First of all I need to apologise for the terrible pun in today's blog post. However, this Southern Tier packing list might be perfect if you're considering the ride.
First of all I need to apologise for the terrible pun in today’s blog post. Great, that’s done, now. To be honest, considering Moo and I did very little research (that’s an understatement) about what we would need on our cycle across North America, we think we did pretty well! This post covers everything we carried with us (using two rear panniers each) as well as how much we spent overall, at the end. If you’ve missed the previous two posts (preparing for and the daily recaps) check them out too, especially if you need a giggle. However, if you’re planning any kind of long distance cycle tour, this Southern Tier packing list might be the perfect help for you.
I can’t tell you how much it weighed. Simply because I have no idea. But, you should know we also travelled with a macbook – which isn’t included in the list – we just didn’t know what else to do with it on our trip.
As you know we were planning on buying as much as we could second hand, I put a little * next to each item we managed find pre-loved and a ** next to an item I already had in my backpack. (It does not include Moo’s clothes or bicycle.)
Okay, so we probably bought more than 5% new (I initially claimed we were going to get 95% of it second hand.) Honestly, in the end, it proved tricky with four days to source everything. Overall, I think we did great all things considered.
Here goes!
Clothing
socks x 3 **
undies x 3 **
cycle shorts x 2 *
cycle top x 1
fleece x 1 **
rain jacket x 1 **
leggings x 1 **
skirt or shorts x 1 **
camp shirt x 1 **
arm warmers x 1 *
gloves x 1 *
Shoes
cycling shoes x 1
slides or Tevas x 1 **
Sleep System
sleeping bag (suitable for zero degrees)
sleeping bag liner **
self inflatable mat (we splurged from Sea to Summit)
pillow
tent (we found this extremely light weight one from Hyke & Byke)
towel **
scrubba wash bag (this was a last minute purchase that literally saved the day, everyday!)
Bike Bits and Pieces
bike * (I bought mine for U$160 from Craigslist)
front fender
helmet *
taillight
lock
panniers x 2 *
handlebar bag *
bike maintenance handbook (wouldn’t recommend the one below, it proved useless in my time of need)
water bottle cages x 2 *
mirror (helmet attached, we didn’t have this, but would add for next time)
phone mount (we didn’t have this, but would add for next time)
coffee plunger (the Kohi Press was my guilty pleasure)
Food
ground coffee (most precious cargo)
oats
honey
trail mix
dehydrated meal x 2
cinnamon
snack bars
pasta
Technology
kindle and charger **
phone and charger **
power pack
plug adapter **
headphones **
First Aid Kit
magnesium tablets (not pictured)
wound care kit
bandaids / moleskin padding
paracetamol
imodium
strapping tape
iodine
hydration tablets
Misc
headtorch *
collapsible 3L water bottle
water bottles x 3 * (we only bought 1 each)
dry bags x 6
chamois crème / glide
duct tape
cable ties (not pictured)
bungie cords x 2
playing cards **
baby wipes
In total we spent $4,900 AUD on everything (together) for the bikes and gear. Needless to say – we will be back to complete the ride – if not for the monetary satisfaction alone.
As always, thanks for reading! Looking forward to getting back on the bike again soon.
