Originally Posted by
Buffalo Buff
Very true. Preparing for warm weather means more layers / heavier sleeping bag. Touring a less developed country can mean a more robust repair kit, etc.
Yes location and season do make a difference, but maybe not so much as it would seem for two reasons.
First... I figure that even on a US summer tour I am typically in mountains high enough for some portion of the trip that I have to be prepared for the occasional below freezing night or even a bit of snow. So my lightest setup is OK for the occasional night in the teens F or a little bit of snow here or there.
Second... I am not inclined to tour in actual full on winter weather. Other trips make more sense for that kind of weather, XC skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking are all more likely for me at those times. I just don't see multi day snowstorms or 0 F temperatures to be suitable for a bike tour.
I guess those factors may not all be the same for everyone. For example I could see someone doing a fat bike snow tour and I guess there are lots of tours in summer where there isn't a chance of any cold weather so folks may not always pack for a cold night.