djb

well, if you don't eat breakfast or do tea/coffee etc, then taking a shower after riding will free up time in the morning, so it really just comes down to having your clothes ready to put on for riding and everything else pretty much packed, and then of course putting away the sleeping bag, campmat and tent.

certainly sounds like you could make it pretty quick, especially if you have no interest in lingering.
Don't spread all your stuff out in the tent, take a shower the night before and the tent etc packing routine will get faster the more times you do it.

if you don't eat breakfast, when do you eat and where? Only at lunch? snacks along the way that you already have with you?

mm718

I do eat a little something that doesn't require prep in the mornings. Usually a granola bar, nuts, trail mix, or if there is something left over from the night before like a half a sandwich. I just meant I don't cook breakfast or make a ritual out of it. It's more like a morning snack. After that I'll snack every hour or so and then have a medium sized lunch that will provide fuel but not make me lethargic. I continue to snack every hour or so on the bike after lunch. I tend to have huge dinners deli sandwiches or something I cook.

djb

well, that certainly means no pot to wash out like me who loves my oatmeal in the morning. At least with oatmeal its only one pot to wash and not greasy like making spaghetti sauce or whatever for supper.

Im surprised you dont shower at the end of a riding day, I cant wait to get the road grime and sunscreen off, so tent goes up and into the shower lickity split, and unless I have no choice, dont really want to get into my sleeping bag all sticky like that. A quick wash of bike shorts and top while in the shower gets that job out of the way, and like I mentioned, gives the most time for them to dry, often dry before going to bed if the air is dry and there is sun. Just nice in case there is rain the next day and you cant strap them onto your panniers to finish drying.

fietsbob

Tour: Europe, no problem with getting up , packing . heading off...

buying breakfast & coffee, and doing a quick wash up in the WC, while food is being made.

Happy Feet

For me the secret is putting stuff away after I've used them throughout the day (I admit to being a bit OCD about it) so in the morning there is just the sleeping bag/tent, a few bits and loading up the bike. Like someone else said, I also start the hot water (if I'm doing that) first so I can work while it's brewing.

If I want oatmeal I prepack it in individual servings in sealable sandwiche bags with brown sugar and raisins. Pour in part of the hot water (the other part goes to coffee), zip it up and let it sit while packing. Bite a small hole in one end and suck it out. Dispose of the baggie and there's no pot to wash.

This summer my son said that was gross but I told him "There are levels of survival we are willing to accept"

manapua_man

I find that keeping everything in specific containers and 'ready to go' helps. The only thing that really needs to be 'consolidated' when I break camp is my tent and sleeping gear. Otherwise everything goes back into it's place right when I'm done using it.

psy

While I can break camp and be gone within about 30 minutes if I don't cook, I just accepted the fact that I will pretty much always be the last one out the the hiker/biker, and that's ok. I don't generally keep a schedule on tour and morning coffee is an important part of the day. Also, I tend to limit my ride times to about 6-7 hours a day so what's the rush?

However, I have noticed that towards the end of my last 2 tours (both 2 months each), packing and unpacking everything everyday started to feel like a serious chore. I do carry alot of stuff.

Rowan

I respect you, but as far as I am concerned, I am not bicycle touring as an exercise in survival.

In fact, if looked at closely, bicycle touring is a first-world indulgence.

MichaelW

I find that a wet tent really slows down my pack. Imminent rain speeds me up. In a heavy dew, it can take a while to dry out my tent so I sometimes pack wet and dry mid-morning.
I set my stove with fuel and water for coffee, withing reach of the tent door if possible.
It is mainly a matter of establishing an efficient routine, packing the same way, which also prevents you leaving stuff behind.
Round the world record holders travel super ultra light and maximise riding time by efficient camping, rather than pedalling all out.

MassiveD

I was going to say the wet tent thing also, the dew often settles shortly before I gut up and would burn off later than I want to leave, in a short while when the sun gets hot. Having a practical tent where there is as little material to get wet will help, for instance where usable a net interior tent will promote circulation of air, as does a tarp with tent, rather than a tent with tarp set-up.

Another thing that would normally save time is to leave bags on the bike. There is generally no reason to take the bags off your bike even though they are designed to allow it, it just takes more time. The only problem I have ever had was when I took a big bag of cereal with me that was sealed. I foolishly assumed the bag would contain the minimal odor of the cereal, but some passing raccoons proved me wrong.

