Oh, hey thump, hope you know I was just referring to if he doesn't take rain pants or whatever......(he'll figure out what clothes are needed or not)

And yup, those extremely rare, very sad stories are just that, very sad.
I personally wouldn't have brought it up for someone going on their first bike trip though....

And stae, to me the key thing is that it's easier for those of us who had self supported, ie self propelled, outdoor experience already. That said, on my first big trip I took way too many tools, weighed a ton, but learned quickly. Should have done a smaller first trip, but oh well. C'est la vie.