Some great tips!
I would also recommend using lots of ziploc bags for food/clothing/tools/etc - they are really cheap on
eBay. A TurboFlame lighter
http://www.turboflame.co.uk/ - can be used at any angle without singing your fingers and has a lock so it can be left on. A Trangia spirit cooker
http://www.trangia.se/english/ - boils a kettle of water very quickly and no complex bits to go wrong.
And I like to use a GPS to record my route when walking, I never use it as a guide, I just like maps, other than for geocaching. But the battery life is really poor so would be useless for a long trip. However, I recently discovered the SPOT which tracks your lat+long every 10 minutes, uses 2 AA rechargeable batteries which last 14 days -
http://www.findmespot.eu/en - haven't bought one yet but intend to.
I'm an experienced camper but haven't done a lot... er... any cycle touring... other than a week down the Rhine 5 years ago
I love walking and wild camping but want to be able to move a little quicker and tour Europe this Summer 2009, maybe for a couple of months. So opted for cycle touring. I'm not entirely sure what bicycle equipment to take though.
I've traded in a mountain bike for a Dawes Sahara with bull bars (I couldn't stretch to a Dawes Galaxy) and bought a pair of waterproof
Altura 56 litre panniers. I've got a spare set of Dr Sludge tubes, puncture repair kit (no idea how to use it!), tyre levers, bicycle multi-tool, lamps, pump, cable lock and bungee cords. Anything else I should take for the bicycle? Its a new experience for me and really looking forward to it. I'm sure I'll learn from mistakes along the way
Cheers
Russ