Heading South - Preparations Complete!

Hello again internet! It has been quite a few years since I last posted on this blog due to the fact that the touring terrapin hasn't been touring since then. But at long last I've gotten around to setting aside some vacation time for this, and will be heading out again!

...Or at least that's what I wish was really the case. In reality I just haven't been on a tour in so long that my vacation time is currently maxed out, and if every day I don't use any I'm losing vacation day's I could have earned. What else am I supposed to do with it, visit my family?!? And since the weather in Scotland (where I really want to be touring) and Seattle (where I live) is turning for the worse right about now I just decided "Screw it! I'm heading south to follow the good weather."

...And that's about all the thought I've put into where I'm going. I acquired some adventure cycling maps because of how well they served me on my last tour, but I haven't decided whether I'll be following those or starting by going from Seattle to Portland through the backdoor. I guess we'll see how I feel about it later today.

Anyway, since I had to run an inventory check before I packed everything anyway I thought it would be a good idea to make an initial post just detailing what I'm taking and why. I've used quite a few similar blog posts in the past week as reference, so I'm going to put this out there just in case it helps anyone else out in a similar fashion. I'll include links when I know exactly what the item is and think it's useful enough to track down.

A few quick notes before I begin. First, this is going to be a much dryer read than my usual fare; if you aren't interested in trying out your own tour you can probably stop reading now and check back in in a few days. You won't be missing much. Second, I'm overpacking a bit here; one thing I found in my last tour is that it is EXTREMELY easy to get rid of extra weight if you just go to a USPS store and use their priority flat rate boxes to ship it back home. Getting something you forgot however requires estimating where you'll be in a few days and getting the package shipped ahead there. All in all a much larger headache.

Finally, the biggest/simplest/most bang for your buck piece of advice I can give you is to use ziplock bags. I use them to group items together, nest related bags inside of larger bags, etc. It keeps all your important gear dry even in the event of a leak (or peanut butter explosion, as the case may be) and makes packing and unpacking much easier than it would be otherwise, as you don't have to sort through every single item in your bag to find what you're looking for. Anyway, onto the gear.

First, my bike is a custom built Soma Saga, which the dealer described to me as a slightly modified Surly Long Haul Trucker. Many thanks to the folks at Back Alley Bike Repair for helping me put it together. I've made the following additions to it that I think are relevant to the tour :

• Cascadia fenders - they take a bit of time to set up, but once bolted in they aren't going anywhere and have excellent coverage. And trust me you do NOT want to ride through the rain without fenders. 
• Disc brakes - I've tested bikes in the rain both with and without disc brakes and found that discs provide much better stopping power, which can make all the difference in keeping yourself safe on the road.
• Brooks Saddle - Once broken in these are some of the most comfortable saddles you can get your hands on. Unfortunately since some jackoff stole my last bike with well worn the saddle still attached and the new one hasn't broken in yet I'm probably going to be severely saddlesore this trip. Don't forget your cover though!
• Bike pump 
• Pletscher Kickstand - One of the few kickstands that can keep a loaded up bike from falling over.
• Dynamo Hub - Upgrade I am most excited to try out this tour! Two years ago I spent a huge amount of energy just trying to keep my phone charged while still mapping out my route. Hopefully this will allow me to generate enough power to keep the phone topped off while I ride. Also, the following items only function because of it.
• Luxos U front light - Very expensive, but this version allows you to not only have a great source of light as long as you have energy in your legs, but also has a jack from which you can charge any USB device. Budget version available if you can do without the USB charging.
• Smartphone holder - For said dynamo charging.
• Rear Dynamo light 
• 5 Water bottles (distributed across trailer as well) - You can never have too much water storage, and weighs next to nothing when empty.
• Marathon Supreme tires - I had 2-3 flats a week before I got this pair of tires outside of Yellowstone on my last tour, and only had ~5 or so from Yellowstone to Florida. I think the results speak for themselves.
• Bontrager Self Sealing tubes - ...And because of the inner tubes I picked up in Boise Idaho all but one of those flats fixed itself. And for the record there's no patching (self sealing or otherwise) when a screwdriver is driven straight through your tire.
• Duct tape + electrical tape wrapped around the seat post - either of these can be invaluable when something breaks/tears, and by wrapping both a few times around the seat post you keep it out of the way and have a small "roll" you can tear some off from.
• Spare spokes are mounted to the bike.

 Said bike is pulling my BOB Yak trailer, which is itself filled with the following items that you don't usually need to grab in the middle of the day :

