# What would you take touring?



## MAS4T0 (Jul 3, 2016)

Hi KKF,

I'm not sure where this should go. I figured that off-topic is best as it doesn't fit well anywhere else.

I'm planning to go travelling around North America, Australia, Asia and Europe. It's still a while away, but I'm trying to figure out what would to take as far as knives, boards, sharpening gear, etc are concerned. I'm thinking that stones, end-grain boards, horn and un-stabilized wooden handles probably won't hold up too well to being on the road long term; I'll be doing this in either an RV or a big 5th wheel, so space won't be an issue and the stuff will be "indoors" but there will be a lot of travelling involved. 

I'd really appreciate any personal experiences or any advice on how well these things and others are likely to hold up to climatic variations and the rigours of travel.


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## mr drinky (Jul 3, 2016)

I like to take a mix of things, but nothing too big. I have a stefan fowler mini-gyuto, devin thomas petty, and a Rodrique sheep's foot parer that I bring. I also have a new nakiri from Randy that I will be using. I especially like to have wooden sayas or leather sheaths for each knife. 

I bought a couple of thinner end-grain cutting boards about an inch thick for traveling. I also take an Epicurean board and sometimes a Silpat flexiboard. I know people don't Epicureans, but light knife work won't make a difference and they are easy to clean and store. 

I rarely -- if ever -- travel with a stone. The couple of times I have done it, I have only brought a 1200 bestor. I would be more likely to bring a loaded bench hone than a stone, but if you are traveling for months, then that is a different story. 

With that said, I think there are other important food items to bring on a trip: tongs, skewers, wood chips for smoking, a thermapen, selected spices, microplane, a cocktail shaker, corkscrew, zip bags, and everything to make a bloody mary in the morning  I can get by with a slightly less sharp knife, but some of that other stuff is a PITA without. 

k.


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## Matus (Jul 4, 2016)

Given the conditions I would take some 165-180 gyuto (or funayuki or santoku), petty/paring and a bread knife + sayas or a knife roll, or edge protectors. If you take carbon knvies a bit of oil might be a good idea as in RV you have less stable climate and weather fluctuations may temprarily rise the humidity (faster than in an appartement). For sharpening medium and fine grit S&G stones. Maybe even some cheapo combi-stone. Should stone be not practical, then some sort of fine diamond plate (something like DMT Diafold) could work fine just to touch up the edge.

I have carried my Yoshikane SKD Hakata in 2 or 3 longer and shoerter trips and it was fine - I had an edge protector. Fur cutting oard a I had a smaller side grain with a handle, no problem, at all. I had a knife bade by Blenheimforge for travel (150mm, 45mm tall, flat spot at the heel, more belly towards the tip - a bit a'la Kramer) which will be traveling with us soon.

Make sure to stop in south DE - we could grab a beer


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## malexthekid (Jul 4, 2016)

Can't really comment on ideas i would just say check out weight restrictions for transport (aka flying) for the different countries you intend on visiting


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 4, 2016)

Thanks guys!

I'll definitely stop by Matus!

I should maybe clarify on the weight issue, I'm basically going to be travelling around in a HGV (with a trailer the size of an apartment) or a 40'+ tour bus. So I have a capacity for about 10 tonnes of stuff and will be crossing the water on a ferry!

I'm mostly concerned about if things will hold up ok, space and weight aren't really an issue.


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## Matus (Jul 4, 2016)

Depending when this (super cool) journey of yours will happen - maybe you could help me with transport of a 2x72" grinder from UK to DE :angel2:  (I have not ordered one yet, but I am close to making that decision )

EDIT: I could make you a knife in return (would take about as long as your journey  )


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 4, 2016)

Matus said:


> Depending when this (super cool) journey of yours will happen - maybe you could help me with transport of a 2x72" grinder from UK to DE :angel2:  (I have not ordered one yet, but I am close to making that decision )
> 
> EDIT: I could make you a knife in return (would take about as long as your journey  )



That wouldn't be no problem at all, but I'm not sure if I'd be setting out soon enough to be of use.

*Edit* 

I'm not sure where the RV will be collected, so I might not be setting out from the UK with it. 
I'm either going to pick up a Volkner or MOST in Germany or possibly have something shipped over from the US, I'll let you know closer to the time.


