Trip packing | GTAMotorcycle.com

Trip packing

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timtune

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it's easy to pack for a week if it's the Squeeze and I on the Wing and we're moteling it. It's a whole different story when I go for a week of rough camping with the guys on the KLR.

One of the luxuries I don't have room for is clean clothes every day. Next week I'll be gone for 7-9 days and will pack 4 changes of clothes.

When your travelling with others and the morning routine involves heading to the bush with a zip lock baggie of toilet paper few notice or care that you're in the same T-shirt.

How are others that camp handling this?

Just for grins this is a list of what I usually take:

Shelter - tent, sleep bag, flashlight, air matress (thermorest Neoair Uberlite -the size of a tall boy packed)
Clothes - Tees, socks and gitch (x4) hoodie and extra jeans and running shoes one each
Bike - tool kit, bungie net, air pump (spare air filter and tube depending on trip)
Misc - Rain gear & bug gear, Shaving kit (w/TP), First aid kit
Food/ Cooking - Water, a few oranges, sometimes some canned fish, plate, cup, KFS and jack knife
- breakfast - could be a warm beer while striking the tents and packing - maybe a greasy spoon along the way
- lunch - fry truck, gas station sandwhich or maybe skip it if we had a late breakfast
- supper - grab food before finding a camp spot (whatever but likely something you can cook on a stick)
Luxuries - camp chair with back and small coffin for my uke

This leaves just enough room to squeeze in some food and 4-5 beers at the end of the day.
 
I stopped packing and wearing jeans years ago. They're too thick and bulky and take up way too much space in the bags. Also, I find them uncomfortable as there's too much material around the knees when I bend. Hiking pants roll up very tight and take up less space, and I also think they're a lot more practical for bike trips.

Also, jeans take forever to dry when they get wet, hiking pants are quick dry, especially the newer synthetic materials.
 
Meh not changing your shirt eveyday is a non issue, but don't forget your $2 bottle of cheap colonge or aka the Italian shower :LOL:
 
sburns said:
Meh not changing your shirt eveyday is a non issue, but don't forget your $2 bottle of cheap colonge or aka the Italian shower :LOL:
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Cologne! I'm lucky if I use pit juice every day. We all grow foul together.
 
Merino wool solves the stench problem. Every synthetic shirt ends up smelling like a skunk that's been dead for a week by the next day, regardless of how much it cost or what anti-microbial treatment they used on it.
 
Try roll up vacuum bags for your clothes and raingear and liners. They come in a variety of sizes, smaller is better. This significantly reduces the volume these things take up.
 
If you are by a source of water, bring some environmentally safe laundry detergent and scrub those panties, socks and shirts.
Of course this only works if you are there with enough time for them to dry.
 
Jampy00 said:
If you are by a source of water, bring some environmentally safe laundry detergent and scrub those panties, socks and shirts.
Of course this only works if you are there with enough time for them to dry.
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I've dried stuff by laying it on the bike, heat from the engine will warm/dry stuff out.
 
Agree with the no jeans policy since they weigh too much as well. My hiking pants zip on/off at the knees, so I have shorts whenever I need them.

I'll also ride with a 3L hydration knapsack, which frees up room and weight in my cases for other things. I am currently using the Ogio Atlas and I don't even feel it when I'm riding.

For snacks, I like to hit bulk barn and make my own trail mix. That's good slow release energy that lasts a long time as long as the squirrels don't get it first. By the end of the trip, I have also reduced weight and space.

When I'm riding solo on a longer trip, I will stop in at subway for lunch and get a footlong sub and eat half. Then eat the second half for dinner. Nothing like a soggy lukewarm sub to wind the day down.

I also like to bring old t-shirts that I can give away if it makes sense. Considering I always overpack, this is the only way I can buy new t-shirts on the trip.

For the KLR you can also get roll bags for the handlebars and also soft bags for the crash guards - just in case you don't have either.
 
I carry one extra pair of jeans. I agree there's a slight weight penalty but they don't take a lot of room. Throwing old clothes out along the way means I still need space for them at the start.
Vacuum bags? How do you remove the air?
Doing laundry on a week long bike trip is a nonstarter for me.
 
timtune said:
Vacuum bags? How do you remove the air?
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The cheap ziplock styles have one-way valves. You just seal the bag and sit on it to squish the air out.

For more rugged use, I have a set of Pacific Outdoor drybags with screw valves on them similar to Thermarest air mattresses. Same deal with those - open the valve, sit on the bag to squish out the air, then close the valve. Pacific Outdoors has been out of business for years, but you can find similar valved drybags from other brands.
 
timtune said:
I carry one extra pair of jeans. I agree there's a slight weight penalty but they don't take a lot of room. Throwing old clothes out along the way means I still need space for them at the start.
Vacuum bags? How do you remove the air?
Doing laundry on a week long bike trip is a nonstarter for me.
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If you are tossing things along the way, you can vaccuum at home. Open, wear, toss. I wasnt that space constrained. I wear textile riding pants so I wear shorts under, rinse the shorts if they get the funk and lay them on engine case to dry before the next morning. I take one set of pants in case I spend time off the bike. Often they arent used.
 
shanekingsley said:
Agree with the no jeans policy since they weigh too much as well. My hiking pants zip on/off at the knees, so I have shorts whenever I need them.

I'll also ride with a 3L hydration knapsack, which frees up room and weight in my cases for other things. I am currently using the Ogio Atlas and I don't even feel it when I'm riding.

For snacks, I like to hit bulk barn and make my own trail mix. That's good slow release energy that lasts a long time as long as the squirrels don't get it first. By the end of the trip, I have also reduced weight and space.

When I'm riding solo on a longer trip, I will stop in at subway for lunch and get a footlong sub and eat half. Then eat the second half for dinner. Nothing like a soggy lukewarm sub to wind the day down.

I also like to bring old t-shirts that I can give away if it makes sense. Considering I always overpack, this is the only way I can buy new t-shirts on the trip.

For the KLR you can also get roll bags for the handlebars and also soft bags for the crash guards - just in case you don't have either.
Click to expand...
KLR guys have it easy, the make stackable top boxes for their bikes. 755F287F-5F8F-4607-9B64-97450CBB236A.jpeg
 
KLR guys are so low rent.

At least the KTM guys do it with a bit more class:

giant-loop-krate.jpg
 
Lightcycle said:
KLR guys are so low rent.

At least the KTM guys do it with a bit more class:

giant-loop-krate.jpg
Click to expand...
It may be cheaper than actually trying to buy a milk crate. They aren't easy to find a legal supplier for. I'm disappointed that GL didn't have them made in orange.
 
I liked your response so much @Lightcycle that I tried to add it to my profile, alas I failed.
 
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