Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Check List

What do I carry with me on a long motorcycle camping trip?  It's always a dilemma, do it minimally or be like a gypsy and carry the house.  What to carry in the limited amount of space one has on a motorcycle and am I missing something will be the two important questions.
There are various lists on the internet, I'm not going to invent the wheel again, this list was customized from one of the lists I had seen a while ago.

Motorcycle stuff:
  • Boots & socks               Raingear              Bungee cords          Saddlebags
  • Cargo net                       Spare fuses          Earplugs                 Spare key(s)
  • Gloves & spares            Tankbag               Helmet                   Tire patch kit
  • Jacket                            Toolkit                  Leatherman tool      Totes
  • Lock/security stuff          Rain gloves           Windshield cleaner
Personal:
  • Antihistamines                Soap                    Casual clothes          Sunglasses
  • Chapstick                      Comb                   Towel(s)                  Deodorant
  • Washcloth                     Shampoo              Shaving kit               Toothbrush & toothpaste
Clothing:
  • Hat                               Sweatshirt              Swim suit                 Jeans (kevlar riding jeans)
  • underwear                    T-shirts                  1 pair shorts
  • Sneakers/sandals             Socks
Tech/Information:
  • Camera                        Chargers                 Notepad & pen        Cellphone/mp3
  • Passport/ID                 Contact #s               Driver's License
  • Radar detector            GPS                         Registration papers   Insurance
  • Laptop computer         Travel guide(s)          Flashlight
  • Credit card(s)              Cash                        Membership cards (AAA, etc.) 
Miscellaneous:
  • Bug repellent               Extra batteries          Cable ties                 First aid kit
  • Ibuprophen/Tylenol
Camping:
  • Flashlight                    Sleeping bag             Groundcloth             Sleeping pad
  • Hatchet                      Stakes/rope               Lantern                   Tent, poles, rainfly
  • Matches/lighter           Toilet paper               Bags                        
Cooking:
  • Stove & fuel               Dishsoap & pad        Dishtowel                  Corkscrew/Can opener
  • Condiments                Water bottle              Cooking pots
  • Knife/fork/spoons       Cup
Food:
  • Coffee                        Sugar & creamer        Salt packets
  • Soups                         Instant food packs

Feel free to add anything I'm missing in the comments.

I am good at organizing and packing my own stuff, this is a picture of my bike packed for a 24 day cross country trip in 2010 including all camping equipment.




23 comments:

  1. George, you have quite the comprehensive list, I would almost tempted to say... too much?
    Maybe you want to hop over to RichardM and cross check
    http://blog.machida.us/2012/06/packing-list.html

    Here is some items I usually carry on a trip:
    Sunscreen
    Spare bulbs
    Ziploc bags or containers for food left overs


    You are bringing shirts, seriously? What are you dressing up for ;-) Isn't the jeans too heavy?
    How about a fleece jacket or is your motorcycle jacket liner enough?

    You carry a lot of electronics. No Iphone (= one for all GPS, phone, mp3 player and computer)?

    And what is a radar detector good for? You are on vacation, not on the run. No reason to go anywhere fast. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No sunscreen needed, remember, I was born in Africa, used to the sun :-)
      My bike has dual headlamps, plus I have the extra lights, no need for spare bulbs.
      There are no food leftovers when I'm done eating but I do have bags in the list :-)
      Shirts?? you right, going to remove it, t-shirts and that's it. I like to ride in my kevlar jeans so that's my spare pants, serves dual purpose, useful when I'm sightseeing too. Phone is also mp3 player, removing mp3. You don't live on the east coast, you NEED a radar detector on this side of the country, I do have a heavy hand on the throttle :-)

