What have you taken on tour and later wished you hadn't?

[John Nettles]

I will take an extra folding tire in my pannier as insurance. It's well worth the weight and bulk to me. I've had an unrideable slashed tire from glass two miles from home on a ride before and had to call for a ride. I won't have anybody to call.

Consider just taking a tire boot or two.  Much lighter and less bulky

[froze]

I will take an extra folding tire in my pannier as insurance. It's well worth the weight and bulk to me. I've had an unrideable slashed tire from glass two miles from home on a ride before and had to call for a ride. I won't have anybody to call.

Consider just taking a tire boot or two.  Much lighter and less bulky

That's what I think too, I carry boots with me, but what happens if by chance the bead gets damaged?  But then what's the chance of that happening?  I did once have a tread peel off the casing like a bad retread, no boot would fix that, but again the chances of that happening again are probably zero, and it wasn't a robust touring tire, just a standard road tire.

[davidbonn]

Again there is a sliding scale on what you might need depending on how self contained you need to be and the availability of decent bike shops on or near your route.  Arguably you'd take a lot more spares that would be considered ridiculous if you were crossing central Asia or Africa.

I take a tire boot, and a 5 Euro note is a perfect (if expensive) tire boot in a pinch.  In more isolated conditions I might take a heavy curved needle and kite string and a small bottle of shoe goo, which can help patch up a substantial rip in a tire.

[froze]

Again there is a sliding scale on what you might need depending on how self contained you need to be and the availability of decent bike shops on or near your route.  Arguably you'd take a lot more spares that would be considered ridiculous if you were crossing central Asia or Africa.

I take a tire boot, and a 5 Euro note is a perfect (if expensive) tire boot in a pinch.  In more isolated conditions I might take a heavy curved needle and kite string and a small bottle of shoe goo, which can help patch up a substantial rip in a tire.

I like your style!  That's the thing that a lot of people that go on tours start to overthink stuff, what if that happens or this happens?  In fact, from thinking about this and reading this stuff, I've concluded I'm not going to take a spare.  I use Schwalbe Almotion tires, their second most robust tire they make for road touring, and I went with that tire because it is over 400 grams lighter than their most robust and what they call flat-free tire, even then I got a bit paranoid and put a pair of Clear Motion Rhinodillos tire liners, but they only weigh 95 grams so I'm still at least 300 grams less per tire than their most robust model.  But I just use a standard tube, no thorn tubes because they weigh a lot and do nothing.  I'll look into getting a curved needle and a small roll of dental floss, but not sure even then if I would ever need something like that, but it would be a lot lighter than a spare tire!

Thanks for the info, it saved me from some anxiety!  LOL!!  Mostly it saved me some weight.

[neilbrew]

I'm just glad that I didn't divulge that in one pannier I'm taking my George Foreman Grill and in the other my Jack LaLanne Power Juicer. 

[davidbonn]

... I'm taking my George Foreman Grill ...

Well sometimes on shorter trips, especially with a group, I'll take one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-Grill-Stainless-Strength-Expedition/dp/B06XTZ6MXD/ref=asc_df_B06XTZ6MXD/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=216514765124&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7350763961358015307&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033655&hvtargid=pla-353937555097&psc=1&mcid=8a973ce356463415b9352db75654e544&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqsitBhDlARIsAGMR1RjJhP1r00IUjXq8VuSSE20dkF6uSLuRmr2VfjDYPblm2AzZCKD_hx8aAhLjEALw_wcB

[davidbonn]

How about first aid kits?  I know a lot of people don't carry them.  And it is a piece of gear that in all probability you won't need on your trip.  On the other hand, if you do need it you'll need it badly.

I carry one of these augmented with some more roller gauze:

https://mymedic.com/products/cycling-super-lite-med-pack

[John Nettles]

How about first aid kits?  I know a lot of people don't carry them.  And it is a piece of gear that in all probability you won't need on your trip.  On the other hand, if you do need it you'll need it badly.

I carry one of these augmented with some more roller gauze:

https://mymedic.com/products/cycling-super-lite-med-pack

I created my own kit.  Several island dressings (great because they are super flexible and can get in the shower), some iodine swap sticks, some absorbent gauze, a few bandages, GOOD tweezers, some alcohol wipes, triple antibiotic, and some Imodium and various Rx of various antibiotic & OTC pain pills.  Mind you, I am immunosuppressed due to a transplant but this all fits into a 4x6x1.5 box and weighs about 1 pound.  This kit is more to deal with semi-minor injuries and illnesses but for anything major like a broken bone or major laceration, I would have to hitch a ride. Oh yea, don't forget a small tube of clindamycin for butt rash and tolnaftate for athlete's foot.

[staehpj1]

How about first aid kits?  I know a lot of people don't carry them.  And it is a piece of gear that in all probability you won't need on your trip.  On the other hand, if you do need it you'll need it badly.

I carry one of these augmented with some more roller gauze:

https://mymedic.com/products/cycling-super-lite-med-pack

By the time you need it badly you probably need outside assistance or more than any of the little kits contain.   The kits are really not going to be much help in a real life threatening situation with the exception someone having a need for an epi pen or needing bleeding stopped.  The kits don't contain an epi pen unless you add it and stopping bleeding can be done with stuff you have on hand and then you want outside assistance.  If we are talking about road touring that is typically pretty readily available.

