What's your top weight saving tip for touring?

[pwa]

Always save on excess weight: don't take the wife!

[PJ520]

Lucky for me I've never needed chamois cream; the long distance mountain bike racers swear by Preparation H (the stuff in a tube. I don't suppose the suppositories would be much use) any drug store will have it so don't bother packing it.

Most motel laundromats have a machine that sells soap powder. If they don't, toss a bar of motel soap in with your wash, I've done it, it works. Once you get to the US accumulate quarters for laundry. it's most annoying to load up a machine and then find you don't have enough of them to do your washing. Typically the washer and dryer use 8 each and powder is another 4. They do have change dispensing machines that take 1 and 5 dollar bills in most places but sometimes they don't and sometimes they don't work.(Voice of experience from my tour last month)

If it's still hot when you get over here make sure you drink plenty. A symptom of dehydration can be constipation. This can be no joke, again voice of experience. So bring a laxative just in case. Eventually I learned to drink a large orange juice with my breakfast and that seemed to prevent it recurring.

[mnichols]

Lucky for me I've never needed chamois cream; the long distance mountain bike racers swear by Preparation H (the stuff in a tube. I don't suppose the suppositories would be much use) any drug store will have it .

I've heard of it being used on saddle sores do they use it as a preventative?

[Barrenfluffit]

Pack things that are useful in multiple situations; don't carry things you can stock up on en-route.

[PJ520]

One of the best tips I've seen, can't remember where, was: if in doubt don't take it.

[Heltor Chasca]

And there is a massive difference between credit card touring and camping. 5kg is easy when you don't have your bed, tent and kitchen contents.

For a pauper like me? Well apart from loving being under canvas, I've got no other choice than 'move house' while on the move...b

[scottg]

Travel size washing/shaving stuff is available in most drug stores (chemists) due to airline
security theatricals.

Aside, GPS map names of roads often are different than the local names,
some counties number their roads. So GPS will have the country road number,
the road sign will say something else.
Missing road signs at intersections are common in rural areas.
Pubs in the US do not have accommodations, or beer.

[PJ520]

I hauled a stove, pans and a gas cylinder for 1300 miles on my last tour. Never cooked anything. I also toted a pile of freeze dried food we'd bought for earthquake preparedness that was out of date. I left that at a campsite hoping someone could use it. i'll never carry that lot again. Oops i tell a lie. I did use one bag of freeze dried at a hostel I stayed at; it was orrible.

[simonineaston]

Tip 1: select the smallest pannier / saddle bag etc. option you could imagine getting away with using, and then take only what will fit in it.
Tip 2: Don't take anything that doesn't have at least 2 uses.
Tip 3 - not mine but still my favourite The day before, spread everything you're going to take out, including the money, on your bed, then halve the items and double the money...

[horizon]

Preparing for a 1 month credit card tour of America with friends and looking for your top tips on saving pack weight

In our our test runs we've been pretty minimal ranging from 10 to 20 litres of space each

The area that most frustrates me is toiletries: chamois cream, sun cream, tooth paste, washing powder, shaving stuff and deodorant

Tip #1: stay in hotels rather than camp DONE
Tip #2: travel with friends to share stuff DONE
Tip #3: take a credit card so that if you need something you can buy it DONE
Tip #4: limit yourself to beween 10 litres (you will need to carry something) and 20 litres DONE
Tip #5: go on test runs to see how it shakes down and what you don't need DONE
Tip #6: deodorant - why in heaven's name do you need deodorant?*


*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deodorant

[Tasker]

Am looking forward to this thread being a mix of the supremely practical and the infamous viz handy household tips

When touring in France, to keep your French Baguette fresh simply pop it into a bucket of water overnight....

[robing]

I hauled a stove, pans and a gas cylinder for 1300 miles on my last tour. Never cooked anything. I also toted a pile of freeze dried food we'd bought for earthquake preparedness that was out of date. I left that at a campsite hoping someone could use it. i'll never carry that lot again. Oops i tell a lie. I did use one bag of freeze dried at a hostel I stayed at; it was orrible.

Me too. I hauled cooking stuff for nearly 2000 miles round Spain and only used it a handful of times. When you can get a filling menu del dia for under €10 and breakfast for €3 there's not much incentive to cook. Plus with hotels not much more than camping there's not much incentive to camp!

[davegtt]

Shop at Decathlon for clothing requirements. cheap, lightweight and rolls up nice and small.

Shave your arm pits (I know it sounds a bit opposite to some manly men and I refused to do it for the first month of cycle touring but it was so much better after I got rid) then use a speed stick, it works alot better than any other deoderant and it lasts alot longer (also means you can "shower" with wet wipes easier)

[robing]

My top weight saving tip is .... lose some weight!

[largeallan]

Shave your arm pits

Oh come on, how much weight can there be in armpit hair!!?