My gear checklist is organized by function. All items related to “bicycle gear,” “clothing,” or “sleeping,” for example, are grouped together. This section is organized exactly the same way, with each function discussed in turn. Note that gear related to “cooking” is omitted because it has already been thoroughly discussed in the nutrition section.
Why You Need An Expedition Grade Bicycle Trailer
My first bicycle trailer was the Burley Nomad. It lasted five thousand miles. At that point, the front of the Burley trailer frame had sagged to such a degree that ground clearance was compromised. Next, I purchased a trailer on Amazon. This trailer was barely holding together with Gorilla tape after two thousand miles.
The best trailer I purchased was the Kwik-Pak trailer (no longer available). Even with the Kwik-Pak trailer, however, I experienced broken trailer frames in Waynesboro, Virginia and Millersburg, Ohio. I experienced broken draw arms in Marysville, California and Grand Island, Nebraska. Broken axles occured in Rantoul, Illinois and during a snow storm in the aptly named Bitterroot Mountains of Montana.
Why do I recall these specific locations? Each location is etched in my memory because I was traumatized every time I had a breakdown! When your bicycle trailer fails, it is the emotional equivalent of simultaneously losing your car AND your home! With a broken draw arm, it is difficult to move your trailer out of the traffic lane, much less find a place to camp! My entire bicycle touring lifestyle depends on horizontal mobility!
Because I had so many problems with the various bicycle trailers I purchased, I finally decided the only solution was to build my own “expedition grade” bicycle cargo trailer. I desperately needed a strong, reliable trailer capable of traveling around the United States without breaking down or causing problems. My new trailer had real structural integrity. I experienced no further trailer breakdowns. Finally, I had a trailer that was truly worthy of being towed behind a classic Italian road bike!
Thomas J. Lowry III
Author of “Chasing Spring”
Bicycle Gear
Just as your tent keeps your gear safe and dry at night, your handlebar bag and bicycle trailer (or panniers) keep your gear safe and dry during the day. If you are riding in the rain, you don’t want to be worried about whether your phone, tablet, or iPod are getting wet. The Ortleib handlebar bag will protect your electronics even in a torrential downpour. Made in Germany, this bag is an absolutely flawless piece of gear. Ortleib also makes the best available panniers.
My bicycle clothing is largely devoid of pockets, so, in addition to all my electronic devices, my Ortleib handlebar bag holds my ear buds, sunglasses, ball cap, cleat covers, zipper wallet, reading glasses, note pad, pen, bicycle lights, sunscreen, insect repellent, chain lubricant, polar fleece head band, and polar fleece gloves (when it is cold).
My Ortleib handlebar bag easily detaches from my bicycle and accompanies me everywhere, even to the restroom. I never let it out of my sight. If I want to secure a table at a restaurant, I will set my helmet down while I go to the restroom but not my Ortleib bag.
Specialized sells an exceptionally well-designed helmet, the Echelon II, for around $75 (2016 price). This helmet fits better and offers more protection than any other helmet I have tried. This helmet also has much more durable straps and interior padding than other more expensive helmets I have tried. I highly recommend purchasing an LG Garneau helmet cover for your helmet because it will protect the top of your head from the sun (especially important for old guys with bald heads like myself) and is also indispensable for riding in cold or wet conditions.
Think of your bicycle shoes as a “transmission” which transfers power to the pedals. I prefer road shoes because they are lighter and more rigid than mountain biking shoes. Most bicycle tourists seem to prefer mountain biking shoes because the cleats are recessed for walking. I am not persuaded. If I need to walk, it takes about thirty seconds to take off my road shoes and put on my Teva sandals.
I recommend Specialized Torch 3.0 road shoes above all others. They will help you avoid overuse injuries and the fit and performance are absolutely superb. In my experience, the bolo style fasteners on these shoes are much more durable and more effective than Velcro fasteners.
Specialized makes great bicycles and great bicycle gear. They are constantly improving their products. They invest 100% of profits into research and development! That is what it takes these days to provide cutting edge bicycle gear! Cyclists, people like you and I, are the ultimate beneficiaries of all that effort!
I have tried all the different types of road pedals. I prefer Shimano road pedals and cleats because of their large surface area and fool proof design. You will need two twenty-four ounce bicycle water bottles. Be sure to select light colored yet opaque water bottles. Clear water bottles exposed to full sun during the summer will heat your drinking water to the point it will be almost undrinkable. My water supply totals five liters when all my water containers are full (two HydraPak Seeker two liter collapsible water containers plus two twenty-four ounce bicycle water bottles).