• Tent - You feel every pound you are pulling, so I'd recommend paying for the lightest one you can fit inside your budget.
• Thermarest mattress - Has the benefit of being extremely light and compact since it is inflatable. Not as comfortable as some bulkier, heavier options though.
• Inflatable pillow - I very much regretted not taking a pillow on my last tour - a bag packed with clothes will serve as a pillow, but it certainly isn't comfortable.
• Sleeping bag (compact)
• Sleeping bag liner - the season is turning colder, and the nights are very long if you aren't well insulated.
• Reflective tarp - In a pinch can be used as a reflective heat sheet, but most often just useful for covering your bike up when it rains.
• Whisperlight stove - By no means required, as on a bike tour you pass enough gas stations and restaurants that you can just eat out all the time if you so desire. But it there's something nice about being able to have a cooked meal before you head out in the morning.
• Titanium cooking pots
• Multi use utensils (knifsporks?)
• Camping mug - Came highly recommended. Not sure if I'll have much use for it yet, but it's extremely light and fits inside my pots, so I took a gamble.
• Toiletries
• Do not forget toilet paper!
• Or anti rash cream!
• Clothes
• 3 pairs of smartwool socks - Supposedly very warm and not cold when wet. I've never used any before, so we'll just have to see.
• 2 pear bike shorts - See Brooks saddle not yet broken in.
• 2 pair underwear - You don't want to walk around in bike shorts on your rest days. They aren't super comfortable.
• 2 pair athletic shorts - For over the bike shorts. I like having pockets.
• 3 t-shirts
• 1 set long base layer for torso and legs - in case it gets cold
• 1 waterproof jacket
• 1 pair waterproof pants
• 1 waterproof helmet cover
• 1 pair waterproof socks - I had a pair of waterproof shoe covers, but they were only moderately effective at keeping my feet dry and itched like hell. This came highly recommended from an employee while I was shopping, so hopefully they work out well.
• Bag of misc light items
• Ziplock bags
• Trash bags - Allows you to keep a large number of items dry when something springs a leak. Also weighs next to nothing.
• Rope/utility cord - Multi use. Hold something broken together? Clothesline? Strap something to your bike?
• Rarely used bike repair parts
• Spare brake/shifting cables
• Extra masterlinks - Much lighter than carrying a whole spare chain for when your chain snaps in half.
• Bottom bracket removal tool - If you for any reason need to ship your bike with you (plane/train) it's a really good idea to remove your crank, as those jut the furthest out from your bike, and are vulnerable if (when) the people loading your bike manhandle it.
• Spare inner tube - Always carry at least one.
•  The ultrabook I am currently typing this on, and the Thule case that protects it - Last time I was on tour I attempted to keep my blog updated solely via cell phone and public libruary, which just wore on my patience until I stopped updating the blog altogether. I'm hoping typing the blogs on the laptop before I turn in each night is more manageable.

The last set of storage I have is my new Swift Industries Ozette XL handlebar bag. (Designed to fit the Haulin' Colin Rack I also own) Before I get to the list, I just want to call out that I can already tell this is a lot more convenient than my rear rack bag I had on my last tour. Whenever I needed to pull things out of that bag I needed to contort my torso 180 degrees or get off the bike which was a pain I had to get used to. Having the items I grab all the time up front means the most you will need to do is stop the bike so you don't crash while pulling something out.

• Sunscreen
• Bugspray
• But Butt'r
• Reading glasses
• Novel - Self explanatory entertainment, but having a book also gives you a good excuse to trade for another book later on your ride, which is a great way to read something you never would have picked up/made the time for otherwise. For example, I am extremely glad I made a trade for Neuromancer when I was on my last tour.
• Mink oil - Good for softening up/breaking in a leather saddle like a Brooks
• First Aid kit.
• Sunglasses
• Adventure Cycling maps - By far the best benefit of these maps are that the roads mapped are well traveled by touring cyclists. You can expect to pass a large number of other riders on these roads, and for towns to understand how to accommodate them. (For example allowing tents in public parks)
• Bandanna - Very much multi use - can be used as a rag, facemask, headcover, etc.
• Deck of cards - Nothing else can be used for as many games as the simple deck of cards. Great if you find yourself with a random group for the night.
• Mace/Pepper spray - Great for unruly/feral dogs that want to taste you or your bike.
• Bike lock - Light is the key here. You shouldn't need a heavy U lock as you should never be far enough away from your bike for long enough for it to matter. This should basically be enough of a deterrent so some opportunist can't just pull your bike on a whim.
• Swiss army knife - The very definition of multi use. 
•  Electronics bag
• Power brick - Allows you to run your cellphone for days without charging. However, every few days you will need to stop for a good 8 hours or so to recharge these if you rely on them heavily.
• Wall outlet splitter - If you have multiple pieces of electronics you'd like to charge in a limited amount of time one of these is invaluable. Try to get one with three prong female outlets and a two prong male outlet so you can plug it into any outlet and plug anything into it.
• A few USB -> microUSB cables for the power bricks and phone.
• Laptop charger.
• Flask full of scotch - Don't ever leave home without one, just don't put any really good stuff as eventually it may end up tasting a little metallic.
• Bike repair kit (often used)
• Painter's cloth for cleaning your chain
• Patch kit
• Tire levers
• Chain grease
• Multi tool - This should be able to cover just about every screw you need to tighten, chain removal and spoke tightening
• Anything else the above does not cover (For me I have a large allen for my kickstand and a tool to readjust my fenders.
• Luci light - Solar powered lantern, should allow me to take light for granted when setting up camp after a day of cycling. Extremely light too.
•  Pennywhistle - Another fun distraction when you're cooped up for the night is to play a song. A harmonica would probably work better for this, but I have no idea how to play one of those.

And finally, on my person (aside from the clothes already mentioned) I'm only carrying the following:

• My wallet
• My cell phone
• 1 pair bike gloves 
• 1 Helmet 
• Halo headband - Great for keeping the sweat out of your eyes. Better than a normal headband as they eventually saturate and leave you back where you started
• Mountain biking shoes w/recessed cleats - Highly recommended, I love road cycling shoes as well, but these are more comfortable and you don't need to bring a pair of flip flops with you just to give your feet a break.

And that's it! All this gear may seem like a lot when  listed out ad nauseum as I have done above, but it actually only takes up this much space when you lay it all out.

And easily fit inside my bags with a bit of room to spare.

All in all the BOB Yak drysack weighs in at 26 pounds and the Ozette at 10. That's pretty darn close to the 35 pounds my gear weighed last time, which is a bit of a relief to me, as I was worried I had packed way more than I needed here.


And that about covers it. I'll check back in here again when I have something more interesting to say. Until next time!