A unique situation (SouthernTier).

[staehpj1]

I doubt you will find all that many Warmshowers hosts on the route.  There were only a handful on the TA and I would bet there are less on the ST.

It is nice to stay with a host once in a while, but don't expect it to be a frequent opportunity.

[JayH]

But it sounded like the OP wasn't going on any mapped routes (as he didn't want to shell out the money for the mapset). He could possibly with some planning (but planning is free) map out general routes to link up various hosts and then try to somewhat plan the trip accordingly.  With enough planning, I bet he could save a fairly good size of camping costs and still get the occasional shower via a host.  Stealth camp, then occasional warmshower host, occasion jumping in the local stream, or perhaps a wet nap bath (chinese rest. are good!)..

Jay

[staehpj1]

Yeah I agree to some extent.  Warm showers and stealth camping are good tools to have in the bag, but neither is very good as the primary strategy, IMO.  I found that we could find free places to camp most of the time without the need to stealth camp.  I also observed that warmshowers hosts are few and far between in the less populated parts of the country and the ST sounds like it is pretty sparsely populated most of the way.

Some acquaintances of mine used warmshowers on the TA, but it was pretty infrequent that they found a host that way.  I think they stayed with a warmshowers host 2 or 3 times the whole trip.  They got invites from chance encounters at least 3 times as often and stayed in city parks with showers at the community pool quite a bit too (as did we).

[Westinghouse]

Quite a few times, while cycling cross country, I came across country churches somewhat out in the middle of nowhere, or at least a few miles from the nearest houses and stores. Invariably these churches had at least an outside water faucet out back somewhere. Using a hose ot just my water bottle, I got showers that way. Be careful on Sunday mornings though. You never know when some of the congregation might show up.

[tonythomson]

Just thought I would jump in re bikes and their various qualities.  Not that I recomend this but while cycling across China a few years back came across this German guy - about 18 - who had flown into Beijing bought a local bike and set off across country. Had done about 1000ks his front wheel bearings were shot and the wheel was wobbling all over the place! The guy was almost blind and wore these really thick glasses and could not see to repair his bike.  I managed to patch it up for him.  I don't think he had washed either in all that time.  But he just carried on going.  I met up with him again some months later in Bankoc - agreed to share a room only if he had a shower!! Last I heard he was in Indonisea but had fallen off and broken his glasses so could see even less!!! Never heard from him again but he still had that old chinese bike cost around $20 new, so can be done cheap, but not for me.  Kermit (his nic name) where are you , probably lost.

[Westinghouse]

Where is Reminiscence? I suppose he got out there on his velocipede and forgot all about us.

Frankly, I would not want to tour long distance and loaded on a mountain type bike. I know people do it all the time, but not me.