Newspaperguy

I've got a couple of questions in preparation for this summer's tours.

So far, I've managed one-week and two-week touring very nicely with two large 46-litre rear panniers, a handlebar bag and a small tool bag under the saddle. My mattress pad and tent are on top of the rear rack, or at times I've had the tent on a front rack.

I also carry a stove, cookware and a bit of food, but I normally will get some supplies every day or two.

This summer, I'm planning a tour which will put me much farther between communities — at times four days from anywhere I can get supplies. That of course means I'll have to pack more food with me, which means added weight and added bulk.

1. What do you suggest for food that carries well and doesn't add much extra weight?

2. For front panniers, what capacity would I need? Are there any brands or models I should be considering?

prathmann

I usually carry some peanut butter and bagels as my emergency food rations - pretty high kcal/lb density and they travel well. Mac & cheese supplemented with tuna or meat packets and some veggies also travels well and is pretty light. Will you have water sources along the way? If so, then food that gets hydrated when cooked would be good. Check out the packaged pasta options at the grocery store at the last town.

Don't know about the front pannier size - I've only used them when touring on a tandem and then we used full-size ones.

B. Carfree

I generally carry dehydrated soups and chili that I buy in the bulk section of my local grocery store. It's a lot of calories for very little weight and space.

Tansy

I carry soba/udon noodles and couscous - relatively light, neither require a sustained boil to cook, meaning you consume far less fuel cooking. Peanut butter or nutella really is the quintessential touring food - one or the other will be available anywhere, and both will travel well. I keep some honey and tortillas with me so it'll go down easier, and some sugar cubes for a cheap "energy shot". Flavored tuna and some mayo packets tend to be just the thing to cure your food exhaustion when you're sick of heavy or bland foods. I've also been looking at carrying ghee, or clarified butter, instead of regular butter or vegetable oil, since it travels much better than butter and can be bought(or in my case made), where available, in conveniently small jars.

As for containers, weight is generally more of a consideration than bulk, so anything should work. I keep my food in cloth panniers rather than waterproof ones, since food smells linger far longer in the latter and I don't want my clothes smelling like jerky. I like Arkel's T-28 front panniers best. They have one of the best mounting systems in the business, and aside from being very secure, they're easily popped off. Instead of digging through a top-opening pannier attached to your bike, you can easily remove your food pannier, set it on the table, and browse through the suit-case style opening.

fietsbob

2nd point.
In a wet climate water proof Ortliebs are my current favorite. selection.
I use my Roller bags all the time for grocery runs at home..
flop them on the checkout conveyor and get a BYO bags discount
very washable inside..


I got some custom rain covers sewn for my compartmentalized Beckman panniers

the combination worked OK, I didn't sweat the weight , as I was in no hurry ..

the food challenge is don't fill the panniers up with gear
so you have room for packing in the evening meal..

MichaelW

I carry food mostly in one front Ortleib.
Besides carb of choice (basmati rice, past, couscous, noodles):
Pesto
Chorizo sausage
Tin of sardines
Tins or cartons of fruit. Pears are good to carry (inside a plastic cup)
onion
garlic
For veg, cougettes (zuchini) travel well.
Hard cheese lasts OK in temperate climates. Not sure about v hot conditions..
Oil is tricky to carry. I used a spray of olive oil. Double wrap oily stuff (eg pesto) in plastic bags.
Dehydrated or freeze-dried stuff can be hard to find along the way. I keep a camping-shop meal as backup.
A quick-pasta in sauce is the easiest emergency meal to buy along the way.
Things can get crushed tight so crackers of buscuits go in the other front panniers.

I take cup-a-soup, instant chocholate drink and stock cubes.
Add stock to water for cooking rice.
You can make a hot chocky sauce for a fancy desert with fruit.

If you are away for more than a couple of weeks then you need salt, pepper, herbs and spices. Food can get boring and repetative and it can be hard to down sufficient calories without any fat or oil.

goo_stewart

I always use packet soup and dried noodles. Water is the key, if you have access to water then you can carry a lot of lightweight dried foods. I like some of the dried pasta things as well.

Spudd

Does anyone bring a soft-sided cooler along for refrigerated items? Something along these lines: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B001960EJQ

I'm thinking it wouldn't add a lot of weight and might be worth it to keep things like milk/cheese cool. But I never see it on anyone's gear list.

iforgotmename

I use one, it was great to carry the bagels, apples, cheese etc. I also carried a 1/2 gallon water jug that I would fill with water and ice if I could get it. The water container really helped as the it was hot and water was not close at hand most times.

As far as food I like flavored instant noodle packets and tuna that comes in a foil container, aside from what I mentioned.

Here is a pic from my first real tour. I have trimmed my gear list since, didn't really need the extra shoes on the rear and a few things that are in the bags.

staehpj1

Front panniers? That depends, but since 46 liters could work all alone, I'd pick smallish front ones. A few days of food or whatever always seems to be able to squeeze in easy enough.

Foods that work for me are stuff like boxed dried rice or noodle dishes, ramen noodles, couscous, foil packed tuna or salmon, hard cheeses, hard sausages (pepperoni, salami, etc.), peanut butter and jelly or honey, tortillas, bagels, crackers, dried soups or chili, and maybe even some freeze dried veggies. I hate most freeze dried meals or main dishes though.

