Touring tips?

[Dudeofrude]

And a job.....to pay off the credit card.  Some poor old pensioners have to camp. It's that, or stay at home.(Cue the  violins).

[Hedgetrimmer]

I took a Post Office Travel Money card, well topped up, and my normal debit card to Europe. I found sometimes the PO card wasn't accepted by toll machines or petrol station card machines, less often the same happened with the debit card. Always got one of them to work though. But, first chance I got, I withdrew some cash at a cashpoint for contingency. It might be worth telling your bank that you are going, so they don't stop your card when you try to use it. Didn't work very well with my bank, as they wanted dates for when I'd be where, and most of the trip was a wing it job, so I couldn't say for sure. But I had no problems with them on that, and I will inform them this time as well.

[Grayo]

I always carry a Santander Zero credit card (Mastercard) as there are no foreign transaction charges (saves me a small fortune in charges), and one of these in case of punctures.
http://www.sportouring.co.uk/shop/gift-ideas/dynaplug-ultralite-puncture-repair-kit/

[Hedgetrimmer]

I always carry a Santander Zero credit card (Mastercard) as there are no foreign transaction charges (saves me a small fortune in charges)

Yeah, that's why I got the PO travel money card. Oh well, it did save me a bit when it did work 

[lew600fazer]

I took a Post Office Travel Money card, well topped up, and my normal debit card to Europe. I found sometimes the PO card wasn't accepted by toll machines or petrol station card machines, less often the same happened with the debit card. Always got one of them to work though. But, first chance I got, I withdrew some cash at a cashpoint for contingency. It might be worth telling your bank that you are going, so they don't stop your card when you try to use it. Didn't work very well with my bank, as they wanted dates for when I'd be where, and most of the trip was a wing it job, so I couldn't say for sure. But I had no problems with them on that, and I will inform them this time as well.

Just tell your bank you are going for 3months or whatever you feel like telling them , when you get home just tell them you came back early.

[john roche]

If you get a new tent put it up in the garden & turn the hose pipe on to test it. If it leaks take it back.


Take holy socks, pants, T shirts that you can just about get away with wearing. Dump them when they're dirty & use the space to bring back a bottle or 3 


Cheers


John

[vinnyb]

 Take the car and find a nice hotel. You'll have a much better time when it rains all week.

[Bretty]

If riding from a cold wet climate (UK) to a hot dry climate (S France, Spain, Italy), consider buying separate body armour. (Back protector, shoulder, elbow pads and chest plates, held together with mesh). Then remove all the pads from your biker jacket and wear this underneath instead.


Then when your in the hot climate and red hot you can just wear the body armour with a t-shirt over the top. Safe and cool! :-)

[Oldgit]

Touring tips No 1:- don't go to North Korea

[Bretty]

If touring abroad, get a waterproof cover/pouch for your passport. Then no matter what happens and whatever the weather, you'll  still get home.


I got caught in a rain storm off the ferry when touring down through France last year.


I put my passport in my front trouser pocket and got wet through. I spent the last day of the holiday trying to seperate all the pages and remove all the crinkles.

[Hedgetrimmer]

If touring abroad, get a waterproof cover/pouch for your passport. Then no matter what happens and whatever the weather, you'll  still get home.


I got caught in a rain storm off the ferry when touring down through France last year.


I put my passport in my front trouser pocket and got wet through. I spent the last day of the holiday trying to seperate all the pages and remove all the crinkles.

I would think it would be pretty obvious that you'd want waterproof protection for all your important documents: passport, V5, insurance certificate etc. I also keep my wallet in a plastic bag in a jacket pocket, and camera likewise when I want it somewhere handy.
Kriega soft luggage proved waterproof for everything else, but I still gave clothing and electrical items in it extra protection just in case.


But do make sure any liquids you carry in your luggage are well wrapped up - chain lube all over your camping gear isn't ideal    (I'm not infallible  )

[Freck]

• Fool the local theives into thinking your bike has an expensive alarm fitted. Achieve this by waking hourly each night and sounding the horn for one minute at regular intervals.
• Beat the Credit card companies at their own game. Run up a massive bill on your credit card and then kill your self before the statement arrives, thus avoiding re-payment.
• Take plastic bags with you. They may come in useful and eventually you'll save the planet from destruction from over pollution eventually.

This thread is starting to sound like Viz's Top Tips 
http://viz.co.uk/category/top-tips/

[robbo]

I usually use zip lock sandwich bags for things like documents,wallet,mobile etc.If you lock your crash helmet to the bike then covering with a dustbin liner will keep the interior of the helmet dry.

[Simon.Pieman]

I always carry a Santander Zero credit card (Mastercard) as there are no foreign transaction charges (saves me a small fortune in charges), and one of these in case of punctures.
http://www.sportouring.co.uk/shop/gift-ideas/dynaplug-ultralite-puncture-repair-kit/

Practically all bank cards including the Santander Zero fleece you one way or another, either with monthly account fees, transaction fees or poor exchange rate. There is a new generation of card that is much better. I've been using the Resolut card and app for my last two tours of Asia and it offers no transaction charges or fees (up to 6 withdrawals a month, then its a quid) but where it really offers value is in the exchange rate because they use the inter bank rate. Over a month, spending about £700 this has saved me nearly £50 over my old Nationwide card.
Using the Resolut app on my ipad/phone it takes me 10 seconds to move funds from my bank to the card -for free, then the funds can be withdrawn from the atm or used in shops straight away. They also give you a spare card and you can deactivate or activate each card using the app in seconds if need be.
There are several cards like this now, but Resolut seems to be the best of the bunch (according to Moneysaving expert).

[Oldgit]

Touring tips No2 :- don't do secret escapes.

[Bretty]

Put a load of zip ties under your seat. They take up no space and can be used to do emergency repairs, splinting an Allen key to repair a broken brake, clutch or gear lever. Or for securing luggage or other bits of kit to the bike.

[Oldgit]

Touring Tip No3 :- Buy a map.

[Simon.Pieman]

If riding from a cold wet climate (UK) to a hot dry climate (S France, Spain, Italy), consider buying separate body armour. (Back protector, shoulder, elbow pads and chest plates, held together with mesh). Then remove all the pads from your biker jacket and wear this underneath instead.


Then when your in the hot climate and red hot you can just wear the body armour with a t-shirt over the top. Safe and cool! :-)

That's pretty much what I do. I arrived in Bali last week for a biking holiday after three weeks of working in extreme heat in Thailand only to find it's silly hot here, 42C.
 But, Ive come with my 'tropic' kit as i call it. I use Forcefield knee and elbow tubes in mesh with mx shorts by Fly. I wear a 'performance' T shirt over the top and vented gloves, boots are never compromised I always wear my adventure boots, hot or not. If I've a long ride on and it's only about 35C or below I wear a Macna mesh jacket. In this part of the world you unfortunately always have to wear a necktube under your helmet because of the traffic fumes,
 Some might say they would never wear a t shirt on a bike, but in super hot temperatures you'd could be asking for heat exhaustion or worse wearing a jacket, plus it's unpleasant.

[Simon.Pieman]

Put a load of zip ties under your seat. They take up no space and can be used to do emergency repairs, splinting an Allen key to repair a broken brake, clutch or gear lever. Or for securing luggage or other bits of kit to the bike.

Absolutely. I carry about a hundred in different sizes strapped together with an elastic band. Gorilla tape is another must have repair item.