Squeezebox

+1 anyone interested in traveling light should have a scale. heavy packers too.
most hikers own one for example.

electrobank

Well, hacking people with a machete is on my to do list

yes, i was thinking that weapons aren't a good idea, i'm thinking of the machete 'cause most likely i will have to camp in some places and for cooking and stuff i might need wood, i have one of those hand saws that are an iron cable.

Great help all the information that i have so far, will post some pics of my before and after

BigAura

I'd never bring my scale on a tour, it weighs too much.

ypsetihw

When traveling and camping solo in foreign areas, I always at least carry some form of protection, if not people then for animals. It just seems silly not to. If a large knife or firearm worries you or is illegal, at least carry some pepper spray. More than once I've had people and bears wander into my campsite. Mag lights work well as a billy club and serve a dual purpose. Or a camp ax or machete.

BigAura

And if you do see yourself hacking someone to death ---> PLEASE STAY HOME!

lwik

I always carry zip ties and this week returning home from a 3 week 900 mile bike tour my seat broke 28 miles from the house, in the dark none the less. I used a zip tie to keep it together for the final stretch. They are light weight and tough and keep a dozen on the bike. The things that seem to break are the things you never even think about. Zip ties can be a good fix for many problems.

Also with racks and such, use Loctite on the screw threads to keep them from loosening. If not, carry some zip ties to hold it together when you can't find the screw that fell out.

Squeezebox

I still think not. It's too dangerous. You're more likely to hurt yourself or get hurt. Shaken down by police. And it just isn't worth the weight. A mag light weighs as much as your bicycle. almost. I don't own anything I'm willing to kill someone over. Just go and don't be afraid.
Hang your food properly if you're in bear country.
And if someone steals my bicycle at gunpoint I can always get another. Probably an LHT by the side of the trail that someone threw away out of sheer frustration.

venturi95

I always carry a medium sized fixed blade knife, a fork or a pair of chopsticks, and a spoon. These are my eating and cooking utensils. You can cut your way out of your tent if you're in bear country (hopefully there is something other than you in there that the bear is interested in). OP is heading to Mexico and Central America, so a gun would be asking for trouble, of the official type where you are in violation of the law. I would rather get robbed of my bike and gear than end up in a Mexican jail.

fietsbob

My relatively heavy bike frame descends solidly with out any Shimmy and sway because I did not shave grams and load up a whippy whippet of a bike.

GamblerGORD53

I always have a 15mm wrench in my back pocket and a 3 arm 4/5/6 allen. They gotta be good for some things. My bike is too heavy to carry away. ha And will flatten anything jumping at me from the front.
Do NOT leave home without a dynohub and lights.

irwin7638

Over the past 45 years I have been in several situations where I thought a handgun would have been a good idea. I've never actually needed one and still don't carry one. I agree with most all the other comments about gear and weight. Here are a couple of links about how I pack for trips whether a weekend or weeks.

stevepusser

Smuggle a gun into Mexico, and you'll be provided free lodgings at government expense.