First Major Tour Advice

[Aerohip]

Hi guys, next April I will be buying my Surly LHT and will do some overnight and long weekend Touring next Summer. I plan on Touring the US in 2015(I'm in Canada)I'm not sure what I'll be spending each day. I will camp and use Warmshowers alot, but is $20-$30 per day for food acceptable? How long could I go with around $10,000? Would that last a year? Or perhaps see the US for 6 Months then go to Europe for a few Months?

[mbattisti]

Are you planning to prepare all or some of your meals? 

[WonderMonkey]

You should spend a bunch of time leading up to your trip learning to prepare food that you carry.  Pick food that you can restock while on the road.  Additionally many like to use Subway for meals as they aren't horrible for you and they even have some extra sodium in the bread.  I feel that $20-$30 per day in food is reasonable even if you factor in the cost of fuel if you use a stove once a day.

[Aerohip]

Are you planning to prepare all or some of your meals?

Probably a little of both. Mostly preparing my own but I wouldn't mind having a good meal at a restaurant once in awhile too:)

[WonderMonkey]

Are you planning to prepare all or some of your meals?

Probably a little of both. Mostly preparing my own but I wouldn't mind having a good meal at a restaurant once in awhile too:)

That is what many do.

[John Nelson]

is $20-$30 per day for food acceptable? How long could I go with around $10,000? Would that last a year?

On the TransAm, I got by on $14 a day for food, eating about half out of grocery stores and half in cafes. Budgeting for 3 months is easier than budgeting for a year. For long tours, you're more likely to need bike repairs, you're more likely to incur transportation costs, you're more likely to incur medical costs, you're more likely to need replacement equipment. The cost of these things can vary over a large range, so are hard to predict.

In general, you can stretch your money a lot farther in second and third world countries.

Many people who go for extended tours are flexible and just see how far they get on the money they have, and then return home when they're down to plane fare.

[pptouring]

Hi guys, next April I will be buying my Surly LHT and will do some overnight and long weekend Touring next Summer. I plan on Touring the US in 2015(I'm in Canada)I'm not sure what I'll be spending each day. I will camp and use Warmshowers alot, but is $20-$30 per day for food acceptable? How long could I go with around $10,000? Would that last a year? Or perhaps see the US for 6 Months then go to Europe for a few Months?

Currently we have been traveling since March of this year. Started in Florida, rode to DC, then flew to Madrid. Since landing in Spain, we have been to Morocco, Spain, Gibraltar, Spain, Portugal, Spain, France, England, Scotland, and now in Germany with family. Here is what we can tell you.

1. Don't count on Warmshowers because you may not be hosted.
2. Camping is the best way to stretch your budget. Wild camping is even better!
3. Camping in Portugal & France is cheap(er) and very good. In Scotland, you can pretty much wild camp anywhere you want. England and Spain camping can be fairly expensive. In the U.S. you are allowed to wild/primitive camp on all National Forest land (not to be confused with National Parks).
4. Your $10k should be fine for a year unless this includes airfare and travel medical insurance. Airfare to Europe with bike and gear will probably cost you $1000 - $1500. We paid just over $2k for 2 one way flights (including bikes) to Madrid and we also paid close to $2k for one year of travel medical insurance. Be prepared to cook and/or make your own meals because eating/drinking out adds up fast. Also, forget about buying bottled water, drink from the tap.   
5. Somebody mentioned replacing parts and gear. This depends on how new your gear is when you leave. We have already gone through two Thermarest air mats, a cracked crank arm spindle, and one split rim. However, all these items were still under warranty and we got them replaced for free.
6. Worse case scenario is that you run out of money before the year is up, but you still had a blast while it lasted.

What parts of Europe are you thinking? Over the past few years, we have bike toured through Czech, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Germany, and most recently the ones mentioned above.

Also, have you heard of HelpX.net? If not check it out because it's a great way for you to extend your travel budget too. 

Our helpx experience ->  http://pedalpowertouring.com/tours/europe/united-kingdom/first-helpx-experience/

If you have any questions feel free to ask and maybe we can help.

[bogiesan]

Wild camping can often mean your water supply is a stream or a tank. You might want to carry an active, pump-style water filter, some purification tablets and maybe a gravity filter system. You drink the local water at your peril, not necessarily because of micro-organisms, although there's a huge risk to making life miserable for two or three weeks or your tour very short, but to help remove trace elements your digestive system has never encountered. The tablets will only work on organisms. Boiling water does not remove trace contaminants.

You can research the cleanliness and sanitation level of municipal water supplies on the interwebs, just takes a bit of looking.

[pptouring]

Wild camping can often mean your water supply is a stream or a tank.

8 months on the road and we have yet to drink from a stream and/or a tank (whatever a tank is).

Here's a tip. Buy a MSR Dromedary or whatever you like that holds water and top it off before setting up camp. You'll have plenty of water to cook with, wash your dishes, and make coffee in the morning.


 

You might want to carry an active, pump-style water filter, some purification tablets and maybe a gravity filter system.

Not a bad idea. We are carrying a Katadyn Hiker Pro pump, tablets, Steripen, and water drops and have only used the Steripen once in Morocco, other than that the rest is packed away nicely.


 

You drink the local water at your peril, not necessarily because of micro-organisms, although there's a huge risk to making life miserable for two or three weeks or your tour very short, but to help remove trace elements your digestive system has never encountered. The tablets will only work on organisms. Boiling water does not remove trace contaminants.

Again 8 months on the road and all has been ok so far.

You can research the cleanliness and sanitation level of municipal water supplies on the interwebs, just takes a bit of looking.

Sure!?!

Look you will be fine traveling throughout the U.S. and all of Europe. Their water is fine. We have filled our bottles and MSR Dromedary from small town fountains (very common in Spain & Portugal), bar taps,  faucets on the outside of houses and buildings, water hoses, graveyards (yes graveyards because the flowers need water), public bathroom sinks, playground drinking fountains, people's homes, fire stations, convenient stores/gas stations, and many places that we have forgotten about.