One this trip I'll be “tour-testing” several recent purchases. However, I always test these items on shorter local trips first to make sure I’m not left high and dry by some worthless piece of crap. I also make it a point to look beyond the cycling community for potential new items… touring cyclists seem to be a forgotten market outside of the immediate genre.
A Crank Brothers 19 multi-tool - http://www.crankbrothers.com/multi19.php is going to replace my Park tool multi-tool; not much of risk taken here. These are widely accepted as an outstanding tool. Mind you that there is nothing wrong with the Park tool, I simply needed a second tool for my mountain bike, and I thought I’d give Crank brothers a try. So I’ve relegated the park tool to the seat wedge of my mountain bike.
For my mp3 player and mobile phone I’m trying the Sidewinder dynamo charger - http://www.modernoutpost.com/gear/details/is_sidewinder.php . This is an ultra light hand cranked charger that will charge most cell phones. I've continued using an outdated iRiver player because it uses standard AA batteries. The trouble with Ipods and their clones is that you must rely either a computer USB or an ac outlet to charge them. I found an Insignia mp3 player with an 8 gig capacity at Bestbuy that has an mini-usb charging port. This is compatible with the Sidewinder and also with a Sunlinq Solar Panel.
The Sunlinq Solar Panel - http://www.21st-century-goods.com/page/21st/PROD/GSE65 will not only charge personal electronics, but also rechargeable batteries, and will even act as a trickle charger on car, motorcycle, and marine batteries. At a mere 7 ounces for the Sunlinq and just over an ounce for the Sidewinder, I’m hoping these two items will increase my self-reliance without adding much weight to my overall kit.
I am most excited about my Luxurylite Cot - http://www.luxurylite.com/ . At only two pounds it actually weighs less than my Ortlieb self-inflating pad! While self-inflating pads are a mainstay of touring cyclists, I have never really slept well on one. To me the term “self-inflating pad” seems like two exaggerations strung together!
When I brought the Luxurylite cot camping with me last fall and I was THRILLED!! It kept me off the ground and it was extremely comfortable. My only concern is that if this thing fails in Australia, I am literally sleeping on the ground… However, when I contacted Luxurylite with my concerns, Bruce reminded me that all his items are unconditionally guaranteed. But to further allay my fears he also generously offered to sell me an additional factory 2nd cot cover at a huge discount, so I think I’ll be ok.
As I mentioned previously, I’m upgrading several of my components to alleviate the need for a number of tools and lubricants. These include:
Phil Wood tandem hubs -
Phil Wood bottom bracket with stainless steel spindle - http://www.philwood.com/
Chris King threadless headset - http://www.chrisking.com/
Finally, because I’m sick of piecing together rapidly disintegrating handlebar tape with electrical tape and duct tape, I’ve switched to Brooks leather handlebar Tape - http://www.wallbike.com/brooks/brookshandlebartape.html . It’s a bit expensive, but I hope that like their saddles it’ll prove just plain tough and reliable.