It is one thing to be inefficient, or inexperienced, but some people do not have a speedy morning rhythm, and it may not make for a more productive day to force things too much. You can do 100 miles by cycling 10 hours at an average speed of 10 mph. So one is not necessarily pressed for time, unless there are a ton of art galleries to be visited...

staehpj1

On the wet tent thing... It can go either way. You can hang around and let it dry if it isn't raining, but you can get out on the road quickly so you can be in camp early enough to have plenty of sunshine in the afternoon in camp to dry it out. Some people also drag it out during a mid day break to dry.

I do find that having very few items along helps a lot with minimizing packing and breaking camp time and since part of the attraction for touring is a simpler life style with less stuff, it makes sense. To me that is part of what camping is about, making do with less stuff. I love the simplicity of having just a very few items along and still being self sufficient.

staehpj1

Very true and also folks just have different expectations of what they want a tour to be. I am pretty much always the first on the road from group hiker biker sites, but I don't look down on the guy who rolls out well after noon when I am sometimes already in the next night's camp. We just value different things and have different habits on tour (and in general). I have noticed that most often the lighter packers tend to be the earlier departers and the heavier packers tend to hang out in camp longer.

rawklobster

I found I was quick to depart when I made one change. I don't leave the tent until all my bags are packed. That included rolling up the mattress, stuffing the sleeping bag, putting them in the bag, and filling the panniers with whatever was taken out. Once the bags were ready to just be lifted out of the tent, I'd leave and run to the bathroom! If you have toiletries bag and think towel, and know which bag to put them in, you should be fine.

When I get back, I just haul out the bags, put them on my Trike, and then lower and pack the tent. Throw that on the trike, and then relax for a bit, chat with others, and simply decide when to leave. I loved the relaxation that went with "getting 'er done" off the top, and then leaving whenever I wanted after the morning organically told me it was time to go. I'd say I knocked off about 30-40 minutes by taking this approach. But you have to be the type of person who can jump out of bed and vacuum. Not really, but along those lines.

robow

+1 Give it a quick shake, pack it up wet

LuckySailor

Rowan, conversationally speaking, the OP really only gave us that he showers in the morning. So if he takes an hour for a shower, that's obviously his issue. BUT, I don't believe that to be the prob. I certainly agree that there are advantages to getting out of camp early. I guess my only real suggestion would be get to camp earlier and get to bed earlier. But that is kind of a no brainer "duh" kind of comment! We have the same "problem" if you will at home. In our younger years when we owned and operated a couple of contractor companies, my wife and I would stay up very late putting together quotes, bids, and reading blue prints. Many times crawling into bed at 2 and 3 am and getting up at 6 am. We did that for a couple dozen years. Not anymore thankfully! But we still stay up until 1, and sometimes 2 am. And we don't roll out of bed until 9 am sometimes. By the time we have had breakfast, and/or showered, make the bed, returned calls, it's sometimes nearly noon. Ug! half the day is gone already. So the only answer is go to bed earlier and start your day earlier.
I think the OP likes to get to camp later in the day. So if his riding day is 8 hours (saddle time and stopped time) and he is getting into camp at 6, that gives him a reasonable amount of time to have dinner, and finish chores. BUT, if he started earlier, and rode his 8 hours, and finished at 4, in his mind, he would be saying I still have 2 hours of rinding time. He then rides on, getting into camp at 6 and the same problem exists. I live this "problem" every day! If the OP gets any real nuggets of helpful guidance, PLEASE let me know so I can try and implement it into my every day life! We are all creatures of habit......LOL.

Happy Feet

We all come from a particular POV. My wife would say touring itself is an exercise in self imposed hardship. I could just drive there (we own a van) and stay in a hotel. And I could go to Vegas or Hawaii instead of dreaming about riding for three weeks across the Prairies...

