Check out the gear in use in CT! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/acxoZsSIyKjUn40.html

Could listen to this guy talking about bike touring for hours

Definitely less clothes. Clothes that you can wash in a sink and hang to dry overnight. When I first heard about “credit card touring” I thought what a great idea! A handlebar bag with a few tools and a change of clothes. Ride to a nearby town, check into a hotel, get a nice meal, hit a pub, ride home the next day. Great weekend without a lot of planning.

What I love about bike packing is the lack of planning. My wife and I set off in the morning with a vague idea of where we want to go but who knows what will happen, getting away from the commitments of normal life is just great.

Thanks Tim, As a 75 year-old newbie who took his first bikepacking trip to the Camino del Norte in France/Spain and wiped out badly I gained a better understanding of the art and craft of bikepacking from your excellent presentation. I look forward to Camino de Santiago in '23. Thank you. Mike Gilmore

Fourth reason for tent-camping - because you actually love the whole experience. A major factor. I love being self-sustained, doing the whole camp-cooking thing, eating outdoors, enjoying the night stars, hearing the animal noises at night, and waking in a comfortable tent to a misty morning (or even sleeping nice and dry through a rain-storm). Camping with great gear that you know all works for you is the main thing.

00:50 ... "just do you" .. Love it. Best advice ever. Was subconsciously struggling with that one for ages, thinking I was "cheating" or "doing it wrong." And that one tip just rang a bell in my head and blew all that away. Thank you 🙏 And yes, my holiday is a bike trip!

I 100% agree. Every rider is different. That is why I like doing my own trips. I like to enjoy the trails, chat with people, read signs, etc... I am in no hurry.

I think the two main pros of a folding pad ate 1) theyre super cheap, and 2) they are impossible to break. Bonus points for being able to use them as chairs on a pit stop, or to lay on top of brambles.

Hey, thanks! I am 75 and just bought a Catrack trike. I am looking forward to bike touring/packing. Lot's of good advice!

Agree with everything. I’ve learned so much in the last few weeks and you’ve hit all the important points.

The more uncomfortable your trip is, the more you learn to value comfort isntead of taking it for granted. The entire purpose of these trips is to value the good things in life.

Currently doing the Trans American Route. I ditched my blow up mattress (after it got a hole in it) for the accordion style sleeping mat. I love it since it takes 3 second to set up and take down and cuts down on the chores in the evening and the morning. It’s probably 75% as comfortable.

One suggestion for packing: Distribute weight in the fore, mid-ship, and aft sections. We loaded most gear in rear panniers for our first tour. I was fine, but my riding partner got the death shimmy on a fast descent. Unloaded, no shimmy; but with two big panniers on the back, she got shimmy at high speed. You don't want that. Almost lost control of the bike. Test your loaded bike on fast descents, with hands at the ready on your brakes in case the bike starts to wobble. If it does, you need a different weight distribution, or a different bike.

These national parks look so pretty, I'm jealous

On my last trip I ended up changing into a gear that didn't exist, took me about an hour to get the chain out from in between the wheel and gear. Snapped 2 spokes and buckled the wheel. Took me about 4 hours to limp to a shop. Then ended up racing to catch up the delay. Rough tough day. But totally fun.

I love your first point, people tend to turn things into a competetion, even things they love such as bike packing or hiking. Do what you what and how you want to do it

Well said Tim! I have been doing extensive touring since 1987. And one of the things I tell everyone who asks and tries to brag about how minimalist and skimping it they are doing their tours, is ... Great! If you enjoy that go for it. Sometimes when the weather is good and I'm only going for a couple of weeks I might do the same. But ultimately I'm touring the way I want to tour. I just returned from B.C. to California (late January to mid February) and I stayed dry and comfortable the entire time. Of course there are no other (sane) people touring the west coast this time of year, but sometimes I camped and sometimes I stayed in a hotel, I did what I wanted. 🙂

I usually mix it up when I'm bikepacking. Sometimes I stay in motel/hotel, sometimes in tent. That's how I like it.

the advantage of the affordable roll or foldable sleeping mats is 1. They're cheap and 2. They insulate you from the cold coming up from the ground. If you're planning to camp in temperate/colder climates with just above zero temperatures at night, you need this insulation. If you don't have much money, they're a great way to be able to get out on a tour and camp.

