Touring Checklist Help!?!?

[ComedyPilot]

Vaseline....? What sort of trip is it?


Mind bleach time.

 

[Dave Davenport]

A compass is one of my first packs. It weighs nothing and if you're lost it can at least head you in the right sort of direction. I've used it many a time to navigate out of ill signposted towns and cities.

+1 I've got a small compass cable tied to the stem on my tourer.

 

[Jmetz]

we survived, and luckily there werent toooo many things we took which we didnt need. All i will say is my god the Peaks of the Dales arent fun.

 

[DaleB]

we survived, and luckily there werent toooo many things we took which we didnt need. All i will say is my god the Peaks of the Dales arent fun.

I second that... At times i honestly didn't think i'd make it to the end but we kept on pushing through and when i look back i'm glad i did it and will most probably do it again

 

[skudupnorth]

Good news that you survived ! Where are you planning next ???

 

[Jmetz]

Mainland Europe

 

[Ticktockmy]

I have been cheeky enough to re-write your list, personlly for myself i would reduce it more so, but for beginners, the list would be better for you. about BBQ,s some sites dont allow them as can be a fire risk in some areas. You can use a lot of energy cycle touring, so you really need to think about what food is going to give you best value, and for sure in my mind your breakfast has to have plenty of Cal,s.
Equipment List:

The obvious:
Bike
Lights (front light doubles as a torch)
Helmet
Gloves (use cycling mitts).
Cycling Shorts x1
Trainers
Water Bottle x2
Waterproof Top
Cycling Tops x2 ( if one keeps you cold wear them both)
Cycling Glasses/Sun Glasses
Pump
Inner Tubes x2
P - Repair Kit
1st Aid Kit
Bike Locks

Other:
Tent
Sleeping Mat
Sleeping Bag
Tooth Brush + Paste (use part used tube and cut down the handle on the brush)
½ Hand Towel
Ron hill style track Bottoms x1 ( If weather is not so good you can always wear them over your cycling shorts and they dry fast)
T-Shirts x 2
Underwear x 2
Vaseline
Multi Tool, inc. Allen keys and knife cable ties etc...
Maps
Pen
Notebook
Phone
Knife + Forks
Plate
Energy Bars
Socks x 3
part used bar of soap
packable sun hat


(Note: We will be buying disposable BBQ's during the day for the nights, and eating at cafe's ect...)
Disposable BBQ, more weight to have to carry once you have bought them, you would be better buying wayfarer boil in the bag meals, which have about 900 Cal,s per pouch, and you don’t get your pots dirty and you can eat them cold. And or carry a small billy and lightwt gas stove,
Don’t worry about carrying a toilet roll, just carry a few sheets in a small poly bag in case you get taken short, and you can replace them at your next cafe/pub break, In the many thousands of Miles I have cycle-packed in the UK, I have always managed to have found a toilet to have a civilised crap.

 

[srw]

I know this is an aged thread, but I thought I'd post a few suggestions. Bear in mind that this is based on a tandem tour staying in B&Bs and hotels, and eating mainly in cafes and restaurants. So I'm not going to say anything useful about the muck that passes for ready meals.

The first is that a folding tyre is useful, especially if you've forgotten to check the wear on your tyres before you leave. It was a Schwalbe Marathon plus, and it had probably only done 1500 miles or so (probably partly underinflated), but after 500 more it split a sidewall. The folding tyre got us to the next town with a bike shop.

The second is about snacks. We found that carrying four freezer bags stuffed respectively with Japanese rice crackers, Spanish roasted corn snacks, Bombay mix mixed with seeds and dates covered all the bases we could possibly want. The Japanese rice crackers and roasted corn are about 75% carbohydrate and also top up salt lost by sweating. The dates are sugar-heavy and are perfect to avoid bonking (at one point I stuffed half a dozen in my mouth at the same time to get an instant boost). The bombay mix/seed mixture is a good shot of protein.

The third is about clothes. After a week or so of "dressing up" for the evening in nylon shirt and lightweight trousers I was fed up. They were getting greasy and sweaty, and very uncomfortable. I bought a very lightweight, but smart, cotton shirt and trousers combo and felt a lot better in the evenings. I wish I'd had something like that to start with.

Finally, consider a netbook if you want connectivity or to read. This one weighs the same as a thick paperback, the power lead adds a bit more, but you can go into a lot of cafes to get free wi-fi. Over three weeks of touring, only about four nights were spent in places without free wi-fi. Two were in a city with plenty of other options, the other two were so remote that not even a mobile would have been any use.

 

[hubbike]

I love threads like this because it is always funny to see what people bring along! Touring, like all interesting things, can be done in a manner of different styles. You really have to find your own.

 

[billflat12]

interesting list but no obvious suggestions like: insect repellent , cash . ?