Originally Posted by
kokaku
I recently did a 3100 mile tour with a Bianchi Boardwalk(a college bike) loaded with about 50 pounds of gear. it broke
......so i'm getting a new bike.
new bike is going to be a trek 520. my bianchi has a dual layer aluminum rim so i'll keep that as a spare for this one. spare rear rim will be velomax(if i can find one). i found a sleeping bag(good to zero) and a 1 person, all-weather tent that weigh 3 pounds a peice. possibly getting a bob trailer to.
now, the advice i need is the for the following;
1)panniers:needs to be -good hooks(metal if possible), nylon
if possible -roomy, multi-compartment, waterproof(or resistant)
2)clothes:needs to be -different temps. cold, moderate, and hot.
3)rain gear: needs to be -me resistant. i bought a $50 top and ripped it in a week.
4)stove: needs to be -small and light. also be able to take the 16.4 oz propane bottles
unless someone knows a better fuel source(besides campfires) that
I can get at the local sporting goods or hardware store.
5)anything i'm missing?
As for the bike, fit is most important, so if the 520 fits, that will help. There are other bikes that work too, the Surly LHT for example, the Rocky Mountain Sherpa series if you can find one. Just about any bike can be used, if you want to use racks and panniers then you need rack/fender mounts. I plan to use a converted mountain bike.
As for stoves, I have done some research here, pick the fuel that is most readily available in the places you plan to tour. Propane may not be the best option, the cylinders are heavy, even when empty, the ones used for stoves are not refillable and need to be disposed of as hazardous waste, which may not be easy on a longer tour. White gas is another common fuel, sold in metal cans, the cans are fairly thin steel and can be recycled through normal channels. There are also alcohol based stoves, which can actually be made at home, just look for soda can stove online, these are very small and compact, if your not sure of fuel sources you can make one for the price of 2 cans of beverage, just keep it in your pack for times your regular fuel is hard to get. If your over 21 you can get alcohol just about anywhere
Alcohol does not contain as much energy per litre as gasoline or white gas, so boil times are longer, there are commercial alcohol stoves, such as the Trangia, but they can be quite expensive.
There are multi-fuel stoves, they typically can burn white gas, gasoline or kerosene, white gas is common in North America at least at sporting, camping and hardware type stores, gasoline is common, but filling a 1L fuel bottle from a gasoline pump can be an exercise in frustration at best. Easier if you can borrow a gasoline can used for lawnmowers and emergency car filling, fill that from the pump then, fill your bottle from it. Gasoline is a fairly dirty fuel, and may require a different jet and frequent cleaning on some stoves. Kerosene also known as paraffin and lamp oil is not as common as it used to be, again you may need a different jet and to clean your stove more often. For the most flexibility you want a multi-fuel stove and carry a soda can stove as a backup.