You mentioned this to me before. Did I listen? No. I wanted something cotton. Never again. Those cotton convertibles were the heaviest thing I had in my panniers. I realized that every one of the half dozen times I wore them.

Machka, sorry about your bike :( That sucks.

Very relevant topic for me as I'm preparing for my first tour (May 16th hopefully). I will do one or two test overnight rides before that.

I'm also shooting for 50lbs, ~30 rear, ~20 front, some scattered across few frame bags. I'm not a minimalist. I may learn that, but right now I'd rather carry some extra weight than regret not taking something.

I will take notes along the way: what I used often, what can be improved and what wasn't needed at all. I'm sure the list will be significant after the first tour :D

Few ideas:

No cotton. I'm taking only biking clothes, merino wool tops, some poly t-shirts, lightweight rain jacket and fleece top. This stuff is light and compressible. I'm taking only one plastic plate and one stainless steel mug and my Jetboil Flash kit with a spare cup (one cup for water only, one for meals). I can eat straight from it.

He he he, yeah, no deodorant, pointless.

I'm taking my DSLR though. I'll save weight somewhere else, but I decided I don't want to go without it. Just one 17-55mm 2.8 lens. I really though about this a lot. I'm sure I'll regret not being able to take good photos. The only compact camera I have access to is not good enough. The camera is the only thing that uses proprietary batteries, although they're light and the charger is very compact as well. Everything else uses AA and AAA batteries (GPS, bike lights and small LED flashlight) so I'll just buy batteries as I go, no other rechargeable batteries and no chargers. Other things that will require charging:a cellphone, an iPod and a netbook. The netbook and the iPod run for like 10h so I may only need to charge them once or twice. I'll keep the phone turned off so it won't require frequent charging either.

I can't fit a decent solar charger in my budget for this trip so I'll just have to use the devices infrequently and recharge at campgrounds and libraries.

I'm also trying to use what I have. I already had to spend a fair chunk of money in preparation for the trip so my budget is not unlimited. The only thing I replaced was my tent. My tent was a large 12lbs one so I got a compact REI tent that weights 5lbs. I couldn't afford anything lighter than that.

I don't plan to ride after dark so I'm not taking any large, rechargeable lights, just small blinkies for visibility.

Sneakers versus sandals. I'm not sure. This is my first tour so I'll have take both and see what works for me. I'm riding with platform pedals, by the way.

If you have USB powered chargers, you could look into a Minty Boost.

I have my eye on Brunton charger. It's almost $300 so it'll have to wait.

You know, even travel sizes of toiletries can be way more than you need of any one item.
I repackage almost all creams and liquids in eye drop containers.
Just monkey with the top and the whole thing will just pull away from the bottle.
Rinse the bottle well, fill the bottle with a bit of shampoo, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, or whatever , and pop the lid back into place. Hole in the top too small? A hot needle will enlarge it.

An aluminium spoon can be made into a spork with a hack saw, small metal file, and a bit of wet/dry sandpaper.

You can make a pop can alcohol stove for about the price of the soda cans. These work really well and are very light weight.

I often cook in an enameled aluminium camp cup (Wal-mart about 3 dollars).
my alcohol stove fits inside. So does my spork. (I shortened the handle).

Cyril

Do you mean those little .5 to 1 ounce things? You must only go on very short tours if you can get by with those for sunscreen and shampoo! They don't seem like they would hold a single application worth of either. We must have bought sunscreen a dozen or more times on our TA (73 days) and on a one week tour one person might go through more than the smallest sized bottle/tube that most stores carry.

I think good way to minimize the load is to limit the number of different products you carry. Some folks use Dr. Bronners for everything including bathing, shampoo, dish soap, laundry soap, and tooth brushing. Similarly I have used camp suds for all of those except tooth brushing. For our upcoming trip we plan to try using baby shampoo for bathing, shampoo, dish soap, and laundry soap. It has the advantage of being available pretty much in any grocery store or mini mart. With two of us using it we will probably need to buy the regular small (7 ounce?) bottle a few times in the course of our spring tour.

My preference is to not have to rely on mail drops for sunscreen and shampoo so the smallest regular sized bottles we find in the stores along the way suffice.

I use shampoo ... whatever brand/type happens to be available ... for washing my hair, body, laundry, my bicycle, and sometimes even dishes. I don't see the point of carrying a whole bunch of different soaps. Once again, one item that has many uses.

