The post about what you CAN do is a great inpiration to me to take off with what I have now and build on it as I go. I have been putting togather a reasonable touring rig for a year now. I have gleaned the advice to do shake down rides and work out what works and what doesn't and modify my set up. I'm on a pretty tight budget so I have to be creative. This spring will tell more as I do some over night trips, long weekend trips and multi day trips, before heading off on the long ride.

The first week of December I happened to run across two young men riding into our town at dark. I circled back to the hotel they had stopped at and introduced myself. We discussed where they where from, going and routes. They where riding on old 80's bikes stripped to single speeds with rear rack and minimal supplies. They where wearing overalls, wool sweaters, tobogans, and work boots! They had NO tent, had been sleeping on and under plastic sheeting, mostly under bridges and over passes on their trip from the Quad Cities area of IL going to New Orleans LA. I guess youth counts for something? I decided to meet up with them the next mornig, buy breakfast, and ride with them across the county on roads that stay off the semi truck routes (later I was told it was the best 25 miles of their trip). Very plesant young men, on an adventure. I guess it's a good thing they hadn't spent too much time on the net learning what shouldn't be done! I have some pictures, a good ride, and a story to tell of that day. I hope God saw them through the rest of their ride.

Like others have posted, I learned a long time ago how to sort through the BS and attitudes and glean the jewels in the dirt. Remember, "Take what you need, leave the rest".