BigBlueToe

That's a pretty uke. I've been playing ukelele occasionally since I was a kid. That's a good idea, but I'm more intrigued by the mandolin at this point. How easily can one adjust to an instrument tuned in fifths?

Allen

Real flatware.
I like to eat with proper utensils, not flimsy plastic.

imi

You can tune a mandolin an octave above the top four strings of a guitar (d,g,b,e)

Check here for alternative mandolin tunings and string gauges:
https://www.mandolin-player.com/instr...n/tunings.html

the 'alto guitar' and 'renaissance guitar' tunings look interesting aswell as the hawaiian mandolin tuning

Wogster

Although you can do so, if you play guitar all the rest of the time, most people I have met that play both, tell me they get used to the differences between instruments fairly quickly. Alternate tunings also make it difficult to learn music specifically designed for the instrument in question.

aenlaasu

I think my unnecessary comfort is my siberian husky. I trained him up for our first overnight tour this year, though circumstances have kept us from doing it. He's great company on my longer rides and I miss him when he's not happily jogging along beside me. It's worth the extra effort of a pound or so dog food and extra water.

Robert Frost

I carry WAY more stuff than is neccessary. It's a bit sad but hey, it's my funeral. Current weighty and needless items: camera equipment including tripod, gameboy color and cartridges (what can I say, I'll always be a child), too many books, laptop, more socks then I pribably need.

staehpj1

Wow thats a new one. I've never seen anyone carry one of those on tour.

positron

my shortwave radio.

Sometimes a Very Low Frequency receiver circuit if I'm going to be far away from the electrical grid and want to listen to and record the sounds that space makes

Neil_B

Books. I'll bring one on an overnight, and have brought two on longer trips.

Heavy wool socks, even on a summer tour. Also three sets of them.

A travel pillow.

Robert Frost

Haha! Well, we've been on the road for a month with two more ahead of us and it's my most portable music platform.

Now that I think about it, we carry way too many books. We currently have around 11 or 12 books with us - a mobile library! Luckily, we're two so we can spread the weight.

staehpj1

That's why I like audio books. A dozen audio books weigh exactly nothing if you are taking the device to play them any way. On my last tour I took enough books to last for a couple months in my Ipod Shuffle which weighs less than an ounce. The charger I found on line somewhere also weighs about an ounce.

Since my employer supplied me with a Blackberry. The phone, audio books, GPS, and palm sized WiFi tablet have all been replaced with one device. Also it will charge from the one ounce charger mentioned above. I can download new ones along the way although it is extremely slow unless I find a WiFi connection rather than use the cell connection.

Books are pretty heavy. Do you travel somewhere you can't buy books along the way? On the TA we used paper books, but used the free book swaps we found along the way, traded books between us, mailed books home, and bought books along the way.

For music, I either sing or play music in my head.

vegipowrd

I would always carry one of these back when I was a backpacking instructor. They sound quite good, they're just quiet. I even fell on mine once. It got a good crack in the body, but sounds just the same. They are under $200 and come with a decent soft case.

Machka 

When I toured Australia, I stayed in one area for about 5 days, so I picked up a book at a used book places, and then sold it back to the place and got the next one ... and went through 3 books, I believe, in those 5 days that way.

If I wanted books with me and was on the move, I'd do the same thing, only I'd sell it back to the next shop up the road.

ggriffinslo

Interesting to read what people think is luxurious- pillows, music players, books. Many of us would no sooner leave without those than w/o a bike.

For me the kitchen kit is indispensable. I carry a good knife, a couple of large nesting pots, flexible cutting board, coffee kit, and never, ever, worry or complain about the weight and volume of it nor the fresh veggies and fruit I carry. I generally cook most (90%) of my touring meals, it's worth it to me.

stevage

>When I toured Australia, I stayed in one area for about 5 days, so I picked up a book at a used book places, and then sold it back to the place and got the next one ... and went through 3 books, I believe, in those 5 days that way.

"Book exchanges" are starting to become common in youth hostels around the world - thank dutch frugality for that one I only used them a couple of times, but you find some pretty interesting, if rather kooky, books in them...

JimF22003

I haven't been on a solo unsupported tour (yet) but I've taken my Amazon Kindle along on three week-long supported group tours. With the wireless turned off it will last a week easily without recharging. It's nice to have essentially unlimited reading materials along in a nice lightweight package. And if you're not totally out in the boonies you can download more books and periodicals from wherever you are without needing to hook up to a computer.

jtwilson

Hiking shoes, inflatable sleeping pad, i-pod, one book.

Hiking shoes take up a lot of space, but I very much enjoyed being able to slip into non-cycling shoes and comfortably hike around the areas I camped at. Plus, they're waterproof - perfect for rainy days at camp. The sleeping pad I was up in the air on, felt kinda wussy about it, but after two weeks on the road - I was very happy I brought one. There were some very rough gravel tentpads at a few of the campgrounds, and it was nice to not worry so much about roots sticking up, etc. I-pod - meh, coulda left it at home. Same with the book.

rhm

For those considering a mandolin, ukulele or some form of (miniaturized?) guitar...

My instrument of choice is a double bass, but I wouldn't bring one on tour. I'd bring a harmonica.

If you're primarily a picker, I think a mandolin is the best of those options; it has good range and enough oomph that you can actually use it in a jam session if you run into another player. All the other not-quite-a-guitar options, especially a ukulele tuned like a guitar, are just too anemic for my taste.

If you're primarily a singer, and you really need something to strum while you sing, then a ukulele (tuned like a ukulele) may be a decent option; it's loud enough and rhythmic enough to do the job, but you'll still miss the bass.

Then again, if you're primarily a singer, I'd suggest the bike tour is a good time to practice singing without strumming.

littleal

I carry a small soft sided 6 pack size cooler. Fill it up with ice at a service station during the day and maybe before finding a camp site in the evening! It's great having a cold drink instead of lukewarm.It rides fine on top of my front rack.

Boondock

The standard tuning of a ukulele is the same as a guitar. There is no special guitar tunings for ukulele.

Juha

I mentioned this earlier in a related thread: I used to play the piano. I have a grand piano, so it does have wheels though...

--J

Bekologist

I have brought a folding chair on tour and once brought telemark skis and ski boots to hang out in the snow for a couple days, that was a hoot of a tour!

bike and ski


-but my comforts usually consist of some thin and thoughtful book, a small pocket radio with weatherband, and a sink stopper for doing laundry.

stevage

Amazing, you really considered camping without a sleeping mat at all? Is the grass really that soft? Me, I use an exped downmat. The biggest downside is I get so lazy about my tent sites now - this weekend I camped literally on the road (or rail trail) both nights. Because you can.

locky63red

I cant go without my small camping Pillow. I also carry a soft sided 6 pack esky in the summer.You have to carry water so you carry it as ice and you can have cold drinks and keep things cold at the same time. Some nice thick socks to wear in bed in the wintertime. Like Machka if I have a lousy sleep I do not have a good day the next day. Stevage I would like to just camp sans tent but I always get worried about spiders getting me (My major phobia)

neilfein

Book(s), camera and gorrilapod, and an iPod. Pad and paper for taking journal notes (most the day's mileage) or writing directions.