BigBlueToe

I like cold drinks after a long day's ride. However, that's usually a luxury I have to do without. The weight of the soft-sided cooler isn't a deal-breaker, but I don't want to carry around a bunch of ice.

Occasionally I've camped at a place that had a grocery store close. When I wanted a treat - cold drinks - I bought them and a bag of ice. I'd go back to my campsite, dig a hole, and put the ice and drinks in it, inside a plastic bag to keep the dirt out. The ice will last quite awhile - long enough for me to enjoy my ice cold beverages.

raybo

For keeping things cold, I put ice in my camelback and then use the backpack part to put things that need to be cooled like cheese and chocolate.

For light food, I like dehydrated refried beans (I've only ever found them in bulk at health food stores). A pound them would provide several meals. I also like pita bread as it lasts several days, is easy to slide in somewhere, and is filling. Adding some cheese and a fresh hot pepper and you have a tasty meal.

I also carry pasta for an emergency meal. For an edible sauce I use chopped fresh garlic, salt, olive oil, and crushed red peppers. Some packets of Parmesan cheese make this a tasty meal.

I've never gone 4 days between resupply points. If I had to do so, I'd look for more dehydrated foods to carry and probably rely more on things like peanuts and raisins (and lots of chocolate!).

Good luck and let us know what you end up putting together.

Ray

prathmann

I find that packing some ice (well protected in waterproof container) and the food that needs refrigeration in some of my soft gear (clothing etc.) and putting that into a pannier or other bag is a very effective cooler. I've also used just the inner part of a Camelback that I fill up with ice at a fastfood place or convenience store in the morning. Keep that in my handlebar bag along with things I'd like to keep cool. It also provides cold water to sip on while riding.

Newspaperguy

On previous trips, I've taken oats, rice and dried lentils as good base carbs. They travel very well and cook up quickly. Salt, sugar and spices are also easy to carry. I've used tinned ham and other tinned meats for protein and while that's been a workable solution, more than a couple of days worth of such foods will noticeably add to the weight. I'm interested in other protein solutions.

I also will carry some trail mix or fruit leather for breaks while riding. Fruit or vegetables become a little more problematic because such foods must be able to transport well.

I haven't yet taken peanut butter, but that sounds like a good suggestion. Thanks.

As far as water, there will be various natural sources most of the way. I'll carry water purification tablets as well.

fuzz2050

I've had remarkably good luck with a hard grating cheese on tours. I've never had a block of parmesan or pecorino romano spoil before I had finished it off. For some reason I start to crave hard cheese after a long day on a bike.

Chuckie J.

Last year I did a seven day tour that involved carrying six days of food. I like oatmeal and tea for breakfast so that's easy. Package of bagels lasts and is hearty. Peanut butter. Sardines. Piece of fruit everyday (carried that on top). Lots of snacks pre-portioned in plastic bags just so that I don't run out and also to insure that I'm eating and not saving it for the end. For dinner I had a couple of those "Tasty Bite" Indian food dishes and rice (instant-- not ideal but it cooks fast). Mashed potato flakes and canned chicken. Couscous and fish (canned I believe). Can't remember what else.

I'd like to try dehydrated stuff but I just didn't have time to investigate it. The good part is the load gets lighter and lighter....

Doug64

I've posted this before, but thought some of you might be interested. We improvised this insulation for one of my front panniers when we hit some very hot temperatures on a tour. It works great for keeping drinks and food cool. Just fill an empty sports drink bottle with ice in the morning(gas station or convienace store), and water and the day's food stay pretty cool. If you happen to spend the night in a motel, it is possible to freeze a water bottle. These have been relegated to hauling yogurt and ice cream from the store, but I did the same thing for one of my new panniers. It might also be a good way to haul a notebook or other fragile items--minus the ice. Six dollar sleeping pad from Wal Mart (will probably make 2) and some duct tape.

gamecock

I carry everything that a hiker would "hang" in bear country in a bear vault: food, toiletries, toothpaste, brush, etc. I bungee it to the top of the rear rack. I camp a lot, and have had problems with the wildlife (but not bears, thank God) eating every thing with an odor, and ruining the pannier that it was or in which it had been packed. BV weights about the same as a pannier.

marmot

This is impressive. Nice job. Not as effective, perhaps, but easier, is to line a large pannier with one of those $2 insulated, zippered grocery bags. As a bonus, these bags add greatly to the pannier's waterproof qualities.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned insulated rack trunks. Mine is like a softsided cooler with big outer pockets and velcro straps to attach it to a rear or front rack. It cost about $20 at Canadian Tire.

staehpj1

Other somewhat less hard cheeses like cheddar are OK too. They may separate and look like an oily mess in hot climates, but remain OK to eat. Just keep them segregated in a ziploc to contain the mess. If in doubt double bag it. Hard cheese with pepperoni or salami on crackers, chips, or tortillas, preferably with avocado make a great snack or lunch. When we bought enough for a few days the cheese looked pretty nasty after being in 100-110F heat, but it still tasted fine.

berner

My experience is from hiking and backpacking where I'm hauling up to a weeks worth of food, about 15 pounds of so. I'll be applying that experience to bike touring this summer.

Ditto on hard cheese in moderate temps. It lasts nearly a week. Lots of excellent suggestions here to work with according to your taste. I'll only add that I like mixed nuts but from a practical side they are nutritionally dense and don't occupy much space. You can snack away at them all day.