Originally Posted by
NoControl
Hot sauce can make even a pair of muddy shoes edible!
I have never been on a bike tour. I'm a total greenhorn. I do however have a lifetime of backpacking and foraging experience. My plan is to carry an MRE or two. Perhaps one in the bottom of each pannier. This too may be overkill, but will be my backup plan in case I get no local store available. I like the idea of carrying a couple food bars to fill in between stops.
You'll learn a lot while out on tour. I packed way too much my first tour. Learned pretty quick I didn't need it. Have had locals offer me food several times while on tour. Rarely needed it so often refused. This summer while riding through the high desert of Eastern Washington (in 105*F heat) I was stopped by a few LEO's and one WSDOT vehicle to offer me water, which I gladly took. Without them I'd still made where I was going that day but would have been much harder. I had water but doesn't take long for the water to go from cold to really warm in that heat.