11th Hour Gear Changes & Packing Tips for a Bike Tour

Schwalbe tubes (SV19 for my 29er and SV13 for the Troll) have removable cores, and a couple of squirts of Stan’s in the tubes should head off any small thorn punctures (theoretically, of course).

Platypus 2-liter water bottles pack up very small and are very lightweight. Water can be tricky when in certain areas, so one of these and a small packable backpack should add some extra capacity.

Somebody messaged me the other day on Facebook asking where we got our map of Costa Rica. International Travel Maps are always key for the big picture. Most are waterproof coated.

The Garmin eTrex 20 is the cheaper alternative for a GPS aid. I wash’t planning on using a GPS; I prefer to rely on maps and advice from locals, but there are some big spaces in Africa and Tracks4Africa looks like a promising base map for finding some good dirt.

I had planned on bringing a windscreen/Clickstand combo with my Trangia spirit burner, but decided last minute to get this Vargo Titanium wood burner. It doubles as a windscreen and a stand; plus it can burn wood if/when we are low on fuel.

Stashing spare spokes in the seat tube (2 for each wheel) is done by punching them through some scrap foam.

This Sea to Summit Traveling Light Mesh Garment bag (M) fits all of my clothing and slides into the saddlebag perfectly.

I whipped up this DIY tool roll to accommodate a smaller custom tool kit.

A few wraps of Gorilla Tape around the Topeak Mountain Morph pump provides a necessary travel companion for on the go repairs. Last time I took half a roll which took up more space… I heard this pointer somewhere along the way.

My new Bunyan Velo wool hat and the soft bottle holder for extra water storage on the handlebars.