Great video, tons of good information. For me a tent is a must. If I’m cycling with one or two people we use a large 6 person tent and break up the tent. One person carries the tent, one carries the poles etc. If I’m by myself it’s a very small free standing tent. For sleep, I prefer my air mattress, the 3 inch thermal rest has become my favorite, as I got older, the extra padding is a must. I use a down sleeping bag liner because it’s weighs almost nothing and packs down to something the size of Pringle’s can and/or a fleece blanket. Clothes, less is more. You don’t need multiple days worth of outfits. Something to wear and something to wash pretty much covers it. Dress for comfort only bring the clothes your going to need, for the weather your going to encounter. Some kind of rain gear is a must. Every repair kit should have a pair of tubes and at least one folding tire if your going on a longer trip, a patch kit, tire levers, a multi tool with chain breaker a knife and small roll of electrical tape, It has its uses. If your going off the beaten path, bring spare spokes. I use put spare spokes in a plastic tube with sealed ends and zip tie it to the one of the rear wear stays. Or just tape a few spokes to the stay. Something to do basic cleaning with, and chain lube. Another essential a first aid kit. A few bandaids, a small roll 1 1/2 inch gauge, a few 4x4 nonstick gauge pads with a small 3, 4 oz bottle of Peroxide and small tube of antibiotic cream with fix most miner injuries on the road. Also nice to have something like Tylenol or ibuprofen for aches and pains. After that pretty much everything you said in the video. I would add have a cell, at least $20 cash with you, at least one credit card some form of ID.

In my experience the folding sleeping pads, like a z-lite, are for added insulation and comfort. When it's cold it's nice to have the foam layer between your inflatable pad and the ground. It really helps keep you warm and a bit more comfortable. They also have a couple fun benefits, like being a fun raft/"floaty", or giving you a comfortable place to be closer to the ground, for yoga, stretching or quick naps.

i take both inflatable and foldable sleeping pads. 1) inflatable is soft and foldable is firm makes for best sleep. 2) gaurantees if air leaks or stretches or if i shift around a lot, i never touch the ground. 3) foldable is quick to depoloy so i can use it for lunch seat or sunbathing when not specifically at the tent. 4) backup pad as closed cell foam never breaks i recommend the nemo over the thermarest since it packs tighter together

MAKES ME WANT TO GO BIKE CAMPING RIGHT NOW!

Here is a detailed answer about dogs. I wrote it on another thread for a person planning a transcon on a recumbent. As for dogs on tour, I have had many experiences with them. Some cyclists might carry pepper spray, which I have done but never used. I saw another advise carrying a water pistol containing a mixture of water and ammonia; this I have never done. The fact is that dogs can be an occasional annoyance or hassle or whatever, but by and large they are not a real danger unless one comes charging at you from out of nowhere, startling you, and causing you to involuntarily swerve out into traffic. It happens. There is something about the movement of cycling that sets dogs off into a headstrong frenzy of barking and chasing. I mean, you come along, and there is some dog in a yard. It has been lolling around all day perhaps. It catches sight of you going by on your bike, and it immediately goes nuts. It starts barking, snarling, yelping, and growling, and chasing you at high speed and going for your heels with all its might. I have seen dogs go absolutely bananas at the sight of me cycling, even if I was two hundred feet away from them. I have seen them come charging out at me, stopped only by a fence around the property. They would follow all along the fence line to the end, and then go ape trying to jump over the fence or tunnel under it. This kind of reaction comes from dogs of all sizes from the largest dogs to even those little Mexican Chihuahuas. That is no kidding. I was cycling through some town. Somebody was carrying one of those little Mexican dogs. It saw me. It went crazy trying to jump from its owners arms and chase along. I have worked out a manner of dealing with dogs. In spite of all the noise and chases not one dog has ever actually bitten me. However, they do seem to be fond of going for the feet, and some have come close to biting. First, slow down a bit, look at the dog and yell out a loud, sharp report, and when I say loud and sharp that is what is meant; something like you might expect to hear from a marine corps drill sargeant. You might have to yell a number of times. The yelling will bring some dogs to a halt. Some will stop temporarily and continue, and slow down or halt every time you yell. Just yell out hut or ha loud, sharp, and clear. If that does not dissuade the cur from pursuing his pleasure or whatever it is he gets out of the chase, come to a dead stop and give him the yell. He will stop. He may turn around and take off. He may tarry a while and snip and growl. He may come close, but my experience is the actual attack will not happen. I have cycled 34,000 miles through 19 countries, and six or more times across the USA, so I know of what I speak. I have always ridden an upright touring bike, therefore, having a dog running along and chasing at my heels is a different matter from riding a recumbent with the animal more nearly at the vital parts such as torso, head, and throat. My general advice is this. If you are concerned, do what I have told you, and carry a water pistol with water and ammonia in it, if legal to do so, or a very good pepper spray, not one of those little key chain things, but a canister with a real fog or large volume spray that comes out, but do not use it as a first response. If you yell and stop and yell, the dog will stop his pursuit. In other words, do not run and it will not chase. Often, as you are stopped at the roadside waiting for the animal to lose interest, its owner will come out and call it back, and it trots on home. If you stop and it stops and loses interest, it might head back to its territory on its own, but if you take off it will turn around and continue chasing. Dogs, for the most part, are a temporary nuisance, but not a real serious danger. However, I am sure cyclists have been actually attacked, and perhaps even injured. When stopped, the hound may come close, but will not actually sink its teeth into your hide. If it is particularly vicious or mean, give him a whiff of the pepper spray or whatever, but I have never found that to be necessary. If you get off the bike and walk a ways, which you would not or might not be able to do, it could lose interest; get back on and cycle away, and it will pick up where it left off, or just go home. Try not to let a dog catch you by surprise in close quarters. That happened to me once, and I tipped over injuring my ankle. It was at night on a quiet, placid road. A very large dog came charging aggressively from out of the bushes near the side of the road. All of a sudden I heard this very loud barking and snarling, and saw a blur out of the corner of my eye. In an attempt to stop, dismount immediately, and get the bike between myself and the attacking dog, I forgot my feet were strapped into the pedals, and tried to get off on the right of the bike, I fell over and twisted my ankle. Well, at least I fell over away from the dog and not toward it. After all that the dog just stood there looking at me, and turned around and left. It was one of the larger breeds of dog, and I am sure it would not have harmed me, but it caught me completely unexpected, and I reacted unthinking with a start. There was no time to think through what to do. The subconscious mind told me I was under attack and needed to respond, and I did. You might have dog problems in some areas at times, and no dog problems whatsoever in other places. In 1984 in winter along highway 90 in Florida free ranging dogs were all over the place, and I might add, were often seen dead along the roadside after having been slammed by motor vehicles. In 2007 I cycled 90, and there was not the first problem with the first dog; very different from 1984. In countrified areas dog owners may be more disposed to letting their dogs roam free. Some may be fenced in, but have some little tunnel dug out under the fence in some bush-covered corner. They actually seem to be smart enough to try and cover or hide their tunnels. Anyway, that is about all I can tell you. If you go into Eastern Europe, you may find canines of a very different stripe; very different from the friendly domesticated kind we are used to in the USA. As for some of those dogs I encountered in eastern Europe, nothing short of a firearm would save you. Some of those would run you to earth and kill you and eat you. I had never seen anything even remotely as vicious as those, and have not seen anything like it since. If there is any such thing as a homicidal, insane, psychotic, murderous, savage dog, those dogs were it. Thank God for chain link fences. They must have been raised to be that way.