And if we happen to be at a laundromat that has those little boxes of soap for sale, we might go that route ... or if we happen to be at a hostel or camp kitchen that has dish soap, we'll use that for dishes that day.

Except for the 4 lb first aid kit, your list doesn't look unreasonable. I'm really surprised it came out to 60 lbs. First, I would collect all your stuff into your panniers, and weigh them using a bathroom scale to check that that's accurate. (Weigh yourself holding the panniers, then subtract your body weight.)

Next, if you have access to a small scale, weigh each item individually. It's tedious, but it really shows you where you can cut weight. (If you don't have one and can't borrow one, I've seen scales in post office lobbies. Go at a non-busy time and you basically have it to yourself.)

I would make specific suggestions, but based on your list I could only cut 5 lbs or so (9 if you count the 1st aid kit). At 60 lbs, you ought to be able to cut way more than that, so I'd want to straighten that out first.

Touring is very individual. Some people want to tour in a monastic style with hair shirts and hair shorts:eek: going for days at a time without bathing and eating whatever road kill they can scrape off the pavement...prairie dog jerky seasoned with asphalt is considered a delicacy in eastern Colorado;)

Others want more creature comforts. Going with a handlebar bag, a single pannier and a dry sack is probably not most people's cup of tea (which you can't really enjoy if you are traveling with a handlebar bag, a single pannier and a dry sack). Go with your own level of comfort off the bike and decide on what you want to carry on the bike.

Many, so far, has been telling you that you only need on set of bicycling clothes for a week's worth of riding. It depends on how often you want to do laundry and how you feel about riding in wet shorts. Even in Utah (very low humidity compared to Georgia), padded shorts may not dry completely overnight. It depends on how much water you get out of them when you wash them and on the overnight weather. Nothing worse than leaving the shorts out to dry overnight and then have it rain on them. If they are your only pair, you'll have a soggy butt in the morning...Ick!

For a week long tour...or any tour for that matter...I carry more sets of bicycle clothes than only 2 or 1. Carrying 1 or 2 sets means you'll have to do laundry every day or every other day. How much washing do you really want to do?

On your list above, about the only thing I'd say to ditch is the shower cap, and the reflective vest. The other vest may not be necessary or should be replaced with a wind jacket.

I think what people are missing on the underwear question is that you are a woman (I think).

If you don't have mountain bike style shoes for riding, you should consider them. They aren't half bad for walking and they work well on the bike.

Here's where you can lose a little bit. The fleece jacket and the thermals can go. Use your bike tights and long sleeve jersey in combination with either your rain jacket and/or a wind jacket for insulation. Your rain pants can do double duty as wind pants to keep you warm(ish). The capris are okay but a pair of light pants with zip-off legs would have more utility. They give you a pair of shorts when it is warm, a pair of long pants when it cool and can be worn over tights and under the rain pants in the cold mornings.

Instead of sneakers, bring a pair of sandals. You can use them with or without socks.

If you are going solo, one pot will do. If you are riding with someone, share equipment...and food. No need for everyone to carry their own stove, pots and utensils.

For a week's tour, you may want to consider a butane stove if you haven't already. The work very well at the altitude you are going to and they are light and easy to use. Alcohol stoves are an option but they are slow and not terribly efficient...especially up here (Utah is close to Denver's altitude).

Ditch the Platypus bags and get a Camelbak. It does the same thing...hold water...but it is closer at hand and easier to use. You'll be riding in high desert and, trust me, you'll need lots of water. Much more...and much more often...then you think. A Camelbak can tote water while in camp too.

Ditch the butter knife and get a good single blade pocket knife (not a multitool, you don't need that). It can spread peanut butter just fine, cut up vegetables and other food, as well as about a thousand other uses.

The collapsible bowl can do double duty so leave the plate at home or get some Orikaso plates. They really do work as cutting boards and are very light.



Get light rope or even parachute cord if you haven't already.

I'm not sure what the 'mat and pad' are. A Big Agnes Insulated Aircore pad offers 2.5" of comfort and is very light and compact. Not too expensive either and it weight 24 oz.

A good lightweight tent and sleeping bag should be something you consider for the future...it does save a lot of weight.

