OT? Touring with tent and stuff

lost_in_thought

rf6 wrote:

Oh, and a +1 for the SPD sandals - there's nowt like the feeling of a warm breeze between your toes!

YESSSSSSSS!

In your FACE commuting forum!

:P

walkingbootweather

rf6 wrote:

there's nowt like the feeling of a warm breeze between your toes!

You've obviously never cycled with your flies undone :oops:

rf6

lost_in_thought wrote:

rf6 wrote:

Oh, and a +1 for the SPD sandals - there's nowt like the feeling of a warm breeze between your toes!

YESSSSSSSS!

In your FACE commuting forum!

:P

Bless 'em. Closed minds. 8)

davis

walkingbootweather wrote:

rf6 wrote:

there's nowt like the feeling of a warm breeze between your toes!

You've obviously never cycled with your flies undone :oops:

That's one reason I prefer baggies and hate padded stuff. Oh the joy of making your own windsock on a brisk downhill by cocking one knee out from the top tube just so.

rhext

Can't see any reason at all why it wouldn't be practical to combine camping with eating out or takeaways on such a tour - with one slight reservation: make sure your campsite is within easy staggering distance of somewhere to get lots of hot food.

But as regards a stove, do you really want to crawl out of your tent, pack up and hit the road without even so much as a hot cup of tea to get you going?

And finally, I can't speak with any experience because every time I've even started to think about lightweight camping, I come up against some fairly straightforward economics: about £5-£10 to pitch a tent in a 'proper' campsite (ie one with showers), vs maybe £10-£20 for a bunkhouse or YHA.... Why lug a tent around, and then worry about pitching it in the wet and cold when you can sleep somewhere with a real roof for similar or not very much more cash?

lost_in_thought

rhext wrote:

Can't see any reason at all why it wouldn't be practical to combine camping with eating out or takeaways on such a tour - with one slight reservation: make sure your campsite is within easy staggering distance of somewhere to get lots of hot food.

But as regards a stove, do you really want to crawl out of your tent, pack up and hit the road without even so much as a hot cup of tea to get you going?

And finally, I can't speak with any experience because every time I've even started to think about lightweight camping, I come up against some fairly straightforward economics: about £5-£10 to pitch a tent in a 'proper' campsite (ie one with showers), vs maybe £10-£20 for a bunkhouse or YHA.... Why lug a tent around, and then worry about pitching it in the wet and cold when you can sleep somewhere with a real roof for similar or not very much more cash?

Personally, I'd far rather have my own space in a tent than share in a bunkhouse/YHA. Also, there are many more campsites than there are YHAs/bunkhouses!

rhext

lost_in_thought wrote:

rhext wrote:

Can't see any reason at all why it wouldn't be practical to combine camping with eating out or takeaways on such a tour - with one slight reservation: make sure your campsite is within easy staggering distance of somewhere to get lots of hot food.

But as regards a stove, do you really want to crawl out of your tent, pack up and hit the road without even so much as a hot cup of tea to get you going?

And finally, I can't speak with any experience because every time I've even started to think about lightweight camping, I come up against some fairly straightforward economics: about £5-£10 to pitch a tent in a 'proper' campsite (ie one with showers), vs maybe £10-£20 for a bunkhouse or YHA.... Why lug a tent around, and then worry about pitching it in the wet and cold when you can sleep somewhere with a real roof for similar or not very much more cash?

Personally, I'd far rather have my own space in a tent than share in a bunkhouse/YHA. Also, there are many more campsites than there are YHAs/bunkhouses!

Yes, it's very much a matter of personal preference. There are lots of pros and cons: for me, there's nothing to beat camping when conditions are perfect. It's just every time 'touring time' comes round and I'm thinking 'should I take the risk?' the memory of last year's horizontal rain crawls out and says 'Would you really want to be pitching a tent in this? Really?'....

AidanR

Sorry to hear about your posterior problems!