You will need a U-lock and a cable to secure your bicycle and trailer, especially when grocery shopping. U-locks can be very heavy. Amazon sells a Bell Mini U-lock which is very secure yet relatively lightweight for approximately $15. This is a great lock. I use the hard steel ends of this lock as a hammer to tap in my MSR tent pegs. I have been doing this for years with no damage to the lock. I keep one key in the pocket of my zipper wallet. I keep the backup key in the inside pocket of my Ortleib handlebar bag. I lubricate the lock mechanism occasionally with a few drops of Tri-Flow lubricant.
When parking, I usually release the trailer, lean my bicycle against a wall, and then wheel the trailer by hand and position it next to the bicycle. I then use my cable and U-lock to lock the trailer to my bicycle. I always thread the cable through the trailer wheel closest to the bicycle. The U-lock captures the other end of the cable, the bicycle frame, and the front wheel of the bicycle. In ten years of bicycle touring, I have never experienced any problems with theft of bicycle, trailer, or trailer contents. My most frequent parking spots are outside grocery stores, fast food restaurants, and coffee shops.
Clothing
In my lifetime, the biggest changes in cycling gear have been in things like bike shorts, bike shirts, bike jackets, bike shoes, and bike helmets. Nike’s Dri-Fit athletic clothing, for example, is lightweight, fast drying, and wicks perspiration away from the body. It is hard to imagine even being able to fit traditional cotton or wool clothing into my bicycle trailer. All this technology makes it possible to travel comfortably and efficiently by bicycle. My basic clothing inventory consists of three sets of the following items:
Specialized RBX W/SWAT cycling shorts
Nike Pro Dri-Fit fitted t-shirt (bright color for riding)
Nike Pro Dri-Fit fitted t-shirt (dark color for sleeping)
Under Armour Tech 9” boxer briefs (dark color for sleeping)
Darn Tough quarter rise merino wool cushion socks, two pairs
I don’t use bicycle shirts because the rear pocket makes them much more bulky than my Nike t-shirts. I don’t need the rear pocket because my Ortleib handlebar bag holds everything I would normally put in the pocket. The Darn Tough merino wool quarter rise cushion socks are comfortable, odor resistant, and incredibly durable. I consider them indispensable. I prefer the charcoal color because it doesn’t show dirt.
You will be wearing/sleeping in one of the three sets of clothing. The other two sets are stored in a waterproof, 8 liter Sea to Summit Big River fold over stuff bag. Each set lasts one week. This means I must do my laundry every three weeks. I usually wear my last clean set of bicycle clothes while I am doing my laundry. Occasionally, however, I procrastinate and everything I own is filthy. In that case, I wear my swim suit, my cleanest sleep shirt, and my bare feet in my sandals while I am doing my laundry.
In between laundry days, I store dirty clothing, assuming all the items of dirty clothing are dry, in the bottom of the same Sea To Summit stuff bag containing my clean clothing. I fold the items of dirty clothing just as if they were clean so they will fit. I separate the dirty clothing from my clean clothing with an extra pillow stuff bag folded to fit. All of this may sound a bit gross, but bear in mind that there is simply no cargo space for a fresh set of clothes everyday or for a separate laundry bag. Even if there were sufficient space, space for food and water is infinitely more important!
Honestly, wearing the same set of clothes for an entire week is not nearly as gross as it sounds because I take a bath everyday. If I put on a fresh set of clothes, they would generally be soaked with sweat within an hour and virtually indistinguishable from my used clothing. After years of bicycle touring, I barely flinch when putting on damp clothing in the morning! The best way to dry damp clothing is to put it on!
My Marmot Minimalist rain jacket is a superb piece of gear. Your rain jacket is just as important for cold and wind as it is for rain. I have found that breathable rain gear is only modestly effective in hard rains. I accept this shortcoming as a necessary trade off for having breathable gear the rest of the time.
I have found rain pants to be very sweaty and uncomfortable when pedaling. In my opinion, rain pants just aren’t worth the trouble. Yes, my bicycle shorts get wet, but they dry quickly once it stops raining. My rain jacket is quite long and overhangs my bicycle shorts to some extent.
