Ah summer! Did someone say road trip? If you’re taking off for just a week or two, don’t waste whole days fretting over what to pack. Let’s assume trip temperatures might range from the 50’s into the 90s. It could rain. Here are some tips and a cheat sheet to help you be the spontaneous woman you long to be:
First, assess your bags. Do they lock? If so, take an extra key – and hey, don’t keep the keys next to each other. Givi bags, in particular, are known to have tricky locks and a spare will often help. f your bags don’t lock, make sure they are easy to remove at the end of the day. Are they waterproof? If not, get a cover.
Next, get Ziplock bags in assorted sizes, including jumbo (made for storage, not food). The jumbo ones work great as bag liners. The bags keep dry stuff dry and wet stuff wet, and never the twain shall meet.
About wet stuff: Drip-dry travel clothes don’t dry overnight when it’s really humid or raining. Wear merino wool; it keeps you warm or cool, is quick-wicking and virtually odor free. You don’t have to wash it every day, either.
If you take a camera, take a picture of your contact info so it’s the first shot on the card. If you lose it, you stand a chance of getting it back.
Fill your camelback but don’t carry extra water. You’re probably not crossing the desert without a stop.
Bike essentials:
- Tire pressure gauge
- Spot Tracker (The Spot II blows through batteries. Carry extras.)
- Motorcycle Manual
- Tire plugger kit w/air
- Leatherman-type tool
- Cell phone & Charger (put all emergency contacts in your phone)
- Motorcycle Manual
- Microfiber cloth
- GPS with updated maps
- Small, LED flashlight (you won’t believe how much you use this…)
Clothes:
Lay everything you plan to take on the floor and remove 30%. Keep some cold-weather stuff; long rides make you tired and when you’re tired you chill more easily.
Now, are you ready to roll? Because that’s exactly how to pack: roll everything into tight sausages. After you roll each item, place the rolls in gallon-sized Ziplock bags until full, then zip the bag almost closed and sit on it. You will have a compressed bag of your stuff. Your bag should be so flat that you are astonished. Organize these in your motorcycle bags, filling from the outside in, and you’ll be amazed at how much stuff fits.
7-10 day Cheat sheet:
- 2 tanks (wool)
- 1 long-neck zip up turtle neck (wool)
- 1 full-zip sweater/jacket
- leggings
- 5 pairs of underpants
- 4 t-shirts
- 4 pairs wool socks
- flip flops
- foldable shoes like the Nike 5.0
- swim suit
- skirt
- light weight long sleeve wool shirt
- yoga style long wool pants (can be worn out at night or under motorcycle pants)
- shorts
- rain gear
- toiletries in a quart-sized ziplock bag
- First aid kit
- Ibuprofen & Benadryl
- Credit card
- Health Insurance Card
You may have other essentials. Ask yourself: "Do I really need this?" And when you get home, take notes for next time!
