One take on what equipment to take on tour

[StuntPilot]

I have been a fan of Tom Allen's cycle adventures for a while and like his take on touring equipment (bikes, tents, stoves etc).

He has recently produced a 430 page guide ( ) about cycle touring gear. I purchased a copy and have found it an interesting read. I think he is in Iran till the end of March so not available for purchase until his return. In the mean time here is where you find more information on his take on bike touring gear.

http://tomsbiketrip.com/why-theres-no-kit-list-on-my-adventure-cycle-touring-blog/

I would recommend the guide for anyone contemplating a cycle tour. I am not linked in anyway to Tom Allen but thought it would be a useful source of information for forum readers planning a tour.

[onrbikes]

Hey Stuntpilot

We too travel with not all the top end gear
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=357464&v=12

As you can see all the cutlery is of the Op-Shop variety or out of India.
As per norm touring can be as cheap or expensive as you can afford or feel comfortable.

Best savings can be made in sleeping.
What I do have an issue with is the freeloading variety. We see plenty of that variety here in the SW of Australia.

[FrogPrince]

I have been a fan of Tom Allen's cycle adventures for a while and like his take on touring equipment (bikes, tents, stoves etc).

He has recently produced a 430 page guide ( ) about cycle touring gear.

I recently forked out the £9.00 for a copy but found it predictable, repetitive and boring. I had certainly done all the research and I'm not an internet junky by any means. He does offer a chance for your money back if not satisfied so I may take him up on that offer It comes in three versions. the pdf version for use on a p.c. rather than an e-reader was much better as the links to web pages were the most useful thing about it and they just don't work well enough on the kindle version ............but horses for courses...........

onrbikes
I too have the REI version of the Helinox chair (about half the price and not half the quality) The best piece of touring/camping equipment I have invested in............ and they don't even get a mention! ................perhaps he's too young to need one  

[StuntPilot]

FrogPrince - I agree. I thought £9 was a bit steep but he does have a lot of cycle touring experience in many different climates and regions. I purchased it as a matter of interest to see if my gear collected over the years featured in this guide. It is a little repetitive in places I agree, but found it very interesting as to what his recommendations were based on his more extensive experience.

Having done a three month tour round the North Sea Cycle Route, I was after another perspective for longer more extreme tours. In that respect I did find some interesting nuggets. For someone setting out on their first, or a long trans-continental ride, it could be a useful resource.

I was a bit miffed about his discussion on Thorn bikes where he seems to play down the Rohloff hub due to expense. I managed to get my Raven Tour less than half price, and cheaper than a less sturdy derailleur steed. He is right in a way, just grab any bike and set off (as many have done). He did not however explain other virtues of the Rohloff such as being able to change gear while not pedalling or from a stationary start. I may tell him off (as feedback) via email

Yes! No mention of the Helinox Chair which I have too and enjoyed greatly every night camping for three months. I would happily take it again on any tour. He is a lot younger as you said so maybe the chair idea has not crossed his mind yet. It will one day!

After reading his guide I am happy with the gear I ended up with and it gave me confidence that some of the stuff I have would be up to a longer more extreme tour. It made me reflect on what I did or did not need on a long tour. Then again when you set off that becomes very obvious very quickly!

I have a sleeping bag that was given to me in France, as well as an ancient cheap tent with holes in it that still works well and was one of the few than didn't blow away in a huge thunder storm last summer! No need for lots of fancy gear in the end.

I can also understand his philosophy of making do in order to prevent the cost of equipment preventing anyone from setting off on the big adventure.

Not totally defending the guide but I found some information of use.

[Danneaux]

<nods> Yes, Richard, lots of variation and no one right way to do things.

I started with a USD$8 plastic tube tent. For ~31 years, I used a $150 (in 1979 dollars) double-hooped Gore-Tex bivy tent with great enjoyment and success. Switched to a side-entry mesh-and-fly $120 tent purchased on sale for $60 (bought three at that price so I'd have a couple in reserve) and happy with it. Was recently gifted a Terra Nova Laser Competition 1 tent by a longtime friend, and it is very nice as well. I've also slept in the open on cliff ledges, desert floors, and under trees. Though I prefer one-person tents for minimal weight and maximum ease in siting, I've also enjoyed sleeping in a friend's 3-person tent and own one myself for car-camping.

They each have their virtues and drawbacks. And...they all look the same in the dark, with one's eyes closed.

I've used a little Optimus 8R stove, a variety of Coleman Multi-Fuel stoves, an iso-butane burner that cost me less than $8 postage included from eBay, my Mini-Trangia, and a series of homemade spirit stoves, my favorite being a pressurized penny stove made from a pair of Heineken cans.

All cook well.

Not how much one spends, but about what works in given conditions. The fun to be had is priceless no matter how much -- or little -- one spends. This is one element that makes cycle-touring so much fun for me. Everyone does it differently, and there's a million ways to go. Always fun to learn other ways it can be done; I gain something new from each rider's setup I see.

All the best,

Dan.

[jags]

what if only i had money i would buy the best every time,Wait a minute I'm broke and i still  buy the best.
you get what you pay for that's a fact.
 a crock of a bike will do fine as long as it doesn't break then it falls apart bit by bit.
the helinok chair is class i tried  one didn't want to give it back,
havent read the book but to be honest i dint read books no concentration so no point really.

[nztony]

I considered buying the download and I don't mind paying authors for their work but for me 9 pounds was too much, and besides, I'm afraid I wouldn't have the patience to read through 430 pages. However and this is absolutely true, I am purposely not looking too hard at other people's equipment lists, as I want to nut it out myself and make my own mistakes. I want my touring set up to by my set up, not Tom Allen's (with no disrespect to Tom, as he knows 1000 times more that I do on this topic!)  I'm a (relatively) experienced multi day tramper (hiker) here in NZ, so I have worked out what to take and what not to take on these trips, so I think I'm half way there with what I need to pack. I am packing right now for my first tour on the Nomad, starting tomorrow, and I've done my usual (like I do for tramps) and written a list on a sheet of paper. And the one thing that is totally new for me, that unlike tramping in the bush, if I forget something, I pass through country towns every 80km or so, so I can always buy anything I forget - that is quite a liberating thought. I'm just hoping my made-to-measure rain jacket arrives this afternoon! (I'm too big/bulky to order a rain jacket from the usual brands from bike shops or Wiggle etc.) I've ordered the Hocus Pocus: http://dragonfish.co.nz/mens_jackets__vests.php Not the cheapest around but I prefer to buy one quality item rather than several cheaper items.
Regards Tony

[Barry Webber]

Since this thread was posted the book price appears to have gone up to £19.
That seems a bit steep to me for an ebook even if it is very good.
I actually previously bought his Janapar DVD which I enjoyed and the Kindle version of this is much better at just £2.99.
Kindle books need to be a lot cheaper than a real paper book in my opinion.

Cheers,
Barry.

[mickeg]

I think I bought a touring book back in the 1980s, but if I did I am not sure where it is now.

My camping gear list grew out of my backpacking and canoeing and kayaking lists.  But I learned on my last tour that a cork screw which was not on my backpacking list is something that I do not want to leave at home.

Why is a Heineken stove better than the others?