My Endura Hummvee Fleece cycling jacket is a superb piece of gear. I wear it under my rain jacket on cold rainy days. This jacket is one of my favorite pieces of gear and receives my highest recommendation.
Twice a year, it is essential to apply Scotch Guard to restore the water repellent qualities of your gear. Your gear should be clean and dry before spraying. Set-up your tent before spraying. Begin by heavily spraying the shoulders and seams of your rain jacket. Then lightly spray the body of your rain jacket. Next, heavily spray the corner seams of the body of your tent. Next, heavily spray the seams of your rain fly. Finally, use the remaining contents of the canister to lightly spray the surfaces of the rain fly. Let everything dry thoroughly in the sunshine.
When the weather is cold, I wear my Western Mountaineering down vest over my jacket. I wear Russell athletic pants (purchase at Walmart) over my bicycle shorts. Russell athletic pants come in different weights and different fabrics, including stretch fabrics with the latest wicking technology to help keep you dry. They are warm, comfortable, durable, and very inexpensive (less than $20 per pair). Always choose athletic pants with narrow cuffs so they won’t catch on the front chain ring. Athletic pants are much more versatile than bicycle tights, are warmer and more comfortable, and are much less expensive. A polar fleece head band and a pair of North Face polar fleece gloves with Windstopper complete my cold weather gear.
Teva sandals are indispensable. Be sure to select the Terra Fi Lite model because it is very lightweight. I stand on top of the sandals (on top of the straps) when bathing outside to keep my feet clean. I wear them when grocery shopping to save wear on my road shoes and cleats. I use Shimano cleat covers for quick trips into convenience stores.
Try to develop the habit of changing from your road shoes into your Teva sandals every time you step off the pavement. Otherwise, you will likely get mud pushed into your cleats. You can pedal comfortably with Teva sandals for short trips in towns and cities.
Sleeping
When making decisions regarding what gear to buy, it is important to consider both weight and volume. I always make sure that any new tent and tent fly (not including poles, pegs, and ground tarp) will fit into an 8 liter Sea to Summit Big River stuff bag and that any new sleeping bag will stuff into a 13 liter Sea to Summit Big River stuff bag. This leaves more room in my trailer for food and water. I prefer that all of my gear fit inside my trailer, if at all possible, with only my yoga mat and solar charger on top.
The MSR Hubba Hubba NX Xtreme Shield two man tent is an absolutely superb piece of gear. It performs perfectly even in hard rains and high winds. Lubricate the zippers by applying Armour All with a damp paper towel. The zippers are usually the first thing to wear out. They need all the help they can get.
It is surprising how suddenly a tent zipper can fail. This is not a subtle process. On the “next to last zip” everything is just fine. On the “last zip” you pull the zipper but suddenly you notice that just behind the zipper slider the zipper has separated. You will probably struggle for a while to get the zipper closed. Try pulling the zipper very slowly while pulling it away from the tent. That’s it for that zipper. The immediate solution is to start using one of the other zippers. The MSR Hubba Hubba NX two man tent has four zippers. Each zipper lasts about 4 months when you camp every night like I do. That means the tent will last about 16 months when used every night. Solution: Set aside money for a new tent. Order online at REI. Ahh! Nice! It’s like moving into a new house! See the next paragraph for the “desperate” solution.
On year six of my journey, I met a very intelligent Mexican dude who had been recently discharged from the Mexican army. Somehow the subject of worn tent zippers came up. He said they had the very same problem with their tent zippers in the army. Then he told me how to fix the zipper! The problem is the zipper slider. As it becomes worn it no longer properly forces the teeth of the zipper together. Take a close look at the slider. The slider has two slots, one on each side, through which the teeth pass. The object of the repair process is to slightly squeeze each slot so as to close the slot ever so slightly and evenly from front to back. Use a pair of pliers and gently squeeze three times, once towards the front of the slot, once near the middle, and once at the other end. Then do the same thing on the opposite side. Take it very easy. Test the zipper. Repeat if necessary. If you squeeze too hard you could totally ruin the zipper. Done correctly, this repair method can extend the life of the zipper. Problem solved!
If you use an inexpensive, plastic ground tarp cut slightly smaller than the floor of your tent, it will protect your tent and help keep it clean. My first few years on the road, I did not use a ground tarp. Now, I consider a ground tarp to be absolutely indispensable. I also use the ground tarp folded in half lengthwise to help keep my yoga mat clean when cooking outside or exercising. I trim the tarp to 43” x 77” for the MSR Hubba Hubba NX two person tent.