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## daveb (Jul 4, 2016)

That ferry ride to AU is going to be a biatch.:cool2:


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## Matus (Jul 4, 2016)

You are really taking a trip of a lifetime - how much time do you plan for it? But you will have plenty of time for sharpening while on a ferry


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## malexthekid (Jul 4, 2016)

daveb said:


> That ferry ride to AU is going to be a biatch.:cool2:



This!!!

Plus we don't like people coming by boat down here...


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 4, 2016)

daveb said:


> That ferry ride to AU is going to be a biatch.:cool2:



Ferry, boat, raft, ship, whatever. 

I was guessing you'd use a ferry to get from Indonesia to Australia.



malexthekid said:


> This!!!
> 
> Plus we don't like people coming by boat down here...



We sent you all there on boats!



Matus said:


> You are really taking a trip of a lifetime - how much time do you plan for it? But you will have plenty of time for sharpening while on a ferry



I'm not sure. I'm trying to set things up so that I can run my business remotely. With satellite internet I should be all set to work from anywhere, so I can take as long as it takes.


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## malexthekid (Jul 4, 2016)

MAS4T0 said:


> Ferry, boat, raft, ship, whatever.
> 
> I was guessing you'd use a ferry to get from Indonesia to Australia.
> 
> ...



Exactly. We know the calibre of people that come here from the UK on boats &#128540;


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 4, 2016)

malexthekid said:


> Exactly. We know the calibre of people that come here from the UK on boats &#128540;



But y'all are of the same calibre! :rofl2:


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## malexthekid (Jul 4, 2016)

MAS4T0 said:


> But y'all are of the same calibre! :rofl2:



Though i will admit... it seems our sporting stocks are dipping so we may need some fresh blood from the mother country


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 4, 2016)

malexthekid said:


> Though i will admit... it seems our sporting stocks are dipping so we may need some fresh blood from the mother country



Maybe I could be useful, I used to be a professional athlete (retired due to injuries). :viking:


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## malexthekid (Jul 4, 2016)

MAS4T0 said:


> Maybe I could be useful, I used to be a professional athlete (retired due to injuries). :viking:



I'll send the wallabies/aussie cricket team a message. The will probably have you jump straight into the team. Haha...

But on topic this sounds like a sweet thing... just remember when planning your Aussie leg distances are quite large ovet here, but lots to see and do between major places.


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## daveb (Jul 4, 2016)

malexthekid said:


> .....just remember when planning your Aussie leg distances are quite large ovet here, but lots to see and do between major places.



Hell, Mel Gibson drove across it three times in a two hour movie. Is it bigger than Delaware? :scratchhead:


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 4, 2016)

malexthekid said:


> I'll send the wallabies/aussie cricket team a message. The will probably have you jump straight into the team. Haha...
> 
> But on topic this sounds like a sweet thing... just remember when planning your Aussie leg distances are quite large ovet here, but lots to see and do between major places.



Thanks for that.

I guess the issue will be how close the fuel stations are to one another and if I need to add extra tanks. 

I knew some Aussies who were studying in England while I was at university. 

One of them once commented that English trains were incredibly fast and I had to explain that it was actually that everything here is incredibly close together. :lol2:


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## malexthekid (Jul 4, 2016)

Fuel stops aren't too bad. At least along the east coast. Just make sure you have a full tank when you leave one of the capitals and don't let your tank go below a quarter when on a long drive if you don't know when the next one is...

I have almost been caught out when i forgot to fill up before leaving Melbourne on a drive to Canberra... only just made it to a small country town servo that was about to shut...


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## malexthekid (Jul 4, 2016)

MAS4T0 said:


> Thanks for that.
> 
> I guess the issue will be how close the fuel stations are to one another and if I need to add extra tanks.
> 
> ...



And yeah we had some english friends come and stay with us that wanted to drive the east coast up to cairns in a week stoppin along the way... we had to point out to them that it was about 3000km from Canberra to cairns along the east coast...


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## Matus (Jul 5, 2016)

MAS4T0 said:


> I'm not sure. I'm trying to set things up so that I can run my business remotely. With satellite internet I should be all set to work from anywhere, so I can take as long as it takes.



