What to pack? Where to put it?
One of the things I enjoy about motorcycle travel is the process of paring down the superfluous to the necessary, and then cutting back on the necessary until it will fit in the available. Sometimes even the necessary won't fit, and you have to get creative. I also think it is important that what you carry is secure, can be quickly and easily loaded/unloaded, and that it is readily accessible.
Basically I had four pieces of luggage: a tankbag, L/R panniers, and a small duffel on the tail rack. There is also an under the seat tray for tools, and, of course, the pockets of my riding jacket and jeans.
One should be careful, I think, about what goes in pockets, as these items may become hazardous or even lethal in an accident. Pens and pencils or any other item which can puncture are no-no's. I do like the idea of keeping my cell phone up close and personal, as I have heard of riders laying in a ditch, out of sight of the road, with sufficient injuries to prevent them from attracting would-be rescuers attention but still able to dial 911 to direct the search. Wallet with ID, insurance (auto and health) cards, and money also stay on my person, as well as a zip lock with other vital papers - passport, title, registration, etc. I also kept a small utility ring with an LED flashlight, miniature Swiss Army Knife, compass and thermometer, and whistle in my pocket. In my coat I stored my gloves, ear-plugs (don't leave home without 'em), and sunglasses.
The tank bag was mounted by magnets and was for things of frequent or immediate use such as maps, binoculars (didn't use as much as I thought), camera and battery, extra sunglasses, hard candy lemon drops, bottle of water or camelback bladder, journal and pen/pencil, tire pressure gage, bug spray, sunblock, chapstick, and some assorted snacks of Cliff Bars and Beef Jerky.
On a BMW GS the left pannier is smaller than the right, as it is shaped to fit over the upswept spark arresting exhaust. That one was my workshop. I carried a large MSR fuel bottle with gasoline (about a quart), a small bottle with oil (1pt) (both in socks to prevent banging around and chaffing), a generator rotor stuck inside a roll of duct tape, a diode board in bubble wrap and duct taped to the the top (under the handle) of the bag to keep it dry and relatively safe, a ziplock bag with extra fuel filter, 2 spark plugs, a clutch cable, clutch handle, spare fuses, spare bulbs, a front tire tube and a rear tire tube, a tire inflater kit (8 CO2 cartridges and adapter head), a tube patch kit, jumper cables, a siphon hose, a chamois cloth (to filter gas), JB Weld, and Zip-Ties. There was also a medical kit with standards like cloth tape, gauze pads, gauze roll, band-aids, antibiotic ointment, an oral syringe (for wound irrigation), iodine, pain killers (Aleve), Pepto-Bismal, Lotomil, Ex-Lax, Murine eye wash, tweezers, and small magnifying glass. This pannier, like the other, was mounted on the frame and then additionally secured with a belt.
The right-side pannier was clothing and personals: rain pants, rubber rain boots and gloves, shaving kit: bar soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, small washcloth, camp towel, q-tips, deodorant, and two ziplock clothing bags: 2 additional pairs of socks, 2 additional pairs of underwear, 1 additional grey t-shirt, 1 white t-shirt, 1 long sleeved 'adventure' shirt, 1 additional pair of jeans, 1 pair of nylon shorts, 1 pair sandals, and 1 set scrubs for sleeping.
The duffel was camping gear: 2 man backpacking tent, 45 degree sleeping bag, and Thermo-rest pad. There was room for more but why carry more than is needed? This bag was bungeed to the rack with 2 bungees crossed and was very secure.
As it turned out I used the gas (could have had another bottle to make 1/2 gallon or about 20-25 miles but one was enough this time), and the oil, but no other spares. I used all my clothes, but didn't feel like I was offending anyone by the end of the trip (other opinions may be different), and didn't feel like I needed more for cleanliness or for warmth.
For me the key to packing is visualization of what I'm planning to do and what I'll need while doing it. As we didn't plan to make any state visits, I needed no formal clothes, but dining out would require 'relatively' clean clothing and a white t-shirt and jeans will get you by in most places I'd care to eat. Preparing for the unexpected is a personal choice, and while my tools and parts list may seem excessive to some, it gave me great confidence and peace to think I could deal with most foreseeable issues.
Whatever you take, and however you carry it some thoughts are worth noting: secure it so it doesn't move about and CANNOT fall off or shift, pad or pack it so that the constant vibrations and jarring bumps of motorcycle travel will not cause chaffing or friction or outright breakage, keep it to a minimum in weight and complexity for the sake of your bike and your riding partner's patience.
