There is a large mound on the ground. It is a heap of clothing, food and all the other potential items you might take on the bike for a trip to remote places in winter. And now we need to figure out what makes the cut and what stays home.
I tossed things in a plastic tub as I packed up my unit and merged this with all the stuff that normally hangs out in the bike tub. But now, I must make the final decisions on what gets packed on the bike.
So this post is more for me for the future. I find it useful to look back on previous packing lists. But in case you are curious, here is what is going with us.
The maps normally live in a pannier, except the one or two in use that goes in the plastic map case on top of my tent on the front cradle. The map on the left is an old NRMA map of the Riverina and Far West and it covers all of the areas we may ride. The other maps are more specific with more detail and will get posted home after we’ve used them.
The mesh bag has 13 litres of water pouch capacity. This just gets tied on top of the sleeping pad on the rear rack with my flip flops. Nigel helped me put the new light on my helmet. I’m not sure it’s going to last – but we’ll start with at least. I have questions about its ability to withstand rain.
Front fork bag 1 – daypack for hiking and shopping, wet wipes for dry camp nights, PLB – which of course I’ll wear when I hit the remote areas, oats, spice bag with lots of homemade blends, 200g of peanut butter, red lentil pasta.
Front fork bag 2 – toilet paper, bike lock, sudocream, first aid kit, girly toiletries, foldable bucket – I use this when full to clean my chain after dirt/gravel days, it’s also useful for bathing, basmati rice, red lentils, dehydrated veggies and peas, the other 200g of peanutbutter.
Pannier 1 – office (charging cords, Telstra SIM, journal and pen, toiletries, torch, on-bike shirt and shorts, wool socks, bike gloves, high vis vest that goes over rain jacket, rain jacket, rain pants, lightweight merino, midweight merino, winter puffer jacket, quick dry towel, sleeping bag liner, fleece pants for sleeping, hiking pants, waterproof socks, full finger gloves, winter beanie, buff.
Ready for flies.
Ready for the cold.
Rear Pannier 2 – Sleeping bag (REI Magma 15F) in the pannier, bike pump in the pannier, titanium cooking pot with trangia stove inside, bike bag with titanium nano (stove holder), utensils, lighter, water filter and backwash syringe, Nemo Tensor sleeping pad, emergency blanket, inflatable pillow to use with sleeping pad, orange drybag with meds and supplements.
Thank you, Bartonella and West Nile, for requiring me to carry a kg of extra junk along so that I can function almost like a normal human. Digestive enzymes, iron, molybdenum, b-vitamins, bile pills, colon mix, magnesium, ginger, butyrate, l. reuteri, amino acids, gut repair powder (zinc, glutamine, etc), electrolyte mix, thyroid pills and first aid mix.
And here is the entirety of my domestic life all packed and stacked. Out of shot behind the door is my mattress, a folding bed frame, vacuum, microwave, ironing board, fold-flat camp table I use as desk and kitchen table and mini oven. I’m a furniture minimalist, for sure. See ya later, household goods.
Two weeks ago I got a teeth clean, exam and x-rays ($300). All good, no cavities or other work required. I also took the bike down for a level 2 service, new brake pads and new chain. $420. Almost all good. The rear rotor and one rear bolt needed replacement. They upsold me from the normal $80 chain to one that will last longer – it was $120 discounted from $140! But after that expensive week of maintenance, bike and body are good to go.
Bike all packed up and ready to go.
So we’re ready to shove off. Nigel offered to drive me over to Corowa to get a day’s jump on the ride and so I wouldn’t have to ride all the roads I’ve ridden a million times. So we are in Corowa for the night in a cheap motel. It gives me one more night to cuddle with my 40-year-old teddy bear that usually hangs out with Nigel who uses him as a sleep aid.
The start of the trip does not look pleasant. Rainy days forecast for the next 10 days after we’ve had a month of mostly nice weather. But off we go – if I’d waited for it to stop raining to start my 2022 trip, it would have been three months before I got out the door. Let’s just hope I don’t break any of the cold and wet records from that trip!
Forecast for Echuca which is about 3 days into the ride.
