Touring - Made the list, checked it twice.

Now to find out if I've been naughty or nice. Meaning do I need to add to it, or remove things from it? Here it is folks:

SELF CONTAINED TOUR CHECK LIST

BIKE: VISION R40 RECUMBENT
CAMEL BAK M.U.L.E.
16" TUBE ***
20" TUBE ***
26" TUBE ***
MULTI-TOOL
CO2 "GUN"
C02 CARTRIDGES ***
FLOOR PUMP
FIRST AID KIT ***
BOTTLE OF MED. ***
EYE GLASS CLEANER W/CLOTH ***
BABY WIPES ***

TRAILER: B.O.B. YAK
DRY SAK
"X" BUNGEE CORD

CAMPING GEAR: TENT
BED ROLL: AIR MATTRESS
LIGHTWEIGHT SLEEPING BAG
PILLOW
EMERGENCY KIT: EMERGENCY BLANKET
LIGHTSTICK ***
HOODED PONCHO
ESSENTIALS KIT: 5 PLASTIC SPOONS
SMALL THERMOMETER/COMPASS
CAMP CLOTHS LINE IN REEL
SMALL CAMP KNIFE
REPAIR KIT: TENT TAPE ***
2 AIR MATTRESS REPAIR KITS ***

STREET CLOTHS: SANDALS **
4 PAIR SWIM TRUNKS *
4 RAYON SHIRTS **

CYCLING CLOTHS: HELMET
SHOES
5 PAIR OF SHORTS *
5 JERSEYS *
GLOVES
5 BANDANNAS
5 PAIR CYCLING SOCKS *
5 HEADBANDS

TOILETRIES: BUGS SPRAY ***
BATH SPONGE ***
SOAP ***
SOAP HOLDER
SHAMPOO***
TRAVEL TOOTH BRUSH
TOOTH PASTE ***
LISTERINE POCKET PAK STRIPS ***
DEODORANT ***
GOLD BOND FOOT POWDER ***
EYE GLASS CLEANER ***
SUNBLOCK ***
BABY WIPES ***
Q-TIPS ***
OLD SPICE REFRESHER CLOTHS ***
6 TRAVEL JOHN'S *
3 ABSORBER TOWELS *
TOILETRIES BAG

OTHER ITEMS: SHOWER SHOES
COTTON FLOUR SACK TOWEL
DIRTY LAUNDRY BAG

NOTES: * = NEED TO PURCHASE MORE TO MAKE
QUANTITY COMPLETE
** = DO NOT HAVE, NEED TO PURCHASE
*** = MIGHT HAVE TO REPLACE/REPLENISH

Any questions on what something is or why I have it please ask. And any suggestions or feed back please don't hesitate to speak up, I need all the help I can get.

Thanks.

If I recall correctly that this is a week long tour you might be a little heavy on the clothing and toiletries however with a BOB trailer it should be no real problem.After several tours you will get a feel for what you never use and can leave extras at home in the future.I actually have my gear pared down to such a few multipurpose essential items that I fill extra space with extra water just to add a little extra weight and because I have found you can never carry too much water.

N_C, You have to make a choice between comfort and lightweight.

If you think you should do a repack; i suggest 2 jerseys instead of 5, 2 shorts, 2 bandanna`s, 2 rayon shirts and leave the headbands home.

You can use sandals in the shower, so no bad-shoes here :)

As said, these are suggestions, don`t take anything personal.

enjoy the ride! :beer:

I took 3 changes of cycling clothes on my last cycle tour.. That gives you one extra should one set not dry out after rinsing it out with the woolite. Looks about like a 60 pound load to me.. I just had two sets of street clothes..

Originally posted by toolfreak
N_C, You have to make a choice between comfort and lightweight.

If you think you should do a repack; i suggest 2 jerseys instead of 5, 2 shorts, 2 bandanna`s, 2 rayon shirts and leave the headbands home.

You can use sandals in the shower, so no bad-shoes here :)

As said, these are suggestions, don`t take anything personal.

enjoy the ride! :beer:

toolfreak, no personal offense taken. one thing i am going to do well before my tour is weigh everything loaded on the trailer. then if i feel it is to much i'll start taking things off.

as far as the headbands are concerned, first of all they are the headsweats brand, they weigh next to nothing, and i do need to wear them. its no fun having sweat with sunblock in it run into your eyes, (even though the on the bottle of sunblock it says water proof it still happens). so the headband does help prevent that.

like i said after i weigh the trailer with everything loaded in it i'll go from there.

thanks for your suggestions everyone. keep them coming.

Two additional ideas and the first one I actually got from Dwagenheim on a Fl. tour this summer.First if that is a cotton towel you might want to consider a midsize synthetic "camp" towel as these work excellent and nothing is worse than a soggy cotton towel.Also the problem with excess gear aside from weight is it limits accessability to items you want to find without a lot of trouble.So I suggest you use plastic bags to organize your gear within the pack for easier access.You can keep wet or dirty clothing in one (better than laundry bag)and dry in another and this also help with any waterproof or mildew concerns.

