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trekp1
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| Joined: | Fri May 25th, 2007 |
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Posted: Sat Jun 23rd, 2007 03:45 am |
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| If you want to meet all of your neighbors in a hurry, bring along a small mallet for the tent stakes. Everyone wants to meet you and borrow it. A short length of closeline and some clothes pins are also VERY handy to hang wet items. Be sure to place something "different" on your bags to help spot yours out of hunreds of other "black zipper bags" laying all over the area. Sportsman's guide had some bright orange ones a few years ago that really stood out. Better yet, signup for the Happy Camper service. Your luggage is transported seperately and deposited at your provided tent at the end of each day... with fresh towels! Bring earplugs if your sleeping inside on the floor. A short extension cord w/ a multiple outlet head has saved the day trying to find a place to charge something. One of those screw-in adapters for a light socket can also help you locate an unused spot for a plug-in. I always carry a few feet of twine/cord, some ty-wraps, duct tape, spare trash bag, and assorted zip lock bags....besides the ones for each day's clothes. Everything is packed inside a H/D garbage bag before it goes in the carrying bag. Remember, the bags get unloaded from the truck by the first arriving riders and might sit for hours in a downpour. Check the ground for ant hills before you setup the tent. No matter how remote you think your pitching your tent....you WILL find the "SNORER" next to you by morning!! LOL
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mstuartev
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Posted: Fri Jun 22nd, 2007 10:30 pm |
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I second the zip-loc baggie of clothes a day option. We've done it two years and it is perfect. Towards the end of the week, we will rinse off some stuff.
Most of the water stops will offer powdered gatorade to put in your water bottles.
I like the food option. Plenty of chances to meet folks as eating is at large communal tables
Mark E
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bikerski
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Posted: Wed May 30th, 2007 07:37 pm |
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don't take the food options. eat out. this gives you a chance to meet other riders. many solo riders on tours. simply announce you are going to dinner, does anyone want to join and you will have new friends. at breakfast ride a few miles down the road and stop at a diner with a bunch of bikes out front. everyone shares tables, another good way to meet. on one ride the local diner owner didn't know he would have a couple hundred extra hungry riders stopping for breakfast. didn't have enough help. we all pitched in waiting tables, making toast etc.... magical moment.
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JoeMarty
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| Location: | Macon, Missouri USA |
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Posted: Tue May 29th, 2007 03:16 am |
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| Lancetta, I recommend a dry bag from Cabela's, I think it's probably Cabelas.com. I don't know if they have wheeled ones, but they definitely keep things dry.
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nanc
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| Location: | Louisiana USA |
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Posted: Sun May 27th, 2007 11:51 pm |
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I use a wheeled duffle, so that getting to and from the luggage truck isn't a burden. There are plenty of choices from a variety of stores. Here are two examples
of the type of bag I use from Campmor.
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=38826968&memberId=12500226&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1
and
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39206688&memberId=12500226&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1
Although we don't have any of the stores you listed in Louisiana, I'm relatively certain that Dick's Sporting Goods would have something similar. I don't know about the other two stores.
~ Nanc
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Lancetta
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| Location: | Dale, Wisconsin USA |
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Posted: Sun May 27th, 2007 09:34 pm |
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Dave & Nanc,
This is great information! Nanc, I think the idea about putting one day's clothes in one bag is great, and I would not have thought of that. I would have done what you had previously done -- shirts in one bag, shorts in one bag, etc. I liked the chamois idea, too.
I think I have my "fueling" needs pretty well figured out -- figs, bananas, and trail mix work well for me. And I like Gatorade, but have to mix it 50/50 with water for it to sit well in my stomach. But I can tell you, I'd NEVER make it 43 miles without fueling!! I like to eat a snack every 10 miles. And guess I'll be one of those zipper rippers, as I like to ride early in the mornings. 
And where are you guys getting the "stuff sacks" or duffle bags (waterproof or otherwise) that you are hauling everything in. Can you send me a website or some info on where to look for them? Or are they something you can buy at a sports store like Dick's or Scheel's or maybe even Fleet Farm?
