I figured that on my bike tour I was going to pack as lightly as I can. This being said, I did some research and shopping into the things that would sustain my body temperature and weight pull on my bike. The magic word I kept running across the internet was WOOL, more like light weight or merino wool. While looking into the practices of Merino wool production, I couldn't get myself to purchasing it. the only way i would compromise is only if i buy it used, meaning i go searching for wool sweaters etc in a thrift store. with much luck i found a few items like wool long johns, sweaters, gloves, and a long sleeve jersey. i also found a fleece zip up and a very light rain coat. i don't know if anyone else has used running pants for touring but i thought they might be useful? any thoughts? i don't think i need to carry too much clothing so i'm going to pack light and bring an extra pair of wool socks, a gel liner, and an extra jersey. perhaps there might be some things i could live without?
the boy and i are putting a list together of food items to bring. since he's a raw food magician, he's going to be organizing that list that i would be happy to share too. oh! and it looks like the weather is going to be good next week so horray for good weather with us on this ride!
You are right about Wool. my man and I went on a tour from SoCal to SF last year. My most favorite ( and functional ) pieces of clothing were a pair of fleece lined Castelli knickers and a thrifted merino wool sweater. Since that tour I've always kept an eye out for merino wool at the thrift stores! Such a wonder material!
Wool is magical! Regular wool makes me claw-at-my-neck crazy so I can only wear merino. Reading the Smart Wool web page I thought their sheep sounded pretty happy; you might check them out.
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I'm really curious to know about what kind of setup you have for your bike and what kind of gear you are taking. I would love to do this same kind of trip but I have a feeling I'd need to invest in all kinds of new stuff--more compact tent, sleeping back, extra panniers, etc.
@barb, i agree about the regular wool. i went to the thrift shop and found some good merino wool products to take along. and i also did some research on smart woo and was amazed at the work they were doing in regards to wool production. it was a big sigh of relief.
@taysa, that's the thing about starting up these adventures, there are always a list of things to invest and bring along. things i'm learning out of all this, is that planning it is easy. the research is timely, and the product is costly, but from here out, i'm learning that i'll be using all these items in the future to come as i know i'll be doing a lot more touring soon. i'll definitely write up a list of things to bring on tour. i'll post it this tuesday.
Well eating raw food on your trip will save you from having to bring a stove & cooking pot. That should save you guys a little bit of weight. Dehydrate as much as possible.
Lets see, here is my list of tour equipment:
Lightweight sleeping bag, tiny pillow, therm-a-rest, tent, msr stove, pot, spork, travel towel like this: http://www.rei.com/product/783480 , one jersey, one pair of riding shorts, one pair of long jersey type close fitting pants, sweater, windbreaker, absolute minimum of my personal care stuff.
I only have a couple pairs of smartwool socks but I'd love more stuff. I'll have to go check out some thrift stores and see what I can find.
wool is the only way to go! plus you can get really thin wool that is great for the summer too. keeps you dry and not smelly either! plus wool is naturally stain repellent too. the mister and i are working on some wool jersey designs and are trying to reuse old thrifts sweaters.
oh yes please share the list of raw food, i always finding more yummy things to bring on long bike trips!
xo,
cb
it's hilarious that i just clicked on your blog as i was thinking about how to keep myself warm in this 27 degree weather when i ride to bike. i need to invest in some of these things soon, but luckily winter is almost over!
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