3 Things Not To Bring On Your First Bike Tour
Your first bike tour is an exciting adventure, and you want to make sure to pack so that you're prepared for anything, right? Well, not exactly. The fact is, if you run into trouble on your bike tour, it's probably not going to be because you didn't pack for any eventuality. It's more likely to be because you packed too much and couldn't keep up with all the extra weight. On a bike tour, space and weight are at a premium, and it's important to be thrifty with your space. Take a look at a few things that you should not bring on your first bike tour.
Books or Laptop Computers
You will probably want something for entertainment when you're off your bike, and books are definitely cheap entertainment. You may also want to check in (and even post photos) on your social media accounts, which might prompt you to pack your laptop. But rethink those packing decisions. Even a few books can get incredibly heavy and bulky fast. And a laptop may also be heavier than you think. Once you factor in charging cords or extra batteries, it's just too much of a space hog.
If you have a smartphone, you can use it to connect to the internet and as a reading device – just download a free e-reader app. If you don't have a smartphone, an inexpensive tablet or a lightweight e-reader can give you plenty of entertainment and connectivity, at a fraction of the weight and space.
A Lot of Tools
Yes, it's smart to make sure that you can make some repairs by yourself on the road if you need to. But that doesn't mean that you should pack your whole toolbox. Look for tools that have multiple uses. A Swiss Army knife or similar multi-use tool is a smarter use of your space than many separate tools.
The same thing applies to kitchen tools as well. A pot can do double duty as a bowl and save space. A flat pan might also be able to double as a plate. Sporks are convenient utensils for bicycle campers. Look for any way that you can save room in your pack by packing something that can do two or more jobs.
A Water Purifier
Water is an important consideration on a bike tour, but in most parts of North America, a water purifier is overkill. You will be traveling through populated areas and can just as easily get clean water from campsites or convenience stores without having to take on the extra weight of a water purifier.
In a pinch, you can always boil water that you're not sure of. You'll be bringing a pot anyway, so you won't be adding anything extra to your pack. Unless you're going to travel through an unusually remote area, you're probably never going to need to worry about not having access to clean water, so save the space and plan on boiling water as a backup.
Don't forget that you can always pick up things you need along the way, and you can also send things you no longer need back home via the postal system. When it comes to long bicycling trips, the less your pack weighs, the better, so you should always be on the lookout for creative ways to lighten your load.
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