That meal looks good. Nice job, I'm more of a rice and beans or pasta kind of guy; I need to up my cooking game.

If I had the gears I have now when I did my self-contained camping in my 30s, I'd have fuller use of my knees now. Alas, my previous touring female companions have found other partners. I enjoyed extended trips in northeastern US and up into Canada, three separate three week trips in France, and another two week one around the Peloponnese all cyclecamping. The one time we did a credit card tour in France, I found it to be not so much fun. Maybe that's just me.

But my current (and last!) wife isn't well suited to the details of self-contained travel, so even though I would like to again do cycle camping after I quit work, I'd have to enlist my old cycling buddy instead, who has done at least a long weekender this way. So there's hope.

I plan on a couple of overnighters this year, my problem is sleeping on the ground and my old thermarest is quite big. Any recomendations for something new? Has anyone tried a cot?

The best sleeping pad I have ever used is the REI camp bed 3.5. That thing is huge though and so won't work for self supported bike touring. I also like my REI flash insulated pad. It's 2.5 inches thick and only weighs one pound. The volume of air really matters.

Oh yea its been about 20 years since I toured.

Chapeau!

There's a recurring theme in science fiction: the society that advances, improves, automates, turns things over to computers and then forgets how to do things themselves.

Impressive strides have been made in camp gear and equipment, but my young camping friends can only boil water and reconstitute dehydrated meals.

I would take a standard inflatable air mattress and use the tire pump to inflate it. Sleep is important for meand the aching bones would need something comfy.

If you have the opportunity, you might look at the Thermarest Pro Lite 3 or 4. They are not real thick, but I'm not convinced that more thickness equates to more comfort.

Sleeping bag (green compression sack), tent and rainfly (blue sack), Thermarest (orange bag)


They all fit compactly along with a compressible pillow (important) sil-nylon ground cloth which all fit in the bag that rides on top my rear rack. Total weight 10 lb.

Well thicker is not necessarily always better but with a thinner mattress, your bones are more likely to rest on the ground. I have been impressed by how much of a difference that cushy air mattress like the REI camp bed 3.5 makes. But's huge and heavy which is a problem when bike touring.

Moving on to the tent. I use a three man dome type tent, which is about the right size for one person and gear. Maramot. Not much heavier than a one man tent, and if you get rained in for a day the room is REALLY nice. Actually, I do not mind riding in the rain that much, but I do not like breaking camp in the rain. Just my thing.

I just picked up a new 2 person tent for camping touring, the Big Agnes seedhouse SL 2. The weight is reasonable at 3 pounds 12 ounces (including the footprint, stakes, everything). I like a little larger tent as well and at 27 square feet plus an 8 foot square vestibule that will work for me.

I think a 3 person tent would feel luxurious. How much does your tent weigh?

No self contained touring if you mean tent, bags etc. We have done some credit card touring which we enjoy for a few days up to about a week. Several of our tours have been in Japan with the most recent one last fall in Hokkaido. Beautiful spot to ride! This year I'm hoping to do some in Washington state and British Columbia.

Yes, the tent is a luxury. I was told when I started tour riding that I would enjoy a larger tent, and I found that to be true. I do not remember the listed weight, but I think just under 5 pounds. I will sacrifice other things to have the larger tent. To each his own.

I use a Nemo cosmo with the cover and pillow top. It inflates with a built-in foot pump and is extremely comfortable.
It is not the lightest, but does roll up and pack very nicely.
My tent is a good old REI Half Dome 2 Plus. roomy, light, and east to set up.
I use a Wiggy's outer bag from their modular system, as I am tall and it fits.
It will compress to about the size of a volley ball.
I pack my entire camp into an Ortlieb Gearbag, which packs transversely across the top of my rack and panniers.
I even stuff some food and whatnot in with the camp stuff.

I have done a few. I'll link you to my tours and you can peruse and maybe get some insight and ideas.
Click Here

I have one, although it needs some repairs due to "operator error." It's a good compromise between weight and space.

That's not the a little more than the weight of a modern 1P tent. My UL 2P tips the scales at just over 2 lbs. The 1P version is under 2 lbs.

The REI Half Dome 2 is a fine tent and the plus gives you a bit of extra room over the 2; plus the price is very good.

What is the ortlieb gear bag? Curious as the half dome tent does not fold down as small as some other tents.

My unscientific but first hand participatory observation is the largest block of self-contained touring cyclists are in the mid 50s to early 70s range followed closely by teens and 20 year olds. I being currently in that older group but once upon a time in the younger.

See post #33. The yellow bag is one of them.......
I guess ti is called the Rack Pack.
I can't remember shat size mine is, but it holds the tent.poles,sleeping bag and mattress.
Other small stuff will fit,too.
I bungee corded mine across my rear rack and panniers, but, if you have Ortlieb
panniers, it has straps and snaps on it that allow you to snap it onto their panniers.
Nice system.

Those of more often the age groups of people who can take a summer off to do something like a x-country tour. There were 12 participants (not counting the leader) on my x-country tour. Four were in their early 20s. Of those 4, 2 had just finished college, 1 had just finished her masters, and 1 was about to start her senior year of college. There was 1 person in their 50s. She was a teacher who had the summer off. 5 people were 60 or older and retired. The oldest started the tour at age 76 and turned 77 during the trip. I and another fellow were in our mid-30s. We were both between jobs.


This is pretty consistent with what I have seen on the road since then while travelling solo.