Very sweet. Gives hope to all newbie’s that think about traveling by bike for the first time.

Love your comment about going on a beach holiday. It's also those people that say you have to drink whisky straight (my preference is a tiny drop of water, but I'm not saying that is right). It's how you appreciate these things best that counts. Stopping at a brewery or local festival sounds very sensible. Thanks for your content.

In answer to your request; if anyone out there uses the concertina folding sleeping pads, as shown, please explain why! Okay here we go. Firstly I haven’t bike camped but will this winter, (I’m in Australia, winter where I am is best for me). I hike historically. I’ve used inflatable and lightweight camp cots. If the ground isn’t rocky the folding pad is better for me, and many others, because: 1. It is simple. Can’t deflate. No time to put air in or air out. 2. They double as a seat. Very warm and comfortable. 3. If crossing water courses they offer extremely good flotation. 4. Durable long lasting and suffer damage, animal or human, with basically zero loss of function. 5. You don’t need a puncture repair kit. 6. Can be used, in part or full, as a very kind and comfortable splint. 7. Lasting my pet hate the the most frustrating thing if if about an inflatable pad, is that because they are narrow I ALWAYS roll off. Or I’m half awake trying to not roll off. With the low pad this is a non issue. Mine is cut down, took a few sections off, to make it less bulky. I don’t need it below my knees 🤷‍♂️. If the ground is going to be rocky and or very wet I would prefer to carry more weight and bring my camp cot, and also use the pad onto of it, than use an inflatable pad. And I don’t hate pads. Many good models on the market now. Yeah there’s basically no padding 😬😂. You need to be okay with that. I am because I transitioned, for several reasons, living in China, where a fancy concrete slab with a blanket over top is considered a bed, for 13 years not least among them. My advice is don’t go cold turkey. Start at home with your non inflatable pad on soft carpet, and other layers if needed. Once you have conditioned yourself to sleeping on a hard surface go outdoors with it.

TIM - Great video, thank you! You got me stoked to get on the road again with my camping equipment (or cc, or both...). I hope many others also feel your enthusiasm and appreciate your common sense, as well as your experiece. I started bikepacking the roads of Connecticut and New England in 1973, when there weren't may of us on the road. I don't think I ever saw any other bikepackers in my first couple of years... When we'd ride through Vermont backwoods towns, some people treated us almost like we were aliens! People would stare, but my friend and I also found kindred spirits .. people that wished they could feel as free as we did ...

I did PA to alabama with absolutely no funds and minimal equipment. I used a tarp and hammock to stay dry and comfortable. I started on a huffy from the 90s. Having all your sleeping gear on long tours is paramount.

