warning people of your presence.

Mirrors can be used to attract attention during the day if things turn bad and you need help. Also great for checking your appearance or removing an object from you eye.

Always carry a map and compass.

Carry your kit in many small bags and write on them whats in each bag.

Pack your kit the same way after each stop.

Eat something just before bedtime to raise your metabolism to help keep you warm through the night.

Get a bivi bag they are great for a quick lunchtime nap on the side of the road or to duck out of a heavy downpour, in this case get in head first.

Have a couple of mini carabiners to hand they are great for hanging kit and clipping stuff to other stuff.

Shop at Alpkit they sale some great kit at great prices, i.e mini carabiners, stuff bags, roll-top bags and the list goes on.

If you get stung by stinging nettles, grab some of the leaves and crush them up and rub them onto the stings, they contain histamine.

Carry a tube of seamgrip its great for mending ripped tents, waterproofs and inflatable mats. If you find you slid off your inflatable mat at night add a couple of beads of seamgrip to stop the slide.

A small Swedish fire steel is great for lighting a fire, BBQ and stove in all weather conditions.

Break you food down into portions and place them in sealable bags.

A mug of hot chocolate is great at the end of a tough day or when everything is going wrong.
 

vernon

Harder than Ronnie Pickering
Location
Meanwood, Leeds
sloe said:
Pack your anti-midge head net IN THE TOP OF THE F******G TENT BAG !!!!

Aaaargh!!!! Gerrofff!!!!

Hopefully your midge repellent will be there too!

I've found Avon Skin So Soft skin moisturiser to be very effective as a midge repellent. Seems to work with mosquitoes too.
 

Cathryn

Legendary Member
Road Fiddler said:
Take a good strong knife, it can be used to make a digging stick to dig a hole to crap into instead of lugging a trowel around with you. You can use it to carve a spoon or chop sticks with and if you are adventures even a bowl on those long lonely evenings. If you loss a tent peg or two you can carve new ones. Make pot hangers for cooking over an open fire. And, its great for cutting things.

Don't forget a First Aid Kit (FAK) with stuff for covering road rash.

Alcohol hand cleanser is great, use it after every trip to the loo, hygiene is most important when out and about. It can be used as a fire starter or to prime a stove. And, can be used to get grease marks off your bike.

Carry a toilet bag containing toilet paper, alcohol wipes, hand jell, sanitary products for the girls and trowel if you carry one, this keeps everything close to hand and easy to grab when you need to go.

If you have dirty or burnt pans and have plenty of fuel and water, boil water in pan for a couple of mins then leave it to soak also try adding some salt and lemon juice to aid cleaning.

Rap a length of duct tape around something it mends loads of things.

Carry a whistle for safety and warning people of your presence.

Mirrors can be used to attract attention during the day if things turn bad and you need help. Also great for checking your appearance or removing an object from you eye.

Always carry a map and compass.

Carry your kit in many small bags and write on them whats in each bag.

Pack your kit the same way after each stop.

Eat something just before bedtime to raise your metabolism to help keep you warm through the night.

Get a bivi bag they are great for a quick lunchtime nap on the side of the road or to duck out of a heavy downpour, in this case get in head first.

Have a couple of mini carabiners to hand they are great for hanging kit and clipping stuff to other stuff.

Shop at Alpkit they sale some great kit at great prices, i.e mini carabiners, stuff bags, roll-top bags and the list goes on.

If you get stung by stinging nettles, grab some of the leaves and crush them up and rub them onto the stings, they contain histamine.

Carry a tube of seamgrip its great for mending ripped tents, waterproofs and inflatable mats. If you find you slid off your inflatable mat at night add a couple of beads of seamgrip to stop the slide.

A small Swedish fire steel is great for lighting a fire, BBQ and stove in all weather conditions.

Break you food down into portions and place them in sealable bags.

A mug of hot chocolate is great at the end of a tough day or when everything is going wrong.

Oooh, you're like Ray Mears on a bike:biggrin:
 

Bigtallfatbloke

New Member
I packed all my wash gear into one front pannier...including sports towel etc...whenever I smelt too much I just grabbed the pannier and headed off to the washrooms. I packed all my cooking gear and food in the other front pannier...whenever I got hungry I just grabbed the bag and started cooking. I have a big W (washroom) marked on one bag and a big K (kitchen) marked on the bags so i can grabb the right one. I like it...simple and easy to remember.
 

Road Fiddler

New Member
Better to buy one once you have arrived in the country if using planes or ferries, some transport operators are a bit funny about knives.

There is no laws that prevent you carrying a knife in your kit for a legitimate reason. I carry knives and axes on trains, boats and planes all the time with no problems as long as they are packed in your main luggage.

Oooh, you're like Ray Mears on a bike

Who is he??? Oh do you mean that fat bloke on the idiot box... Rays done a lot to promote the outdoors to the the masses.
 

P.H

Über Member
If using a gas cooker stand the canister in a little water, it burns better. I've no idea why and was sceptical when I was told, but it works.
 

Bigtallfatbloke

New Member
Charge MTB'ers £5 to have their picture taken sitting on a real bike:biggrin:
 
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