If you pitch your tent on a patch of dirt or sand without any ground cover such as grass, leaves, or pine needles, hard rains will cause dirt and sand to splatter the sides of your tent. After everything dries, you can brush the dirt off, but the remaining grit will slowly destroy the zippers. Under these circumstances, it is necessary to wash your tent.
Never wash your tent in a washing machine. Even a front loading machine on gentle cycle will likely damage the mesh fabric. (I learned this the hard way.) Here is a method to safely wash your tent. No matter how filthy your tent is this method works like magic.
Check into a hotel that has bathtubs in the rooms. Making sure all the zippers are unzipped, place the dirty tent and rain fly in the bathtub with warm water and 1/2 cup Woolite detergent. Use only Woolite because it is designed for hand washing and is easy to rinse. You will find Woolite in the laundry detergent aisle in grocery stores. Woolite is also excellent for use when doing the rest of your laundry in a washing machine. Agitate using both hands for 1-2 minutes. Let everything soak for 1 hour. Agitate again for 1-2 minutes. Lift the tent out of the tub using a rolling motion to remove most of the water trapped in the folds of fabric. Use your hands while running the water to direct all the dirt and grime down the drain. Refill the tub with warm water and agitate for 1-2 minutes to rinse. Remove as much water as possible and drape the tent and fly over the shower rod to drip for about an hour. Place towels on the bathroom floor to catch the dripping water. Finally, set up the tent in the air conditioned hotel room to dry. Your tent will look and feel just like new! Use Armour All and a damp paper towel to lubricate the zippers.
You can also wash your tent at laundromats following the same procedures as described above. Use a top loading machine as a wash tub. After the machine fills with water, stop the machine by raising the lid. After soaking the tent and agitating it with your hands, remove it from the machine. Stop the machine again after it fills with rinse water in order to manually rinse your tent. Finally, set up your tent in a sunny location to dry. Use a plastic trash bag to transport the wet tent so as not to drip water everywhere. Tents are relatively fragile. Be sure to carry Tenacious tape and two aluminum pole sleeves for emergency repairs. These items are available at REI. If it is necessary to sever the shock cord which connects the poles, you can use a large safety pin to keep the shock cord from retracting into the poles. Simply push the pin through the center of the shock cord at a right angle to the length of the cord and close the pin. This will create a “T” that prevents the cord from disappearing into the pole. Also be aware that it may be possible to unscrew the tips of the poles in order to access the shock cord. If you work patiently, you should be able to keep your tent going under most circumstances.
Western Mountaineering makes the world’s finest goose down sleeping bags. The Apache MF 15 degree sleeping bag is my favorite model. It is easy to stuff into a 13 liter Sea To Summit Big River stuff sack. The Apache MF sleeping bag features the highest quality, most breathable micro fiber fabric available. The breathable micro fiber fabric is extremely important because it helps keep the bag comfortable in warm weather. Trust me, the Apache’s 15 degree rating does not adequately describe the cold weather performance of this sleeping bag! This bag will vastly outperform other bags rated for zero degrees Fahrenheit! I honestly don’t think you can buy a better four-season sleeping bag! This sleeping bag is an absolutely superb piece of gear!
I never zip my sleeping bag. I want the down on top of me, not compressed under me. I also don’t like feeling constrained. My feet fit neatly in the circular area at the bottom of the sleeping bag. On extremely cold nights, you can wear your down vest while sleeping to supplement your sleeping bag. My coldest night sleeping in my tent was minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit. I was perfectly comfortable in my Apache MF sleeping bag with my down vest, Russell athletic pants, and merino wool socks on.
Once they are washed, down sleeping bags always seem to lose some of their loft. Therefore, it is best to try to avoid the need to wash your sleeping bag by doing everything in your power to keep it clean. Once a year, I clean my sleeping bag’s outer fabric with a slightly soapy wet towel. I focus on the areas that sometimes touch my face. I rinse the fabric by applying a wet towel. I dry the fabric by spreading out the bag in the sun. In the rare instance when it is necessary to submerge the bag for a thorough cleaning, I wash the sleeping bag with a cap full of Woolite in a front loading washing machine set on the “gentle” cycle. The real challenge is drying the sleeping bag. Use three tennis balls in the dryer to help loft the down. It will take at least three hours on low heat to completely dry a down bag based on my experience. My sleeping bag generally stays nice and clean because I wear a t-shirt and boxer briefs while sleeping.