Some people like to cook on tour (I like cooking too) but I loathe washing dishes in the field so much that I would rather eat out of a can (or baggy). Others would be horrified. As I say, it's all the same in there

The "levels of survival" quote is from Neo and the Architect's discussion in the Matrix Trilogy.

djb

I know you and perhaps some others have said they do this, but I really dont get it. I've grown up in cities all my life, and even in a campground in the country, my instincts are to never leave stuff that is an open invitation to some dumbass kids wandering around at night or whatever.
Sure, you and others feel that this will never happen, but honestly, why would you want to save maybe 10 seconds tops to click on your panniers in the morning compared to the balls up that a missing pannier would cause you in the middle of a bike touring trip? Also as someone who canoe camped and car camped a lot, why risk some little critters like chipmunks or whatever silently chewing a hole in the bottom of your nice pannier because there was a smidgen of a food odour to it because you forgot you once had food or toothpaste in it.

as always on this forum, your stuff is yours so do what you want, but I don't really get how such a small amount of "saved" time is worth the potential aggravation and inconvenience that could happen.

re wet tent, I have a small chammy cloth in my tent bag always, and even with condensation, going slowly and carefully with the shammy over the top and underpart of my fly will take away a huge amount of water drops, probably a couple of coffee mugs worth. So less wet when rolled up, and much faster to dry either in the sun just before leaving, or when taken out at a lunch break or whatever where in sun and dry air, sometimes just 30 mins means your tent is all nice and dry again. Nice if you ever end up with rainy weather at the end of day, so at least the tent is dry when you setup, and at least isnt all damp inside already for setup, even if it is raining for setup.

mm718

I will likely switch to evening showers. It makes more sense in a lot of ways. I typically decide on my local trips at the last minute and by the time I'm packed I leave at 1-2 in the afternoon. This gets me into camp hungry at nightfall and often I just skipped the shower. This and wanting to have non-greasy hair in the morning put me in the rhythm of morning showers.

Walter S

Being enslavened to a practice of showering every day and washing the base layer is not for me. I don't mind smelling a little. There's nobody else around. A few baby wipes works and let's me wild camp for free.

djb

Well, for both of you guys, you do what works for you. You gotta ride your own ride and warsh your own warsh as you like. There ain't no rules....

mdilthey

I hate packing in the morning.

Let me reiterate:

I hate packing in the morning.

I have done everything in my power to streamline the morning packing process. I have it down to 10 minutes and honestly, that still annoys me but I cannot get it much faster than that.

1. I keep my sleeping clothes and biking clothes semi-interchangeable, just simple wool T-shirts or long sleeved shirts. So, I can go to sleep in a fresh shirt and wake up, put on bike shorts, good to go. I wash the sweaty/salty shirt on my first water stop and either dry it on my body, or dry it on the back of the bike. Wool is cool like that!

2. I don't eat breakfast until I've biked 10-20 miles. By waking up and moving, I find i'm way more efficient. I'll either stop for a muffin somewhere or eat some energy bars and fruit, sometimes while pedaling.

3. I have simplified my shelter to the point of masochism. One sleeping pad, one sleeping bag, one waterproof bivy. Roll up the sleeping bag and bivy together and stuff them into their stuff sack, and I'm rolling.

4. I do everything else, like charging bike lights, organizing gear, planning, mapping, clothes drying, etc. in camp the night before. When I go to sleep, the only things unpacked are the above mentioned sleep system. When I'm up, I pack those and go!

Doug64

[QUOTE=staehpj1;18285737]On the wet tent thing... It can go either way. You can hang around and let it dry if it isn't raining, but you can get out on the road quickly so you can be in camp early enough to have plenty of sunshine in the afternoon in camp to dry it out. Some people also drag it out during a mid day break to dry.

[/QUOTE

+1

I just pack it wet, it is usually the rainfly not the tent, and let it dry when I set it up at camp that day. However, if I'm not planning on camping that evening, I will try to dry it during the day.

Buffalo Buff

What are you doing during those 2 hours?

My morning routine is about 20 minutes.

- Wake up.
- Check the weather forecast and my route for the day.
- Get dressed.
- Have a snack.
- Pack up all my gear while still inside my tent.
- Take down my tent and pack it up.
- Put all my bags back on my bike.
- Go!

staehpj1

If not camping, I have dried tents and gear out either in a motel room or outside of a motel. There are always towels, and they will sop up most of the moisture so drying can go pretty quickly.

Buffalo Buff

Seconding this. I couldn't imagine trying to bother with the logistics of a daily shower while touring.