I love this channel. It’s good advice based on experience, but most of the advice is “go get some experience”. I’m also a photographer, I used a cyclocross bike as my “camera bike” for a few years and I found out the same things - loaded bikes are different. Now I’m building up my touring rig, taking day trips and learning a lot. The funny thing is that I work at a bike shop and I’m the touring guy there. I know all about the racks and panniers, but only experience teaches you the zillion other details that make up loaded touring.

I stumbled on this and towards the end saw some places I recognized. the Lockport flight of 7 and the Rochester High Falls bridge which would be a huge detour right now because the bridge deck is ripped out.

I plan on doing a one way, 200 mile trek late this year. I'm going to start over in a whole new place, and I'm not coming back to this crappy town. Your tips will come in handy! Thanks!

Great advice for newbies and experienced folks. I complete 18 long distance rides over 20 years plus few shorter ones as I got older. I completed several 500 mile, several 1,000 mile and one coast to coast in 47 days. As a teacher I had summers off and not a lot of money so bike touring was perfect. Over the years I slowly learned how to pack a recommend people try to limit their bagage to about 25 lbs.

The advantages for the folding sleeping mat are durability, as you mentioned, and they can be used as a sitting pad. If you are going into the woods or roughing it having a sitting pad to put on the rock or tree stump you will sit on is a luxury.

Based on my experences of over fifty years cycle touring and camping, I always try and find a rich widow when I stop for the night. Far more comfortable than sleeping in a tent, and if I'm on form a profit can be shown as well if monetary appreciation appears the following morning. Chapeau.

This video rocks, and the comments are a gold-mine, too! Brilliant collection of know-how!

Wool is great! I have a short sleeve wool jersey and can just wear the one jersey for two or three days. And snacks are definitely key to a happy tour

I love a foldable sleeping pad because its cheap, doesn't puncture and it's fast to access for a mid day siesta or for sitting on when camping, you even have space for your friends!

Thanks for this. After 4 months of inflating a mat, I used an accordion folded mat on my last trip as it is quick and fast to put down and pack!

Bonked outside Marrakech, Morocco. Best(free) meal... wild ripe figs in the mountains of Calabria, Italy.

Most of us hobby campers have always done the same thing: bought the cheap, heavy stuff because the expensive stuff just seemed such a rip-off. Then slowly we get to see the value and buy upgrade after upgrade until we have a mountain of cheap crappy gear stashed somewhere :) Just buy once and buy quality, its a false economy to do otherwise. The really great piece of advice here is to get a room for something like 1 night out of 3/4. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

The advantages of foam pads over inflatables is price, durability, ease of deployment, and versatility. I think the first two points are pretty self explanatory. Ease of deployment comes into play for me, primarily when choosing to use my pad as a dry and/or comfortable place to quickly sit down, lounge, or nap during the day. Some people don't like the hassle of blowing up inflatables at the end of the day. As for versatility, foam pads make quicker and easier spots to sit and eat lunch than inflatables. They work as a pretty good fan to help get your campfire going. Foam pads work better as wind screens for cooking. As you note, foam pads can be used to provide structure and back padding for backpacks. I've also used pieces of foam cut off the end or corners of my pad for various reasons including cushioning a sore spot on my body from sandal straps, waist belt straps etc, or pressure points from shoes a time or two. Finally, although I've not used them for this myself, I have been trained to use foam pads rolled up as splints or splint padding in emergency situations. To be fair, you can also use inflatables as splints to some degree. Finally, if you're a back sleeper, foam pads are likely all you need to be comfortable. Since I'm a side sleeper, I vastly prefer inflatable pads, although I often carry a short inflatable with another short foam pad that combined make a full length pad with most of the versatility and comfort of both for similar combined weight and volume.

I should look into switching from using a sleeping bag to a quilt. I use a sleeping bag, wool blanket, sometimes an over sheet, and carry a bivy bag. I like using an inflatable sleeping pad with some foam to it. I've learned to cover my bike with a tarp while I sleep to protect it from rain and so the sun doesn't pop the tires. An extra set of tubes and lots of patch kits. I like to go an 2 week long trips, around 140 miles round trip, up into the foot hills of the mountains in Oregon. My highest elevation is about 4,000 feet.

