Ride C2C Leg #3 What we pack for our 4-week long bike trip

6/20/21

4 Days Prior to Departure

Deciding what to take on a 4 week long bicycle trip is more about what bare minimum you need.  Since we carry all of our gear on our bikes, every ounce counts.  While we'd love all the luxuries of home, we certainly don't want to carry that extra weight every day.

Let's start with the bike:  it weighs 34 pounds with the racks, but WITHOUT any gear.  This is what it looks like fully loaded.  We try to keep the weight of our bags to about 40-45lbs without extra food for meals. 

So that means we are pushing a bike with gear that weighs about 75 pounds.  No wonder we don't go anywhere fast and burn so many calories!

So what are in the bags?

New this year:

• No down coats (it will be hot!)
• Only 1 double sleeping bag that has a sheet on the bottom.  The 2 sleeping bags were too hot last trip.  We are expecting to ride in temps that are in the 80's & 90's
• A retractable "leash" to attach my iphone to my front bag.  The "leash" before was always getting in the way.
• We are flying to the start and home from the end instead of driving.  That creates all sorts of logistical challenges.

Rear Bags generally have Clothes:

And...when I bag them up, it looks like this: 

For my bike gear, I put a whole set of clothes into one bag (jersey, shorts, socks, gloves, bra).  That way I'm not hunting around for the pieces.  For my off-bike clothes, I bag them by "tops" or "bottoms"

CLOTHES: 
1 Pants
1 Skort
1 Swim Shorts
1 Capri length leggings
1 Nuu-Muu Dress
2 Short sleeve cotton shirts
1 button up long sleeve cotton shirt
1 long sleeve SPF shirt (not shown)
2 Pair socks
1 Handkerchief & headband
Flip Flops for showering
Hiking Sandals
2 Pair undies
2 Sport bras
1 pair Arm warmers
1 Convertible Raincoat (can zip off sleeves to wear as vest)
2 pair bike shorts (different shorts so seams don’t rub you wrong)
2 bike jerseys
2 pair bike gloves
1 towel

WHAT'S IN THE FRONT BAGS?

SHOWER KIT (Robin carry's this)

Note: We are taking 2 Shampoo, 2 Toothpaste so that we can shower/wash up at the same time.

Folding Hairbrush
Hairbands
2 folding toothbrushes
2 tubes Toothpaste
Floss
Tweezers
Nail clippers
Tum’s
Nail clippers
Nail file
Cotton pads
Cotton swabs
Earplugs (for noisy campers)
2 razors (his and hers)
50 Spf Sunscreen
2 Shampoo
Conditioner
Liquid soap
Body lotion
Face lotion
Bag w/ Fish Oil, Magnesium, Allergy
Ibuprofen
Excedrin migraine
Aleve
Eye Drops

KITCHEN KIT (Doug carry's this)

2 melamine plates
2 Tony the Tiger bowls
1 set nesting pots (2 pots w lids, 1 fry pan, a wash bin holder)
Spatula
Big spoon
Cutlery: 1 knife, 2 fork, 2 spoon
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Pot holder
Tea towel
Sponge
Lighter
Primos power gas stove (buy gas in Sioux City)
2 coffee mugs
Starbucks French roast coffee
Pour over filter & paper liners
Camp Suds dish soap & laundry soap
Pam spray olive oil
2 utility knives
Spices: salt, pepper, lemon pepper
Zip lock bags: 5 gallon; 5 quart
Kitchen bag to pack it up

TECHNOLOGY (Robin carry's this)

 iPad & keyboard case
3 phone/ipad charger cords
1 ipad case charger cord
a bag to hold it all
2 iphones (1 not shown)
iPhone tri-pod stand
2 headlamps
1 Myzone heart rate chest straps (1 not shown)
Trigger point ball (for soothing aching muscles)
Multi USB plug for when we have access to electricity 
Nomad 7 Solar panel and battery pack (we can charge iphones from this)
“Leash” for iphone NEW this year - it has a retractable cord so Robin can take pictures and not drop phone while riding and the leash won't get tangled in the wheels

TOOLS & STUFF (Doug carry's this)

Katadyn Water Filter (must have safe, drinkable water)
Medical Kit
Bug Spray
2 Head lights & 2 Tail Lights (only 1 shown)
Laundry Line (rope)
3 Spare Tubes
2 Patch Kits
Zip Ties
A measure of Duct Tape (not shown)
Chain Oil
Bike Tools (in plastic bag) includes: metal tire levers, spare cables, mini-tool, chain break, cassette nut, wrenches, screwdriver, oil, spoke wrench
Paper Towels
Spokes (not shown are mounted on bikes)

FOOD
Most food - meals - we buy each day and prepare at our campsite or eat at a restaurant.   But when we are riding, we need Snacks!  Since Robin is dairy & gluten free, it is easier to pack snacks than to try to find them along the way.

Bag of Doug’s Bars 

Bag of Robin’s Bars - all gluten free, dairy free

Emergency Food Dinners

OUR PORTABLE HOME
The tent and sleeping bag goes on the top of the rack on each of our bikes.  NEW this year - we are only taking 1 double sleeping bag that has a sheet as the bottom that fits around the mattress and top is a lightweight sleeping bag with zippers on both sides.  

• Tent (green bag, has 1 camp pillow squished in) “Big Agnes” - Doug carry's this
• 2 camp pillows (they are stuffed in the other bags)
• Sleeping Bag/Sheet (yellow bag) this is a double size sheet with sleeping bag attached.  The sheet part fits over the air mattress. “Big Agnes”  and has a camp pillow stuffed in too- Robin Carries this
• Double Air Mattress – “Exped” - Robin carries this.   

AND YES.... it all fits on our bikes.