I use a Sea To Summit “Reactor” sleeping bag liner like a giant pillow case for my Thermorest Pro Plus regular size sleeping pad. It provides a warm, silky, soft, and breathable sleep surface and fits the regular size sleeping pad perfectly. The Thermorest Pro Plus sleeping pad is very important because it has a very high insulation rating compared to other sleeping pads and will provide critical warmth when camping on snow covered ground. It also packs extremely small.
Never underestimate the importance of a comfortable pillow! I store my down vest and my sleep t-shirt and briefs in a Thermorest pillow stuff bag. I absolutely love the Thermorest pillow stuff bag because it provides a soft, comfy sleep surface next to my face. It is also the perfect size. Last time I checked, REI no longer carries this item. I managed to find one on eBay, however.
Don’t prop your pillow against the end of the tent (when reading, for example). Eventually it will cause tears in the mesh fabric. I lean my pillow against the very firm and heavy Sea To Summit stuff bag containing my clothing. This has proven to be extremely comfortable. A good, leak proof pee bottle prevents you from having to exit your tent at night. I use an opaque, white Nalgene 1.5 liter plastic bottle for this purpose. Rinse the pee bottle every morning with a small amount of water, toss the rinse water, and then add a small amount of clean water with a few drops of Dawn detergent to keep the bottle fresh.
Leather work gloves and a folding saw are absolutely essential for preparing camping spots. My favorite folding saw is the Corona professional pruning saw. It is sold at Ace Hardware stores for approximately $25. I use the saw to cut saplings or limbs which are interfering with my tent spot. I also use it to remove tufts of grass or cactus. Take great care to make sure there are no thorns or other sharp objects under the ground tarp which could puncture your Thermorest sleeping pad! If I have the slightest doubt whether I have missed any thorns, I do a final check by pushing down with my hands over the entire surface of the ground tarp before setting up my tent.
Bathing
If I have a nice, private camping spot, I place the trailer cargo lid on the ground next to the trailer and arrange my bathing gear on top of the cargo lid. I use 3 cups of water in my small pan (the pan will be about half full). I stand on top of my Teva sandals (on top of the straps) to keep my feet clean. Starting with your head, carefully apply small, cupped hands of water to get wet without wasting water. The process is like “rubbing” the water on. Apply bar soap to strategic areas and distribute the soap with your hands. Don’t use too much soap. Vigorously scrub the groin area by moving your hands rapidly back and forth. Rinse with small, cupped hands of water starting with your head. Squeegee off excess water with your hands and air dry while shaving. Benjamin Franklin called this “air bathing” and considered it to be essential for good health. Whatever you call it, it feels incredibly good! Complete the drying process with four sections of select-a-size paper towel. If I don’t have privacy, or if it is very cold, I sit on my yoga mat in my tent and follow a similar procedure. I use 2 cups of water (about 1 1/2” of water) heated in my small pan. Instead of using cupped hands of water, carefully apply the water with two sections of select-a-size paper towel. Use even less soap. Rinse by alternately applying the wet paper towel which you used to initially apply water and rinsing the wet paper towel in the pan of water. Dry with four sections of select-a-size paper towel. This procedure works surprisingly well. Any excess water usually stays on the yoga mat. Dry the yoga mat with the same paper towel used to dry yourself.
After a few close calls with unexpected visitors while bathing outdoors, I decided to always take baths in my tent. I purchased a Mainstays Mini three speed USB fan at Walmart. The breeze from the fan feels great while you are bathing. It also feels great on hot summer nights. This fan has an ingenious telescoping mechanism and a built-in lithium battery and runs for about six hours when the fan is on the lowest speed setting. I plug the fan into my Anker portable charger to extend the fan’s running time. This fan is one of my favorite pieces of gear.
Reading
I consider my Kindle Paperwhite to be indispensable even though I also carry a smart phone. This is because it uses much less power for reading than a phone or tablet. You can read for approximately four hours per day for an entire week with a single charge on your Kindle Paperwhite. The Kindle Paperwhite connects free of charge (no monthly internet fee) to Amazon’s bookstore and newsstand via any available G-3 cell phone connection. This built in feature allows me to receive my digital New York Times even while camping in my tent in the middle of nowhere. In contrast, my smart phone would only be able to download my New York Times if a G-4 connection were available, which is often not the case in rural areas.
