simonineaston wrote:Saw lots of things I recognise and take with me, too, like the ear-plugs, wet-wipes, short-strap&Fastex-buckle-parking-brake and the cut-down "sit-mat", but surprised not to see head-torch, and string - where would I be without string - so fond of string am I, that I have sung home-made songs in praise of string! (Having carefully looked around to make sure I was on my own, of course) 101 uses, from fixing broken racks, through strapping on extra shopping, whipping a bust tent pole together, to using as the washing line, etc.etc.
Was it Spike Milligan who wrote "String, string is wonderful thing, string is long and string is thin"? I still mutter it to myself at random moments, along with "a thousand hairy savages sitting down to lunch, gobble gobble gobble, munch munch munch". Fab.
I read a blog by a long distance cyclist some years ago who "killed two birds with one stone". He bought a cheap edition of "War and Peace" from a charity bookshop for evening reading in his tent. It was a book he'd always meant to read but he'd never got around to it. His reading speed had to be sufficient to keep pace with his toilet paper needs as he made appropriate use of the completed pages. A bonus of this method was that the heavy volume decreased in weight as the tour progressed. He completed his tour and the book without any expenditure on tissues.
simonineaston wrote:Saw lots of things I recognise and take with me, too, like the ear-plugs, wet-wipes, short-strap&Fastex-buckle-parking-brake and the cut-down "sit-mat", but surprised not to see head-torch, and string - where would I be without string - so fond of string am I, that I have sung home-made songs in praise of string! (Having carefully looked around to make sure I was on my own, of course) 101 uses, from fixing broken racks, through strapping on extra shopping, whipping a bust tent pole together, to using as the washing line, etc.etc.
Was it Spike Milligan who wrote "String, string is wonderful thing, string is long and string is thin"? I still mutter it to myself at random moments, along with "a thousand hairy savages sitting down to lunch, gobble gobble gobble, munch munch munch". Fab.
String String is a wonderful thing, Rope is thicker but string is quicker
I always take a couple of shower caps, over the helmet to keep me dry when it rains and pop it on the saddle to keep that dry when I stop.
I'll second that .. assuming you mean rear-view rather than vanity ! A recent short tour of some 300 miles, my first with a rear view mirror, mostly on main roads, was a revelation in terms of road awareness and potential self-preservation. I used a Racing CatEye which has a short rigid stalk so does not vibrate much. Recommended.
Tourer : 2010 Giant CRS City 4.0 Other : 1963 Denton retro (now back in the loft!)
alicej wrote:I've taken baby wipes loads of times thinking they'd be really useful, but I've never used them.
Not quite the same but I've kept a pack in my locker and have not used any all year.
They can make you feel a bit better before bed if you have no means of washing, and you can clean the bottom of your tent before rolling it up. They dry out if not used quickly, sometime even the unopened pack will dry out.
Last edited by Nettled Shin on 30 Apr 2012, 2:10pm, edited 1 time in total.
alicej wrote:I've taken baby wipes loads of times thinking they'd be really useful, but I've never used them.
Not quite the same but I've kept a pack in my locker and have not used any all year.
They can make you feel a bit better before bed if you have no means of washing, and you can clean the bottom of your tent before rolling it up. They dry out if not used quickly, sometime even the unopened pack will dry out.
Kept mine in a sandwich box and still feel fresh enough. I was going to use them for under arms ect but haven't sweated as much as I thought I would. Quick spray of deodorant and change of t-shirt renderers them not much use. Would probably take them on a tour just in case though.
A small three legged folding stool is great for sitting on in camp. The only problem is that the legs tend to sink into the ground. When you pull them out the plastic end caps get left in the hole. I have solved this problem. I now carry half a paving slab in my panniers. Perfect for putting the stool on and no more sinking feeling.
Cancer changes your outlook on life. Change yours before it changes you.
The Mechanic wrote:A small three legged folding stool is great for sitting on in camp. The only problem is that the legs tend to sink into the ground. When you pull them out the plastic end caps get left in the hole. I have solved this problem. I now carry half a paving slab in my panniers. Perfect for putting the stool on and no more sinking feeling.
