Packin'
Packin’ for a bike tour really tests your creatativity. Being a “tenter” I carry everything I need including food. Rule of thumb, the more versatile something is, the better. A good example is your jacket. A jacket is part of your safety equipment, keeps you warm, will repel a fair amount of rain, when rolled up and tied makes a fair pillow. Space and weight count - pack things that have multiple uses.
Starting with the containers you’re gonna use for packin. There’re lots of different “T” bags, these would seem to be the answer at first glance. They look great strapped on the bike. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes, and no doubt you can stuff alot in ‘em. Some come as separate units that can be integrated together but usually only one way. Others are one-piece units. If you’re stayin’ in hotels they ain’t bad because there’s room to store ‘em. “T” bags are usually hard sided and don’t collapse down. If you’re tentin’ there ain’t alot room for storage, so that can be a problem. Another problem- they’re designed to fit on the bike one way. That really cuts down on your packin’ creativity. Believe it or not your packing system is likely to change depending on what you pick up or discard along the way. Being able to rearrange things differently is a nice option to have. Lastly, “T” bags can’t be used for anything else.
I use duffle bags and heavy canvas packs. You can pick ‘em up at any Army Navy Surplus Store for less then $30.00. You can easily pack two sleeping bags, “extra” clothes like an extra heavy sweatshirt, wool socks, gloves, chaps, face mask, etc. There is room for a sleeping mattress (inflatable type), a couple small pillows, tent heater, extra boots, laundry powder in a freezer bag, extra batteries, insect repellent, flash lights, duct/electrical tape (never leave home without it), a small tool pouch, extra rope, tire repair kit, etc. What really sets the duffle bag apart is if you put a strap around it end to end you can really compact it when you cinch it up. Just be sure to pack anything that could be damaged by compressing it between two soft things. I stand it on end and sit on it as I cinch it up. Empty it folds down really small. You can even spread them out and stow them under your sleeping mattress so it doesn’t take up any tent space. If you leave the extra clothes in it and set it on end, it’s the perfect height for a light or even for sittin’ inside the tent. Spray them down with water repellent you can leave a lot of the extra things in em’ and store it outside. I have used the duffle and canvas bags to carry firewood, rolled them up for pillows, even to wrap my feet in at night to keep ‘em warm. They’re perfect to put food in and hang from a tree when camping in National Forests or parks. All national parks require you to hang your food 10 feet high and 50 feet from your camp, if there’s no bear box available. When packed and compressed down, they can be strapped to the bike any which way, to the seat, back rack or sissy bar, and rearranged as packin’ conditions change.
For clothes I use a middle size soft zipper top suitcase, the pull along type (take the wheels off) with a pull out locking handle. Five days of clothes will pack in it. Counting what I’m wearing, that’s six days of clothes, plus personal hygiene stuff, basic make up, phone charger and a few other odds and ends in it. These cases usually have fairly hard sides and when turned on their side make pretty good table for writing, even eating on if the weather is bad. The pull out handles are great if you set the case on end on the back rack or the seat and extend the handle out securing the case to the sissy bar, the handles become an extension of the sissy bar for more stuff. With the handle pushed in, the back of the case is extremely ridged giving you a solid platform to pile things on if you lay it flat on the back rack or seat. These cases stack on top of each other pretty good too; so taking one for a buddy seat rider is no problem. The zipper top pouch is great to stow stationary, pen, some first aid things in a ziplock freezer bag, etc. One final word on containers- the ziplock type freezer and sandwich bags are great for storing a slew of things. Can be reused and take up no space when empty. One thing I use them for is ice. I carry a small vinyl collapsible “cooler”, which is perfect size for a few cans, lunch meat, bread or buns, pickles, paper plates, condiments, napkins etc. I fill a ziplock bag (usually the freezer size) with ice from any soft drink fountain when I stop for gas or at a fast food joint and I’m good to go. Not only does it keep things cold, but because the bag is watertight, as it melts I have of ice water for drinking or anything else I need water for.
When packing first aid things, don’t use boxes or metal containers, just put a few assorted band-aids, some gauze folded in loops, small foldable scissors, small tube of saave for burns and cuts, leave everything as loose as possible in the zip lock bag (be sure to burp ‘em) so it will lay as flat as possible. While on the subject of first aid there is a product called “Flex Wrap”. It’s similar to the old Ace Bandage only this stuff sticks to itself. It super for holdin’ gauze in place, and it doesn’t stick to skin or hair. It can be used to hold all kinds of stuff together. I have even used it to hold things on the bike. I can’t imagine life on the road without it.
Last, but most important I strap the tent on top as a separate unit just in case I need to get to it in a hurry. I carry four 10-foot one inch wide nylon straps and four 8 foot ¾ inch wide nylon straps as well as six bungee cords; two 24 inch, two 20 inch and two 16 inch. Straps are a lot more reliable and versatile then bungee cords; they’re stronger and hold up alot better. I’ve used straps for everything from clothes lines to towing to hanging things from trees. In extreme windy conditions, I have put them together and strung ‘em between trees and tied the top of the tent to them. In case of an accident or other emergency where there is a severe bleeding, they make excellent tourniquets. I use bungee cords to secure things I need to get to while on the road such as the atlas, water bottles, jacket etc. to the top or the pile.
Lesson #1
Really be creative when deciding on what to take. Try and take things that can be used for multiple purposes.
Lesson #2
Keep in mind most of your stuff is going to have to be stored in a tent. Storage space in a tent is extremely limited, so try to take things that can either be left outside or that will collapse down or fold up for storage.
Lesson #3
Individual containers will give ya alot more options on how to pack your bike so as to take advantage of what space is available. This also gives you the option of changing how you load the bike as conditions change. Lastly, straps are alot better for securing the bigger, heavier stuff to the bike then bungee cords.
See ya on the road!
Your Friend……
a.k.a. .Freddy Freedom
