packing list thorn bike.

[jags]

Reads like a hell of a lot of gear but i suppose once packed your well sorted.
my cycling has changed over the last 5 years or so i've gotten much slower  lower back pain mainly the cause of that and lack of quality miles,i keep promising myself i'll do more on the bike but yeah seldom i do,
so yeah for me its keeping things simple light' ish bike same with camping gear but i reckon what i have QUALITY will see me out.
i'm still a pretty good cyclist well clever in the saddle put it like that, i know how to ride a bike but this touring is a whole new ball game to me very slow learner 
aw sure i love it all the same.

anto.

[il padrone]

I normally carry all that gear on the bike in bags like this , with room in the front panniers for up to 5-6 days food supplies:




Once you have a routine for packing it is a lot easier to put it all together, and if you follow that set routine then it is also much easier to find whatever you need when you are on the road.

All this gear, together with food for up to 6 days, will fit into 4 panniers, a handlebar bag and a rack bag without too much cursing and hair pulling. Careful folding of clothes, the use of stuff sacks to organise and compress some items and judicious organisation of spaces in your bag helps greatly. I like to use a regular pattern of packing which helps to avoid that common touring problem "Oh, it's in the other pannier". When there are four of them it can lead to a lot of frustrated rustling. So, below I give some idea of my system for packing the bags. I like to think of them in terms of packing the different rooms in my 'house'. You may of course use a different system.

Handlebar bag - The Desk

   documents
   travel & tourist info.
   camera
   mp3 player
   snacks
   spare gloves
   pen & notebook
   sunglasses



Front panniers - The Pantry

Left side - Day meals
   lunch & breakfast food
   fresh fruit & vegies
   snack bars, nuts in pocket

Right side - Evening meals
   dinner food
   spare ocky straps, plastic bag, blockout, in pocket

Rear panniers - Living quarters
Left side -The Kitchen
   cycling clothes
   fuel canisters
   cooking set
   stove
   mess kit
   cutting board
   rain jacket
   tool kit & spare tubes in pocket

Right side - The Bedroom
   street clothes
   sleeping bag
   silk inner sheet
   head-torch & LED lantern
   towel
   toiletry bag
   spare shoes
   pegless clothes line, trowel & toilet paper in pocket

Rack bag - The Shelter

   tent
   groundsheet
   rain fly
   Exped Synmat
   Helinox camping chair

   water bag, map case & sandals strapped under ocky strap

[John Saxby]

Nice photo of a purposeful and well-sorted bike, Pete!

[John Saxby]

I've had very good luck over the years using Arno straps

Dan, you're right that bungees can be quite a mixed blessing.  I've found Aerostich bungees to be very well made, and I also use the Rokstrap flat ones on my motorcycle journeys. (Although I'm very cautious about bringing bungees close to spokes -- have seen some dire problems resulting from bungees doing a python-like grip on the rear axles of a motorcycle...)

Over the years, I've found that these work well in various modes (paddling, motorcycling, cycling):
http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-adjustable-bungee.html

There are newer ones that look promising as well: http://www.aerostich.com/adjustable-flat-bungee.html

You make a good point about the vulnerability of drybags to pokey things. To "pokey things" once could add "abrasion". Using ultra-light bags without some external protection can be a serious false economy.  If the mounting of the drybags seems promising, I'll use them on a short trip into the Madawaska Highlands, where the multiple hills will highlight the weight savings (or not!)

[JenM]

I also adopt the idea of 'rooms'. However, the contents of my rear panniers are based on dryness....

Right - under no circumstances put anything wet in here, so it it used for sleeping bag, clothes, pillow

Left - prefer to keep things dry in here, but not critical, so it is used for tools, waterproofs, sleeping mat, helinox chair, towel, spare shoes and toiletries

[il padrone]

Yes, same thing slightly different contents. My right side rear pannier is the 100% dry bag, and the left is the 99% dry bag.

[leftpoole]

Hello,
I use rear panniers only. Left is for bedding/clothing/toiletries. Right is for tent/cooking gear etc.
I pack very carefully and have at last very lightweight and small pack equipment. It has 'only' taken me a lifetime to achieve this,lots of changes and expense plus loss of money due to changes.
If you can afford, only buy small and expensive. Heavy and cheaper should not be an option unless you like hard work and weight.
Regards,
John

[jags]

100% with you on that john.

anto.

[John Saxby]

only buy small and expensive

You're right, John -- less really is more.

[Slammin Sammy]

Bungee cords ("occy straps" in Oz) are killers, and they should be banned. I have lost expensive kit off the back of my motorbike, and abraded through others. I know plenty of people who have been injured, and I specifically eliminated them from the mining workplace wherever I was in charge.

From my motorcycle days, I have had good luck with Australian company Andy Strapz http://www.andystrapz.com/products-details.php?productId=15&productCategoryId=17&Level=1. These were specifically designed to eliminate hard plastic and metal hooks, and they are well made. Alternatively, I always use nylon webbing "cinch straps" for smaller jobs.

Save the planet. Give bungees the boot! 

[il padrone]

Mine are not the standard occies. I have been using the Looprope for about 2-3 years. No dangerous hooks. I have never managed to wear through any occy strap, nor the looprope. I would NEVER be willing to entrust my gear to velcro fasteners.




Used on the bike in the approved manner, carabiners are not liable to become missiles and the looprope provides multiple gear fastenings. Great for clothes drying.