That still sounds hell of a cool


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 5, 2016)

Matus said:


> That still sounds hell of a cool



The interesting thing is that I should be able to work remotely from anywhere and the monthly costs once I set off should be significantly lower than the cost of living here in England, so it's a no brainer really. The only big outlay is the initial purchase of the coach, which could easily be far more than a house; they're not cheap to begin with but I'm going to be commissioning one with a garage and a designated office so it'll most likely be a full custom.


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## Matus (Jul 5, 2016)

I want to see that custom coatch  If I could ever have one it would have a little knife making workhop - I am already used to a small one anyhow


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 5, 2016)

I can put up a floor plan if you'd like?

I'm thinking that a custom trailer pulled by a semi truck might be the best option as I'd be able to get the truck, engine and running gear serviced anywhere on earth or switch for a different one if there were problems. I think a Volvo semi truck should be good for well over 500k miles.

Additionally, a semi truck and trailer gives more space (you can have a longer overall length as it's articulated) and it's also massively cheaper than a full custom coach.

The garage will contain a car, tools, bikes and motorcycles and there'll be a fuel station on the outside with a HUGE tank (to fuel up the bikes).


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## Matus (Jul 5, 2016)

Please do, I am really curios


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## malexthekid (Jul 5, 2016)

MAS4T0 said:


> I can put up a floor plan if you'd like?
> 
> I'm thinking that a custom trailer pulled by a semi truck might be the best option as I'd be able to get the truck, engine and running gear serviced anywhere on earth or switch for a different one if there were problems. I think a Volvo semi truck should be good for well over 500k miles.
> 
> ...



I would suggest you just check out registration requirements if you intend to actually take it outside of europe.

Also licencing.


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 5, 2016)

malexthekid said:


> I would suggest you just check out registration requirements if you intend to actually take it outside of europe.
> 
> Also licencing.



Already doing that!

There's some key places I'll have to bypass as it's going to be too big to be legal in some places.


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 5, 2016)

Matus said:


> Please do, I am really curios







I'll explain a few things.

This is a trailer plan (not a coach).
The back door of the unit lowers to be used as a ramp for loading vehicles into the back of it and can also be held out at 90 degrees to form a raised patio deck.
There are glass doors internally of that so that the door can be lowered as a deck, but the garage is still lockable and usable as an internal room.
The bulging sections are "slide-outs" - those parts slide in when travelling so that it has a maximum external width of a little over 8' but opens up to a decent living space when parked.
The furniture in the garage folds up when it's not in use, so the whole area is free.

The external dimensions are somewhat fixed (as are to slide-out locations) as I'd be buying a pre-made chassis if I went this route, but the internal lay-out is going to be completely custom - I'm still working on it so suggestions are welcome!

There's also the option of a MOST trailer from Germany. They have a deck and a hot tub on the roof but it would sacrifice some other things.


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## Matus (Jul 5, 2016)

My jaw just dropped. I rather do not want to know what you do for living :wink:

You definitely must stop by when passing through Germany 

I have not yet really traveled with this type of car/coach, but I guess it really depends what you really intend to use the car for apart from working (computer I guess) and accomodation. What acitivites do you plan to enjoy (i.e. sports) while on the road? Example: if I ever was to travel like this I would certainly have an area which I could use as a darkroom to develop films (and probably also print with an enlarger) or maybe even be able to do some knifemaking work (though that would require serious thought to manage reasonably).

Also the question is whether you travel alone, or with other persons (or maybe guests for some part of the travel). I suppose the thing is fully equipped - is also a washing machine and dryer on board?

Since you will be on the road for a long time (year or more?) - you need to think of how to keep the whole place up - be it sanitary part or the technical.

As was already mentioned - different countries have different rules where such a vehicle may be stationed while in use - definitely check out what sort of paper work is necessary.

Just from the top of my head (I can look deeper should you wish so)


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 5, 2016)

In the bedroom there is a washer/ dryer stack alongside the TV (located in a cupboard).

