I ran Old Man Mountain racks front and rear on my Surly LHT with Ortlieb panniers and then strapped a load of shit ontop of them. Bring a small bag of extra nuts and bolts that mount your rack to the frame. Weigh nothing and saved my ass in Sardinia when they shook loose and fell out.
For cooking I have a Coleman 533 Sportster stove. Runs on unleaded petrol which I could find anywhere and is way cheaper than buying butane canisters. Dried food isnt cheating. You'll be thankful of meals that require no prep after a long day in the saddle. Bring some dried pasta or something that you can cook anywhere and that wont go off in the bottom of your bag. I ate a lot of bread and cheese and cured meats so having a stove isnt essential unless you're in remote places but it was a godsend when I arrived in France on a Saturday night not knowing everywhere was closed a Sunday.
Try carrying more water than you think you need. Nothing worse than running out in the middle of nowhere. You can also drink a surprising amount of beer throughout the day in between water bottle refills and not get too drunk. I would shotgun a beer before every decent hillclimb haha.
Sleeping outside is easy. I brought a tent (MSR Hubba Hubba) and a sleeping bag (Polerstuff Napsack). Used the tent alot when the weather was shit but it really depends on your climate. Once the weather got warm id just sleep on a sleeping mat in a bush or something. (bring a lightweight waterproof bivvy bag)
Rule of thumb is a 1 man tent is too small for yourself and your gear. 2 man tent is perfect. (I was fully loaded though. Never did lightweight touring).
Try setting up camp when its starting to get dark and be gone early in the morning. Early starts wont be a problem because you're gonna be so excited to get back on the road and explore.
I'd take my panniers off and bring them into the tent with me and lay the bike down outside. Clip my helmet onto the seat rails and close tent door with the shell of the helmet in the tent and the strap going through a gap in the zipper. If someone moved the bike the helmet would snag on the door and shake the tent, awakening me.
Never had any problems though.
Didn't bring a lock but I avoided big cities and rarely left the bike out of view. Kept all my valuables/documents in a handlebar bag that id unclip and bring with me everywhere. My loaded bike was heavy as fuck so id lock both brakes on and shift it into high gear when parking it in an attempt to hinder anyones attempted getaway.
Heres a few tips:
1:Bring condoms
2:Don't plan too much. Its an adventure. My plan was to go south. My map was a compass.
3:If using panniers, pack your valuable/fragile/food stuff on the driveside of your bike. Get used to lying your bike down on the non drive side. This includes resting it against a wall or something. Reduces the chances of damaging expensive gear/driveline/squashed bananas. Sometimes you have to drop the bike in a hurry to run into the woods and shit or something.
4: BRING TOILET PAPER AND REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE IT IS. Prevents you from having to use your socks. (Ask me how I know).
5: Suitable clothing. Merino wool is fantastic. Doesn't absorb smells too much and easy to wash and dry. Dont be like me and wear cotton tshirts. You start to fucking stink after a while.
6: Try to snack constantly. Cycling a bike laden with gear burns alot of calories especially in the heat. Eat whatever the fuck you want too.
7: Look after your bike. I didnt bring chain oil and had to lube my driveline with olive oil when I was hundreds of miles from the nearest bikeshop and it started to grind.
8: Portable battery chargers. Bring one. Nothing worse than a dead phone battery when you want to take a photo or google where the closest supermarket is.
9: McDonalds is your friend. Good coffee and free wifi/electrical outlets.
10: You will have shitty days where you're miserable and want nothing more than to go home. Never make a rash decision like this on a long trip. Sleep on it and you're almost guaranteed to feel better in the morning. Cycling 100+ km a day is no easy feat. No one can do this day in day out and feel great 100% of the time but waking up in a new place each morning is an amazing and unforgettable experience. You're gonna love it.
Heres my rig when it was mostly new and shiny
http://imgur.com/a/qMUhzLike I said in my op I don't have much camping experience but I obviously want to be able to have a safe and comfy night out in nature with my bike.
I had never even setup my tent before I left. Once you spend a few nights outside the worry will go away and it can be very relaxing even sleeping on the ground without a tent. I slept in a alot of weird and wonderful places, under an overturned fishing boat, in an abandoned house half consumed by volcanic rock at the base of Mt Etna, on the beach, under bridges, next to motorways, old castles, graveyards just to name a few.
If you have any more questions don't be afraid to ask.
(also get Tinder. Girls are super interested in a guy thats traveling the world on a bike. Try to bang some chicks in every state or something. I managed 5 out of 7 countries/islands. Awaiting your result.
Topic: Road touring gear? Touring advice? (Read 28987 times)
