The reason I posted the question is because of a picture I saw the other day. It was my bike, as I had it loaded for a one-week self-supported tour around 2004. The load is bulkier than what I carry today and also a little heavier. Some of the changes come because of gear swaps I've made and others come because of minor changes I've made in the packing list. For every trip, I re-evaluate the gear load to determine what I need and what I can leave behind.

Almost all my tours are one or two weeks long, with camping along the way, and the load seldom changes. The heaviest I've carried was in the Arctic where I needed to pack food for several days and clothing for a potentially wide range of temperatures. That trip is the last time I used a front rack on my bike. Otherwise, two rear panniers and a handlebar bag will do quite nicely.

Other changes:

• The camera I use now is a lot smaller than what I took a few years ago. That saves weight and bulk.
• I carry less clothing than I did in the past, although I also make it a point to carry full rain gear and cold-weather clothing, just in case I'm caught in rough weather.
• I use recessed cleats, so the shoes I wear for cycling are the shoes I wear when I'm in off the bike.
• I used to carry a paperback or two, but I've stopped doing that. However, I still carry a couple of small notebooks on every trip.
• In the last couple of years, I've switched to lighter and smaller cookware. I also tend to carry less food with me, since I can almost always get supplies in a town before I stop for the night.