"Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time."
          -  Aliyyah Eniath  -

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Most of the things I'm taking on this trip are the same ones I took last year. The gear gets tweaked with each trip, but in general it remains basically the same. There's a good reason for that: you just don't have much space so you only take the basics... clothing, tools, tent, sleeping bag, bike.

Lately, however, it seems like "the basics" includes an increasing number of electronics. This year, in addition to my Pocket PC (as well as two spare batteries and a charger), I'm also taking an iPod Shuffle and a camera (plus the chargers for both). If you remember last year's trip, Heather promised to buy me a Blackberry if more than a few people followed my blog (excluding my mother). She was as good as her word, so now I have a new cell phone (though we decided to get something other than a Blackberry).

Consequently, I also have a charger and an extra battery for that as well. My final piece of electronics was given to me by my father-in-law. He saw it advertised as "a cool toy for your cool toys" and, although that's a pretty accurate description, he really bought it for more practical reasons. It's a compact solar-powered battery recharger.With it, I hope to be able to charge my electronics while pedaling down the road.

I bought some new pannier bags this year as well. Last year I had a little trouble in the rain (read:  it rained in the next county and my gear got wet). My new bags are advertised as being "submersible," although I hope I never have the need to learn about their truth in their advertising. Similarly, I bought a new rain jacket after a ceremonial burning of last year's ''rain jacket." I tested this one in the shower before I left and it worked great (insert your own visual imagery here).

An almost complete list of the stuff I'm taking is listed below. I still can't believe it all fits into my bags. 

As I do each year, I weighed my gear before leaving. Anything that's going in or on a bag, bike, or body got weighed, and the total came 39.4 pounds. It sure feels like a lot more when you're dragging it up the side of a mountain. I weighed my bike for the first time. It weighs 29.0 pounds. I weigh 168.2 pounds. 

By the time I got all my gear together and boxed my bike up tonight it was 2:30 AM. 

I wonder what I forgot this time. 

BICYCLE
rear rack
rear panniers (2)
handlebar bag
handlebar bag organizer
cyclometer
water bottle cages (3)
water bottles (3)
tire pump
straps with buckles
combination lock

CAMPING
tent/rain fly/poles
stakes
sleeping bag
compression bag
sleeping pad/bag
sleeping bag liner
flashlight with chain
batteries
inflatable pillow

CLOTHING
cycling gloves
cycling shoes
flip-flops
hat
helmet
bandana (2)
t-shirts (5)
long sleeve shirt (2)
head cover
headband
underwear (1)
cycling shorts (5)
socks (5 pair)
jeans
lounge pants
rain jacket
sweatshirt
sunglasses
watch
wrist braces

TOOLS/SPARE PARTS
25-in-1 tool
pliers
tire tools
pedal wrenches
lubricant
patch kit
spare tire
spare tube
spare chain links
3 spare cables:
1)rear brake
2)rear derailleu
3)transverse cable
spare spokes
cleaning cloth

ELECTRONICS
cellphone
recharger
iPod Shuffle recharger
earbuds
camera
recharger
extra SD cards
solar charger
SD card reader

HYGIENE/TOILETRIES
bandaids
antibacterial cream
ibuprofen
acetaminophen
Skelaxin (muscle relaxer)
dental floss
tweezers
toothbrush
toothpaste
detergent
insect repellent
sunscreen
chapstick
soap
toilet paper
camp towel
razor blades
shaving cream
mirro
skin lotion
HandiWipes

MISCELLANEOUS
passport card
stamps for postcards
emergency card
maps
money
travelers checks
notebook
pen
swiss army knife
wallet
ziploc bags
hand cleaner
garbage bags
earplugs
sewing kit
playing cards
energy bars
wrist braces