There are huge tanks on board for fresh water (I'm going to have a capacity for over 2000l), along with grey and black. I'll also be installing a system to clean the grey water (that's from sinks and showers, etc) so that the soap is removed and it can be used legally to wash things off outside. Along with a huge stack of lithium batteries, a big inverter, a solar array and a generator I'll be able to dry camp for up to a month (where legal) without needing anything. I'll also have petrol on board to fill up the motorcycles.

I'll be taking my wife along and there are room for lots of others. It should be able comfortable accommodate at least 5 people and it sleeps 9 people! Maybe you should come along for a while after we meet up.

You might be surprised at how affordable the trailer option is (at least compared to a Class A motorhome) if you would like I can PM you a video of a walk-around of one of these, but with a different interior.

I'll be planning out a route which will go from camp site to camp site for the whole journey, so it should be ok.

You are correct, most of the work will be CAD based, but I'll be bringing along motorcycles and bicycles and the garage will be a fully equipped workshop (and I'll have loads of parts) I'll be able to do everything right up to rebuilding engines and suspension forks! In terms of sports and activities, I'm only really planning on bikes (various different types, MTBs, motocross, and a track bike) and being able to service and maintain everything on them for as many years as we're on the road.


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## malexthekid (Jul 9, 2016)

Would love to see this make it to Australia and check it out...

Practicality may be a bit difficult though


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 9, 2016)

malexthekid said:


> Would love to see this make it to Australia and check it out...
> 
> Practicality may be a bit difficult though



We'll see.

Usually anything is possible if you spend enough. I've been planning the route and I may need to go over Europe and Asia first and then loop back across and travel down through Africa, I can have it shipped over from Port Elizabeth to Perth.

The regions overall I want to explore are:

1. Europe (France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Finland)
2. North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt)
3. Pacific Rim (Japan, China, Korea, Tibet, Taiwan, Malaysia, Phillipines, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore)
4. Australia/ New Zealand
5. North America
6. South America

They're in no particular order and I've only really looked into a few key places for now. I've figured out shipping routes and costs for the parts that have to be traversed by sea so I'm now looking into licensing, visas and vehicle registration requirements.

It's quite a lot of work!


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## aboynamedsuita (Jul 9, 2016)

Don't know how I missed this thread earlier, but this sounds like the trip of a lifetime! I think you mentioned it already but I'd definitely look into the regulatory requirements for vehicle weights and dimensions in the different regions you plan on visiting. Here in Canada it varies from province to province, but governments have been working to harmonize them (don't ask me how I know )


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 9, 2016)

tjangula said:


> Don't know how I missed this thread earlier, but this sounds like the trip of a lifetime! I think you mentioned it already but I'd definitely look into the regulatory requirements for vehicle weights and dimensions in the different regions you plan on visiting. Here in Canada it varies from province to province, but governments have been working to harmonize them (don't ask me how I know )



Thanks! 

I think the bigger issue will be the dimensions.

I'm going to confirm the overall size and weight limits in each country, but it will be pulled by a commercial semi-truck and will be around 20 tonnes overall, I think that should be smaller than commercial hauliers in most places and as this will be articulated it should fall under the same legislation. In the UK I'll need to get 'movement orders' whenever I move the trailer as it's slightly larger than the maximum allowable width; this doesn't cost anything but it's more a case of agreeing a time with the DVLA when the roads should be less busy and getting authorisation, the countries I've checked so far have similar things in place.

Here's an example of something similar (for reference), it's shorter overall as the garage at the rear is only half height (so there is sleeping space above rather than a full height bedroom). This one also has a deck (and hot tub!) on the roof rather than a patio deck at the rear:







I'll also have a mini and a couple of motorcycles in the garage at the back for using around towns and exploring while we're parked up.


