One of the more difficult things to approach when planning an extended bicycle trip is figuring out exactly how much stuff to bring. It's interesting to pare down your entire personal inventory of junk into a few dozen pounds of "essential items". I start with a long list of things I think I might need or like to have. Then run the list through a gauntlet of considerations and see which items make it through.
I've got my list broken down into five main categories. Camping gear, Hygienic gear, Bicycle Gear, General gear and Non-essential gear.
My list of camping gear encompasses the materials found in most primitive camping situations. Including essential items such as my hammock/tent, sleeping bag and mess-kit. There are also less obvious materials like dish soap and bug repellent.
Hygienic gear is your basic traveling kit of tooth-brush, hand sanitizer, soap/shampoo. One item of note in this group will be baby wipes. I'll be using them for general bathing purposes due to the lack of available shower facilities. I considered picking up a camp shower but decided I didn't want the added weight of the contraption and all the water it would take to use.
Bike gear includes basic spare parts (tubes, spokes chain) as well as the tools to make minor adjustments. I also include obvious items like my helmet and bike lock in this category.
General gear includes all clothing, maps and contact information. This will include exact numbers of shirts/shorts as well as things like a cell phone with extra batteries.
Non-essential items are usually the first to get cut. They include a couple paperbacks, some notebooks and other items of personal amusement. I may cut this group altogether. I didn't use any of these items on my last trip.
I've got my list in a MS-word file, broken down into groups and color coordinated into categories of things I have in my possession and those which I still need to aquire. If you're interested in see the Big List let me know and I'll post the whole thing or send it attached to an email.
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