Listicle prepping + What are some funny quandries you churn over?

[WildVirtue]

Planning for a cycle tour next summer and working through all those unanswerable quandries. Like for example on whether I should get an add-on e-bike kit, I figure the first big tour I do in a while I'll enjoy the fitness challenge more for me if I don't have the distraction of knowing at times I could just let the e-motor do the work for zero effort, as well as trying to ration for not knowing when I'll reach the next charging station. But it's all a guessing game as I'll never know what other experiences I would have had with the e-bike kit that might have changed my philosophy on the whole trip.

So what are some temporary goals and hypothesis you're churning over about how to live a meaningful life for you? Maybe we can spark something similar in each others sub-consciousness. Here's what I've got so far for my next trip:

Events

• Do street food distribution and advocacy
• Do animal rights street advocacy with slaughterhouse footage
• Bare witness to the animals soon to be killed outside slaughterhouses
• Gleaning food to politicize food waste
• Go along to philosophy discussion groups
• Do wildlife habitat restoration
• Sabotage the bloodsport of running down foxes with dogs
• Go along to open mic nights & street festivals

Goals

• Collect food and tat to distribute through Food not Bombs, Real Junk Food Projects, Foodbanks and Freegle
• Discuss/advocate total liberation philosophy
• Help restore wildlife habitat and save some foxes
• Distribute, swap & collect movement leaflets & zines
• Listen to tons of audiobooks and podcasts through boneshaker headphones & read back over sections on an e-book at night
• Go wild swimming, caving & hiking
• See live music and swap mp3 libraries
• Participate in outdoor sports & games e.g. chess in the park, ping-pong parlors, cards with strangers, kabaddi & volleyball

Hypotheses for creative writing

• #1: It will be easier on the road to get enjoyment from study, so long as I don’t reach a point where I only want to speed read volumes.
• #2: The expense of not being able to spend as much time organizing in one place and to a timeschedule will be made up for in the quantity of people I can gather grassroots knowledge from and establish intellectual connections with.
• #3: It would be worth sharing free food with strangers that contain animal products, but it wouldn't be worth hunting/fishing to extend the length of the trip.

Baggage

• Touring bike, helmet, repair kit/materials/tools, lock & lights
• Pannier racks, one wheel trailer, bottle cage & gadget holders
• Bikepacking, pannier, trailer & roll-top dry bags
• Water bladder, filter bottle, first aid kit & iodine
• Wallet, sleeping bag, head torch, clothing, neck tube & toiletries
• Tent + mat, hammock or bivvy bag
• Lighter, stove, stove repair kit, pan, spork, knife, tupperware & condiments
• 128GB mp3 player with radio capability, phone, gps bike computer & hard drive
• Dynamo bike charger
• Bone shaker headphones or helmet/handlebar speakers & e-book
• Zip locks, passport, journal + pens, sunglasses, spare batteries, sunblock, moisturizer, lip balm, insect repellent, travel towel & earplugs
• Playing cards, ping pong bats + balls & 3 in 1 travel chess set
• Hardcopy leaflets, periodicals, zines & books

Hard drive

• Watching
• Podcasts
• Musica
• Books
• Zines
• Periodicals

 

[WildVirtue]

What are some resources people would like to see mapped?

Every time I walk the dog I wish farmers would have mapped which field their animals were in so I could plan which way to go and be able to let the dog off to have fun chasing squirrels. So what are some of your most absurd idealistic niche map ideas and what are some some simple community map ideas you have. Bonus points if it's something I could work into my travel prepping.

Here's what I'm researching at the moment:


UK Cycle Touring in Solidarity; A How To - #1 Travel Prepping

(Locations & Events are ordered by necessity to the trip, not necessarily the main meaningful activity involved in participating.)


