Packing camping gear?

[Abr1966]

Thanks everyone for the replies to my 2 previous posts on Touring in Norfolk and problems booking youth hostels!

Basically I'm still going to Norfolk but camping instead, so, a couple of questions!
- do people tend to book in advance or turn up?
- what degree of luxury for a 4-5 day your? I'm thinking of tent, sleeping mat and a bag, but not cooking gear as thinking I'll eat out and stop for breakfast etc
- I have ortlieb rear panniers and a handlebar bag and was just planning to put the tent and may on the rack with a couple of bungee cords?

This sound reasonable? I've ordered the cycling map of the area and was thinking I'd just try and charge my phone in pubs/cafe's when I'm not riding?!
Thanks for any guidance/comments!

[gbnz]

I've never booked. But during "off season" periods, or if I'm passing through an area which isn't likely to have much in the way of campsites, I'll have an online check for potential campsites and/or viability of wild camping. I've always carried the tent on the rack with a bungee cord, never had an issue.

[samcallard]

Asking farmers very gently is often useful (if you're happy with the lower level of hygiene). Never booked a campsite. Is that something people do? I don't know how big your tent is, but I usually use bungees to hold it onto the rack like you say.

Sounds like a great trip! Hope you have fun

[ossie]

Yep. Tent on the rear rack fixed with some weird bungee effort has done me fine. Never booked and never been turned away - just wave a tenner at them if they hesitate..money talks.

I have my tent longways along the rack rather than sideways if that even matters of course.

[mercalia]

water proofs? puncture repair gear? cover for bike in case it rains? camping light? pillow? it is still a bit cold at night so any extra clothes ( woolly hat and gloves ) if you go to the coast it can still be a bit nippy even in the height of summer?

[rualexander]

...... cover for bike in case it rains?.......

Seriously?
How do you cover your bike if it rains during the day when you are riding it?

[mercalia]

...... cover for bike in case it rains?.......

Seriously?
How do you cover your bike if it rains during the day when you are riding it?

when you are stopped and camping for the night

[bohrsatom]

I never book a campsite in advance - sometimes I find there is just one site in the area we will be in at the end of the day, and I will call to check they are still open and have space but 99% of the time I just show up. Only ever been turned away once from maybe 100 nights of camping whilst bike touring.

Re cooking equipment, I like a coffee in the morning before breaking camp so always bring a stove with me. You can get some really tiny burners that fit into a titanium mug so may be worth considering.

To keep your phone charged, buy a small portable battery pack from amazon. Some will hold enough power for one charge; larger ones will charge your phone over and over again. Use these to keep your phone topped up then when you stop in a pub/cafe you can ask them to charge the battery pack instead, or just leave it overnight in reception at the campsite.

Enjoy the trip and hope you always have a tail wind

[rualexander]

...... cover for bike in case it rains?.......

Seriously?
How do you cover your bike if it rains during the day when you are riding it?

when you are stopped and camping for the night

Yes, but why would you cover your bike at night? Leather saddle maybe, but the whole bike?

[Vorpal]

I've never booked in advance. Chances are small that you would have any problems. On the off chance that you arrive in the midst of some kind of show or festival, be prepared to carry on for a few miles, or find a discreet wild camping spot.

My tenst usually just gets bungeed to the rack. The only potentially problem with two full panniers & tent on the back, is that you will need to put some heavy stuff in the bar bag to weight it down a bit for balance & steering.

Enjoy

[psmiffy]

just planning to put the tent and may on the rack with a couple of bungee cords?

Halfords luggage straps - the really light ones - hold a tent on more securely - esp on rough tracks - a couple of bungees tho are useful for tucking things under - maps - washing - temporary resting place for waterproofs

[Sweep]

Halfords luggage straps - the really light ones - hold a tent on more securely - esp on rough tracks

Do you have a link for these or pic? Am moving away from straight bungees. They can overcomplicate things and I am always worried about my eyes - don't always wear glasses while wrangling them.

[honesty]

Seriously?
How do you cover your bike if it rains during the day when you are riding it?

when you are stopped and camping for the night

Yes, but why would you cover your bike at night? Leather saddle maybe, but the whole bike?

My bike is the single most expensive piece of equipment I take with me when I go touring. The one time I have camping toured, it's gone into the tent porch. I am not ever going to leave the bike somewhere I cannot see or feel if it's being moved...

[foxyrider]

when you are stopped and camping for the night

Yes, but why would you cover your bike at night? Leather saddle maybe, but the whole bike?

My bike is the single most expensive piece of equipment I take with me when I go touring. The one time I have camping toured, it's gone into the tent porch. I am not ever going to leave the bike somewhere I cannot see or feel if it's being moved...

It's easy to be paranoid about this. Both of my touring machines have a replacement value of @ £2000, last year I toured on my carbon race bike worth @ £5500! My camping gear adds @ £1000 to those numbers.

At some point you have to leave your bike unattended, you might not like it but it's true! The best you can do is take reasonable precaution with locks but putting it under a cover is asking for attention by the curious.

[foxyrider]

Degrees of comfort? I take the same whether it's for one night or twenty :- tent, s/bag, mat which all fit in one bag which leaves space for cooking gear, wash kit etc in the other bag. Is your tent really so big it won't go in a pannier maybe with poles strapped elsewhere? Keeps weight lower for stability.

Booking of sites - well it's well worth checking they're actually open and what facilities are open. Often out of main season shops/cafés are shut. And on that note stopping for breakfast could be interesting as cafés and even shops are in short supply in Norfolk generally.

I'm hoping to do a late summer Norfolk tour (health permitting) so i've been researching this stuff.