Deciding what to bring isn’t nearly as hard as deciding what not to bring. In my first attempt of packing, there were a lot of “just-in-case” items, like extra clothing, extra gloves, sport shoe, swim goggles, iPod and even my laptop. Of course, my panniers wouldn’t have enough space to fit all these items, but even if it does, i can’t imagine riding with that ridiculous load across the country. So I packed and repacked until I managed to cut it down to the weight of 16kg. Not as good as many other touring cyclist but I’m quite satisfied with that. I could cut it down further but that would mean extra cost (lightweight equipments aren’t cheap). This weight doesn’t include food, water, cooking equipments, and other consumables though. Another reason for keeping the weight down is to keep my extra luggage fees low for my flight to Sydney. When I arrive Melbourne 2 weeks into the tour I will pick up my cooking stuff, warm clothing and some other stuff.
For those of you who are interested, here’s a list of items that will travel with me on the road.
Trike and fitted accessories
Greenspeed GT3 series II recumbent trike
… all components stock except:
– Pedals: Shimano PD-M520 clipless pedals
– Tyres: Schwalbe Marathon puncture resistant tyres
– Drive train: SRAM DualDrive internal gear hub system (total 81 speed)
Greenspeed headrest (Melbourne onwards)
Greenspeed front and rear fenders
Greenspeed alloy rack
Mirrycle side mirrors
Cateye Enduro 2
Incredibell Thermo Bell
Generic 1W LED headlight x 2
Cannondale Foresite Rear Light
Generic 9-LED turning signal with brake lights and electronic horn
Bottle cage x 1
Quell Personal Alarm modified into theft alarm
High visibility flag and poles
Generic carp streamers
Bags and bottles
Arkel RT-60 2 x 30L with rain cover
Arkel Tail Rider 11L
FastBack 4.0 Hydration System with 3L bladder
Adidas 750ml bottle x 2
Bobble 550ml filtered bottle (Melbourne onwards)
Tools
Topeak Road Morph bike pump
Topeak Hexus bike multi tool
Plier multi tool
Small adjustable wrench
Pedal wrench
Puncture repair kit x 2
Tri-flow Superior lubricant
Nylon paracord
Cable tie x 10
Head-mounted 7-LED light
Disposable cleaning towel x 6
Spare tube x 2
Bike cover
Adhesive tape
Cycling Apparels
Lazer 3XM helmet
Cap with face cover
KEEN Commuter cycling sandals
Torpedo7 shoe cover (Melbourne onwards)
Route7 full length tights
Fit-over-glasses sunshade
GOS Breakaway cycling gloves
Off-cycling Apparels
Rain Jacket
Fleece Jacket (Melbourne onwards)
Long sleeve shirt
Long sleeve tee x 2
Short sleeve tee
Track bottom
Long pants
Short pants
Underpants x 4
Socks x 3
Winter gloves (Melbourne onwards)
Thongs
Spare prescription glasses (Melbourne onwards)
Electronics and accessories
Canon S95 digital camera
Camera battery charger
Sandisk 8GB SD card
Sandisk Cruzer 8GB USB drive
Sandisk Cruzer 32GB USB drive (Melbourne onwards)
Gorillapod tripod
iPhone 3GS
iPhone charger
Sony pocket FM/AM radio
Powerfilm USB AA solar charger (Melbourne onwards)
Sanyo eneloop AAA rechargeable batteries x 12
Energizer 2450 mAh AA rechargeable batteries x 6
Energizer 1hr battery charger
Sea to Summit 8L dry sack
Camping
Hi-Country Dargo 2-person tent
Caribee Plasma Extreme 0-degree sleeping bag
Foam sleeping mat
Tarp ground sheet
Cooking
Trangia cook set with stove (Melbourne onwards)
Spatula (Melbourne onwards)
Matches (Melbourne onwards)
Methylated Spirit (Melbourne onwards)
Kitchen knife
Scissors
Cup
Bowl
Spoon, fork, butter knife
Toiletries
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Disposable shaver
Microfibre towel
Shampoo
Body wash
Sponge
Sunscreen spf 50
Facial sunscreen spf 130
Hand sanitiser
Nail clipper (Melbourne onwards)
Toilet paper
Lotion
Lip balm
Nutrition and first aid
First aid kit
Gatorade powder mix energy drink (Melbourne onwards)
Diarrhoea tablets
Ibuprofen
Paperwork and stationeries
Passport (Melbourne onwards)
Drivers License
Wallet
Flight details
Diary
Small notepad
Camps Australia Wide 6 map book
Card compass
Card LED light
Ink pen
Ballpoint pen
Contact cards