Permanent Locations

Eating:
• Dumpster Diving & Foraging
• Real Junk Food Projects
• Sikh Temples

Sleeping:
• Wild camping beauty spots
• Food & board for good work
• Couchsurfing
• Mountain huts
• Traveller sites

Washing:
• Wild swimming spots
• Public Showers

Organising:
• Public charging stations
• Free Wifi

Volunteering:
• Freecycling
• Pick your own gardens
• Foodbanks
• Animal Sanctuaries
• Mountain/Cave Rescue Training

Studying:
• Activist Centres
• Zine libraries
• Book libraries
• Museums
• Art galleries
• Radio Ranges

Exploring:
• Caves
• Urban Exploration

Game Playing:
• Ping-pong parlors
• Chess in the park
• Volleyball
• Petanque
• Basketball


Event Locations

Eating:
• Food Not Bombs food distribution and political advocacy
• People's Kitchen
• Foraging group walks
• Field greaning days to politicize food waste
• Farm work days
• Allotment Club work days

Travel:
• Cycle Club Rides
• Free Bus Routes

Exploring:
• Hiking group meets
• Wild swimming group swims

Activism:
• Animal rights advocacy with slaughterhouse footage
• Wildlife habitat restoration
• Sabotaging the blood-sport of running down foxes with dogs
• Baring witness to the animals soon to be killed outside slaughterhouses

Studying:
• Philosophy discussion groups
• Book Clubs
• Writing Groups

Entertainment:
• Festivals & Gatherings
• Open mic nights
• Music tours

Game playing:
• Kabaddi group meets


Other map ideas for a different trip

• Hitchhiking spots and gatherings - HitchWiki
• Boat Hitching locations and travel dates - FindACrew
• Train hopping yard locations and timetables - StP Library
• Long distance ski routes and groups.

 

[MetalBryan]

I really hate to derail the excitement and wonder with boring practical advice but as a former bike mechanic I don’t advise having mission-critical gear on long trips that can’t be maintained. If your e-bike system breaks down it either needs to be repaired or disabled.

In your list you’ll want to expand on what “repair kit/material/tools” you’ll need. Going deep enough into the wild would add things as bulky as a spare rim to some friends lists, for example. There are better mechanics out there but I guess the point that I’m trying to make is that my advice when making lists is to make them specific.

If your travels take you to Washington DC hit me up so I can arrange you a proper food not bombs introduction.🥔🥖🥬🍎

 

[WildVirtue]

Thanks Bryan, happy to get your take on a fuller list. I'm still using a mountain bike atm as I'm saving up and looking out for a good second hand touring bike, so I expect this list to change to the bike I end up settling on also:

Basic toolkit:
Fold-up hex wrench screwdriver, pump, tire leavers & puncture repair, chain lube, gorilla tape & cable ties.

Extended toolkit:
Cassette tool, crank extractor, bottom bracket tool, adjustable spanner, 10/12mm hex key for Shimano freehub removal, strips of inner tube rubber, hose clamp, electrical terminal block.

Basic spares:
Inner-tube, chain links, brake shoes/pads, 3x spokes (rear drive-side, rear non-drive-side, front).

Extended spares:
Another inner-tube, spare chain, gear cable set (inner/outer/ferrules), brake cable set, hub/headset/bottom bracket bearings, canister of grease.

The e-bike story was just to explain the kind of thought process I was going through, but that I decided against it in the end. And sorry not in the US, I'm eurotrash aha, but hopefully one day, will get to the canary islands and hitch a lift from there

 

[Deleted member 13433]

This is possibly one of the most inspirational things I have read in a long long time, and comes at a good moment in my life, as once I turn 55 in a couple of weeks or so, I'm looking to start a bit of a journey myself, although not like yours.... but not too far off base either.

Actually, the path I'd be taking would be quite boring compared to what you are setting out to do, but the path which I will be taking will be very beneficial to my well-being, and to those that I may come in contact with.

I could go on and on, but I must feed my animals and get my day going, but I'll be re-reading your initial two posts here for quite sometime to come.

Good Luck !!

Your journey is definately a noble one, for the right reasons.... and will have much impact.

Cheers......

Big George + Loki the Dog

 

[WildVirtue]

I’ve finished for the most part building 2 large spreadsheets of resources that can be found using a simple gps navigator. The idea being a GPS navigator will have the advantage over a smart phone of having a long battery life and not relying on internet access.

I made this for my planned cycle tour, but it should be useful to others who are travelling or as a resource for things happening local to you. It may also provoke ideas for projects in your own area.

