Touring on the cheap
 

With $$$s, it's pretty easy to equip for a tour with classy looking, long lasting, convenient gear. Many seem to go this route. But what about the more budget minded among us?

How about sharing your tips/experiences with low dollar gear that actually worked pretty well. Bike, camping, clothes, bags, racks, etc.

My favorite is the Eureka Spitfire tent. $80 for the solo, $125 for the double. Light and durable with good peak height. Also Sunlite panniers. 4 for $100.

Budget is good when there is value in it. If the product you are buying for less will serve just as useful, it is more valuable. Personally, I did not want to be stuck somewhere with broken gear, however I did go pretty cheap. I spent under 200 on ALL of my panniers but they are all exactly what I needed. Trek Interchanges in the back and some less expensive bags for the front.

Instead of buying "Cheap" it is better to buy quality used, or handmade/homemade. There are PLENTY of threads on here about making your own panniers. Just search DIY panniers. Good luck and have fun.

31 yrs ago I toured for a month on a $160 Nishiki (lowest model with aluminum rims), 44/48 chainrings to 14-36t 5spd freewheel , cheap Pletscher rack with small panniers with waxed cardboard stiffeners in them. Worked fine. Real touring on the cheap is not buying anything and fabricating items. That said I'm very pleased with this Axiom rear rack. Instead of using the stock seat stay attachment rods use regular flat Blackburn style ss straps. It has a narrow rack top but for carryingpanniers it's SOLID.

http://www.axiomgear.com/products/ge...reamliner-dlx/

If you have a sewing machine, have access to a sewing machine and have sewing skills, or know somebody with sewing skills that will do you a favor, you can make outdoor clothing that fits works well, and is pretty cheap. My wife has made me a variety of polartec clothes that fit and work well.

Store brands can be quite good, and cheaper than the name brands. In particular I've found the REI/Novarra brand to be relatively cheap, but still very good quality.

Speedo

For cheap shelter for one, it's hard to beat the Wentzel Starlight tent. $35, sub 3 lbs with a Tyvek ground sheet.
You have to low-crawl in and out, though.

Depending on where and when you are touring you can just use a hammock. But I agree with truman on the ten or something in the likes. I used a ozark trail kids tent for 17 dollars. Weighed like less than 2lbs but it was a bit small. On the nice nights I had my hammock though and I just setup the tent to put my stuff into.

You can make your own tarp-tent using instructions from Ray Jardine at www.rayjardine.com.

Another way to go cheap is to use what you already have. Make that old tent, old sleeping bag, etc. last for one more trip.

For short trips, the cost of the gear is more significant. For longer trips, there's bigger bang for the bucks worrying about the costs on the road. A big saving strategy is to camp all the time, and camp for free as much as you can (i.e., avoid campgrounds that charge a fee). And eat as much as you can out of grocery stores. And skip the high-priced luxuries such as soda, beer, ice cream (i.e., all those things that make life worth living).

It's important, however, not to go too cheap. At the extreme, it becomes conterproductive. Remember the famous Click and Clack axiom that says "It's the stingy person who spends the most."

I just posted this link in another thread, but I think it is appropriate here. I've found this to be an excellent resource for trying to backpack/camp/bike cheaply: http://hikinghq.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2651

Lots of good ideas there. Touring cyclist can learn a lot from backpackers. We do have the big advantage of not having to be as concerned about weight and bulk.

I

Someone already mentioned it, but one way to save money is to buy used. I got a set of Ortlieb panniers for about half price on ebay. Craigslist is also an excellent resource. Cooking equipment can be cobbled together easily and cheaply. I use a homemade cat can stove. The O2 rainshield rain gear is cheap and breathable but it looks a little delicate. Instead of buying bike specific clothing, which is always super expensive, I find Target has a good selection of athletic clothes like polypro shirts, shorts and socks that would work just as well. If you're only planning on riding in nice weather, a cheap tent and sleeping bag are fine. Otherwise these are the two items I'd save for.

stealing everything is really the best way to go about this.

A thread from a while back that I found helpful:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ney&highlight=

My axiom panniers only cost me $90 for the pair, and they are great!! They've survived through a lot of touring and travelling just fine ... and don't even look faded.


But I also get a lot of my touring and cycling stuff from discount places, dollar stores, thrift shops and places like that.

