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Old 09-06-18 | 10:32 AM
  #12  
thebellmont
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Joined: Apr 2017
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Like others have said, consider listing more stuff out re: hygiene, bike repair and camp cooking* (*sounds like you’re getting to this) if not for us then for yourself. I got surgical with my lists before leaving on my last bicycle tour and still found things I could have brought/not brought in the first week. The more you can front load your work of packing and refining the better. You do not want to be playing the regret game in a town of less than 500 people whose only retail business is a gas station with next bike or outdoor store 3 days ride down the road.

Long sleeve merino wool blend (something with a nylon blend to dry even faster) is a must for cool evenings as I am sure you'll have some in the high desert.

I know you said you don't want one but: A summer down or down quilt might be nice for cool evenings as well. Down packs down. Down is also expensive. Down breaths and will be better at regulating your body temperature than sleeping in your merinos. I would not bring a synthetic sleeping bag. I would not skimp on sleep (ear plugs, eye protection, a pillow setup that works for you).

Will you attach your dry sacks to your frame, rack(s) or are they going in your panniers? I ask because you might want to shoot for compression sacks instead of dry sakcs as some cheap dry sacks don't breath and they may be redundant if they are going in your panniers. Compression sacs that are a 100 percent waterproof (Sea to Summit) are very expensive (I got these for my last trip and they were mostly living in my waterproof panniers). I wish I would’ve brought more compression sacs for clothes in my panniers.

I am not sure if this is your first tour.

I am not sure what your budget for gear is.

Consider hitting up REI in St. Louis (or where ever the nearest one is from you) for any gear over 100 dollars, REI’s return policy cannot be beat and if this is your first tour you will find stuff you want to return at the end of it. Also if you can stomach the membership cost/St Louis isn’t far from you, the REI “Garage Sales” (where they sell off their returned and used gear) can be handy to find gear you still need –you do need have a membership though and to show up early the day of the garage sale.

Last edited by thebellmont; 09-06-18 at 10:38 AM.
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