The urge to have jeans made me laugh cuz I've been there. I have found that lightweight hiking pants (usually cargo style) and a mountain bike snap-up shirt, like a Flylow or a Club Ride, will make you feel "normal" when going out after a day's ride. They roll up small and weigh very little cuz that's part of their design. And you can actually ride in them if needed. A small squirt bottle filled with Tide comes in handy too and takes up much less space than an extra kit. But you gotta have water available if outdoors...and it might not be dry completely the next morning. Rolling in a quick dry towel and stepping on it helps. Tortillas, refried beans in a squeeze bag, and peanut butter and jelly/honey (single serve...like in a diner) are a good alternative to freeze dried meals. Making the burritos in the am and storing them in your bike bag or in a kit pocket in cooler weather is, in essence, like a bread warmer. 😊

Totally agree with choosing a bike based on fun and gear handling over speed. I took my stupid heavy long tail cargo bike on a couple trips, and it was awesome to have a camp chair, and other creature comforts. It was also nice to just thunder confidently over terrain on a bike that handles the weight so well without getting squirrely. It was a real SOB on hills, but it was memorably more fun than some trips where I took my carbon framed bike that while lighter, carries much less and has a front end that gets the death wobble if I put too much in the front roll. Regarding gear, start with what you own or can borrow first. A few trips will quickly educate you on what works and what doesn't before you go and blow a lot of cash on the lightest/best and possibly wrong gear that may just end up in the back of the Closet of Shame. Showing up at REI the night before your first trip with a credit card burning a hole in your pocket is a recipe for trouble.

Jam-packed with common sense tips Tim, thanks so much for pulling this together; I especially liked the non-judgemental way you spoke about 'credit card bike-packing' - you do you indeed! I'm very new to all of this but will add something important about water, clean sources of which are not always where you need them. I'd say tip one is to carry a water filter device like a Sawyer - doesn't weigh much and can save you. Tip two (here in the UK at least) is that "every churchyard has a tap/faucet". This isn't strictly true but a good rule of thumb - people tending graves want water for the flowers. Right, I've only just found your channel so I'm off to watch some more - and yes, I've subbed!

a couple of the curly dog leash stakes work well as stakes for the tent

Good day to you! I am a grandpa rider on HONDA motorcycle from Japan. Enjoying camping ,touring and upload video. Your Bike Camping video is so nice! Awesome! Full supported ! Have a nice day my friend!

Zlite- foam cell mattresses are not warmer generally.. where they give you an advantage is being able to use them throughout the day when sitting or laying down taking a beak - Because they are big you generally keep them on the outside of your pack or somewhere on your bike and when you’re ready for a break you take unfold it and wallah you have a great place to lay or sit -- I have hiked the PCT twice and the CDT once -. 90 percent of hikers have a blow up pad for its comfort and warmth and most also carry some form and size of a foam pad to use as a sit pad --foam pads are generally 14 little rectangles I generally cut mine down to 4-5 pieces to use as my sit pad durning breaks -- Edit a word -

After a few years of serious health issues I plan to get back to camping and hopefully biking this year... the best advice he gave do it your way, if you are young go for mileage all you want... if I went 15 miles and just hung out and camped at this point it would be Awesome, unlike 30 miles hiking or a hundred miles Biking like when I was a kid. Oh, I am not sleeping on the ground, I prefer the hammock and not struggling to get up... but you do you. I have an elderly friend that sleeps in their car for the Sunrise...

I persuaded my wife to make a cloth cover for a 3/4 length thermarest. That and a lightweight bag as a quilt is perfect

if you lose pillow on a trip like this I've learned a good trick, a trashbag full of air tied up inside a shirt, have done while camping

Thanks Tim some great advice there. Your point about you can tour on any bike is so true. If only I had thought about that before I had a Roberts Tourer made for me over here in the UK. I have never really justified the amount I paid for it but its definitely a nice to have bike. Stay safe out there.

Your opening comments about doing your setup and vacation your way- because its yours- Hands down so good advice. Its too easy to get lost in thinking about the way it should be in an onlookers eyes. Great advice! I didnt know there were bikepacking specific tents! (Ive taken a liking to the rei passage 1 tent for simplicity…🤷‍♂️ What a packed video full of great wisdom. Love it:)

Great overview of preparing to bike pack!

What a great video. Lots of great advice. Interesting that it ia essentially the se that applies to hiking.

Love your content Tim. It’s like old school college radio bigging up new bands except it’s all about low key bike touring/commuting etc…. Ya touched on some key topics that most folks ask me about when I’m on trips or when talking at work about trips. I will say, the food intake is one of my fav parts of riding. We burn so many damn calories having fun, most can’t wrap their head around mileage to calories intake. Don’t need to count mileage/calories… just binge on your fav snacks! What other activities allow such gluttony! 😂

