Burton

I've always had more of an 'opportunist' approach to bicycle touring and backpacking than a 'self contained' approach. So rather than pack a weeks worth of freeze-dried yuk - my approach was more to travel with back-ups that might come in handy if I didn't trip across that Hungarian buffet in the prairies, a Tim Hortons in some small town, home made desserts on some cafe on the wharf, and also missed out on trout fishing, wild onions and mushrooms - or a pre-prepped lunchbox at some IGA.

I've been told some of my 'back-ups' are a little unusual, so thought I'd post a few and see if anyone else carry's something equally weird.

(ZipLock No 1) Dulse - that actually seaweed for anyone that doesn't know. Dried, its the best source of protein, vitamins and trace elements I've found to date.

(ZipLock No 2) Biscotti - homemade Italian biscuits made with dried fruit, nuts and panela. Maybe a different take on granola.

(ZipLock No 3) Capicolla or Prosciutto are both dry cured meats that weigh little, and can actually handle unrefrigerated storage for days without issue

(ZipLock No 4) Quinoa - replaces rice or rolled oats or pasta AND has all of the essential amino acids to boot.

OK - thats my top 4 weirdoes! Whats in YOUR touring pannier?

seat_boy

I brought a tin of sardines once on an overnight trip, but no one wanted to share with me.

Burton

LOL Losers! Sardines and crackers are a GREAT snack! Right up there with tuna or smoked oysters!

raybo

Freeze dried refried beans. Lightweight, just add water, instant burrito.

Ginger root.

Machka 

I've had people ask about my enormous front hub, and also my various bar add-ons such as the "space grip" and other smaller ones.

valygrl

I once watched my touring partner eat a peanut butter and snickers sandwich.

Cyclebum

Burton, all that stuff sure sounds mouthwatering and packable. Trouble is, I've never heard of any of it. Just a Texas thing I'm sure. I need to get out more.

My staples for when there's no McD's in sight: oatmeal, pepper jack cheese, trail mix, ginger snaps, and Snicker Bars. Cut up bits of the Snicker Bar into the oatmeal. Ginger snap=toast. Buy all at any grocery store.

djb

not all that diff from pb and nutella (and sliced bananas), thats a sandwich thats always a hit with my kids (and me)

fietsbob

Asked if my IG hub is a Motor..

Baguette + Nutella ! (or Cheese)

MassiveD

Dulce sure is local, I didn't know it was the basis of a good meal. A lot of that stuff is salty. There are crazy amounts of salt in most prepared food. I once ran across pepperoni sausages that were one daily requirement per cardstock thin slice.

indyfabz

Yes you do if you had never heard of capicolla and prosciutto. I spent 7 weeks touring southern Spain. Rarely did a day go by when I didn't have the Spanish version of prosciutto--jamon. Makes great sandwiches along with goat cheese. Some of the real high end stuf comes from pigs that feed on special black acorns that allegedly gives their flesh a special flavor. I could take a 5 min. walk right now and buy some jamon that sells for $80/lb. There are some jamons that cost more than twice that. Salty, yes. But it tastes a lot better than Gatorade. And it's not processed like Hormell salami, etc. It's simply cured. Many bars in Spain have giant hams hanging from the ceilings.

Quinoa is the big thing now. It is very good for you. But you have to be careful if you are counting calories. It has more calories than rice or pasta.

Biscotti rock granola bars any day.

Another vote for sardines. The ones in oil provide salt, fat and protien in one compact can. Kippered herring, too.

Another snack I like to tote is jerky. Both beef and turkey. There are some Amish vendors near my office that sell their own stuff. It doesn't have all the junk you get in some fo the store bought brands.

During a long tour in '00 I got hooked on Strawberry Newtons.

MMACH 5

My backup is a SPAM single and a tortilla.

bradtx

Damn that just HAS to be tried!!! I'm a big fan of the old PB and banana sandwich.

Brad

Recycle

PB&J in a ziplock has been a favorite. Emergency rations for two is a can of Chief Boyardee Ravioli ... easy to open and has the shelf life of King Tut.

Booger1

I've had kids ask me what that thing on my frame is.....You mean this?(my frame pump)... It powers my smoke sifter around the campfire,to keep smoke out of my eyes....doubles as a bacon stretcher....

Rowan

Like Machka, I've had the questions about the dynohub. Not much else though.

However, I sometimes find myself asking: Why?

irishbill76

My ex-wife took one look at my bike when I just got it and she asked "What is THAT?" I said "Eh? Its a tourer"
She said only old men ride bikes like that.
I said nothing...

Burton

Actually I kinda like burritos! Now if we can just talk some company into making some freeze dried beer to with them ............ !!

Burton

Hmmmmm .... I'm thinkin' that needs pictures! I'd like to see that "space grip" thing. Bar add-on collections are always fun to compare. And I have to ask .... is vegimite considered a 'touring' food down under?

Burton

What? They hogged the whole thing?
I kinda like peanutbutter cups myself but they don't travel very well in warm weather.

Burton

You can probably look into any of those using the Wikipedia and buy most of them in health, specialty or ethnic marketplaces. Montreal has a large ethnic population and I'm sure many American cities do too.

A couple people have mentioned Snickers Bars and I can't seem to avoid the chocolate melting in warm weather myself. How do you deal with that?

Burton

(sigh) SPAM is one of the few things I've just never taken to. But in a pinch I can see using it for bait and having brook trout with that tortilla instead!!

Burton

Dulse is actually native around the world in colder northern waters. Extremely high in protien and more trace minerals and vitamins than any land grown vegetable. Its normally sold dried and some people just chew it as a snack but even though I'm from Nova Scotia - I prefer to eat it mixed in with rice or quinola and maybe tuna. I like sushi (with nori), can handle dandilion salad in small quantities and will eat spinach cooked with butter, but raw seaweed still tastes a lot like raw seaweed to me.


But finding a place that sells fresh lobster rolls and homemade lemon meringue pie and coffee trumps all that. So it good that dried things keep well.

Burton

Another fine food addict! Great! So what are some of the things you like to travel with?

fuzz2050

I'm a big fan of taking a hunk of Parmesan cheese; it keeps forever (or at least until I eat it), it's a versatile way to make a lot of food taste better, and it's a pretty good snack on it's own (don't judge me).

I'm fond enough of alcohol stoves that I've been known to bring them along as a secondary burner, just so I can make myself some tea while dinner is cooking. I've gotten a few amused reactions from that, and disbelief that a cat food can could serve as a stove.