Lanette
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nanc
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Posted: Sun May 27th, 2007 02:14 pm |
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I pack each day's clothes into 1-gallon zip locks. Packing a day's clothes into one bag, simplifies things each day. The first year a did a week-long bike tour, I packed shirts in one bag, shorts in another, underwear in another... I had to dig through several bags each morning. Now I simply pull out the next zip lock bag and everything is already together. I also pack one set of clothes to wear in the evenings after I shower. When I go to shower, I bring that zip lock bag with me. After showering, I use the zip lock for those clothes for my dirty clothes. The next morning, the evening clothes go in the zip lock that is emptied when I get dressed for that day.
I bought a dry bag for my sleeping bag after a half dozen years of doing tours... for convenience, figuring to stuff the sleeping bag into the dry bag (without using the regular stuff sack)... but I've been riding bike tours since 1996, and had always used a hefty outdoor trash bag to stow my sleeping bag prior to this purchase. My bag WAS caught out in a rain storm prior to me getting in that evening, and absolutely nothing got wet except my duffle bag itself. The contents were totally dry. On the other hand, we knew folks who had not packed their clothes and sleeping bags in plastic of any sort and had everything absolutely soaked. It is definitely worth the time it takes to pack in plastic.
Most mornings my tent has been wet with dew (sometimes soaked), so I don't put it in the bag with my clothes, sleeping bag, and pad. I use my second luggage tag for my tent. It usually only takes a few minutes in the afternoon sun for the tent to dry out. I also carry a small piece "chamois" in my tent bag to dry out the tent floor after I set the tent up to speed the drying process. I had to do this just as often when I packed my tent in a waterproof bag the first year or two that I did bike tours.
~ Nanc
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Laid back Dave
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| Location: | Oshkosh WI |
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Posted: Sun May 27th, 2007 01:51 pm |
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As another north central Wisconsite (I live in Oshkosh) and have done all SABBRAWS
since 1998 (except for 1999) and was supposed to do one in 1997 except for a bike accident but that is another whole story....
You can never carry too much food/water with you.....I carry 2 large water bottles and when one is empty and I start on the second one I fill the first one the first chance I get. One SAGBRAW I went on the temp was 105 at noon....but I was done riding for the day-after drinking 7 water bottles of 26 oz each....
Also eat a large breakfast or don't go more than 20 miles before you do eat a large breakfast. Also carry food...I went through Clintonville a couple years ago on SAGBRAW and the next place to eat was a gas station down a highway-but before that I found an apple tree by the side of the road and scarfed a couple down...I guess I cannot bike 43 miles without eating something....I carry trail mix now...it beats the two donuts I ate (which I usually never eat any more)
My wife suggested drinking sport drinks at stops.. and some guys tell me they always buy bottled water for their water. When I stop at a gas station I sometimes will buy enough sport drink to drink one and fill a water bottle with another. Another guy I ride with carries a bottle of honey and squirts some down before a big hill...and his favorite saying is "No downhill is worth the uphill".
I also like to ride early-less exposure to sun, get in early and choice of spot in gym or if you are a camper...better spot...the early risers are called zipper rippers....so if you like to sleep late stay away from my spot....
Looking forward to meeting you soon-you do meet a lot of characters and you see some of the same people every year if you do repeat rides.
Dave
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Lancetta
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Posted: Sun May 27th, 2007 01:10 am |
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So this is my very first tour (Northwoods). I'd like to be prepared as possible. I've got a good tent, mattress pad, sleeping bag, and I plan to pack as light as possible. I'm riding solo, but would be happy to hook up with other riders. So I'm looking for advice from all you experienced riders out there -- especially from a woman's perspective, but I'll take advice from the men too  -- what's your best tip for this newbie? What do you wish someone had clued you in on when you did your first tour? Was it something to bring along, a riding tip, a camping tip? Thanks!
Lancetta
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