And some still refer to the plastic jobbies as "tyre irons"

Kelly, in June 2009 I was riding US50 across Nevada and lost one of my bike gloves in Austin. I would have ridden with one glove, so one hand would be comfortable, but it was a couple days after Michael Jackson died, and I didn't want anyone to think I was riding one-gloved in tribute to a pedophile. So I rode bare-handed for a couple days, then finally broke down, bought some work gloves at a convenience store, and cut the fingers off. I didn't have scissors, I think I may have hacked the fingers off with a sharp rock.

The Sawyer Mini Fiilter gets my vote too.  Having it available has meant we have been able use water from dodgy taps, cruddy pools and even shrines to Difunta Correa.  It also means we don't have to buy bottled water.

I've read about quite a few instances in which cycle tourists are told they cannot bring their bikes into their motel rooms.  That has only happened to me twice, but after the second time I decided that was enough.  Now, I park my bike on the side of the building and walk to the front entrance.  When filling out the registration form, I no longer write "Bicycle" in the sections that ask for a license plate number and/or make & model of my car.  I just write down the plate number and description of my car, which is actually hundreds of miles away. 

Then, key card in hand, I sneak my bike into one of the secured side or back doors, throw it over my shoulder, and carry it up to whatever floor I'm on.  It's even easier when all I have to do is wheel my bike from around the corner to a room with an outside entrance.

I feel secure in the knowledge that, should a motel staff member see me on a security camera and confront me about my actions, I have plausible deniability.  "Hey, nobody told me about your no-bikes-in-the-room policy."  Thankfully, I have yet to resort to that strategy.

Of course, when checking into campgrounds, ALWAYS emphasize that you are on a bike tour.  I've found state park rangers will usually assign you one of the nicest sites.

Great technique!

On my travels I book accommodations ahead and in the 'other' section I say that 'I require secure indoor storage for my bike overnight'. Almost always this ends up meaning my room or their garage. In the rare instances when I'm told there is nothing available, I simply move on to another place on the booking site. Last April when I arrived to lisbon I was told there was nowhere for my bike. I showed them my booking request and zip... up went the bike into my room.

Brent in the ongoing and  never ending search (45 years so far) for ways to carry less weight & volume on cycle tours,  I’ve switched from using a Trangia stove set to an Optimus gas stove / pot. 

The reduction in packed weight & volume is noticeable.

Same here.  If I'm told there is nowhere for our bikes, I book elsewhere.  This usually happens once when I'm booking accommodation for a 6-to 8-week trip--and we tend to stay only 1 or 2 nights in any location so that's a lot of bookings.  However, for our upcoming trip, there were 3 or 4 bookings that I had to cancel when told "no bicycles".  One place even had it in their standard "how to get here" reply.

Hmm, not very nice to have it right in their reply. Mind you, someone in the past may have been silly with their bike and left an aggravating mess. If I'm told I can keep the bike in the room I even ask if they have any scrap paper, cardboard or some rags for the contact point of the tires with the floor. I don't want to be the cyclist who gets everyone else banned. 

Yeah, that particular one was a day's ride from Girona so I guess they'd had a bad experience.  I always treat the accommodation as I would my home.  Other times it's because they really don't have an appropriate space (and no car parking either) and don't want people carrying their bikes up a narrow staircase for several floors to stash them in their small room.  I usually give the proprietor the benefit because they (almost) always apologize about the situation.

I disagree - not all plastics are useless.  Have you ever tried Pedros?  Indestructible, and the only ones I can reliably use to get Marathon tires off of our 20” Bike Friday wheels.