If you decide to purchase a Kindle Paperwhite, you are going to need something to read! Here is a list of some of my favorite novels for your consideration. At present, all of these titles are available as e-books for FREE on Amazon. The novels are listed alphabetically by the author’s last name.
Bennett, Arnold, trilogy: “Clayhanger,” “Hilda Lessways,” and “These Twain”
Dickens, Charles, “Great Expectations”
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor, “Crime and Punishment”
Hardy, Thomas, “Return of the Native”
Hugo, Victor, “Toilers of the Sea”
James, Henry, “Portrait of a Lady”
Onions, Oliver, trilogy: “In Accordance with the Evidence,” “The Debit Account,” and “The Story of Louie”
Sudermann, Hermann, “The Song of Songs”
Tolstoy, Leo, “Anna Karenina”
If you adjust the back light on your Kindle Paperwhite to the brightest setting, you can use it to light your tent at night. It will provide just enough light to accomplish most tasks while using almost no power. My Lezyne USB rechargeable bicycle light provides much more light and hangs nicely from the tent ceiling using a small clip, but I recommend reserving it for bicycle safety (tunnels and fog). You can also use the flashlight function on your cell phone to light your tent.
Music
My bicycle journey has bridged two very different ways of accessing my music library. At the start of my journey, my music library derived from physical cds which I had ripped onto my laptop and synched to my iPod Classic. After seven years of faithful service, however, the battery in my iPod Classic had finally died. What to do?
I downloaded the Spotify music app onto my android phone, installed a 64 GB memory card ($20) into the little pop out tray on the left side of my phone, and began rebuilding my music library. Fortunately, I had a written list of my favorite recordings to refer to (see Appendix 7).
Spotify provides a simple, elegant interface for accessing just about all the music that exists in the world. I purchased the e-book edition of Tom Moon’s wonderful book, “1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die: A Listener’s Life List” on Amazon and began downloading additional recordings. I found that the most productive way to build my music library was to start with the artists I already loved. I began by reading what Tom Moon had to say about a particular artist. Then I looked over “Catalog Choices” and “Next Stops” for more suggestions. Finally, I selected promising recordings not already in my library to download.
Your Spotify music library is permanently stored on the cloud and effortlessly syncs to all your devices. You will need to actually download your music onto a particular device, however, in order to liberate that device from the streaming process. This is important because rural areas often lack a reliable G4 connection for streaming. You will need premium Spotify to be able to download music to your device. Begin by downloading the Spotify app at your favorite app store. Premium Spotify costs $10 per month. The first three months are free. Trust me, premium Spotify is worth every penny! After all my hard work rebuilding my music library, I rewarded myself with a new pair of Beats Flex Bluetooth ear buds. The Beats Flex ear buds ($49) are BY FAR the best ear buds I have ever used. My phone travels in a vertical position on the left side of my Ortleib handlebar bag. I also enjoy listening to music without ear buds in my tent and in hotels. I purchased a Bose Soundlink Micro Bluetooth speaker for this purpose ($99).
Refer to Chapter 9, “Music,” for more information. Chapter 9 introduces certain important American artists and includes a link to a Spotify playlist entitled “Chasing Spring.”
Power
In year eight of my bicycle journey, I purchased an Anker PowerPort solar charger ($129) and an Anker PowerCore 26,800 portable charger ($59) on Amazon. The solar charger and the portable charger each weigh about one pound. The solar charger has two standard USB output ports and comes with two micro USB charging cables. The solar panel attaches to the top of my bicycle trailer with the same bungee cords used to secure my yoga mat. The portable charger has two USB micro input jacks for double speed charging and three standard USB output jacks for charging several devices at the same time. I have been very pleased with the performance of both of these devices. I no longer worry about keeping my devices charged! It seems almost miraculous that one can turn sunshine into music!
It takes about twenty-four hours of full sun (four six hour days) for the Anker PowerPort solar charger to charge an empty 26,800 portable charger. Cloudy days take about twice as long as sunny days to charge the portable charger. Each six hour day of full sun will charge the portable charger to the quarter mark. Each of the four blue indicator lights on the portable charger represents a one fourth charge. Therefore, each blue indicator light roughly equals one six hour day of full sun. A wall jack, on the other hand, will charge an empty 26,800 portable charger in about six hours.