Cut this down a lot. This kit is comprehensive enough and weighs in at a svelte 2.5 oz. You aren't need an emergency room, just enough to get you there;) I'd add a feminine pad to help stop major bleeding (a tip I picked up from a first aid instructor), otherwise you can improvise most any thing you might need (another reason to carry a good sharp knife)

Ditch the deodorant and, as has been suggested, use lotion with sunscreen in it. I can understand the lotion, however, Utah is dry and you might want something. I'm used to scaly and cracked skin...I'm not really happy with humidity until the skin around my fingers bleed:eek:;)...but you might not be.

One place to save a little weight is to ditch the baby wipes (on open package will be a dry package out here;)) and get foaming towelettes. Oil of Olay and others make dry towelettes to which you add water and they foam up. They cleanse well and can be used in the shower or anywhere you have water.

Just be flexible, make stuff do double duty and don't envy what other people do, or do not carry. Touring isn't about how far or how short or how hard or how easy or how much suffering or how little suffering you do. It's about the trip. Enjoy it.

Yeah, that's the problem with wet wipes, they dry out :( Would you happen to have a link or product name or picture? When I google for "dry towelettes" I get facial cleaners, nothing that matches your description. Thanks!

I don't know anything about the product cyccommute is talking about, but dried out baby wipes can be made new again by putting them under the tap for a second. As far as I know, the stuff in baby wipes is all water soluble, so the only thing that evaporated is the water.

The wet-wipe thing kind of goes against the idea of lightening the load, as well as not being very environmentally friendly. A corner of the towel you are already carrying with a few drops of the (biodegradable) soap you are already carrying and a few tablespoons of water is lighter and better for mother nature.

I can't speak for other posters, but I use at most 1-2 baby wipes per day on my "undercarriage" if I can't otherwise get a shower. Hardly a drain on resources. And if I used a towel for that purpose, it would need to be washed after each use.

Yeah, I thought of that after I wrote that - I was thinking of face-wiping. nevermind.

Here's one product from Neutrogena. Here's another from Oil of Olay. There are generic ones at my local Safeway and Clearasil used to make a product that was the best...cut through road grim like a dream. All of these can be used in cold or hot water.

Part of the reason I carry these is to not carry the water of a wet wipe. Considering that my mode of travel already has a smaller foot print than an RVs, I figure a 1g piece of polyester in the solid waste stream isn't going to that bad. Of course, you should dispose of the used cloth in the proper manner.

Thanks for the links, I'll try these.

Stedalus, thanks for the tip on wet wipes, I was actually wondering about that.

I have had the same package of wet wipes for about 2 years now (opened the day I bought it) and it was the same package I took to UT with me last fall. They are still moist. Not as moist as at first but not dry yet...I think a week in the desert is not a problem. I think it would last quite a while since I was living in UT when I bought it and then lived in ID for a while...both hot and dry in the summers.

Adding water to wet wipes can work but it's easy to overload them and wash all the soap out. The foaming cloths also have more soap in them. I use them in showers so that I don't have to carry around a messy bar of soap or use liquid soap (mostly water)

The advantage of the foaming cloths is that you don't have to worry about sealing a package or about them drying out at all. A little on them and they are foaming like crazy. They also use detergent formulations that are meant to remove oils from the skin and, in the case of the Oil of Olay cloths, put it back:wtf:

They cut through sunscreen crud wonderfully at the end of the day and they can be used in hot or cold water...sometimes very cold water! My daughter (who turned me onto these) and I used them at a cold water spigot at Jerry Johnson Campground to wash up in lieu of a shower and we used them in the extremely cold water of Roosevelt Park campground in Washington.

The point being that you don't have to huck around the water in the wet wipes. The product I linked to has about 30 towelettes in it. It weighs around 9 oz with the packaging, probably closer to 5 oz once you remove the package. You can even take as many...or a few as you like.

A similar pack of moist wipes weighs in at around 10 to 12 oz and you can't get rid of the package...or the water. Plus you have to keep them sealed so that they don't dry out. I have nothing against wet wipes. I keep a pile of individually packaged ones in my truck so that I can clean the fish slime off my hands before I eat lunch while fishing. I keep a couple in my fishing backpack for the same reason. But those are small and, in the case of the backpack, insubstantial in terms of weight. But I wouldn't want to carry around a weeks worth of them.

Your original question is about saving weight. This is one small bit of weight savings. The product also just happens to do a really good job while saving that weight.