Man this guy hit the nail in almost everything I experienced on my first bike packing trip I went on just two weeks ago. I’m 19. I was born in Canada but moved to japan 11 years ago. Two buddies of mine just happened to be talking about what they wanted to do after our university entrance exams and I jokingly suggested a bike trip to Tokyo and it ended up actually becoming something serious. Originally we planned to bike it from Umeda Osaka to Nara, head to Mie, then Shizuoka etc etc till we hit Tokyo. The quickest route, if I’m remembering right, was 560km so I’d imagine we’d be dicking around a bit and go on the not so optimal route because we’re not there to cannonball the adventure we were embarking on. So probably around 600km ish one way trip. But we all soon learned that this probably wasn’t a very good idea for us greenhorns 😂 Simply put almost everyone in our lives called us god damn idiots and said we shouldn’t do it. In the end, and after many many compromises we ended up taking a much shorter and smaller trip to Awajishima and back from Osaka. A three day bike trip. Basically everything this guy said in the video I very much agree to after experiencing it all firsthand. I’ve always been a long dusnatce runner, planning on beating my deceased father’s marathon record which is just under 3 hours (yowzers that isn’t gonna be fun 😂) In other words my legs are in great shape. I love to squat as well. I’m a friggin triangle 🤣 The other two guys are very much not the case. Both of them are geniuses when it comes to studying but not so much when it comes to long distance endurance. So my original plan was to crank out 100km per day for three days. In the end it went like this Day 1: 75km Day 2:60ish km Day 3:80 ish km Total->220km? I’ve always been a planner. Shit I was the sole planner of this entire trip 😂 I just came up with the ideas and got their approval. I already knew that if a plan went 80% according to plan it was either a smashing success or the plan was too simple/easy And that fact stood true on this trip. We didn’t go anywhere near 300 kilometers haha. Shit, we didn’t even make it half way across the damn Awajishima island. And you gotta take in what everyone wants just like this guy said. To be straight with what I wanted, I wanted to clock in the distances while following a set schedule, but the other two were almost hippie like 😂 They wanted to do an adventure without a map kind of mentality. I compromised and went along and it was quite fun 😂 When you get lost oh boy you get lost hahaha! The mountains and oceans are good reference markers though. And the human body doesn’t work like you want it to. 100km may be a breeze for day one or two but I highly, *HIGHLY* doubt you can smash that out for 7 days straight without your ass either caving in or catching on fire from those pointy ass road bike seats lol I’d suggest planning about 70 km a day in a 10ish hour window. I’ve always lived like a farmer. So I always wake up real early. The other two were not the same haha. I’d be up at 5am and sleep at 23:00. We’d scarf down the insanely cheap food we got at a LAMU supermarket and bounce at around 08:00. There really isn’t any need to set aside time for drink breaks. Just take a swig every now and then at stoplights. You’d imagine it’d be nice to ride without any stoplights, and I was actually blessed by the gods and smashed through 21 kilometers somehow without hitting a single red light. *it was exhausting* 😂 I was wishing for a red light towards the end. And seriously never skimp out on sleeping gear *and by god do not underestimate the cold* I nearly died on the first night it was so cold. 5C weather by the sea with wind. I wasn’t shivering anymore I was convulsing 😅 Learned my lesson haha. Get a proper mat, bag, preferably a tent as well or tarp and fill your bag with towels. I fill em with towels because the condensation is infuriating and very scary when it’s cold outside. This is getting too long, pasta lavista baby. Enjoy your trips. Bring some fishing gear as well I had a great time fishing with my friends while getting sunburnt as fuck 😂

You have the right idea of stopping off for doing different things along the way, because it's the adventure of doing different things that make it an exciting experience. ✌❤🙂

The combo of a fold-up pad with an inflatable pad on top is great, BTW.

Good vid! I switched to a quilt last year and love it. I move around a fair amount and the quilt provides freedom to do so. I also like that I can uncover my feet which helps regulate body temp. The quilt I have has various setup options for when temps drop. I use an inflatable pillow also and what I started doing was to put a buff on the pillow. After a sweaty day of riding the buff helps protect the pillow from the grime. After the tour or during the tour you wash it. Like in the hiking world, "hike your own hike" ... same goes in the biking world, "ride your own ride".

Hi Tim, just stumbled across your channel while looking for thoughts on my next bikepacking tent. What a beautiful distillation of knowledge into an honestly presented video! I've been backpacking and bikepacking for over 35 years across thousands of miles in the UK and Europe and everything you mentioned rings so true. Brilliant!

Sea t Summit makes a very comfortable inflatable pillow, with a fabric like texture, instead of a tru fabric. Best tents on the planet are designed by Henry Shires of Tarp Tent. Best weight to size ratios, very stable in higher winds, great at eliminating condensation. High quality materials and very well constructed. Lightweight sleeping pads like the higher end Thermarests are good, but get the “R-value” you need. Also, additional 1/8 closed cell pad torso>knee are great. Weight very little, small, and can protect you inflatable pad, and use as a seat in camp, or to rest on. Best Uber light, and truly waterproof and ventable, rain coat comes from Enlighten Equipment. Also great warm/light jackets, as well as some of the best quilts.

