what 3 items to leave, take, get, never leave without??

[Asposium]

came an interesting article.
https://www.pushbikegirl.com/optimizing ... p/?lang=en
quite clearly tourers
so, as TLS trained bikes packers what are your answers to the following questions?
let's assume a multiday tour, say a week
should make for an interesting read......

1. What are the 3 items you tossed away pretty early after you left home for the very first time? (because they were useless or too heavy or you simply didn’t like them)
2. What are the 3 items you didn’t have on board when you started but realized that they would make life much easier and more enjoyable on the road?
3. What are the 3 items you would like to have on board, but they are too expensive, too bulky and heavy or not available in the way you would like to have them?
4. What are the 3 little things you would never go without?

[Asposium]

1. What are the 3 items you tossed away pretty early after you left home for the very first time? (because they were useless or too heavy or you simply didn’t like them)
--For the most part, a full tour's worth of food. With the exception of Iceland food can be purchased en-route (Learnt that in Italy on the Tuscany Trail). During Le Jog in May 2018 only plan of carrying food for the day.
--Baggy shorts
--In some respects, the gas stove. Especially if warm food is available en-route

2. What are the 3 items you didn’t have on board when you started but realized that they would make life much easier and more enjoyable on the road?
--A multiple output battery charger, an Anker four-port travel charger
--Not very TLS; however, a set of clean clothes to wear in the tent and sleep in
--Also not particularly TLS; however, a small Bluetooth speaker for music in the tent of an evening

3. What are the 3 items you would like to have on board, but they are too expensive, too bulky and heavy or not available in the way you would like to have them?
--Quite like the idea of a dynamo hub, say a SON, not convinced though

4. What are the 3 little things you would never go without?
--GPS
--Satellite tracker
--iPhone

[RIP]

This is a fun game, thanks for starting it.

After first trip, tossed away cos useless/heavy/dislike:
1. Too much water
2. All electronics/communications. Very begrudgingly keep phone (photos [but why?]).
3. Preconceptions.

Wanted but hadn't got:
1. Water filter/purifier
2. Much smaller bags/packs
3. Nothing else (oh, alright, if got map: waterproof not plain paper)

Would've liked, but heavy/bulky/unavailable:
1. Feather bed
2. Folding bath with unlimited hot water and a rubber duck to play with
3. A mistress

Now never go without:
1. Open mind (and open bowels )
2. Ti can/bottle opener
3. Time, to stop and stare/talk.

"Reg"

[Trail-rat]

Items chucked.

Rear view mirror everyone told me was invaluable when road touring..... Maybe if you went deaf

Powermonkey solar charger. - even when touring nz and Oz this produced negligible power



Items Ill be packing next time.

Water filter -had more than a few cups of Joe made from boiled river water -trying to second guess if there was mining effluent in them when I was in Canada due to it generally being alot warmer than we and the forecast/locals expected. Getting through 10 litres of water a day between us at one point ! In +40

Igaro d5 charger with switch.every tour I've been on I've killed a USB charger duufer this time I've had a switch incorporated so I can turn the damned thing off -high speeds and no loads kills them and I don't always have something to charge or in the last tour I actually broke my charging cable.

Aero bars - to get the weight off my hands at times when. My back/core has given up and needs a rest. Suffered really badly with bruised and blistered hands last trip.


Wouldn't leave without

- a pillow . On long tours I find quality of sleep massively improved with a pillow over sleeping on clothes in a dry bag. I Have a thermarest pillow. I find it more natural to sleep on than the inflatables.

- dynamolighting -lets you run your lights all the time when you hit the road without worrying about batteries

-map of area/compass. - no matter how good GPS is these days I find that to get the big picture unless your mindlessly following a blue line a map is invaluable. Even with the os maps on my etrex a paper/plastic map still provides at a glance invaluable quick info about the lie of the land ,escape routes, possible refuel points ,shelter without spending ages scrolling around or running out of batteries as well as providing good reading for the evenings. Who doesn't like reading a map ?

[Bearbonesnorm]

1. What are the 3 items you tossed away pretty early after you left home for the very first time? (because they were useless or too heavy or you simply didn’t like them)
Most things termed 'waterproof'. I don't know whether I ride through more rain / water than the designers of such items but I've found most to be fairly useless after 2 hours when the weather's turned to custard.

2. What are the 3 items you didn’t have on board when you started but realized that they would make life much easier and more enjoyable on the road?
Something waterproof like a pair of Marilgolds and a roll of bin-bags ... see above.

3. What are the 3 items you would like to have on board, but they are too expensive, too bulky and heavy or not available in the way you would like to have them?
Nowt really. If they're too heavy, bulky or expensive then why would I want them?

4. What are the 3 little things you would never go without?
Platinum American Express card ... obviously.


and

realized

are you American?