Hi Emily, You are the expert in packing. Have you weighed your equipment, clothes and food to see how much of a load you’re packing? I grumble about hauling my weekly bakery run for a few miles or bringing home a bag of groceries. It was a surprise to see a Bell helmet. US retailers don’t seem to stock them. But piqued by the photo of yours, I discover Bell is available on the internet. The colors aren’t as good. Safe travels. Chuck
Hi Chuck, No I haven’t weighed it. It’s too much! But other than the clothing, I know I will use everything else (hopefully not first aid kit). I really went back and forth on some of the clothes but have erred on the side that you underestimate cold and wet misery in your living room. I’m trying to be prepped for -5C temps while also considering that I have always been a cold sleeper and now have additional thermoregulation issues since the mozzie virus. We’ll see how we go – I can always mail things home. I lugged it all along for 91 kms on day 1 and 76 kms on day 2. Hopefully I get stronger each day! The helmet is a MIPS one – there’s an even better technology now. Given I replace my helmet every 3 or so years, I’ll upgrade then. That’s curious about Bell availability in the US. This one came from an online Aussie retailer.
I like gear talks! You sure have a lot of “stuff” but it fits on Atlas well. I haven’t tried bike packing but I assume the main difference between that and bike touring with two sets of panniers and rack bags is manoeuvrability with the weight all closer to the frame. Plus less wobbly gear fittings. Finally, it forces a focus on what to take!
I wish you a great tour and hope this weather is a bit wet for the farmers then soon clears up for cycle tourists.
Hi Tony, other than the clothes, I’m not sure what to get rid of. It’s all my standard stuff just with more clothes, the sleeping pad and little pillow. I really um’ed and ah’ed about the clothes but figured better safe than sorry. Good, lightweight kit is likely hard to find once past Mildura but easy to mail home, I figure. I think bike packing is suited for short term rides, like days instead of months. All the bike packers I’ve seen on months- long trips end up with lots of gear hanging off everywhere. I see that there is a move back to small, rear panniers with bike packing which makes sense given how those under seat bags never ever got positive reviews. I’d like to see a 2-month setup for bike packing that can handle 10 days of food, 10 litres of water and -5C temps. I would love to learn from that. Rain on day 1 and 2 has been a fizzer. Hoping to do some stuff in to the national park at Barmah tomorrow if rain holds off. I’m trying to check out the geology I missed in 2022 because it was all under water then.
Hi Emily, You are the expert in packing. Have you weighed your equipment, clothes and food to see how much of a load you’re packing? I grumble about hauling my weekly bakery run for a few miles or bringing home a bag of groceries. It was a surprise to see a Bell helmet. US retailers don’t seem to stock them. But piqued by the photo of yours, I discover Bell is available on the internet. The colors aren’t as good. Safe travels. Chuck
Hi Chuck, No I haven’t weighed it. It’s too much! But other than the clothing, I know I will use everything else (hopefully not first aid kit). I really went back and forth on some of the clothes but have erred on the side that you underestimate cold and wet misery in your living room. I’m trying to be prepped for -5C temps while also considering that I have always been a cold sleeper and now have additional thermoregulation issues since the mozzie virus. We’ll see how we go – I can always mail things home. I lugged it all along for 91 kms on day 1 and 76 kms on day 2. Hopefully I get stronger each day! The helmet is a MIPS one – there’s an even better technology now. Given I replace my helmet every 3 or so years, I’ll upgrade then. That’s curious about Bell availability in the US. This one came from an online Aussie retailer.
I like gear talks! You sure have a lot of “stuff” but it fits on Atlas well. I haven’t tried bike packing but I assume the main difference between that and bike touring with two sets of panniers and rack bags is manoeuvrability with the weight all closer to the frame. Plus less wobbly gear fittings. Finally, it forces a focus on what to take!
I wish you a great tour and hope this weather is a bit wet for the farmers then soon clears up for cycle tourists.
Hi Tony, other than the clothes, I’m not sure what to get rid of. It’s all my standard stuff just with more clothes, the sleeping pad and little pillow. I really um’ed and ah’ed about the clothes but figured better safe than sorry. Good, lightweight kit is likely hard to find once past Mildura but easy to mail home, I figure. I think bike packing is suited for short term rides, like days instead of months. All the bike packers I’ve seen on months- long trips end up with lots of gear hanging off everywhere. I see that there is a move back to small, rear panniers with bike packing which makes sense given how those under seat bags never ever got positive reviews. I’d like to see a 2-month setup for bike packing that can handle 10 days of food, 10 litres of water and -5C temps. I would love to learn from that. Rain on day 1 and 2 has been a fizzer. Hoping to do some stuff in to the national park at Barmah tomorrow if rain holds off. I’m trying to check out the geology I missed in 2022 because it was all under water then.