Packing:

1. Some Rules
2. Itemized List
3. Panniers Versus Trailers

---

Rules in packing for a tour:

back to top

1. Choose between using panniers or trailers.
2. Weight is an issue: the more you pack, the more it weighs and the more you have to carry.
3. The choice between camping or hostelling has as much to do with weight as it has to do with money.
4. Cotton takes a long time to hang dry. When selecting what to bring take the lightest and most versatile option.

---

General Packing List:

back to top

Here is a general packing list. The length of the trip will not really affect how much stuff you carry (for trips over a few days).

Clothes: sandals underwear short sleeve shirts pants thick socks (for hiking) shorts/skirts fleece jacket swimsuit sarong sleeping clothes sun hat cotton bandana sunglasses clear/orange lens glasses (for rainy days) Bike clothes: helmet cycling gloves cycling shoes (walking shoes) cycling socks long sleeve cycling shirt cycling shorts cycling tights thermal cycling shirt short sleeve cycling shirts waterproof / windproof jacket Toiletries: nail clippers comb and hair clips soap deodorant razor toothbrush toothpaste dental floss tiger balm sunscreen skin cream lipbalm shampoo towel toilet paper glasses and copy of prescription

Bike stuff: bike lights cycle computer day pack tool kit and spare parts pump H2O bottles / bladder Bike Locks waterproof map pouch Laundry Stuff: laundry line drain stopper plug (one size fits all) backpackers soap For cooking: spoons plastic food container with lid swiss army knife small can-opener Sleeping stuff: earplugs eye covers travel alarm sleeping sheet

Miscellaneous: sewing/mending kit fabric glue pens highlighter black felt pen maps hospitality gifts (patches and pins, mini flags) extra ziplocks addresses for postcards camera (film) combination lock money belt Camping gear: tent sleeping bags thermarest (not just for comfort, necessary for anywhere, where the ground gets cold) stove fuel cooking pot (ideal if stove can fit inside pot) spoons for stirring and eating stacking bowls for each person small stacking mugs for each person small plastic cutting sheet knife handheld can opener

---

Panniers versus Trailers:

back to top

Panniers: Advantages: collapse for easy storage and transport can carry around with you easy to find things (if pannier has lots of pockets) Disadvantages: add weight to the wheels making it more likely to break a spoke hard to get equal balance easy to steal if left on the bike can move around when you hit bumps (if pannier has a bad mounting system)

Trailers: Advantages: carry more weight less of an issue easier to balance takes the weight off the bike more aerodynamic / stable Disadvantages: more drag and resistance when climbing hills hard to pack hard to park hard to transport on trains / planes less safe (hard to take with you on a pit stop)

---

We’re on a Tandem bike and we are really long with a trailer. For our first European trip, we chose to use panniers, but since then have opted for a mix of panniers and trailer to increase our maximum carrying capacity. We have both front and rear pannier racks, and a handle bar bag on the stoker (rear cyclist) bar for Emillie. For a comparison of panniers go to Pannier comparison.

We chose not to get waterproof panniers, and made our own pannier covers instead. Here are directions on how to make your own pannier covers. We use suit case shoulder straps clipped on either side of the pannier handle for carrying the panniers around.

---