[jameso]

1. What are the 3 items you tossed away pretty early after you left home for the very first time? (because they were useless or too heavy or you simply didn’t like them)
3?? I've taken a smaller cook set since my first BP trip, but even on that 1st trip it was only a mini gas burner, a small pan and a 600ml mytimug. Andy sent home his trainers, 2nd jacket, a load of stuff etc in a box weighing around 3.5kg.

Or if I went back to my first tour - the map measurer with the little wheel, the large lock and the 2nd book.

2. What are the 3 items you didn’t have on board when you started but realized that they would make life much easier and more enjoyable on the road?
A better warm-when-wet jacket. Down is great but you have to keep it 'for best' and as Stu says, 'waterproofs' are fine for a couple of hours but don't expect to stay dry for the period you can ride for as long as you're warm.
Some basic footwear, flip-flops etc. I still rarely bother but I should if it's a leisure trip.
More than 1 pair of pants and socks. Minimalism needn't go that far.

3. What are the 3 items you would like to have on board, but they are too expensive, too bulky and heavy or not available in the way you would like to have them?
A nice tent with a large awning area. But at 1kg or so, or more, nah. And I'd want a clear upper section, open to the sky.
Racks and easy-access bags with them. Too bulky or too much redundant weight though. I do like how a rack-pack, rando box or Carradice saddle bag is used though. Very civilised : )

4. What are the 3 little things you would never go without?
Primaloft gilet or jacket.
The right spares / toolkit.
Eatin' irons - a Ti spork and Vittorinox Bantam Alox knife (but I should have got one with a corkscrew.. limits my choice of bivi wine)

[sean_iow]

Items chucked.

Rear view mirror everyone told me was invaluable when road touring..... Maybe if you went deaf

These may be needed again in the future with the increase in use of electric cars. There's one that passes me often on my commute usually on the same stretch of quiet country lane. The first time I thought it was another bike behind me as all I could really hear was the sound of the tyres on the road, I got quite a fright when it overtook me

What are the 3 items you tossed away pretty early after you left home for the very first time? (because they were useless or too heavy or you simply didn’t like them)

I didn't toss anything away but I no longer take-
Non-cyling shoes to put on. Perhaps if I was touring and planned to stop and look round attractions I might.
Heavy lock. Even on a commercial site now I don't worry about the bike. I take a very small lock and also try to ensure that the bike is covered in mud and sheep/cow poo as this puts off potential thieves (this will be needed again if I get the magic tyres - see below)
Separate mug and pot to eat from. Now I use the mug to boil water and make my noodles in a zip lock bag, then refill the mug to make a drink.

What are the 3 items you didn’t have on board when you started but realized that they would make life much easier and more enjoyable on the road?

Garmin Etrex - used paper maps printed on A4 sheets on my first trips which is much slower and a pain in the rain (still take them as back up on ITTs where I need to follow a fixed route for a completion - in case of gps failure)
Partial frame bag which allows water bottles in cages still to be used (started with a full frame bag but it makes carrying or reaching a bottle harder without stopping)
Dynamo lights - can be left on all the time for safety on road sections in the day


What are the 3 items you would like to have on board, but they are too expensive, too bulky and heavy or not available in the way you would like to have them?

Assuming these can be the 'not available in the way I'd like them'

Sleeping bag rated to minus 10 which weights 400g and packs down to the size of 1L water bottle
Dynamo hub/light which produces 500 lumen at walking pace and 1000 lumen at 10 kph
Tyres that grip in all conditions but don't pick up and mud or flick any onto my bike/myself


What are the 3 little things you would never go without?

Montane windproof
Lezyne multi tool
Small luminous stuff sack. I found this one night on the cycle path, it's got ABUS printed on it and I assume it came off a lock. I was going to hang it up hoping the owner would find it but figured the dog walkers would find it first and miss-use it. Its about A5 size and when I set up camp I put all the stuff in it I would loose if I just them on the ground, i.e. the elastic bands that go around my folded poles, the bag I keep my pegs in, the dry bag I keep my warm jacket in etc. all the little bits that get lost/spread about otherwise. I always know there they are as put them all in the same bag.

[Scattamah]

1. What are the 3 items you tossed away pretty early after you left home for the very first time? (because they were useless or too heavy or you simply didn’t like them)

Bike lock. Soft shell. Sealskinz socks.

2. What are the 3 items you didn’t have on board when you started but realized that they would make life much easier and more enjoyable on the road?

Pearsons Salted Nut Rolls. Cash. Additional humour.

3. What are the 3 items you would like to have on board, but they are too expensive, too bulky and heavy or not available in the way you would like to have them?

More cash (for more food!). Challenger jacket. Beer.

4. What are the 3 little things you would never go without?

Tent. Bag. Mat.

Greetz

S.