Originally Posted by zeppinger

The bet portions of my trip through China would largely depend on what your looking for in a tour there. The camping equipment was totally useless pre-Xi'an so if thats what you want then just take the train out west. If I were to do a tour of just eastern China I would probably only take a handlebar hag and two very small rear panniers.

West of Xi'an was far more culturally interesting and varied which is what I like most about touring. The weather was still pretty cold there since I was out of season and, most of the time, I could find a guesthouse for under $3 so I rarely camped until After Lanzhou in Gansu. West of Xining camping gear is almost essential, with long stretches between anything. The scenery was less polluted as well and the terrain more varied. IMO it was better than eastern China.