Touring tips - what gear & how to carry it?

[klingon]

Hello chickies,

Over the summer it's likely my chauffeur and I will be doing a bit of tripping around - mostly weekends away with both of us on his SV. We all know how much blokes complain when we take too much gear, so have you got any tips on how to travel light, what are the essentials and how to make do with what you've got?

My two tips of the day:

• Take a film cannister in your jacket pocket, so if you suddenly realise you're wearing jewellery and you want to take it off, you have a safe place to put it. I've used mine for ear-rings, but it would be useful for rings too when you have that "oops" moment just as you're ready to put your gloves on.
  
• When choosing a jacket, try to get one with a liner that can be worn as a jacket on its own. Saves taking an extra jacket when out on chilly evenings.

[Trudes]

Wear as many clothes as you can then you don't have to pack so much and try to wash what you have as often as you can, again cuts down on sets of clothes.
If you're not planning on doing anything much more than riding, thermals and socks and changes of undies is about all you really need.
As much as I'd love to take all my usual home comforts (hairdryer, foot spa, kitchen sink (that's so you know I'm kidding)), I got sick of the wingeing about it, so have learnt to limit to bare essentials, it's easy after a while, you become accustomed to being messy and smelly.

[Disco Dan]

Go down to repco and buy yourself a cigarette lighter socket... wire it up under your bikes seat...

then you can charge your cell phone, power lights, etc etc handy for those long trips... you can also charge your bikes battery by plugin it into a another lighter socket on someones car :P

[Ixion]

Always, always carry matches (in a waterproof container) and kero or similar firemaking apparatus.

You never know when you may be caught out and stranded , and in the event that you must spend a night (or more) in the open, fire is your friend and (literal) lifesaver.

You can always find something to burn if you have means to start the fire.

[Trudes]

That's a good point Ixion, I always have a basic first aid kit, torch and pocket knife under my seat for emergencies.

[oldrider]

Absolute bare essentials, let the shops carry the things you "might" need!

How many times have you got home with something you didn't need to take, never used it!

Can't say I mind the "enhanced" smell of a woman now and then, not too keen on bloke smell though.

Just take enough soap for one. John.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Depends where you are going... Bike Rally, general trip... visiting realitives, staying at motels or hotels, are you going to go to restuarants in the evening etc...

Also how much luugage storage have you got... side saddles, top box or pack, tank bag

I use to say to my ex that you can have one side saddle for what ever you like. I would have the other... and the pack use to take the tent sleeping bags and bits and bobs.... (use saddle packed you can distrupt the weight if needed)

My essentials are 10mm and a 12mm spanner, philiphs screwdriver, a roll of duct tape (or a couple of rolls of electrial tape) a small maglite torch. Lighter or matches. Small first aid kit.

[bert_is_evil]

Whatever you do don't forget your shewee

[Trudes]

Whatever you do don't forget your shewee

Hell yeah, you will definately need one of them!

[yungatart]

A small packet of wet wipes/baby wipes...great for all sorts of little cleaning up jobs. I never leave home without them, you can even use it as loo paper if needs must.

[sAsLEX]

A printer.
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/at...9&d=1112077170
You will never know when you need it.