Packing list for touring in 2019

[Octave]

Inspired by this thread, I'd love to hear what is on peoples' essentials (and non-essentials) list for bikepacking in 2019. Let's say for a one-week outing. I'll leave food out as this is highly situational and personal.

As a bonus, list the #1 dumbest thing you've ever brought touring/bikepacking.

I'll start

Essentials

- Layered kit (jersey, bibs, baselayer, arm-warmers, knee-warmers, rain jacket, gloves)
- Socks + spare socks
- Sunglasses
- On-bike shoes
- Off-bike shoes/sandals (depending on the time of year/conditions)
- Off-bike campsite clothes (must be able to double as civilian clothes; pants, shirt, underpants, warm hat, warm socks for sleeping)
- Sleep system (A: Hammock with mosquito net, sleeping bag or B: Bivvy, sleeping bag)
- Cook system (Mini-stove, gas canister [unless wood-burning], small pot with lid, Aeropress if coffee drinker)
- Eating system (Modular utensil/spork, coffee/warm-beverage mug, bowl if not going solo and eating out of the small pot)
- Water purification system (Lifestraw, iodine tablets..etc.)
- Front/rear lights (preferably dynamo, especially if Sinewave or other USB-out system for charging GPS..etc.)
- Headlamp
- High-tensile line/rope
- Knife
- Spare cable (1x shifter, 1x brake)
- Multitool
- Spare tubes
- Patch kit
- Map
- Emergency phone/beacon
- Basic first-aid kit (sterilizing wipes/liquid, band-aids, antibacterial)
- Pack towel
- Sunscreen

Non-essentials (but nice to have)
- Painkillers/anti-inflammatory
- Inflatable pillow
- Candy/chocolate
- Card games
- Notebook
- Camera
- Flora/fauna ID book
- Something to smoke... (see also: painkillers)

Dumbest thing
Many years ago while riding the Colorado Trail, I tore the sidewall of my tire. It was a 29" and this was prior to the full-on ubiquity of 29" tires (circa 2009). I hiked two days out of the bush and onto a trucker route, hitched a ride to the nearest town with a bike shop only to find that they didn't have 29" tires. Two truckers, two towns and two bike shops later I finally found them. Bought a replacement, then two more. Stuffed them in the bottom of my panniers and rode back to the trail to start from whence I came. I rode another 220mi with those two extra tires and never even got another flat.

I also started a 10 day ride while I was in the middle of Finnegans Wake and, being enthralled with the book, decided to bring it with. In the end I started tearing out what I'd read and burning it so I wouldn't have to carry the 900+ pages the rest of the way.

[charliedid]

CBD oil

[fiamme red]

Travel toothbrush, toothpaste
Plastic bottle filled with detergent for laundry
Spare tire
Paper maps

[pinkshogun]

a sense of humor

[jr59]

On a long bike tour/journey, it doesn’t matter how much you cut the list down. You will end up sending a bunch of it home.

Flat rate boxes work great for this.

[jh_on_the_cape]

Chamois butter.
helmet.
extra spoke(s)
chain lube
I like to have a small lightweight speaker on my bars instead of headphones. listen to podcasts and stuff.

[zambenini]

Once, I carried a giant Park Tools chain whip from Norfolk, VA, probably to Colorado before I was like, "why?"

[merlinmurph]

Painkillers - Non-essential???????????????

[jh_on_the_cape]

I have nifty tool called a hypercracker. It's a small lightweight thing that lets you loosen a shimano cassette without a chain whip. I brought it in a long tour and it saved me when I had to replace a driveside spoke.

Haven't used it in ages!

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

[Octave]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

Travel toothbrush, toothpaste
Plastic bottle filled with detergent for laundry
Spare tire
Paper maps

How long are you talking that you're doing proper laundry? I've done 4 week trips with no laundry and been fine - granted it was all wilderness minus food runs so I didn't exactly have to be presentable.

Originally Posted by merlinmurph

Painkillers - Non-essential???????????????

Eh, they never really seemed to be crucial for me. Mileage may vary..

Originally Posted by charliedid

CBD oil

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by Octave

How long are you talking that you're doing proper laundry? I've done 4 week trips with no laundry and been fine - granted it was all wilderness minus food runs so I didn't exactly have to be presentable.

How do you wash cycling clothes? I usually have two pairs of shorts, two base layers, and two jerseys when I tour, and each evening I wash the clothes I wore that day in a motel sink (if it's a credit card tour). The detergent that I carry is usually Ivory Snow.

[jemdet]

Originally Posted by merlinmurph

Painkillers - Non-essential???????????????

"Vitamin I" is a bone of contention. I've done tours with 100+ daily miles and have never found the need. Lean into soreness, lean away from pain.

[Octave]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

How do you wash cycling clothes? I usually have two pairs of shorts, two base layers, and two jerseys when I tour, and each evening I wash the clothes I wore that day in a motel sink (if it's a credit card tour). The detergent that I carry is usually Ivory Snow.

I try to camp near water sources, and just swim in my kit and rub on a touch of Doc Bronner's, then hang it to dry overnight. For colder weather tours, I just don't wash it... I'm not touring into/out of cities so its not really an issue.

Originally Posted by jemdet

"Vitamin I" is a bone of contention. I've done tours with 100+ daily miles and have never found the need. Lean into soreness, lean away from pain.

+1. I often carry them just to be safe, but always return home with the same amount I left with.

[93KgBike]

If you are self-supporting, carrying ibuprofen to control inflammation is smart. That it also controls pain is secondary. On a long solo, medicines, first aid and antiseptics are far more valuable than almost anything else you can carry, by weight.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by charliedid

cbd oil

ha!!