Bicycle tourists rely on a lot of gear to help them enjoy their cycling adventures. We've reviewed some of the gear we brought with us to give prospective tourists to New Zealand an idea of what they might like to bring on their next trip.
| item | pros | cons | summary |
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| plastic spork | none | doesn't scoop as well as a spoon or stab as well as a fork | The spork is useless. |
| Sierra Designs Hyperlight AST tent |
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The tent kept our down bags dry, a real miracle because the floor starting leaking toward the end of our trip. I had trouble finding an angle to sleep without touching the walls of the tent due to the odd shape of the floor. Our next tent will breathe better and be more spacious. |
| 1.3 liter titanium cooking pot |
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This is a great pot for boiling water and cooking simple meals. If weight is an issue, titanium can't be beat. |
| Bike Friday folding bicycle |
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This is a good commuting bike but I don't think it's cut out for touring. On our longer rides my body would feel beat up because the small wheels don't absorb road vibrations very well. The long cable routing adds more friction. By the end of our trip I switched by bar-end shifter from index to friction because the shifting just wasn't happening. Also my front brake calipers wouldn't spring open all the way after braking. To stop the brake from rubbing my rim I'd have to pry the calipers open with my hand. When the front rack isn't loaded down the steering is uncomfortably twitchy. Amazingly, the bike performed well during high speed descents. The small wheels also make off-road riding nearly impossible, or at least utterly jarring. When shopping for a touring bike, follow the keep it simple stupid (k.i.s.s.) motto. |
| Pedallers Paradise cycling guide to New Zealand |
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This is the touring cyclist's Bible in New Zealand. Almost every cyclist we met carried these guidebooks. |
| Ortlieb panniers |
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Orliebs are wonderful. Even during utter downpours all of gear stayed dry in the panniers. My one complaint is that the newer front roller plus panniers with the Cordura fabric don't shed water as well as the PVC front roller classics. After one rainstorm I had to hang dry my front roller plus panniers because they were dripping wet. These panniers are nearly perfect. |
| Orikaso folding tableware |
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These folding plates and bowls are ingenious. I like simple things, and you can't get any simpler than this. |
| Nikon D100, 24 f/2.8, 85 f/1.8 camera kit |
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In digital years this camera is ancient, a relic even, but it continues to work. The jpeg files are clean and the skin tones are pretty accurate, although the photos come out a little too cool for my taste. I love this camera kit but it weighs a ton and switching lenses can be a drag. Most people will be perfectly happy with a point-and-shoot. I'm tempted to get one myself for the next trip. |
| Apple 12-inch Powerbook |
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Despite riding over rough pavement and some jarring dirt roads, despite falling out of a car door twice, despite being a potential target for theft, the little laptop that could survived our trip. Bringing a laptop during a tour is asking for trouble, but if you take precautions little lappy can stay happy and functional. The laptop was kept in a pannier of its own, snug inside a laptop case. We used it to check the weather and to tone our photos in Photoshop and to bring you this blog during the trip. I can't say enough good things about Macs. |
| Merino wool clothing |
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Merino wool is expensive but is so much better than polypro or cotton, which stink to high heaven if worn for just a couple of days without washing. I brought one lightweight wool t-shirt to use for hiking and general non-cycling use. If you use Merino wool clothes you can really minimize how much clothing you need to pack. It's a natural miracle fiber. |
