A Packing List
Over in the pages section, you will find a packing list that has served us well on our various trips.
The key to any packing list is to gear it(no pun intended) to your particular touring needs. If you are not camping, you won’t need some of the items, but remember that some camping items may come in handy. For example, even if we don’t camp, we still carry silverware and dishes for on-the-road meals or breakfast in the hotel.
We took one trip where somebody took a rather large tent. The poles are usually a real problem with larger sized tents, but this person didn’t mind and distributed the different tent components to the others who would share this palatial mansion with room for standing. That’s quite in contrast to the tent that we are taking. We can sit up and crawl out the door. Those are the main features of our tent.
We thought that we had lost our tent, something that might seem difficult to do. Turns out that we had simply lent it to our son. Now, if the weather would warm up we could set it up and make sure that it is functional. That brings up another point about packing. Be sure that all equipment functions properly. That is one good reason to do a shakedown tour. It allows you to make sure that you have packed everything that you need and that everything that you packed works properly. This is also true for your bicycle, rack, and panniers. Get familiar with them before you take off.