I have carried an approximately 2 ounce kit that contains:

• 12 ibuprofen
• 12 benedryl
• 4 large gauze pads
• a few bandaids
• several sheets of steri strips
• some duct tape

I'd add an epi pen if someone had a particular need.  Splints, tourniquets, or major dressings can be improvised in an extreme case, but outside help is likely going to be critical.

I consider my little kit, mostly a comfort item more than a real get out of trouble item.  I really doubt it would be a lifesaving item other than  maybe the benedryl or possibly the duct tape.

[froze]

How about first aid kits?  I know a lot of people don't carry them.  And it is a piece of gear that in all probability you won't need on your trip.  On the other hand, if you do need it you'll need it badly.

I carry one of these augmented with some more roller gauze:

https://mymedic.com/products/cycling-super-lite-med-pack

I also made my own, far cheaper than those premade jobs, small, nothing major, if I'm that badly injured I won't be able to do much anyway!  This stuff I take when I tour or do bike camping:

6 alcohol pads
1 roll of clear surgical tape
2 small butterfly stitches
2 larger butterfly stitch
6 1 1/2" band-aids
10 2 1/2" band-aids
1  1 /1/2 x 2" Band-Aid
2  2 x 2s gauze pads
the above stuff is in a small zip lock bag which is then stuffed into a smallish weather-resistant plastic box about 3x5x3/4
new tube of superglue
small scissors with a nail clipper in one
tweezers with a small magnifying glass and a small light
2 small spray tubes of insect repellant
1 small roll-on tube of Benadryl itch relief
various pills for headaches, body aches, diarrhea, plus a couple of meds.

On my regular bike I don't carry much, a couple of band-aids and superglue.

[davidbonn]

That first aid kit I linked to is on sale for $12.  You couldn't buy all the individual pieces in the kit at that price at the drugstore.

What I've added on top of that kit are two or three more rolls of roller gauze (https://www.amazon.com/Sterile-Rolled-Gauze/s?k=Sterile+Rolled+Gauze) and a roll of decent athletic tape (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=athletic+tape&crid=2VFYMAIYGOKR7&sprefix=athletic%2Caps%2C396&ref=nb_sb_noss_2).  The athletic tape is good because it is more breathable and works more or less painlessly even on hairy bodies.

Also if you have a bit of training the "quikclot" hemostatic gauze is expensive but can be worthwhile and has a very long shelf life.

I also carry what I call a "personal comfort kit" that typically has lip balm, sunscreen, ibuprofen, wet wipes, &c in a tiny ziploc bag.

There used to be a free online self-paced first aid class offered by the Red Cross but I can no longer find it.  It is worth it to take a decent first aid class and skills weigh less than any actual gadgetry you can carry.

[hikerjer]

Can of Halt, Leatherman tool. Both were generally useless weight.

This somewhat surprises me. I can see the uselessness of a can of halt, but I find a Leatherman invaluable.  The pliers come in extremely handy in many cases and I use the knife almost very day. The Philips and regulars screw drivers come in handy on occasion. But each to his own.

[froze]

Can of Halt, Leatherman tool. Both were generally useless weight.

This somewhat surprises me. I can see the uselessness of a can of halt, but I find a Leatherman invaluable.  The pliers come in extremely handy in many cases and I use the knife almost very day. The Philips and regulars screw drivers come in handy on occasion. But each to his own.

I think a Leatherman is overkill for a bicycle.  My mini-tool has all the tools that a Leatherman would have except for the pliers, and it weighs less, so I have a separate small folding pair of pliers for that which came with a pair of scissors which are very handy to have...but when I went to look for it just now, which is my saddlebag, the saddlebag is missing off my bike?  I never remove it because I have saddlebags for each bike, just move things from one bag to another if I need something in one that's not another.  So I'll have to wait for it to warm up a big more and go into the garage and clean up and see if by chance it's somewhere other than where it's supposed to be.

I use a separate knife, I don't particularly care for the one that came with the mini-tool, so I carry a CIVIVI Baby Banter, it's not the most expensive knife in the world, but things can get lost when bike camping, so I didn't want to lose a $400 knife, so my budget was under $75, had to be resistant to corrosion since it was going to be used outside and with all sorts of food; I got it in red so it would stand out if it fell onto grass, it had to be small and lightweight, and very sharp plus stay that way, that CIVIVI knife was made of Nitro V steel, suppose to be highly resistant to corrosion, and the best part was, it cost under $55!  SOLD!  I'm not a knife/steel expert, but after reading a lot on the internet that one seemed the best for the money that I could find, and so far it's worked out great for this last season.  I don't hammer on it, or chop wood, though I can whittle wood shavings to help start a fire.  Never heard of the brand before but they are made in America...well at least the steel is, not sure about the rest of the components, you know how today's world is.   

[davidbonn]

I carry an old leatherman Micra that has pliers and not scissors like the newer ones.

Sometimes I carry the smallest Knipex adjustable wrench/pliers, because they are much better pliers than the leatherman and also double as a wrench (and a quite good one) when you need it.

[davidbonn]

Oh, on knives, I usually carry a cheap ($10) kitchen knife from Wal-Mart or Target.  That knife is practical for slicing apples and avocados and is easily replaced if anything goes wrong with it.  They typically include a sheath which makes it practical and easy to store the knife.

When I think about it, it has been years since I went on a tour and carried an extra tire.