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Bicycle camping combines best of two worlds
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If you love camping, you may well be one of the many people who also enjoys bicycles and long bike rides. Why not combine the best of two worlds and take a bicycle camping trip?
If you've done this before, you're aware of the fun a well-planned bicycle camping trip can be. If you haven't tried such a trip yet -- why not?? (Okay, there was that idea a buddy of mine and I had when we were sophomores in high school. We were going to do a bicycle camping trip one summer from southwestern Idaho to Yellowstone National Park. We were only 15 and our parents grimaced at the thought of large semi-trucks crowding us off highways. They vetoed our plan. ALWAYS seek parental guidance for such brainstorms.)
You can find some wonderful resources both online and offline for planning such trips, and for buying quality bicycles suitable for any trip you plan. There are also a wide variety of great lightweight tents and sleeping bags available for cyclists. Plan your trip, the supplies you'll need, and shop carefully to get exactly the right stuff for a solid bicycle camping experience.
1. Your bicycle -- Look for something sturdy and reliable. Depending on the miles you'll be traveling and the terrain you wish to cover, you will probably want either a touring or road bike, or if you're seriously off-roading, a good mountain bike. As with any long cycling trip, or any cycling involving off-road terrain, spend your money on something reliable, and simplest may even be best. If you're going with multi-speeds (and you certainly will), pay special attention to the most "break-able" parts and get something with quality, reliable derailleurs, cables, and tires.
2. Your bicycle equipment -- Remember, this is a cycling trip as well as a camping trip. Don't overlook the obvious: a quality tool kit for maintaining and repairing your bike, as well as spare tires/tubes/chain/cables. While a bicycle camping trip can be great, exciting fun, a "bicycle walking tour" along the side of a road to the nearest town to repair the bike absolutely ISN'T fun. And, of course, no serious cyclists forget to bring along water, do they?
3. Your camping gear -- For a bicycle camping trip, you MUST think "light." Include the basics, a tent, a groundcloth, some rope and some tent stakes, and a good sleeping bag. Unless this is a very short trip and you're planning on eating meals in restaurants or fast-food joints (not many of those in the woods, though, are there?), you'll need minimal cooking equipment. Include some water beyond that in a water bottle or canteen, i.e., a water jug of some sort if possible.
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