Paper maps still win
The phone battery dies in the cold and the screen is useless in rain. A folded regional map in a bag on the handlebar never needs charging.
The packing list I actually use
Every list online has forty items. Mine has shrunk every trip: one set of riding clothes, one for camp, a warm layer and a shell. Everything else is tools, food and the stove.
The heaviest mistake was a second pair of shoes. The most useful item is still a cheap shower cap for the saddle on wet mornings.
Headwind days
Some days the river valley funnels the wind straight at you for eighty kilometres. Lower gear, shorter stages, more bakeries. Fighting it only makes tomorrow worse.