RWTD, the absorber towels I will be taking with me, at least 2 maybe 3 of them, are the type that need to be damp to work and they who hold who knows how much of their weight in water. Plus this type of towel does not need to be totally dry to be stored so long as it is wrung out as tightly as possible, and put in its plastic tube for storage. The towels are mildew proof, and even if one does dry out completely, all I need to do is wet it for use. I do not know what kind of material these towels are made out of but I do know it is some kind of synthetic.

The only cotton thing I am taking is the flour sack towel. And that is because flour sack towels are best for cleaning eye glasses. That won't get wet enough to cause any kind of concern

There is no teacher as great as experience, but here's some suggestions anyway.

Losing the floor pump will help deflate your load
Eliminate repititious items like 3 different eyeglass cleaners / eyeglass clothes, 3 kinds of wipes
Eliminate repititious items like 3 different eyeglass cleaners / eyeglass clothes, 3 kinds of wipes
Eliminate repititious items like 3 different eyeglass cleaners / eyeglass clothes, 3 kinds of wipes
Do you really need a pillow and an air mattress?
Replace lightstick with mini maglight
Ditch the poncho
Keep the compass but the thermometer is a half baked idea (wheres the map?)
Clothesline, yes; on a reel, NO!
Replace tent tape and air mattress repair kit with duct tape (I don't see a tire patch kit)
Way to much in the clothing / shoes categories, 4 pairs of swim trunks??5 jerseys??10 headbands / bandannas??Shower shoes & sandals??
Get the bath and body gel in a tube and lose the bath soap, soap holder and shampoo. Probably don't need a bath sponge either.
and finally use public restrooms John

N_C

I always use my fleecejacket as pillow, in that way i can combine two things, and use one item :)

I think you need to add three lumps of coal to add to threadend's stocking lol.Seriously I agree with most all of his comments and as you can see from others comments as well most try to limit duplicate and unessential items.Having said that you will carry too much on your first tour as everyone does so it is not unexspected that your initial list is lengthy.By the way FWIW in summer and even winter in Fl. I can wash my bike clothing in a public restroom sink ring them out and put them right back on and have no problem with them drying quickly.

Originally posted by threadend
There is no teacher as great as experience, but here's some suggestions anyway.

Losing the floor pump will help deflate your load
Eliminate repititious items like 3 different eyeglass cleaners / eyeglass clothes, 3 kinds of wipes
Eliminate repititious items like 3 different eyeglass cleaners / eyeglass clothes, 3 kinds of wipes
Eliminate repititious items like 3 different eyeglass cleaners / eyeglass clothes, 3 kinds of wipes
Do you really need a pillow and an air mattress?
Replace lightstick with mini maglight
Ditch the poncho
Keep the compass but the thermometer is a half baked idea (wheres the map?)
Clothesline, yes; on a reel, NO!
Replace tent tape and air mattress repair kit with duct tape (I don't see a tire patch kit)
Way to much in the clothing / shoes categories, 4 pairs of swim trunks??5 jerseys??10 headbands / bandannas??Shower shoes & sandals??
Get the bath and body gel in a tube and lose the bath soap, soap holder and shampoo. Probably don't need a bath sponge either.
and finally use public restrooms John


threadend, the floor pump is needed to air air up my mattress. I do have a lightweight mini floor pump, its the size of a frame pump, that i'll use instead of a full size one. plus i am very meticulous about airing up my tires before every ride i do. as fas as the air mattress and pillow are concerned i do need them, too, have back and neck problems when it comes to sleeping on hard surfaces. and a self inflating mattress is to narrow for me.

i will eliminate repetitive items though such as the eyeglass cleaners and only take on bottle.

then compass and thermometer are one inthe same. its one of those little coleman brand items that attaches to a zipper.

i have a patch kit forgot to mention it.

thought about taking a mini-maglight, the disposable lightstick actually weighs less. and the poncho is one of those disposable kind that are only meant to be used in case you get caught in the rain, it too weighs very little.

the clothsline reel is barley 3" in diameter, it only holds about 20 yards of thin nylon line, again it weighs very little and will save time.

i'm going to try to find a pair of sandals that I can wear in the shower. but i refuse to use a public shower without something on my feet. who knows what kind of nasty things are on the floor.

Each campground i'll be staying at has a public shower house and restroom, usually in the same building.

i'll also use the soap shampoo combo.

Best wishes on your tour. Gear selection is a personel decision. The first time I went out i packed everything I read on the internet lists of essential items. the first day i got ride of stuff the first week i got rid of stuff the first month i got rid of stuff after about 8 weeks i was down to what was needed.

Everything had to have a duo pourpose or it got sent back or tossed or given away. I dont remember how long you intend to be out but we all learn as we go I hope you get Joe to set you up with tour journal here on B F so we can read about your tour as you go.
happy new year
beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: ::
geeze I think i have had way too much beer
catfish

Best advice I have recieved on packing: bring half as many clothes as you think you need, and bring twice as much money.

Enjoy the trip.