Originally Posted by
staehpj1
I never found tour length made much difference to me. I pack about the same stuff for any tour length from a week to multiple months. If I went longer or shorther I'd likely still take the same stuff.
The only difference might be that if I pass from one season to another or one geographic area to another I might need different gear, but in that case I might mail some stuff home and have different stuff mailed to me.
The worst trips to pack for are short tours of 3 to 5 days. I tend to take enough clothes to do laundry every 3 to 4 days on weeks long tours. But on short tours, there’s not really enough time to take some of it to do laundry…especially when doing remote bikepacking. I also carry about 3 days of food with me and hit a grocery store every 3 days. Again, there’s not really that much time…nor stores in remote locations…to stop and resupply so I carry more clothes and more food on short trips.
I also don’t do long tours here in Colorado at altitude all the much. My trips tend to be in that 3 to 5 range but weather in the high country even at the height of summer can be variable and quite cold. I carry more warm clothes for the mornings on those short trips as well.