Tiff,

You mention having trouble letting go of things because you are attached. This (the psychological aspect, the feeling or habit of this kind of attachment) is an important area for making some changes. Why not pay some attention here as well? Learn to be different about it. Just experiment. Try something different. Boldly go where you've never gone before, on the psychological side of it. Practice letting go....

Find a way (or several ways) around this habit of being attached to unnecessary things. There are some great alternatives.

***
Eight or ten days is not an eternity.... You can live without a lot of those things for longer stretches than that.

***
Lose the cooking business. It means a lot of unnecessary weight and time and trouble.

Use tighter-fitting clothing wherever possible. It's less bulky and lighter and more efficient.

Ditch the toothbrush. Use a corner of a small microfiber towel instead. It works great, and the microfiber towel has a lot of other uses as well.

Take half a small, travel-size tube of toothpaste, or a little baking soda in a miniature plastic bag.

Take one pair of excellent lightweight shoes or other footwear.

Think about how you can go for a day without a lot of this stuff. You can go for two, you can go for three. It isn't that different.

Weight reduction ..
 

Unless you really need (3) jerseys for 8-10 days (I never did) - consider 2 short sleeve jerseys and a pair of arm warmers. The weight should be less than (2) Short-sleeve and (1) Long Sleeve (and 'just slightly' heavier than (1) short sleeve and (1) long sleeve jersey).

If you look for areas where things can serve multiple purposes (as above) or in your cooking/eating items I think that you get get rid of a good deal of weight.

Steve A.

Bike clothes:
2 jerseys
2 shorts
2 pairs of socks
biking shoes
2 pairs of underwear (top and bottom each)
rain coat
rain pants
rain gloves (not willing to leave any of the rain gear...I had to use it almost every day)
fingerless gloves
long sleeved jersey
tights
vest
shower cap for helmet cover
reflective vest

Off-bike clothes:
fleece jacket You already have a rain coat and long sleeve jersey. A thick insulating layer (breathable) should be enough. Jackets come with heavy zippers, snaps, etc.... just get a pull-over (wool, thick polypro, etc.).
thermals (top and bottom) must have for this time of year see above. If it is always cold then get 2 warm sets of clothes, otherwise carry one. Right now you have thermals, long sleeve jerseys, jackets, vests, etc.
capris
thin t-shirt
(didn't bring sneakers but I really regretted it and will be this time) shoes are heavy. Crocs are very lightweight and are almost as good as shoes.

Kitchen:
OK, way too much kitchen gear. You have a water bottle for your bike and you should have 1 pot for your meals (prepare/cook for 1 pot). Eat from the pot. Fork, Spoon, multi-tool (bike repair, can opener & knife for eating). By the way, cans are extremely heavy, you should be able to avoid them with careful shopping (tuna comes in foil pouches now, etc.). I think your main issue is that you are cooking like you are at home. You can make very delicious 1-pot meals with all the prep work being done ahead of time. If you really want to shave pounds then look into "Pepsi can stoves" instead of traditional fuel stoves. Also, I prefer hurricane matches over a lighter in case I need to start a wood fire.
stove
lighter
2 pots
collapsible bowl
collapsible cup
fork
spoon
knife
can opener (small scout kind)
folding spoon for cooking
small plate
2 Platypus bags (had to use both a couple times)
sharp knife (decided to leave that at home this time since the other knife will work)
cutting board

Camp:
tent what tent are you using? There are light ones and heavy ones. The same goes for your mattress and sleeping bag
sleeping pad & mat (can't sleep without both so not willing to part with one or the other)
small couch pillow (same as above...clothes in a stuff sack doesn't cut it)
sleeping bag
silk liner
rope for hanging clothes to dry and food off the ground Heavy, but if you have a rodent or bear issue then you'll need it for food storage
clothes pins
headlamp
camp towel Small plastic garden trowel, something lightweight

First aid kit...I wont list what all I took but let's say that it weighed in at 4 lbs so I want to know what the average first aid kit consists of because I want to pare this down. I'm thinking that allergry medicine, allergy eye drops, advil for sure but what else should I definitely have? What does a road rash kit that most people take with them have in it? I had a horrible crash with bad road rash so I was carrying everything I needed to take care of it like I did at home but obviously that's overkill...Large gauze pad and tape, needle & suture thread, -real- pain killer, Advil, blister care kit, asprin for heart issues, Benadryl (allergic reactions), antiseptic wipes, & personal meds. Anything else will stop bleeding. Your goal with the first aid kit is to get to safety if you have a major medical problem. For minor medical problems they will work themselves out with Advil.

