March 30, 2022
Packing list
One of the common questions I get is what I am bringing with me on my trip. Below are the details of what I am bringing. You can also access a spreadsheet that contains my entire packing list including weights and prices of most items. Packing list as Google Sheet or as Excel Spreadsheet
I did tweak this packing list a bit after my fall 2022 ride. I added a warmer pair of gloves, purchased the Garmin Edge Explorer 2 and sold my Garmin Edge Explorer first generation, purchased a new iPhone, and swapped out for a warmer hat. The iPhone 14 Pro has an emergency beacon system that will work even without cell phone service. Hope I never have to use it but wanted to be prepared.
Weight
The bike weighs 36 pounds without my gear. Here are the weights of my 5 bags with food and water
- Rear panniers - 25.2 lbs
- Front panniers - 9.6 lbs
- Trunk bag - 5.2 lbs
- Handlebar bag - 3.2 lbs
- Water bottles - 4.0 lbs
Total gear weight with food and water is 47.2 lbs with 70% in the rear and 30% in the front. All toll I am pushing 83.2 pounds down the road with pedal power.
The Bike
When I turned 50 I purchased a LeMond Poprad which is a cyclocross bike. It works great on roads and trails and I used it on a 420-mile bike tour where we stayed in hotels. When I hit a steeper hill with this bike I had to stand on the pedals due to its high gearing. I knew this bike would not work well for a cross country tour so I purchased a Trek 520 in November of 2021. I was lucky to find this bike in my frame size from a local dealer during the pandemic. I outfitted the bike with:
- 3 water bottle cages
- Bontrager NCS fenders
- Shimano PD-T8000 pedals
- Bontrager rear mount kickstand
- Topeak Pocket Rocket air pump
- Sprintech road drop bar rear view mirror
- Bontrager Ion 200RT/Flare RT light set
- Selle Anatomica H2 series saddle
- Three water bottle cages
- Steerstopper - neat little device
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The Bags
Two back panniers, two front panniers, a trunk bag which goes on top of the back rack, and a handlebar bag will carry everything
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Sleep system
My backpacking experience helped here leading to a lightweight and comfortable setup
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Electronics
I have 6 items that need charging, the first 3 on a daily basis
- iPhone 14 Pro
- Garmin Edge Explore 2 GPS
- Bontrager Ion 200 RT/Flare RT light set
- Kindle Oasis
- Petzl Tikkini headlamp
- Apple AirPods Pro
This led me to purchase an Anker 737 Powerbank that has 4 USB ports. This will last 3-4 days charging the phone, GPS, and lights until I need to recharge the powerbank itself. The Kindle, headlamp, and earbuds only need to be charged every few weeks. Unfortunately, the Petzl headlamp battery cannot be charged with the Anker powerbank. I have to pack a low voltage older plug in charger for the headlamp.
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Repair
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Kitchen
After much consideration I have decided not to take a stove and cooking equipment on this trip. I will rely on purchasing ready to eat food and restaurants for my meals. The dry sack will be used to carry food. The water purification tablets will only be used in an emergency when I need to fill a water bottle from a stream or lake. I will be cold soaking oatmeal, ramen, couscous, and other food in the cold soak jar
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Clothing
I spent a lot time thinking about what clothing to bring. There is a perpetual debate in the bike touring community between merino wool shirts and synthetic bike jerseys. I decided to stick with merino wool since it does not stink after riding days on end and I did not need a storage pocket which a synthetic jersey affords. I choose bright colored clothing to be visible while riding.
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I do not like traditional lycra/spandex/nylon close fitting bike shorts. They work fine on the bike while riding but feel out of place when walking into a restaurant or grocery store. I opted for padded liners and mountain bike shorts over them
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I will certainly encounter wind, rain, and cold. When I wake up in the Rockies the temperature even in the summer can dip to the low 40s
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The wool theme continues with Smartwool biking socks, Darn tough hiker 1/4 cushion sock to wear with sneakers on cold mornings, Smartwool gloves and a merino wool beanie cap. Off bike I have a choice of two different shoes and either shorts or long pants
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Miscellaneous
I will be using zip up packing cubes to keep items organized. At times I will be riding with contacts in and using sunglasses. At other times I will ride without my contacts and use the prescription sunglasses. I am carrying some Rok straps just in case I need to lash anything else to my bike. While camping there are times I will have a campfire thus the lighter. My bike seat is leather and needs to be covered in the rain. I will use a bike seat cover (shown in black below) for overnight if dew is expected and when riding in the rain. If rain is expected overnight I will cover the saddle with a trash compactor bag to keep it dry.
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Toiletries & First aid
Toiletry kit to carry everything, Sea to Summit Wilderness Wash, Pack Towel ultralight hand size, deodorant, razor, razor blades, toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, contacts, contact lens fluid, sunscreen, chamois cream, lens cleaning fluid and cloth, tweezers, Leukotape, acetaminophen, bandaids, Benadryl, Neosporin, nail clippers, cotton swabs, small Swiss army knife, and antihistamine
Paperwork
I purchased the map set of the Transamerica route from Adventure Cycling. This is a series of 12 maps that contain all kinds of details like services along the route, elevation gain/loss, and average high/low temperatures. In addition, I am taking the following printed sheets all of which can be found in my Google Drive in case I want to view them via my iPhone
- List of GPS files - I purchase the GPX file set for Transamerica from Adventure Cycling. This consists of 32 files; 12 for the main route and the remaining for alternates. The filenames are a bit cryptic so I created a spreadsheet describing each file. When I loaded these files into my Garmin GPS I gave each a more descriptive name
- Map updates and corrections - a printed list that came from the Adventure Cycling website. Printed maps and GPS files are only updated every 3-4 years, this supplements them giving any changes or corrections
- Riding conditions - another printed list that came from the Adventure Cycling website that describing road and traffic conditions
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I look forward to reading your journal.
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