Part of our research, preparation and education over the past months has included listening to a podcast from the Traveling Two. A couple that travels the world by bike interviews other touring cyclists doing all sorts of awesome and crazy things (like cycling for 3 years with twin 9 year olds!).

We've been getting all sorts of good tips and stories--last night we listened to an interview with a Dutch-Austrailian couple who have been biking the world for years and years. Their blog has some great camp cooking tips. One of my favorite ideas was their pharmacy inspired fire-starter: soak/cover cotton balls in vaseline, store them in a zip-loc bag and use them as fire-starters! Sounds not only handy, but FUN too! I can see skewering one of these little things and using it like a torch, good for frightening wolves. The crafty little things people come up with while living the nomadic life....these two are also hilariously obsessed with thier tea-towel, they even cook rice in it. They sold me, tea-towel is officially now on the packing list.