Day -1: The Full List

With the trip hours away from kicking off I have taken full inventory of the materials that I will be carrying with me for the next 4,000 or so miles.  If you are interested in learning more about these items you can see more details by visiting prior posts on this blog under the “Bohemian Biker” and “Bike Across America” categories.  Also, I am packing most of these items individually within plastic “Zip Lock” bags in order to keep them contained, easily organized, and further shielded from moisture.  Read on for the full details…

My Body

Some items will always be on my person during travel. I am not including clothing here. These are:

1. Gold Ring
2. Helmet with attached rearview mirror
3. Biking Shoes

The Frame

The bike frame itself has been customized for the trip. I am not including here any stock components for the Surly LHT.

1. Front Surly “Nice” Rack
2. Back Surly “Nice” Rack
3. Bike Planet Rain Guards
4. Specialized Alias Bike Seat
5. 3 Drink Holders loaded with Squeeze Bottles
6. Specialized Mountain Bike Clip Pedals with wide base
7. Blinky Red Flashing Light
8. Hand Pump

Handlebar Bag

The handlebar bag will carry those items that I need access to throughout the day as well as valuable items that I will need to detach from the bike when going into stores and restaurants.  After debate I am giving the Hymini another shot.  During the test drive this item was useless.  Even after a full day on the bike it gave off only about 1 minute of charge that did nothing for the phone.  I am planning on using it as a backup battery, charging it via the plug adapter whenever I am staying in a room.  Maybe with use the results will improve.  The handlebar bag is made to sit right on the handlebar, but I suspect that this bag has been leading to shaky steering due to being top-heavy when fully packed.  As a result I may strap the handlebar bag to the top of the front rack to lower the center of gravity.  The items in the handlebar bag include:

1. Adventure Cycling Maps
2. Passport
3. Hand Cannon (i.e. mace)
4. Flashlight
5. Audio Recorder
6. Hymini with plug and solar adapter
7. Droid phone with earphones, power adapter and USB cable
8. Cash, license and credit card
9. Bike Lock
10. Heart Sutra
11. Bike Gloves – these I keep tucked into the mesh side of the handlebar bag

Front Left Pannier

The front left pannier will hold my food supplies.  Supplies are enough to last about 2-3 days with some added oatmeal should I hit a dry spot in food foraging.  Supplies are geared towards dry carbs as they store longer and water can be added at the last minute in order to reduce overall weight.  I am hopeful that I will past by farmstands, as we did in the Maine test drive, where I can pick up and eat fruit and vegetables.  These can also be picked up during the last leg of the day before I glide into the campground.  See my post “The Food” for a full list of the food that I will pack.

Front Right Pannier

The front right pannier will hold my bike and camping supplies.  The bike supplies have not changed following my test ride.  For camping supplies, I cut down on the amount of batteries I am bringing, cut the nylon rope and wire to smaller pieces, removed one lighter, took only a small amount of duct tape (with cardboard not included), took only the essential items for first aid (wipes and bandages) and left the red first aid kit bag behind, removed the frying pan and removed the bowl.  Despite these cuts, this bag is still heavy and may need to be further cut.  The contents of the front right pannier include:

1. Bike Supplies
   1. Multi-use Tool
   2. Spoke Wrench
   3. Derailer Cable
   4. Brake Cable
   5. Chain Lube
   6. Rag
   7. Brake set and Replacement Brakes
   8. Replacement Cleats
   9. Patch Kit
   10. 26″ Tubes with Presta valve
2. Camping Supplies.
   1. Alcohol Stove
   2. Alcohol Fuel
   3. Rag (for fuel spills)
   4. Lighter
   5. 2 pots with lids
   6. Plastic Measuring cup / mug
   7. Nylon Rope with 2 carabiners and wooden clips (to form a laundry line for drying clothes)
   8. Metal Wire
   9. 3 AA and 2 AAA batteries
   10. Bandages and wipes

Back Right Pannier

The back right Pannier will hold my clothes.  I’ve done a lot of cutting here and I am fairly satisfied with the results.  At a basic level, I found that one needs at most 2 sets of clothing for on-the-bike riding and one set for off-bike.  The off-bike set needs to be light and quick drying, preferably with pants that can double as shorts.  Any cold weather clothing should not be bulky and sandals should be quick drying and allow for the wearing of socks.  Keep in mind that one set of clothing will always be worn by you so won’t need to be packed into the pannier.  Instead of a warm coat I am bringing long underwear, which I can layer if cold on the bike but also wear at the campsite if cold at night.  The back right pannier includes:

1. 2 pair socks
2. 1 pair hiking pants that convert to shorts
3. 1 light cotton shirt
4. 3 sets of underwear (1 for off-bike)
5. 2 pair padded bike tights
6. 1 pair bike shorts
7. 2 bike shirts
8. leg warmers
9. waterproof shoe covers
10. rain coat that converts to vest
11. mid-weight shell
12. 2 bandanas
13. 1 pair long underwear (synthetic) top and bottom
14. 1 pair heavy socks
15. 1 pair organic hemp sandals

Back Left Pannier

The back left pannier will hold my sleeping bag, shower, and other hygienic supplies.  I’ve made several cuts in this area.  Primarily, I learned on my test drive how impressive th J.R. Liggitt’s Shampoo Bar is.  Weighing 3.5 oz, this small bar gets a head of hair sudsy and smelling fine in only a few swipes.  Also, I found that the bar was more effective at washing clothes then the detergent I originally brought.  This is mainly because I was washing the clothes in the shower or sink and not a regular washing machine.  I loved the bar so much that I am bringing 2 with me should I not be able to find it while on the road.  I didn’t have to use the toilet paper once while on the test drive (thank Jebus), but found the roll incredibly bulky.  I will only be taking with me a small amount off of the roll.  Overall this is still a heavy bag due to the sleeping bag.  I may need to shift some things around if this becomes a problem.  The contents of the rear left pannier include:

1. Sleeping Bag
2. Pack Towel
3. Bug Spray
4. Sun Block
5. Powder
6. Soap (Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap)
7. Shampoo Bar (2)
8. Toothpaste
9. Toothbrush
10. Floss
11. Deodorant
12. Scissors
13. Razor
14. Toenail Clippers
15. Toilet Paper
16. Q-Tips
17. Chap Stick

Rear Rack (Top)

The top of the rear rack will hold the bulk items.  I picked up a 35 liter waterproof stuff sack made by Sea to Summit (the “Big River Dry Bag”) that includes lash loops so that I can easily secure the bag to the rack.  All items stored on the rear rack will be placed in this stuff sack.  Though I could fit my sleeping bag into this sack for now I am planning on storing the sleeping bag in one of my rear panniers.  The contents on the rear rack include:

1. Stuff Sack
2. Tent
3. Sleeping Pad
4. Water bladder