I wouldn't worry too much about the miles - I've done a couple of tours in the Highlands with a similar amount of kit and averaged close to 70 miles a day with no problems and fewer miles in my legs than you with your 26 mile commute! It is, however, a matter of pacing yourself. You must never ever push it too hard, even if you're feeling good, or you will pay for it the next day. This is, of course, also a matter of gearing. My lowest gear is 30/27 (triple) and there were times that wasn't quite low enough. If you don't have a particularly low bottom gear check your route carefully to ensure there aren't any very steep hills in it.

dSIco

I managed two weeks in Iceland last year running a Felt Q620 hardtail with Blackburn rack and two panniers. Did have a small handlebar bag for small bits such as camera, wallet etc... Camping and cooking too... Two of us with roughly the same loads on our bikes (20kgs each).

Averaged 35 per half days riding. Iceland is certainly not flat and quite windy.

We had never done anything like it before but managed greater daily mileages as the days rolled by... We only used basic camping gear we already owned so no fancy super lightweight stuff. We just took the absolute minimum we could get away with.

At the time I said I wouldn't do it again, but now I quite fancy another big cycling trip...

iclestu

lost_in_thought wrote:

rhext wrote:

Can't see any reason at all why it wouldn't be practical to combine camping with eating out or takeaways on such a tour - with one slight reservation: make sure your campsite is within easy staggering distance of somewhere to get lots of hot food.

But as regards a stove, do you really want to crawl out of your tent, pack up and hit the road without even so much as a hot cup of tea to get you going?

And finally, I can't speak with any experience because every time I've even started to think about lightweight camping, I come up against some fairly straightforward economics: about £5-£10 to pitch a tent in a 'proper' campsite (ie one with showers), vs maybe £10-£20 for a bunkhouse or YHA.... Why lug a tent around, and then worry about pitching it in the wet and cold when you can sleep somewhere with a real roof for similar or not very much more cash?

Personally, I'd far rather have my own space in a tent than share in a bunkhouse/YHA. Also, there are many more campsites than there are YHAs/bunkhouses!

+1

Im also thinking that i got a pretty small tent, im intending doing this alone so the only attraction of a campsite really is a hot shower. Maybe just hit a campsite every second night and just do quitely 'wildcamp' somewhere out of the way the other night with a babywipe wash job in place of shower? Not sure about that but gotta be a possibility?

i really dont think i got an issue about setting out in morning without something hot. Sure, id want SOMEthing but cud easy make do with nuts or crisps or fruit or sommat till i spot a nice cafe doing breakie!

clanton

iclestu wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

rhext wrote:

Can't see any reason at all why it wouldn't be practical to combine camping with eating out or takeaways on such a tour - with one slight reservation: make sure your campsite is within easy staggering distance of somewhere to get lots of hot food.

But as regards a stove, do you really want to crawl out of your tent, pack up and hit the road without even so much as a hot cup of tea to get you going?

And finally, I can't speak with any experience because every time I've even started to think about lightweight camping, I come up against some fairly straightforward economics: about £5-£10 to pitch a tent in a 'proper' campsite (ie one with showers), vs maybe £10-£20 for a bunkhouse or YHA.... Why lug a tent around, and then worry about pitching it in the wet and cold when you can sleep somewhere with a real roof for similar or not very much more cash?

Personally, I'd far rather have my own space in a tent than share in a bunkhouse/YHA. Also, there are many more campsites than there are YHAs/bunkhouses!

+1

Im also thinking that i got a pretty small tent, im intending doing this alone so the only attraction of a campsite really is a hot shower. Maybe just hit a campsite every second night and just do quitely 'wildcamp' somewhere out of the way the other night with a babywipe wash job in place of shower? Not sure about that but gotta be a possibility?

i really dont think i got an issue about setting out in morning without something hot. Sure, id want SOMEthing but cud easy make do with nuts or crisps or fruit or sommat till i spot a nice cafe doing breakie!

Everybody has their own ideas as to the ideal way to tour, and what constitutes the minimun you need to carry. This man takes lightweight to nearly the ultimate level:
http://ultralightcycling.blogspot.com/
I am not quite the opposite extreme but for my wife and I one of the greatest pleasures of cycle touring comes from being able to go anywhere and stay anywhere we choose - well virtually! Setting up your "home" in a wild camp in a remote part of Chile with no-one else around for MANY miles is an amazing experience.