How much to pack?

garth · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

Hi

After buying a bike with hard luggage to go two up touring with this summer, I've since decided I don't like it, and will be taking my GSXR instead.

This now means instead of 3 huge boxes I have to fit all our crap into some oxford panniers, a cheapo tank bag and a highlander 50l dry sack.

We will be camping. The tent and sleeping bag will be going in the dry sack, along with cooking stuff etc, strapped on the rack. My shit in one pannier, hers in the other, leaving the tank bag relatively free.

My question is, how many clothes do you take whilst away? It's two weeks, through the french alps to the coast.

I've packed:

Boxers/Socks x5
T-shirts x2
Shorts/Swim shorts
Sleeveless shirt x2
Shirt
Jumper
Light jeans
Flip flops
light plimsol type trainers
Towel

+whatever I'm wearing.

And it's pretty much rammed the pannier full. Am I taking too much crap?

Wafer_Thin_Ham · Super Spammer Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Karma :

Seems pretty fair to me, do you really need another shirt and the flip flops?
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garth · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

Wafer_Thin_Ham · Super Spammer Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Karma :

garth · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

P. · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

Spent some days in the mountains on our trip which ends today Sad

I took a sports bike with 3 soft pannier/rear bag things.

I packed far more clothes as I like to change t shirts daily, I took 8 t-shirts, 5 pairs of jeans, 10 pairs of socks, 8 boxers, textiles and all my smelly shit/washing stuff and towel all in the rear bag. But I am far too female for my own good.

it does get cold up there. So much so I chucked my textile jacket on. You will have fun, unsure about 2 up, but I had an absolute blast in the mountains.

Wafer_Thin_Ham · Super Spammer Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Karma :

garth · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

FIVE pairs of jeans paddy!

I don't think I own five pairs of jeans.

P. · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

Man loves to be clean. I really hate feeling sweaty and moist.

Wafer_Thin_Ham · Super Spammer Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Karma :

Don't need a jumper. It'll be hot.
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treeno · Crazy Courier Joined: 26 Dec 2012 Karma :

So you're gonna be wearing each pair of boxers for almost 3 days? Laughing

garth · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

garth · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

Yoyo · Brolly Dolly Joined: 31 Aug 2012 Karma :

2 pair of boxers and socks.
Wear one, wash the other then hang it on the back of the bike whilst riding. Saves space and means mountain fresh duds after every shower.
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richiec · Derestricted Danger Joined: 15 Jul 2013 Karma :

Looks about right, make sure you roll everything up as opposed to folding. We usually take a couple of thin/waterproof cycling jackets, they packup really small but are great for when you're out in the evening and it gets a little nippy. The alpkit drybags are pretty good, thin but still do the job :

https://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16316&category_id=296

Yoyo · Brolly Dolly Joined: 31 Aug 2012 Karma :

Just remember to leave a little bit of space, for the crap you buy and the fact your cloths never go back in as easy as they came out.
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G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

I presume you're fairly limited on space; but does the tent have to go in the drysack? Usually got a reasonably waterproof bag and if it's behind stuff, may not got hit.

I stuck my bedding roll on a bin bag, I believe.

If need be, that'd give you more room in the drysack.

garth · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

With two people it will be more of an issue, but similarly - stuff like a sleeping bag which is fairly light can be stuck ontop of/behind everything else (in a seperate dry sack for that, though) and then the size is less of an issue, providing you can secure it.

How much spare cash have you got? While I took some cooking stuff around Europe, I broke it on the first day Doh!

. However, I'd told myself that as I was saving money by wild camping I would eat out any time I wanted - so bought food that could be eaten cold from supermarkets (bread, meat, cheese, cakes, etc) and had at least one hot meal a day, vaguely trying to get something local to eat.

sidewinder · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Karma :

Leave swim shorts and use normal ones for swimming or vice versa Thumbs Up

garth · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

Cash isn't really much of an issue, going to try and spend a few nights wild camping, a few hotes and a few normal camp sites.

In the dry sack I've taken out the sleeping bag (was loose in there) and replaced it with the tent. The 50l sack will go on the rack, the tent (only 2.5kgs) on top of that.

sidewinder · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Karma :

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

The sleeping bag is the one bit I'd want to be really sure is dry. Less likely to be an issue sticking out the back when riding, but were it me, I'd still look to get another smaller drysack or similar (bet you can get them for not much on ebay.)

And if you've got a bit of cash, I'd certainly be tempted to dump the cooking stuff - though, actually, I do forget that many/most like a hot drink, I don't, so no hot water isn't an issue for me.