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    2. George:

      radar detectors are useless in BC, due to spotting aircraft. Our sea to sky highway is patrolled by helicopter, as well as hwy 1 all the way to HOPE. You can not outrun a helicopter. A heavy throttle hand will get your bike impounded

      bob
      Riding the Wet Coast
      My Flickr // My YouTube

      Delete
    3. Bob, I agree with you but it's also easy to spot aircraft flying around, there's signs all over NJ about roads being patrolled by helicopters and planes but I HAVE NEVER seen one. The way the governments are running deficits does it really pay to have a helicopter or plane flying to get plus/minus $100 from a ticket? they would have to write lots of tickets to pay for the flying time which is ridiculously expensive. Maybe Canada has figured out a way to fly balloons?? ;-)

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    4. George:

      Air1 & Air2 are active and on the lookout for bikes

      old link but many riders now riding in the states
      http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=50&languageId=1&contentId=20570

      they radio down to ground units

      bob
      Riding the Wet Coast
      My Flickr // My YouTube

      Delete
  2. "One on your back, 2 in the pack"

    I'm putting together a kit for 2 weeks on the road in August. The problem is finding a suitable sissy bar and luggage rack for my Road King without breaking the bank (H-D wants $700 for the parts!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tell me about it, anything for a motorcycle is expensive.

      Delete
  3. Ditch the laptop- post to your blog by smartphone.
    Ditch the saw- your Leatherman should have a small saw blade.
    Ditch the condiments and take one small bottle of Tabasco sauce.
    Ditch the swimsuit and swim in your underwear, or less. You get to go swimming and do laundry at the same time.
    Cooking pots? Google 'jetboil'.
    I see that 'jackets' and 'helmets' are both plural. Where are you putting all this stuff?

    Put all the stuff you want to take with you in a pile. Then ditch half of it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have a very small laptop, bought it just to go on the bike. You right, I do have a leatherman, removing it. I like to take little salt packs, no pepper needed.
      I like to have a swimsuit, useful when you stay at a motel with indoor pool or Jacuzzi, feels good to relax the muscles at the end of a long day. In the past I have regretted not having one with me. I have a small set of cooking pots that fit inside each other. Sorry, fixing the list, one helmet and jacket.
      I like your idea about the pile ;-)

      Delete
  4. Swimsuit? What's that? lol.

    I think you have a great list going on there and I also think Sonja had a great idea with the ziplocs and sunscreen too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gotta take my Union Jack Speedo ;-0
      Good to scare everyone out the pool.

      Delete
    2. Sonja, what's legal?? the Speedo? ;-)

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  5. If it might rain, plastic bags are a riders best friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have full rain gear including covers for the boots. You right, as a last resort plastic bags are perfect when it rains.

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  6. You might want some TP for those lonely roads in AK :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TP?? not sure what that is.

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    2. My daughter just informed what TP is, not sure if it's what you meant.
      I do have toilet paper on the list :-)

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  7. That is a lot of stuff. (NoName) has a good suggestion re putting it all in a pile. Also don't discount the fact that there will be stores en route for things like batteries, etc so you don't have to carry it all from home.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Seems like a lot but it's really not a lot. 3 t-shirts, my riding pants and one pair of kevlar riding jeans as spare. Camping stuff is what takes the most space, specially the sleeping bag and tent.

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  8. I have been going through your checklist to see what I need to add to my own.One benefit is that I can always send things down with my wife as she is flying down for the family reunion. I did add bear spray to my list as I plan on camping out most nights. Get a compression stuff sack for your sleeping bag. Using one, my sleeping bag is about 1/4 of one of my side cases where it would have taken up the entire space before.

    Good luck with your preparations! Can you send be where I would be able to find the Tenere group in Whitehorse on July 4th? I think I found it on their website but I'm not sure...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It will be easy to find us, Yukon Yamaha will have a big tent for the duration of the event. I will make sure the people at the tent know where I'm staying, I will be in a motel while in Whitehorse.
      http://www.yukonyamaha.com/

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  9. Thanks for sharing, great list!

    Don't forget the Duck Tape.

    ReplyDelete