packing absolutely bare minimum for long tour?

[silvrsurfr]

I think it would be awesome to take a long tour, ie. from GTA to East coast. Instead of the usual tail bag, saddle bags, tank bag, and back pack setup why not take absolute bare minimum.
Pack everything in a tail bag.
Anyone here ever do something like this?

Justs essentials.

I'm thinkng of taking a 2 wk run out east but I want to only pack a tail bag.
This one

http://www.gearscanada.com/products/details/83/7/navigator-tail-bag.html

You'd be limited to what you can bring so you gotta really pick and choose.
I like the simplistic nature of it. No crazy amount of packs and bags to deal with. Only bring what you'll need.

Anyways - chime in if you've ever done something like this.

 

[regder]

I've done a number of trips with just a 60L Motopak duffle. If you're not camping, 60L is more than enough. Here's my normal list of stuff I pack if I'm leaving for a long weekend or two weeks.

- second pair of jeans to the ones I wear
- two extra t-shirts
- one long sleeve t-shirt
- one sweater that's good for cold weather
- a couple extra pairs of undies and socks
- base layers if I expect it's going to get chilly
- toiletry bag
- FroggToggs rain suit
- pair of walk around shoes that pack small, a comfy pair of shoes after a day on the bike is a godsend.
- 15" Macbook and iPad

 

[Ugur Dinch]

Almost the same list as above + a beach towel, in this:

from a 10day trip to Miami.

 

[Motorcycle Mike]

The absolute minimum depends on how much money you want to spend on the way. You don't need to bring anything at all if you are willing to buy things along the way.

I did a moto-camping trip on an old klx250 to Halifax when I was 18 -- only brought a very small bicycle tent (like a bivy sack), a sleeping bag, and a change of clothes. Tied it to my rear fender and was off.

A few days after leaving I regretted not bringing chain lube as my chain stretched beyond being useful and I ended up replacing the chain and sprockets at a shop somewhere in Quebec.

 

[Dave L]

this is what I use for whitewater kayaking on rivers north of superior (no stores out there on the river!) I have also packed it into 16L princessauto saddle bags on my KLX250.

View attachment 30977

click to enlarge the picture.

Most of this stuff get packed into drybags that are 100% waterproof.

food - mountain house meals - really good and only need hot water to rehydrate and eat right out of the bag. I also have a bag with cup of soups, and hot cereal for the mornings. I usually bring rice and some precooked tuna in a bag for a great meal

Orange bag has 4 bottles in it, coffee, Double double coffee mate, sugar and powdered gatorade.

Yellow bag is a gortex US army bivy - tent (this is actually quite large because it is Gortex, you could go smaller with a lighter material bivy or super hardcore and get an emergency bivy the size of a pop can. )

Grey bag - silnylon tarp to go over bivy to keep snow/rain off and to cook underneath

Black bag is a 0degree micropalm sleeping bag

Green bag - supper comfy MEC inflatable mattress

Blue bag - GSI Outdoors Halulite Minimalist Cookset, inside is a trangia stove and a pot stand made of aluminum duct. I have water purification tablets a few tea bags and a cup of soup in there too


Black neoprene "tube" is a UCO candle lantern used for light I also have a smaller UCO micro lantern that uses tea lights

Also in the picture is a Nalgene bottle which is my repair kit for everything (This is for my kayak so I dont bring it on the bike) orange Bahco saw for campfire use and a bit of 550 cord.

Not shown - clothing but it basically consists of what is on my back (dry top/dry pants with polypro underwear) and a separate bag (2L drybag) with stuff to sleep in plus a toque, mits, socks. I also carry either a full blown first aid kit - another nalgene or a smaller "ouch kit" in a 1L drybag.
Fuel for the stove (gas line antifreeze) is not shown but is carried in a cough medicine bottle

If you plan to hit restaurants obviously you can cut out anything cooking and food related leaving just the bivy, sleeping bag and matress, with clothing I could get that into a normal daypack style backpack or strap a small duffle bag on the back of the bike

 

[vrus]

I've done a number of trips with just a 60L Motopak duffle. If you're not camping, 60L is more than enough. Here's my normal list of stuff I pack if I'm leaving for a long weekend or two weeks.

- second pair of jeans to the ones I wear
- two extra t-shirts
- one long sleeve t-shirt
- one sweater that's good for cold weather
- a couple extra pairs of undies and socks
- base layers if I expect it's going to get chilly
- toiletry bag
- FroggToggs rain suit
- pair of walk around shoes that pack small, a comfy pair of shoes after a day on the bike is a godsend.
- 15" Macbook and iPad

replace macbook with camera, I pretty much packed what you pack into my 20L bag

 

[skip]

replace macbook with camera, I pretty much packed what you pack into my 20L bag

Same, plus cell phone & charger. Fits all in my top case just fine.

 

[crankcall]

I did L.A. to Toronto on a sport bike, wore leathers, gloves, helmet.
Pack consisted to 2 wicking tshirts, casual pants with zip off legs for shorts, cheap flip flops, 2 pr quick dry socks, 2pr quik dry undies. swimsuit.
VISA card, Mastercard.

I bought a $17 rain suit on route that I abandoned in Illinois and a Sweater in New Mexico from a Goodwill type shop for $2 that I left someplace else

even the cheap hotels had a laundry and I washed some stuff in the pool, the stores like MEC have quik dry stuff that is ready to go the next morning.

If you dont mind going for dinner in shorts and flips a VISA card fixes everything else. There are cheaper/more comfortable ways to travel but if you want to blast cross country that works.

 

[inreb]

Listerene and dental floss. Gets rid of the yucky toothbrush/paste package. 2 pair quick dry gym shorts and riding pants only. Wet Naps to really clean up around the hole.