Excellent advice, thank you for sharing

I am coming in from a different angle; late in life to bikes but fifty years of backpacking. I love UL biking-hiking-camping but a no shame in motels and flush toilets. Recent convert to quilts in summer heat, woodlands or desert. I am in the mountain west and and western edge of the Northern Plains, so at my daily pace, it can be two days between stores or even roadhouses. Three plus to brew pubs. Salads are few too. Yes to tents, no to bivy sacks unless it is just an overnight. Many of the new tent models of hiking tents for bikes come with extra fabric and features that add a lot of grams.

Great video! love that you start by saying, it's your vacation, do it your way. I still feel the need to rationalize my desire to credit card tour.

great, super practical advice.

Great tips! I'll add that having a phone holder on your bars just in case you want to navigate off the planned route - to hit a restaurant a stranger told you about, navigate a detour due to closed road/path, shorten the route for whatever reason. I don't keep the phone in the holder at all times - just pull it out when it could be helpful. (Personally, I'm looking forward to the day when we can revise our routes on the fly with our computers!)

This is great advice Tim. I think pre-loading (eating before you bonk) is so important but easily overlooked. Also- as you say the point of cycle touring is to ENJOY YOURSELF- so allowing lots of time for things along the way and don't get attached to the mileage (I had to lean this the hard way). Always buy quality gear- you will never regret it- my down sleeping bag s now 35 years old and still perfect for my needs....

I was glad on my first ever longer distance trip (when I was 16-ish, way back in the 90s) to have brought everything bar the kitchen sink when it came to tools. Because one, nobody else was bringing a full tool kit including chain tool etc, but two, I was a fool for thinking that a Walmart bike would be good for a 400 mile trip with heavy panniers and stuff strapped to it over two weeks. Over the course of those two weeks I had to replace a sprocket set, one entire front wheel, one chain and a lot of other odds and ends. My suspicion towards the end was that parts of the bike were made of mild cheese or something, because everything broke so fast. By the end of the tour, I had probably paid the same amount of money in spare parts that the entire bike had cost. And the bike was still a piece of garbage and completely TOAST. I was happy to let it go when I spotted some hairline cracks in one of the frame welds shortly after. tl;dr: Bring tools. All of them (maybe spread them out over several people). And do NOT cheap out on the equipment that keeps you moving.

I love to go slow and watch the scenery, so I like high handlebars. I see more, and it is a lot easier on my back. I am NOT racing. Also, watch a few videos of hotel rooms examined with black light to show body fluids, oils, and other contaminants. They will convince you. Your own tent, on nice clean, sun washed dirt, is by far a better choice.

I really enjoyed your video you brought up a lot of very good points. I am an outdoor enthusiast, high quality gear is always worth the investment if you use it. Inow shy away from ultralight gear as it can be too fragile I prefer something that will last yet it's still light. I prefer tarp camping as I like the openness. Bugs in the southwest aren't too much of an issue.

All my touring/Bikepacking has been in and around the Rocky Mountains and Deserts of the West. Touring looks very different in the east. I'm interested in it. I once carried 9L of water across the Pony Express in Utah/NV as there were no other options. Also have to carry more food as stops for provisioning are non--existent in some parts of the West. But the views are all worth it.

Love this post. thank you

Totally agree on sat-nav, but still carry paper maps for backup!

"Off" brands such as Naturehike, Aegismax, & BRS make excellent camping gear at very affordable prices. I was turned on to them by the thru-hiking community.

Great video. Informative.

Valuable insight. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and experience.

Thank you sir, for your valuable advice! Wishing you both safe and pleasant bike packing cycle tours! Best regards from Sweden!

Just to say thank you for a really great and informative video. I have just returned from France bike packing and I think you hit the mark on all the important stuff. I overpacked on some things and then forgot certain essentials like underpants!!!!! Thank god for my spare cycle shorts. Wild camping was great and saved a bunch but the odd night in an hotel is a luxury well worth it. I also agree with time and other cyclists mentality. I think you are touring and not racing so stop and enjoy everything. It's about the journey and not the destination. I tried liquid gels and didn't bonk but I am sure food is just as good. It was really hot on one day so we did only twenty miles and stopped before midday. In addition we took the train when it suited. I don't have an issue with this because you are on holiday and there are no prizes for spending days of your holiday cycling in unappealing urban environment. My philosophy is to keep it simple, have a great holiday and make new friends. I wish you well.

Thanks for sharing these tips and tricks. I come from a backpacking background and everything makes a lot of sense. I am looking to transition into some rides and start biking after 10 years, again. P.S I am from Rochester, NY and thanks for showing off the Erie Canal. The canal is definitely a favorite ride of mine.

Great insight. Thank you!!

Ha! “if you love the beach, so much, why don’t you sleep on it?” Subscribed.

