Hello Everyone-

> On Behalf Of Mike Meiser
> Sent: 26 June 2009 20:26
> == less stuff more freedom ==
>
> My own attitude on packing light is "Less stuff. More freedom."
>
> I still carry a stove and cook kit. Most of the time anyway.
>
A couple of times recently we have been self-sufficient but without a stove.
Igor just tends to eat cold stuff (as far as I can tell) if he is nowhere near a
restaurant, and these masochists:

http://swultralight.home.bresnan.net/

(sometimes) eat uncooked food that ought to be cooked to save weight, but there
is another option: build a fire. This means that you only need a pot (which you
can obviously eat out of as well as cook in), a piece of cutlery and a box of
matches on top of what you'd carry anyway, which adds minimally to the weight
but significantly increases the quality of the food and enjoyment of the trip.
My brother has a few shots of a 2007 trip here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/colossusnz/CapeYorkJune07#

Previously, I've always used a plastic teaspoon, but have just treated myself to
a titanium spoon/fork thing, which I'm looking forward to trying out soon.

> It's always a mix of what you can find on the road ...

> This balance also varies tremendously with your experience
> and creativity.
>
Yes indeed...see above. I'm getting quite interested in combining traditional
"bushcraft"-type improvisation techniques and cycling to get ultralight trips
that combine the best of both worlds. I've used a Hennessey hammock a couple of
times in the last couple of years, and it's worked out pretty well, and the
small size means I can get away with the "no rack, no panniers" system using a
saddlebag, yet not be dependent on finding a motel, hotel, YHA, B&B, etc.
However, with the hammock I have always got a bit cold where the sleeping bag
gets crushed by my body weight between the hammock and bony bits of me. This was
above ~1500 m in the Alps, and just by unusually cold weather in the tropical
Australian outback! I'm off to the Dolomites/eastern Alps next month, and am
going to see if a space blanket is sufficient, assuming it's not too cold.

<Water>

> Why it never occurred to me to just stop at a house, knock on
> a door or use a garden hose spigot is beyond me.
>
We've done this quite a few times-it's not as if anyone loses out by filling
your bottle. Even pubs will happily fill your bottle from the tap as well. Also,
(back to bushcraft above), unless you're in a desert, there are rivers, ponds,
lakes...

>The trick is to lift
> the veil of those perceptions and think of creative solutions
> that clearly appraise the situation.
>
Right on, man!

> In Mineapolis, Minnesotta an upstanding musician at the local
> civic / opera center was tasered and arrested merely for
> riding his bike to the airport. There were no laws against
> it, but some cop had it in his mind that cyclists didn't
> belong anywhere near the airport.
>
This is a completely horrifying story! I don't get why no one else on the forum
has commented on it. Did the fascist-I mean "cop"-go to jail for assault, GBH
and false imprisonment?

> == the issue of food, specifically the stove ==

In places like the alps, our standard "carry food" is bread (a baguette straps
across the top of the saddle bag with a couple of spare toestraps perfectly!),
ham, cheese, tomato and butter. Everyone carries a penknife, and that's all you
need to sort out a great lunch. For dinner, we'd grab an onion, some pasta, some
sausages and maybe a pepper as well as the tomatoes. A film cannister with some
pepper, salt and another with herbs is all you need to end up with pretty decent
and filling food. Like you, we tend to just carry extras like booze and cookable
food above just a few miles.

> == Packing without racks ===

> These systems have become increasingly popular for off road
> tourers because quite simply... racks are both heavy, and
> they break to easily.

Tubular steel racks are absolutely the way to go if you need a rack. I have a
Tubus tubular steel rack which weighs about 500g, and it's as solid as a rock.
Incredibly, both lighter and much stronger than an aluminium rack (solid rod,
not tubular). I really have no idea why people use those crappy seatpin racks,
which weigh about the same (or more!) than a tubular chromo rack and yet swing
around and can't handle much weight at all, until they break, when they can't
handle anything.

> == a simple gear recommendation ==
>
> Based on all my reading thus far I have one piece of gear I
> think you might find most useful.
>
> The Jandd top tube bag:
>
> http://www.bikepacking.net/reviews/bikebags/jandd-frame-bag/
>
This thing looks like a great bit of kit. Unfortunately, they don't seem to
supply their stuff to Europe. )-: Quick question: will it interfere with
downtube shifters? (I'm not totally retro; I just like a DT shifter for the
front rings as it's better and more controllable than an STI one).

> I find your bottle cages interesting. I've used a Topeak
> Magna XL which is very similar in the past and will probably
> put it back on as it gets hotter, but I have found no others
> like it.

I have one that I think is a Topeak ("Modula"), that can be adjusted to
different diameter bottles. Top Tip: when set to its "fat bottle" setting, it
will also carry a Thermarest ultralight mattress!
Cheers,

Steve

p.s. Have a good trip, Igor!