One of the first questions people ask about the trip is what you take on a three-month bike ride. Deciding on my gear, researching the lightest and most reliable products, and gathering them all together has occupied much of my time these past few weeks. I have finalized my equipment list but the reality is that it will be a work in progress throughout my trip. Equipment that seems essential now may not seem so necessary after I carry it around for a few days. Based on the travelogues of other Transam riders, it's a near-universal experience to send gear home after a few days to lighten the load. It's especially common to stop at the post office before heading into the mountains. My current gear list is provided below. It will take a little time on the road to determine what should have stayed home and what was overlooked. Bike
Long Haul Trucker w/ front and rear racks, pedals, fenders, kickstand, front and rear lights, Ortlieb front and rear panniers and handlebar bag
Bike computer
3 water bottles
Extra spokes
Tubes (3x)
Extra tire
Tool kit
Bike pump
Bike rain cover
Camping
One-person Crestone tent
Down sleeping bag
Prolite sleeping mat
Pack towel
Trekker chair
Stove
Cooking Pot
Clothing
Bike shorts (3x)
Bike pants
Shorts
Pants that convert to shorts
Bike jersey (3x)
Wool zip-up
Tshirt
Smart wool socks (4x)
Rain coat
Rain pants
Helmet
Helmet cover
Bike shoes
Sandals
Bike gloves
Wool hat
Swimsuit
Sunglasses
Electronics
Etrex Vista HCx GPS
Cell Phone
Iriver MP3 player
Asus EEE computer
Canon Rebel XT Camera
Various chargers and USB cords
Miscellaneous
Transamerica Trail Maps
State Maps
Lock
Camelback water container
First aid kit
Dog spray
Headlamp
Bungie cords
Lighter
Swiss Army knife
Notebook and pens/pencils
Paperbacks
Tripod
Toiletries
Sunscreen
Bug spray
4 comments:
wow - that sounds like a lot of stuff. couple questions/suggestions...
1. i think you should replace your swimsuit with another lighter or two. you can always "swim" in shorts or bike shorts. i suppose you can always buy another lighter, but the cost/analysis of having a back up lighter v. swim trunks is one sided to me.
2. how are you going to pack your electronics? are your sidebags padded so should a clip issue arise and you fall your electronics will be protected?
3. what happens if you decide you need something after you've already sent it back? just pick a spot and have someone send it to a destination?
sounds awesome though - looking forward to a summer of posts!
I think you're right about the lighter, Mike. I'm going to pack my computer in a padded sleeve and store it in my back panniers. The other items will be more exposed, the GPS will be mounted to the bike and my camera and MP3 will be in my handle bar bag to allow easy access. If I hit the ground, I'll just have to be lucky in more ways than one. As for shipping things, if I think that something isn't necessary now but may be helpful later I can ship to a post office further down the route. Thanks for the comment. I'll try to meet your expectations for proficient posting.
Love the blog Brian! I can't wait to track your progress. I also love that Mike has already made suggestions. Good old reliable Mike.
Carly
You have still got a lot! My smartest move was taking the I-Phone rather than a PC although it limits my ability to upload photos along the way.
I have posted home or binned about half of this stuff: http://www.transamericatrailcycle.com/2008/04/kit.html
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