Click the links below to see:

• Travel Resources
• Travel Resources by UK Area

I also plan to print a series of pamphlets seperated by areas of the UK to have and distribute as back up hard copies.

-

Examples of information gathered:

Examples from the 10s of 1000s of locations grid referenced & postcoded on the spreadsheet for easy finding.

Dumpster Diving & Foraging

• Apple – 1072
• Blackberry – 440
• Plum – 244
• Dumpster (edible) – 241
• Cherry – 226
• Elderberry – 169
• Pear – 163
• Blackthorn – 162
• Cherry plum – 96
• Hazel – 80
• Community garden – 75
• Walnut – 75
• Raspberry – 72
• Sweet chestnut – 65

Real Junk Food Projects

• The Real Junk Food Project (Leeds)
  • TRJFP Ripon – Wholemeal Cafe
  • Food Revival
  • The Outback Community Kitchen & Garden
  • Golden Lion Todmorden
• The Real Junk Food Project Doncaster
• Food Works Sheffield
  • Citrus Café at Zest
• Fur Clemt (Wigan)
  • Fur Clemt Tyldesley
  • Fur Clemt Stubshaw Cross
• Open Kitchen MCR
• The Real Junk Food Project Wolverhampton
  • St Wilfrid’s Community Centre
  • St Germain’s Church
  • Harborne Baptist Church
• Winson Green – Sharehouse: The Real Junk Food Project Birmingham
  • The Hub – Hodge Hill
  • Ladywood Health and Community Centre
  • Hobs Moat
  • Kings Heath Community Centre
  • Kings Heath All Saints Centre
• The Real Junk Food Project Coventry
• Real Junk Food Project Brighton – Bevendean Food Hub
  • Hollingdean Community Centre
  • St Luke’s Church, 64 Old Shoreham Road
  • One Church, Gloucester Place
  • St John The Baptist
• The Real Junk Food Project South Coast
  • Faiths Church
  • Buckland Community Centre
  • Rowner Family Centre
  • Eco Freaks Emporium
• EATS Rosyth Community Hub
• The Real Junk Food Project Glasgow
• Refugee Community Kitchen

Food and Board for Good Work

• WWOOF
• HelpX
• info
• Diggers and Dreamers

Showers

• Road Services
• Campsites
• Sports Centres
• Train Stations
• Council Toilets
• Coach Stations

Animal Sanctuaries

• Upper Severn
  • Farm Animal Rescue Sanctuary
  • The Farm Animal Sanctuary
  • Hillfields Animal Sanctuary
• Lower Central
  • Helicopter Ears
• Upper East Coast
  • Hillside Animal Sanctuary
• Lower East Coast
  • Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary
• The South-East
  • Friend Animal Rescue
  • Folly Wildlife Rescue Trust

Radio Ranges

• Pirate
• Leftist
• UK Talk Shows
• Call in Talk Shows

Chess in the park

• London
  • Casual Chess Cafe
  • Holland Park Chess
• Edinburgh
  • Chess in the Park at Edinburgh Castle

Petanque

• Brighton
  • The Level
  • The Petanque Court

-

 

[Deleted member 13433]

Tell you what, man... you put out some very good information.

I was all set - actually - I was pulling the plug on S.T.P. but when I read this last post of yours, I knew right then and there that I best stay.

I for one really appreciate all the effort which you put into your posts here, which I realize is part of your cycle tour, which I look forwards to following as well....

Cheers Mate.

 

[WildVirtue]

Much appreciated OtterWolf, and I really liked when you said "the path which I will be taking will be very beneficial to my well-being, and to those that I may come in contact with." That's all life should be about at the end of the day.

The internet is a funny place. There's foraging groups on facebook where people really valued this, and then on the other hand there's reddit groups where people just enjoy coming on the internet to be 'anti-fans' of the stereotyped vagabond outside of their little bubble.

One of the programmers of the foraging map emailed with links for mountain huts in the UK they'd started collating, but never got round to finishing, so it's nice to know there are always collaborators just round the corner also.

 

[Deleted member 13433]

Indeed.

Times like this I wish I lived in the U.K. or at least back home in Germany..... but that was a long long time ago.

I'll check out those two links in a little bit - thanks !!