For me, packing is always the hardest part of any trip away. I think about things too much.

Gear wise, I am not able to afford the latest in ultralight. So, I just don't take stuff and will make do. It's a Japanese alpine climbing philosophy thing. My bike cost me $500. I bought 3 Blackburn cargo mounts at $45 each for the front forks and 2 S2S big river dry bags at $35 each for these. That is clothes and food. 

My $150 tent,  $40 sleep mat and 1st aid kit go on a $7 dry bag on my $10 Gumtree rack. I can put additional stuff in here if needed, plus strap my crocs and extra 2l water bottle on top if needed.

In the triangle I have a $15 triangle frame bag for food and phone. My cook kit goes in another cargo mount here. My bike spares are in a $5 top tube thing and in a bottle cage. 

Then I have some $15 feed bags for energy drink and muesli bars/snacks.

I made a bar bag thing from an old karrimor bar bag mount...just a bit of ply screwed to the mount that I can then strap stuff to and on. Just to keep away from levers and cables. Works well. Here I strap my waterproofs and my sleep system: $40 Gumtree Denali Lite 50 sleep bag and some $30 Aldi Merino base layer set.

My $30 Gumtree backpack holds a 3l water bladder, my electronics, toiletries, down jacket and has room to spare for bakery items along the way :-) I think I spent about $15 on straps and shit. I already had most of this stuff, as well as bike clothes etc. so all up a pretty cheap adventure for me. I suspect for me to do the credit card touring thingy, I mean er...stealthpacking...and stay/eat in hotels would have cost close to my whole setup. Not that cost is the whole driving factor for me, it just is what it is. I don't like to conform to some marketeer's idea of how I should look when I am going on a cycle tour. Bikepacking I mean. Perhaps I will do that next time. In the meantime just make do :-)

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