Just a few more makes...

What wonders a forty-year-old $30 Goodwill sewing machine has done for us... saddle bags, tarp, spare bike tire cover, clothing, replacement bike gloves...

Dave's padded leather/mesh bike gloves we bought on sale five years ago had fallen to pieces, litterally, but replacements were $15. We ride recumbent now and don't need the padding in the hands, just something to protect from skids should we wreck. Dave was given a pair of $2.00 work gloves. A minute with a pair of scissors and they were looking good. Then we noticed that the gloves were sewn together with a long stitch and they were falling apart. Heather turned them inside out and after another minute on the sewing machine they were ready to go. We plan to carry a cell phone but didn't want to drive ourselves crazy trying to always find a plug for charing. Dave cobbled together a solar charger from items we had on hand: hobby solar panels, a USB port, a homemade USB to phone adapter cable, scrap aluminum flashing, those famous nuts and bolts and hot glue of course. We'll strap this down to the top of our gear and keep the cell phone charged up as we ride. Tent stakes for $.59 each from a camping store? Nah, save $6.00... we used a thin metal rod we had lying around...