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## aboynamedsuita (Jul 9, 2016)

That looks petty cool and the requirements sound somewhat simialr here as well, although they do charge a nominal fee for a permit if required. With the one pictured all I could potentially see resulting in a permit-able situation is an overweight rear axle if fully loaded, and perhaps width; that said, most manufacturers design equipment to work for various regulatory requirements and should be able to provide such information (presumably they want your business after all)

I'll send you an email this week hopefully I'm actually covering over-weight/over-dimension approvals due to vacation schedules at the moment, so could pass on some info as it relates to my part in Canada (which I believe is harmonized to provinces to the west as well)


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 9, 2016)

tjangula said:


> That looks petty cool and the requirements sound somewhat simialr here as well, although they do charge a nominal fee for a permit if required. With the one pictured all I could potentially see resulting in a permit-able situation is an overweight rear axle if fully loaded, and perhaps width; that said, most manufacturers design equipment to work for various regulatory requirements and should be able to provide such information (presumably they want your business after all)
> 
> I'll send you an email this week hopefully I'm actually covering over-weight/over-dimension approvals due to vacation schedules at the moment, so could pass on some info as it relates to my part in Canada (which I believe is harmonized to provinces to the west as well)



Awesome! Thank you.

As it'll be a custom rig, I can potentially add extra axles if required. I didn't realise when I put it up that the one in the picture I linked is only a twin axle, most of them are triple. I was initially looking mostly at US manufacturers, but I'm tending more towards German options. The issue is that I don't speak a word of German so it's not as easy to research them.

I just stumbled across these ones by "Visibly Loud" and they have full-length slide-outs (as opposed to the partial ones on the US models), so the floor-plan options are a lot broader. They're also slightly narrower when going down the road, so it would remove the need for a movement order in the UK and possibly in other places.

[video=youtube;sOU-QJLcE_A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOU-QJLcE_A[/video]


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## Matus (Jul 14, 2016)

That looks pretty awesome! Considering the maximal allowed size/weight - I am rather sure that the regulations within EU are consistent. I found an entry on German Wikipedia *here*. Please let me know if you need more detailed info on the topic for Germany - I can check it out.

Should you be interested to visit Slovakia then let me know and I can collect some information for you - it is my home country 

So - when do you plan to start? My grinder will be finished sometime in September


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 14, 2016)

Matus said:


> That looks pretty awesome! Considering the maximal allowed size/weight - I am rather sure that the regulations within EU are consistent. I found an entry on German Wikipedia *here*. Please let me know if you need more detailed info on the topic for Germany - I can check it out.
> 
> Should you be interested to visit Slovakia then let me know and I can collect some information for you - it is my home country
> 
> So - when do you plan to start? My grinder will be finished sometime in September



Thank you for the info!

I'll be researching for another few months and commissioning the unit in October if all goes to plan. 

This'll mean it's most likely too late to be helpful for your grinder, sorry about that.


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## Matus (Jul 15, 2016)

No problem  I was half joking anyhow as I did not expect you could get all preparations finished so quickly. But I still do hope that you will pass by Aalen


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## zetieum (Jul 15, 2016)

Definitively, in EU, all regulation are the same. That goes also for insurances: one insurance will cover all EU country. UK may be a bit different though: they drive left. 
I live in Germany but I am french. I travelled a lot in Europe with an old VW bus (T3). It is much smaller, but the the issue are more or less the same. Do not hesitate to contact me if you want traveling tips about regions that are cool to travel to with such a thing. In particular in France, there are a lot of great traveling opportunities. For instance, by law, in every city of more than 5 000 inhabitants, there is always a place where you can park for one or two night while sleeping in your vehicle against a super small local tax (less than 3$); this come with places where you can empty your waste water/fill for free.


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 15, 2016)

zetieum said:


> Definitively, in EU, all regulation are the same. That goes also for insurances: one insurance will cover all EU country. UK may be a bit different though: they drive left.
> I live in Germany but I am french. I travelled a lot in Europe with an old VW bus (T3). It is much smaller, but the the issue are more or less the same. Do not hesitate to contact me if you want traveling tips about regions that are cool to travel to with such a thing. In particular in France, there are a lot of great traveling opportunities. For instance, by law, in every city of more than 5 000 inhabitants, there is always a place where you can park for one or two night while sleeping in your vehicle against a super small local tax (less than 3$); this come with places where you can empty your waste water/fill for free.



That's awesome, thank you for the information!

I'll definitely be in touch in the future if you don't mind.

Do you think it'll be hard to find sites in Europe which can accommodate something of this size? 

I'm happy to hire multiple plots side by side for it to occupy, but I'm thinking of going over there first for recon to see if the campsites and parking areas are going to be impossible due to obstructions.


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