Basically I had four pieces of luggage: a tankbag, L/R panniers, and a small duffel on the tail rack. There is also an under the seat tray for tools, and, of course, the pockets of my riding jacket and jeans.
One should be careful, I think, about what goes in pockets, as these items may become hazardous or even lethal in an accident. Pens and pencils or any other item which can puncture are no-no's. I do like the idea of keeping my cell phone up close and personal, as I have heard of riders laying in a ditch, out of sight of the road, with sufficient injuries to prevent them from attracting would-be rescuers attention but still able to dial 911 to direct the search. Wallet with ID, insurance (auto and health) cards, and money also stay on my person, as well as a zip lock with other vital papers - passport, title, registration, etc. I also kept a small utility ring with an LED flashlight, miniature Swiss Army Knife, compass and thermometer, and whistle in my pocket. In my coat I stored my gloves, ear-plugs (don't leave home without 'em), and sunglasses.
The tank bag was mounted by magnets and was for things of frequent or immediate use such as maps, binoculars (didn't use as much as I thought), camera and battery, extra sunglasses, hard candy lemon drops, bottle of water or camelback bladder, journal and pen/pencil, tire pressure gage, bug spray, sunblock, chapstick, and some assorted snacks of Cliff Bars and Beef Jerky.
On a BMW GS the left pannier is smaller than the right, as it is shaped to fit over the upswept spark arresting exhaust. That one was my workshop. I carried a large MSR fuel bottle with gasoline (about a quart), a small bottle with oil (1pt) (both in socks to prevent banging around and chaffing), a generator rotor stuck inside a roll of duct tape, a diode board in bubble wrap and duct taped to the the top (under the handle) of the bag to keep it dry and relatively safe, a ziplock bag with extra fuel filter, 2 spark plugs, a clutch cable, clutch handle, spare fuses, spare bulbs, a front tire tube and a rear tire tube, a tire inflater kit (8 CO2 cartridges and adapter head), a tube patch kit, jumper cables, a siphon hose, a chamois cloth (to filter gas), JB Weld, and Zip-Ties. There was also a medical kit with standards like cloth tape, gauze pads, gauze roll, band-aids, antibiotic ointment, an oral syringe (for wound irrigation), iodine, pain killers (Aleve), Pepto-Bismal, Lotomil, Ex-Lax, Murine eye wash, tweezers, and small magnifying glass. This pannier, like the other, was mounted on the frame and then additionally secured with a belt.
The right-side pannier was clothing and personals: rain pants, rubber rain boots and gloves, shaving kit: bar soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, small washcloth, camp towel, q-tips, deodorant, and two ziplock clothing bags: 2 additional pairs of socks, 2 additional pairs of underwear, 1 additional grey t-shirt, 1 white t-shirt, 1 long sleeved 'adventure' shirt, 1 additional pair of jeans, 1 pair of nylon shorts, 1 pair sandals, and 1 set scrubs for sleeping.
The duffel was camping gear: 2 man backpacking tent, 45 degree sleeping bag, and Thermo-rest pad. There was room for more but why carry more than is needed? This bag was bungeed to the rack with 2 bungees crossed and was very secure.
As it turned out I used the gas (could have had another bottle to make 1/2 gallon or about 20-25 miles but one was enough this time), and the oil, but no other spares. I used all my clothes, but didn't feel like I was offending anyone by the end of the trip (other opinions may be different), and didn't feel like I needed more for cleanliness or for warmth.
For me the key to packing is visualization of what I'm planning to do and what I'll need while doing it. As we didn't plan to make any state visits, I needed no formal clothes, but dining out would require 'relatively' clean clothing and a white t-shirt and jeans will get you by in most places I'd care to eat. Preparing for the unexpected is a personal choice, and while my tools and parts list may seem excessive to some, it gave me great confidence and peace to think I could deal with most foreseeable issues.
Whatever you take, and however you carry it some thoughts are worth noting: secure it so it doesn't move about and CANNOT fall off or shift, pad or pack it so that the constant vibrations and jarring bumps of motorcycle travel will not cause chaffing or friction or outright breakage, keep it to a minimum in weight and complexity for the sake of your bike and your riding partner's patience.
posted by Randy Masters at 7:49 PM
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