Originally Posted by
BigBlueToe
I had a cheap, single-wall "pup tent" that worked well enough at keeping me dry.
The first rack I had was a Pletscher from a department store. It always worked and never broke. I carried one spare tube, a set of tire irons, and a floor pump I bought at a thrift store. You should have the ability to fix flats because they'll likely happen. However, you only need one set of tools between the three of you.
Have a great trip.
Your description of a floor pump reminds me of the cheap aluminum pump with the small screw in cloth covered hose I used. It was a bear to pump the tires up to 80psi and lose 5-10lbs while unscrewing the hose. The panniers had a wax coated cardboard stiffener on the backing that somehow didn't get folded into the wheels. I thought the set-up was good. 44/48 gearing with 14-36 5spd cog. It was Nishikis base model with aluminum rims. Definately a step up from a 38lb 5spd schwinn I had before. When I set up a BikeFriday with single chainring and Capreo cassette the gearing was almost the same but with a more usable range.