What to take and how to pack it

by Charles Fellowes

UK to Australia 2007-08Raising money and awareness for the

Make a Wish Foundation

www.planitearth.co.uk

What to take

Can be divided into:• Clothing and riding kit• Tools and spares• First aid / medical• Camping and cooking• Electronics and gadgets• Paperwork

… a balance between

• Home comforts and weight / size.• Remember that most things are

available in places that you’ll visit.• Low value in case of theft but high

quality for sustained use in harsh environment.

• High quality is not always available on the road.

Clothing

• Riding outerwear (protection vs. comfort)

• Helmet / Gloves (spares/waterproof)

• Riding clothing (number of days worth)

• Boots (off-road / hiking type)

• Casual / off-the-bike clothing

…evolves with nature of regions being travelled in

Tools and Spares

• Every day jobs (quick access)

• Wheel maintenance

• Service and tyre repair (occasional)

• Consumable parts (tyre tubes, filters etc.)

• Bag-o-bolts

• Spares and parts known to fail on specific bike

First Aid / Medical Kit

• Emergency first aid kit• Medication• Toiletries• Emergency guidance literature

Camping and Cooking

• Tent

• Roll mat

• Sleeping bag

• Cooking (stop for dinner then camp?)• Stove• Crockery etc. • Provisions

Electronics and Gadgets

• GPS / Sat Nav• Laptop computer

(take a USB hard disk and cable lock!)

• Camera (pocket or SLR)• iPod• Torch• Walkie talkies / comms

Each item that you take:• is relatively high value and may be stolen• must be charged• may break

Paperwork

• Passport• Carnet• Photocopies / passport photos• Insurance (photocopy onto green paper)• Official looking docs• Back up electronically

How to Carry It

Can be divided into:• Hard or soft luggage• Rack / tank bag (maps)• Tools and oil• Day pack for when off the bike or hiking

How to arrange luggage

• Frequently used at the top• Ability to access stuff at bottom tidily

(you don’t everything to be loose when you’re repairing your bike by the side of the road)

• Stuff sacks for each day’s clothing• Tupperware for charging cables• Cargo net for excess or temporary storage• Grab pack for quick dis-mounting at end of

day