Great video! I use the fold up non inflatable sleeping pad and I would say the main benefit is actually better heat retention in winter as opposed to an inflatable pad. That's my experiences ence anyway

My reason 4 for camping: sleep better! On small campsites, I tend to sleep really well. Bigger ones are more of a problem because there will always be noisy folks somewhere, so I avoid big campsites. But man, small sites compared to hotels... I rarely sleep well in a hotel. They're expensive, often noisy and at the end of the day it's just a room without much of a view mostly. Not saying there aren't good hotels anywhere (I can think of two I've been to)... but if you're traveling through, chances are you'll pay lots and sleep little. Plus, you probably arrive late and aren't even using the room for the day time that you're also paying for. I find the airmats are terrible insulators - even if they're supposed to be good and have a higher R value - so that's what a closed foam mat is for. Really helps keep you warm if you get cold more easily. But airmats are comfi, so I use both at once. If that's not enough, a fleece blanket really helps to put under you too (plus it weighs nothing and you can usually buy it last minute in any town for just 5 bucks). Some folks get cold more easily 👋🤷‍♀(from what I've read, that tends to be true for many women, plus when your hips (side sleeping) or butt (back sleeping) hit the ground through the airmat, that means zero insulation in those spots and the cold will seep through there.) Most of the cold comes from the ground, so getting that part right is important. So my budget sleeping tip would be: don't bother paying for an expensive airmat. Just get a cheap yet comfi one without (much) insulation (they pack down small and weigh less), then use a foam mat for warmth underneath. Unless you don't get cold easily or have a bodyshape that's basically a plank. Yes, the foam mats are bigger, but they are very light. I just stick mine at the side of my luggage on the back.

I use the foldable mat as a windshield when cooking,sitpad,cold ground cover under the inflatable,kneepad etc

My sleep system is a tarp, an accordion sleep pad, a hammock, and a mummy sack. Endless variety of options. I leave on my next month long trip tomorrow. Woohoo!

Great tips, I think one of the biggest things is just getting started and not letting lack of gear hold you back. My first couple overnight trips involved wrapping gear to my frame with duct tape since I didn't have much in the way of "proper" bags. You'll quickly figure out what gear you need and what you don't. Choosing a route with available shops is always smart too, in case you forgot something. Your first ride doesn't have to be across the wilds of Nevada. Your tips reminded me a lot of a smaller channel on here, Paul Suchecki. He's got a real laid back "just go do it" approach to bike touring, and you both are great encouragement for people just starting out in this rewarding activity

Honestly I’ve found that most of this outdoor stuff is just trial and error. Mistakes are part of the experience. As long as you have a good time doing it that’s all that matters.

So inspiring man! From the start to finish it was dope... Nice delivery of message... Thanks for the little useful tips and tricks you shared.

This was an unexpected treat at the end of the day for me. That was a lot of information that you just dispensed with and it was a pleasure to listen to. Thanks.

Finally!!! Great practical information 👏. Thank you. I have a very good quilt 0° rated. So much better than a sleeping bag. I also have a very good sleeping inflatable mattress. Both quilt and mattress is top quality and lightweight packs down small too. I believe in not cheaping out on gear. The good equipment has been tested and tried and true. I took my time buying all my gear (4 years) buying things as I researched and them and saved to buy the top equipment gear. I also believe in being comfortable while camping. No weight weenie here. I need help with food... Don't want to carry too much food but need to have the proper food for constant energy. Mileage... whatever! Not important to me regarding how many miles per day. I've read too many bicycle tourist who pushed too hard and eventually it caught up with them; not just physically but mentally as well. I'm fine with riding each day until I start feeling drained; also weather plays a big role in distance. Fighting a cross headwind all day is no fun. Having a tailwind pushing you all day is great. Too hot is no fun and can be dangerous if ignored. Cold isn't bad as long as you have all proper gear...layers and wool base layer. I also don't ride at a fast pace. I tend to have to fight my tendencies to start doing it though. Even riding at 7.5 mph average is still a good distance for 5-6 hours of riding. It's the Ol Tortoise and the Hair scenario. You'll last longer conserving your energy. And enjoy more of your tour. Food is a difficult topic, because not every place has a large assortment of foods that is every 40 miles apart from one another. Especially in the western part of the US. What's some good staple basic foods that are easy to either cook or make right away? Thanks for your video.

I don't underdtand all...but i enjoy your vids...vive le vélo .......

GREAT STUFF!

2:37 I have a Spin front wheel. 😁 It's cool to see a wheelset out in the wild still.

If its warm enough i prefer to get into a tree and cover my self with a woman. Or a bike. Or a cat

Great video and good info....thanks

Everything you have mentioned is something one needs to consider (to have fun) After three years I follow most if all things you have indicated. One has to get out and ride to understand how these suggestions come into play. Good stuff man !!

I'm loving your videos, Tim. You have it just right, and you make me want to just hop on my bike and explore. As an aside...I first started riding bikes in Rochester, NY, so seeing your video of High Falls really made my day! I enjoyed many rides with a six pack of Genny Cream Ale in my bag. Thanks for bringing back these memories.