As some of you may know I'm preparing for my first tour in May. I think I have all I need. I've gone through the "Tips and Tricks" and "Pictures of your loaded rigs" as well as tons of other posts here and Journals on CGOAB, so I think I'm pretty well prepared.

Except for one thing. How do I load up my bike properly? I saw all the pictures I could find but there is um... huge variety

Any general tips then?

It's a Kona Sutra 58 cm frame with a rear rack, front low riders and a small front Axiom platform above the front rack is coming. My panniers are, unfortunately, one big pocket (Axiom Typhoon and Monsoon), I'll have a large handlebar bag too and I've got Sea To Summit medium compression sacks. 5lbs REI tent, that's quite compact, no problem here. I can't afford better panniers right now so I'll have to do with these.

Few things I gathered so far:

- Distribute the weight between front and rear like 30%-70%,

- Balance sides, well kind of obvious,

- Keep food and toiletries in the same pannier(s), so only those will smell of food etc. and they can be hang from a tree,

- Cargo nets are better than single bungee cords, although still can be combined

- Keep heavy things low and close to the center of the bike/bottom bracket.

Any more tips?

For instance, the sleeping pad is large but light, so how do you pack it to prevent it from being a problem in windy situations?

Does anyone carry water in one Camelback bladder or dromedary bag or just water bootles scattered across the bags? Is it worth trying to mount a Camelback bladder (insulated Unbottle) on the rack of a regular 700cc bike? I know that on a recumbents or BigDummy it's often a preferred solution.

I will, of course, go on at least two short testing rides before embarking on the tour that may take 2-3 weeks.

Oh, almost forgot I've started a journal too!

Thanks!