Toieltries: (items were travel size when possible)
ditch the deodorant and nail clippers (your multi-tool should have small scissors or a file for clipping a sharp nail edge). I'm not sure about needing the hairbrush (I have short hair so I don't bring one).
hairbrush
tooth brush
tooth paste
deodorant
sunscreen
chap stick
lotion (well, I didn't bring it last time but won't go without it again)
floss baby wipes
multipurpose soap
nail clippers
toilet paper

Tools:
The previously mentioned multi-tool, tire levers, & pump. Cell phone if you are riding in an area with reception.
So I won't list what I brought here either...but the people I was with had more than enough tools so I'm just going to be bringing the stuff necessary to change/fix a tube and a multi tool to make minor adjustments in case I have trouble and they're not around.

Misc:
phone
camera
Garmin bike computer Maps are lighter & don't need batteries
compact charger for the three above items consider alkaline batteries for the camera & replace along the route as needed
wallet What do you need from this? Drivers license, 1 CC, and some cash... no need to haul everything else around
tiny little pad of paper as a journal don't forget a golf pencil
cable lock (will definitely be bringing again) HEAVY but if you think it's a requirement...

Keep in mind, a few ounces here and there will soon add up to a few pounds

lay out your cooking gear and remove the largest items that are not essential to cooking. The problem I see is that you start with the idea that X,Y, Z are necessary to do something and they really aren't. When I started touring I started with a complete cooking set but realized I was eating all the time while riding and preparing a camp meal that was a picnic of uncooked foods satisfied my needs for "cooking".

Looking at your list above I could see that lots of water would be needed for cleaning every pot and utensil. Cut down on that and you cut down on a lot. You don't need two pots, cutting board, fork, bowl to cook. My $.02 is to try one small pot, one non-collapsible cup to fit in it, one large spoon, stove and bandana. Your cup is your plate and bowl. The pot is your bowl. The bandana is the table.

What GregR says above is worth repeating, a one pot meal can be very satisfying with finger foods on the bandana.

Only you will convince yourself.
clothing is personal but I'd suggest that there's only one category called "clothes" and whatever you wear should be appropriate for riding and whatever you have for riding should be ok for walking/camping/sleeping.

Leave the Garmin behind.

Er, that was tOwel, not tRowel. :)

So, I wonder, for the people who don't double up on on & off bike clothes. What if you are riding in the rain, and you are wearing your long sleeve jersey & tights, and then you get to camp, and it's still raining, and you change into.... what? you didn't bring off-bike longsleeve/sweater & pants? Even with a good rain jacket, the jersey underneath is going to get at least damp, if not wet. I understand the theory of bringing clothes that do double duty, but the idea of not being able to change into warm dry clothes after a day of cold wet riding - if that happens even once, it would be worth it TO ME to bring the extra warm clothes.

So, what do you all do?

valygrl, are you responding to me? Having dry clothes is always good. My point was simply that "clothes" are one category, not that you only have one set of clothes.

I agree that a spare dry set of clothes is essential - for me that normally means wearing the non cycling off duty gear : long trousers and a fleece jacket.
To save weight and bulk, I normally do not take a mat anymore : the fleece jacket and other spare clothes do double duty for that at night.

If you want to bring 2 jerseys and a wool sweater, maybe 1 regular jersey and 1 wool jersey?

I would be riding in my short-sleeved wicking T-shirt with a fleece jacket and a rain jacket ... and I'd change into my long-sleeved wool when I arrived in camp. I'd sleep in the wool, and might opt to wear it while cycling the next day ... while my T-shirt and fleece dry out.

I used to bring a lot of cycling-specific clothing, but not so much anymore ... regular clothing like wicking T-shirts and merino wool will work both on and off the bicycle.

The four-pound first aid kit:

You can lose some weight here. You should be able to get it down way below this, even when riding solo. If you are with others, you should be able to go even lighter.

It's hard to be more specific without knowing the contents and approximate weights or descriptions for the different components of the kit.

You should be able to go way lighter.

Concentrated, dry multipurpose soap in a small, light container (like a mini Ziploc bag).

It's only for a week.