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Originally Posted by Heed
This websitt may have some useful packing information. It's not specifically aimed at bikers but it's about how much you actually need to get by instead of taking everythign you might need.
http://www.onebag.com/ |
Nice site, not seen that before. My own little tips (learnt from hiking/camping) are:
At the end of every trip, when unpacking, look at everything you took. Did you use it? If not, don't take it again (unless it's something like tools/waterproofs/first aid, obviously!). If you only used it once or twice, how essential was it? Could you live without it if you made the trip again?
Where possible, pack things within things; stuff (clean!
) socks/pants into any dead space in any boxes you take. Also take less bulky versions of things- a resealable food bag takes up less space than a normal wash bag, yet performs the same function.
If you travel a lot, consider making a special versions of things for travel- cut off superfluous parts (you only need a few Cm of toothbrush handle), take smaller versions of things (eg smaller tubes of toothpaste, smaller tent, etc.). Sounds extreme for a small benefit I know, but apply to all your kit and watch it shrink. I sometimes hike with a big 16 stone bloke, build like a navvy, you think he could lug a 4 stone back for miles no problem. He can, but he chooses not to- he really minimises everything and as a result he consistantly has the smallest/lightest pack. It almost looks a bit comical considering how big he is. Still, it's very comfy, so why not?
On a bike, I'd add, is it something you can/are prepared to use? If you don't know how to use a given tool/don't feel confident with it, take it out. Likewise, consider getting boots you can walk and ride in comfortably and safely- a pair of trainers takes up loads of space.
A nice side effect of all this is that when you really do need to take a lot of stuff, you can, because your "essentials" take up so little space.