Things to take on camping tour?

[fish]

I've wangled 4 days away from the wife and kids in June (the price was high)
I'm off up North for a few days Transalping and Camping.
I looking forward to this trip. a bit like an Aboriginal walkabout. Lets hope it doesn't turn out like Deliverance! They're not like that up North are they?

Anyway, I've seen threads before about essentials to take for both the bike and the camping, but after lots of forum searches I can't find them anymore.
So I'd like to raise this subject again,
therefore what is essential for a four day tour in the UK of about 700 miles
and what is essential for a 3 night camp in a very small tent?

[Sharribee]

Fish I have moved this to chatter you will get more answers there.


One thing I always pack is baby wipes. Great for camping

[Wee Jack]

...I looking forward to this trip. a bit like an Aboriginal walkabout. Lets hope it doesn't turn out like Deliverance! They're not like that up North are they?.........

It all depends how purdy y'all are boy.... we like 'em real purdy !!

[squirrelciv]

First things first.......
A tent
cooker & spare fuel
1 pan with lid
kettle
sharp knife
wooden spoon
water carrier
bowl, mug, cutlery (inc can opener)
sleeping bag & mattress (self inflating)
fluffy tent slippers
book
torch & batteries

For the bike.....
basic tool kit (need to adjust chain/check plug/drop oil/change bulbs/remove wheels. everything else, get the AA out )
chain lube
WD40
universal nipple kit
tape
some wire
tyre levers, patches, cylinder to reflate tyres
rag & wet wipes

For you....
lots of tee shirts (can stuff them all on if it gets really cold)
hat
spare socks
Talc (for those soggy feet)
spare gloves
towel
sunnies
tracksuit bottoms (dry really quickly in the services )

Food wise, I like to take a bag of porridge, rice, garlic, stock cubes, cooking oil (small), UHT milk in cartons, oat cakes, tea bags, coffee and sugar as essentials then pick up fresh veg/meat/fish near to where I'm going to stop. If I'm touring then I lunch on the hoof on anything I fancy from a supermarket.

Hope thats a help

[Austin]

Not much wrong with Squirrel's list, but if you don't take a stove and plan to either eat out (which you might do half the time anyway) or eat only cold ready made food it saves a hell of a lot of space and weight.

I know a cuppa's nice in the morning and its probably a bit cheaper to buy your own but nothing beats a FULL fry up and a mug of tea in a cafe for breakfast or a pint (or 2 or 3) and a pub dinner in the evening after a long day riding. Then take a bottle wine to the tent with some cheese/biscuits/crisps/mars bar/whatever and swig the wine eat the cheese and crisps and watch the sun go down. Awesome.

Just don't forget the corkscrew.

[FatFergie]

I hadn't camped by bike for years until last weekend at the Irish meet and I'd forgotten how awkward it is to carry everything by bike. It's funny how you forget, Sugarbunny and I together when we were young never seemed to have any trouble fitting everything for two onto one bike but last weekend she couldn't believe I would get away with all the junk I had.
The first thing I'd say is get a bigger tent, our old tent was a lot more compact but we never had enough room for our gear and us....... much more luxurious now, a little porch for all the (wet) gear). Plus I've got soft and gotten a camp bed but it's a pain to find a place to put it on the bike.
squirrel's list is good, don't forget matches or a lighter, insect repellent if you're like me ( I've even got a head net ), a second pot is more flexible than a kettle and a head torch is a brilliant idea ( not that I've got one, I've got a batteryless shaky torch ).

[Sharribee]

We never bother with a stove we usually take a couple of those disposable BBQs

[Jenna]

Then take a bottle wine to the tent with some cheese/biscuits/crisps/mars bar/whatever and swig the wine eat the cheese and crisps and watch the sun go down. Awesome.

couldn't agree more with you on this one Austin....

[Ralphie]

On a few of these lists I've noticed insect repellent/mosquito spray etc

Any advice on whats best here and what to do with them?
Do you spray yourself or the tent?
cheers

[Rubberchicken]

Then again, a nice cuppa tea in the morning is kind of hard to pull off without some kind of stove.

I like petrol stoves, it saves faffing about with gas cartridges and I've always got the 24 liter discount packaging with me.

Re: torch...
One of those cheap head lamps is perfect! I've got a led one for 4 euro at one of those cheap ****e chains like action or whatever they're called over there, you know the kind.
Last 3 camping trips I've dragged a proper torch along only to use the headlamp all the time. This one has 2 white leds and 2 red led, the latter is actually very useful around the tent because it doesn't immediately attract a swarm of winged annoyances...

Oh, and bog paper.
Alternatively, a couple packets of paper hankies. They pack easier, they're distributed so you can lose some or get 'em wet or whatever, and finally the "stroll with the roll" is far less obvious.