CONTENTS:

1. PROVISION PLANNING
   

2. CHECKPOINTS
   

3. MAPS
   

4. GOAL SETTING
   

5. DETOURS
   

PROVISION PLANNING

There is only so much of an idea you can get from reading.  You have to buy/try/use. Getting equipment and food ‘just right’ is a trial and error process, and may never be perfect as conditions, needs, and need for variety change each week and for each trip. 

Whatever you intend to use, you need to trial that equipment.  Take a day of starting/stopping and using everything 2-3 times to get used to it.  You need to get a feel for how your equipment works so that you have a better idea of it’s limits (and that you can work it and know it works!). Establish what works and doesn’t, and if it doesn’t then don’t take it or replace it with an alternative.  Some utensils or tools can be eliminated by adapting other tools to suit the purpose.  Skimp on excess packaging and duplicates, but do not skimp on safety equipment/supplies. 

With food provisions you need variety with meals and snacks, and you really want the full calorie versions of foods.  This is not the time to diet or go low-fat everything.  Your body will be happier if your weight does not fluctuate, so weight control needs to be roughly balanced using the amount of riding you do and the calories you consume.  Moderate to intense cycling will burn between 500-900 calories an hour depending on your weight.  I lost nearly 5kg by week 5, which was not a surprise, but if it continued it would have been unhealthy.  Really it comes down to a taste preference, preservability and cook-ability. 

Dried is good.  Dense is good.  Nuts are good.  Spices are good.  Zip-lock bags are great.  Cans can be a problem.  Glass containers are no good.  Perishable is no good.

Your provisions between when you start and when you finish will be distinctly different, and that’s ok.  It’s called wisdom and adaptation!

CHECKPOINTS

On long trips it is unreasonable to expect to carry everything from A to B.  Before you start, set up checkpoints that have additional or replacement supplies and maps.  Make sure the checkpoint location has a post office that is OPEN, so you can send used stuff home.  

The best place for checkpoints are where the terrain of land changes distinctly and you are doing a different type of riding, or at roughly every ‘x hundred’ km, or strategically around or in a remote area.  Drop the supply package off yourself or have someone do it for you - name and date the supplies so it doesn’t get discarded by the location hosting it.  Don’t put too much in the package because your only options are: carry, send or discard. 

Try pubs or motels or post offices or stores as potential places to hold and keep an eye out for you.  I used a pub and a post office, and my little sister dropped them off on her way back home after dropping me off.  She emailed me where it was she left it exactly, and who she spoke to.  Stashing it in a container in the bush has no guarantees at all, unless you have the GPS coordinates and it is buried in a dry area.

Things to put in: next stage maps, spare repair tape/wire/rope/occies, favourite snack as a treat, batteries, first aid materials, new H2O filters, spare glasses, sunscreen etc.  You can either keep a list of what is in it so you know what you are picking up, or let it be a partial surprise! 

MAPS

A minimum of two different style maps for every area you are in is a good safeguard.  Sometimes even two won’t provide the information you need.  One is simply not going to give you enough information, because no one map can hold all the useful information one may need.

If the trail is specific, then the best bet is the maps issued by the entity who oversees the trail.  This is the case with the BNT, but with some trails the overseeing body may change from section to section.

A topographical map shows contours, rivers, buildings, roads and tracks, water, tanks, vegetation types, and all sorts of other nifty stuff.  It is usually aligned to true and magnetic north and has the degrees error/change explained as well. The scale is variable and important to note, and you need to understand the key and be able to read it well.  It is usually very accurate, but not perfect. It will tell you nothing of what you are passing or what may appear on signs you see, so is essentially useless as a tourist map.  (Also see topo maps blurb.)

A road map is good in that it gives you an idea about regional infrastructure and roads, type of traffic to expect, services available, hospitals, tourist attractions, and clear boundaries to state/public land.  Usually these have very little about the real feel of the land about you.

A tourism specific map may just provide info on the local area (eg. winerys or historical sites), and so are good for that, and just about that only.  But these maps often include things like phone numbers and opening/closing times, and the best directions on how to get to and from places.

Your GPS will be very handy if you know how to use it.  It does not need to be on all day - you will get a feel for when/how to use it as you go, and likely end up using it as a reference only.  Your maps provide much more information.  If your GPS has a detailed map feature this may help even more with your navigation, but remember: no power = no map.

GOAL SETTING

You should have a general goal for the day in terms of where you roughly want to end up, and at what time.  Whether it will be 2-3 shorter stages or one long haul with only short breaks.  These are the easy goals to set.

Mechanical, hill or load problems will sometimes dictate your stopping pattern in a stage. These will likely frustrate you, but you have to accept them when they appear.  So you reorient your goal for the time being:do the best you can with continuing to your destination for the day, or just stop and fix it for good to avoid unnecessary struggles and grief while riding.

When it comes to hills or particularly rugged territory, you will have to set goals of a different kind.  The short but intense kind.  ‘Make it to the next tree.’  ‘Ride for 1 minute, push for a minute.’  ‘Push until you can’t, then rest for a bit.’  ‘Ride to the next turn/crest.’  ‘Avoid edge of cliff.’  ‘Get up hill by carrying stuff in 4 loads.’  ‘Drag bike 30cm at a time.’  ‘Brake until hands are sore.’  ‘One step at a time, staying on your feet.’  (I used all of these at some stage!)

The crux of goal setting is that small achievable goals add up, enabling you to reach a larger goal.  The key is to be specific and stay focussed.  This concept applies to your whole trip as well - each day goal is a part of the largest goal of all: your journey from start to finish.

DETOURS

Stuff happens.   Whatever you encounter, roll with it.  On longer trips there is no guarantee that everything will stick to the planned path for a variety of reasons.  Here are a few reasons for detouring.

1. Weather conditions result in closed roads or parks
   

2. You get denied a request to cross private property
   

3. You need equipment repairs beyond what you can do on the trail
   

4. There is a natural disaster or other danger present
   

5. Your body is in need of medical assistance
   

6. The road does not exist or you simply cannot find it
   

7. You are being followed or harassed or generally feel unsafe
   

8. You determine an alternative route to the same point may offer more
   

9. A planned rendezvous or supply drop location necessitates it
   

So back to maps - you can understand why it is handy to have the road and tourist maps in your bag - you wouldn’t want to not know the options or waste the opportunities that the detours provide!