I find that I often prefer cheaper touring gear. For me many of the items that are often considered the gold standard by some are heavier, more expensive, and not that much more functional or in some cases even less functional. A few examples:

1. Racks: Nashbar front and Blackburn EX-1 rear vs Surly Nice Racks. The former are inexpensive light and functional. The latter are very expensive, very heavy, and functional.
2. Panniers: Performance Bike or Nashbar waterproof vs Arkel. Again the former are inexpensive, light, and functional and the latter are very expensive, very heavy, and functional.
3. Bikes: Something ranging from a Windsor Touring to the LHT Complete vs a custom build or a high end brand. The former are cheaper and functional, the latter are expensive and functional. The difference really won't mean much difference in the touring experience. After couple months on a $599 Windsor or a couple months on a $5,999 custom, the memories will not be about the bike in either case.

That said it can be worth splurging on some items. To me it makes the most sense to splurge on items that are both lighter and more functional otherwise it doesn't seem worth it. A prime example to me is my Thermarest NeoAir. It is overpriced, but is light, packs small, and is exceedingly comfortable.

If one takes care of whatever gear one has and is creative in the way it is repaired and maintained, one can tour on and with almost anything. The homeless prove that. As one wants look less like a homeless person, wants to spend less time repairing gear, wants enhanced functionality, wants more reliablity, and yes, when one wants more comfort, the wallet needs to open a little more. Usually a lot more.

Making one's own gear is very appealing, not so much to lower costs since time spent making should also be considered, but because the gear can be customized. Seams and wear areas can be reinforced, pockets and zippers added, and one can chose colors for stealth or visibility. It makes sense to buy cheap gear and then use one's own ingenuity to improve it.

But to say that low-end gear has the same functionality as high end gear is silly. Low end gear can be adequate (for example a $15 2.5R closed cell pad), but for those who want to spend the money, high end gear is usually better (for example a $150 2.5R NeoAir pad). Usually gear that is more expensive has a wider range of adequacy (for example a $160 8R Downmat 9).

If one has never slept on an air mattress or has never toured on a high end bike, then of course one doesn't know what one is missing. The internet is chock full of poseurs who offer passionate advice based on nothing more than what they have read or based on one fair weather tour. And they repeat it endlessly.

+1 on the axioms. Great sets of panniers with kick ass features and all the least expensive I have found.

Case in point Cyclesafe. Frogg Togg makes great raingear for $20-$60. Bit bulky for cycling tho. I got my wife to do some tucking here and there. Voila! Custom fit and with some silicon on the new seams, still waterproof.

Another: Anticipating some very cold weather in the Rockies, and taking a tip from a riding partner, I cruised eBay looking for a nylon shell fleece lined jacket. Found a $15 Columbia, new $75. Packs down pretty good and takes the place of at least two layers, maybe three. Fav for winter riding.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=129022Is this the one?

http://www.dirtragmag.com/print/article.php?ID=859

Ride across Pennsylvania fueled by a box of dumpster-dug donuts. Ride across the country with a heavy iron skillet.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/poorguyonabike

The author used to post here back when people wrote about touring instead of chatting about their LHTs.

LOL!

I am soooo tired of hearing about LHTs. They're like the Treks of the Touring forum. About as boring, too.

Now you done it................... Should result in a response of high praise for the one and only touring machine ;)

face it, the best touring bike is a '68 Schwinn Varsity.

That short summary of minimalist touring ought to be required reading for anyone with a bug for seeing the country on a bicycle. I suspect many fill REI and Surly coffers before even doing an overnighter, then find that touring isn't really their thing. Nothing wrong with that really, except that reading touring sites, you could easily get the idea that for real touring, you gotta have the latest and greatest. Way not so.

Thanks for the CG link. Will be reading it in it's entirety.

Racks are pretty much a necessity for self supoorted touring. Standard panniers are not. You can equip with waterproof stuff sacks for not much money and strap them to the sides of the racks. Even less for non waterproof. Not as convenient, elegant, or durable, but totally functional. Cat litter buckets are even better, and double as a camp stools. Neither are my ideas, but come from ppl on CG.

Point being, there is really no financial reason a person who wants to tour should be put off. Time, motivation, ingenuity, and tolerance are the big four.

More from the Poor Guy On a Bike:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/poorguy2006

Note he did these rides on a Wal-mart bike.