When fully charged, the Anker portable charger will charge your phone eight times. Thus, each blue indicator light indicates enough power to charge phone twice. You will have plenty of power even during prolonged rainy spells! I get lots of questions and comments when passersby see my solar charger. The idea of getting all of one’s electricity from the sun really seems to inspire people!
Miscellaneous
Purchase a Rand McNally Road Atlas at truck stops or at bookstores. Recently, I noticed that Walmart appears to have discontinued selling road atlases. This is likely because most people are using their phones to navigate with. An atlas sure comes in handy, however, when you are in the middle of nowhere without a G-4 connection. The turn-by-turn directions in Appendix 1 include page references to the Rand McNally Road Atlas.
I use a women’s style zipper wallet with a pocket for change and a separate pocket for my bicycle lock key. Secure the wallet’s outside zipper and nothing can fall out. I keep the wallet in my Ortleib handlebar bag.
I use my Timex Ironman watch to keep tabs on when I expect to start “bonking” (running out of carbs for fuel). If I start rolling at 9 am, I know I will start running out of fuel around 11 am. A glance at my wrist gives me the information I need. This allows my cell phone to remain safely stowed in my Ortleib handlebar bag.
Self defense pepper spray can save your life. I buy the largest size of law enforcement grade pepper spray that will fit vertically in my Ortleib handlebar bag. I keep it stowed in a vertical position in the far right corner of my Ortleib handlebar bag for quick access. I have never needed to use it, but it can really help if you are attacked by dogs, wildlife, or crazed humans. When a dog is chasing me, my first line of defense is to brandish my water bottle in a threatening manner and yell. So far, this has always worked, but it is nice having the pepper spray for backup.
The REI Story
REI is my favorite store for purchasing bicycle touring gear and camping gear. They stand behind what they sell with their wonderful, one year guarantee. Reece Witherspoon got free replacement hiking boots from REI in the movie “Wild!” REI gave me a brand new MSR Hubba Hubba NX tent when a connector on my tent poles stripped out! That’s the best advertising in the world!
Local bicycle shops are disappearing at a rapid pace due to competitive pressure from online shopping and from the inexpensive bicycles sold at Walmart. According to the New York Times, about one-third of independent bicycle shops have closed in recent years. I noticed this unfortunate trend when I observed bicycle shops on my route that had closed when I returned the following year.
REI’s bicycle department fills a crucial need when local bicycle shops close. Cyclists will always need a place where they can confer face-to-face with a good bicycle mechanic and receive expert advice and service. Based on my experience, REI has terrific bicycle mechanics. It is important to support REI’s bicycle department. It is also important to learn how to maintain and your own bicycle because it is a sad fact that there are not very many bicycle shops along the way as you pedal across America. No discussion of bicycle touring gear and camping gear is complete without telling the story of how REI was founded and its subsequent success. It is a powerful and moving story. The factual information in this story is based on the New York Times article “The Soul of a Corporation” by Timothy Egan. The history of REI lends support to the idea that if you follow your heart and share the things you love, then perhaps this will lead to business success. Certainly, that’s what happened at REI.
Mary Anderson and her husband Lloyd Anderson founded REI in 1938. Mary was a public school teacher and Lloyd was a city transit worker. They both loved the outdoors. They couldn’t find good outdoor gear and decided to start importing climbing gear from Austria. Starting out, they ran the business out of their home in Seattle.
They started selling gear to fellow climbers at cost. The 1930‘s was the height of the cooperative movement in America and that was the business selected by the Andersons. Today, REI is the nation’s largest consumer cooperative with more than six million members.
With a thriving online business and 140 stores in 36 states, REI had record revenues of $2.56 billion in 2016. REI returns 70 percent of its profits to the outdoor community including $9.3 million to non-profit groups.
Sally Newell, former REI chief executive and Secretary of the Interior during the Obama administration, described the impact of a speech by founder Mary Anderson at a large REI gathering, “It was like Mick Jagger had appeared. I would say the women were particularly moved by the role she played in REI’s success.”
The Anderson’s long lives are a testament to the health benefits of hiking outdoors. Lloyd passed away in 2000 at the age of 98. Mary passed away in 2017 at the age of 107.