Here is my packing list for an upcoming one week bike touring trip, solo and unsupported. I’ll be camping out with for the first half, supplying all my own food, and with limited if any access to power. Then staying in a motel for a couple of nights in a town, so I’ll be eating out most of my meals for the last few days.

The total weight of my bike + gear + 2.6L of water is 28kg. My bike is around 9kg, so my gear including food for four days (not including water) is 16kg.

Shelter and Sleeping

• Soloist pyramid tent outer
• Enlightened Equipment bivy
• Big Agnes ground sheet
• Tent pegs x 21 (i.e. as many as I have) for tent, ground sheet, bivy
• Homemade lightweight Easton aluminium tent poles for tent and bivy
• Nemo tensor insulated inflatable mattress
• Zenbivy sheet and quilt system
• Zenbivy inflatable pillow

Cooking Equipment

• Kathmandu brand ultralight stove
• Kathmandu brand non-stick cooking pot, large (because it is what I have and I love it)
• 110g gas canister
• Aluminum foil as wind shield when cooking
• Homemade pot cosy, made from an old car windscreen sunshade and cloth tape, to exactly fit my pot. The theory is that I’ll boil up water and my homemade dehydrated meal, then put the pot in the cosy for 10-15 min to keep warm and rehydrate, which will save on gas usage.
• Cigarette lighter and matches
• Titanium spoon for cooking and eating
• Insulated mug with lid (various bits packed inside)
• Kathmandu brand tiny microfiber cloth and supermarket-bought microfiber washcloth for washing and drying dishes
• Platypus water filter – pretty bulky but easy to use and I like it
• Plastic and bamboo knife for spreading butter etc on crackers
• Sea to summit collapsible bucket – this carries 10L and folds down to tiny! I’m thinking it will be useful for collecting water from a river and for washing.

Food and Water

• 2 x 1L bidons
• 1 x 600mL aluminum drink bottle for drinks with stuff mixed in with my water. It has a flip top so I can drink on the bike plus loops so I can clip the drink bottle on to webbing when not in use.
• 1 x 1L collapsible bidon
• Breakfast x 4: 1/2 cup quick oats, 2 Tbsp milk powder, 1 butter pat, 1 marmalade or honey pat, 1 Tbsp (25mL) MCT oil on the advice of my nutritionist. The short chain fatty acids are a great energy source plus combining fats with the high carb meal will help moderate the blood sugar spike / slow down the sugar release. Coffee bag and Milo.
• Dinner x 4: Homemade dehydrated meals. 2 x savoury mince with cooked and dehydrated rice. 2 x spicy pork mince with quinoa and millet. Miso paste, seaweed and dehydrated spring onion.
• Lunch x 2: crumpets with butter and toppings (jam, vegemite, peanut butter, tasty cheese slices)
• Snacks x 4 days: crackers with butter and toppings, Blue Dinosaur Paleo bars x 4, Bear Naked bars x 4
• SIS electrolyte tabs x 7
• Unflavoured electrolyte drops
• Dehydrated powdered fruit and vegetable juice (sample size from Nutradry)
• Possible extra muesli bars to be added

Toiletries and Bits

• Toothbrush and small toothpaste
• Cleanser, moisturiser in mini jars
• Chamois cream and Assos skin repair gel in mini jars
• Bamboo mini washcloth for body washing, with sewn-on loop to clip on to dry
• Bamboo mini pads to wear with Knicks to keep my Knicks fresher for multiple days
• Sea to Summit medium lightweight towel, for drying myself plus condensation off my tent
• Sea to Summit clothesline, ultra compact
• Hair brush
• Eye mask
• Earplugs
• Ear phones
• Fabric musette for shopping for food supplies and as a handbag as needed
• Sunscreen
• SPF 50+ lip balm
• Balm insect repellant

Electrical and Navigation

• Garmin bike computer x 2
• Rear and front lights x 1 each
• Garmin in reach personal locator beacon
• Mobile phone
• Black diamond rechargeable head torch and 1 set of spare batteries
• Cables for the above (3 total) and mains power plugs (2)
• USB battery pack, small
• Spare CR2032 batteries
• Solar powered tent light
• Maps – Hema Victorian High Country and Rooftop’s Bright – Mansfield Adventure Map

Clothes

Wearing:

• Vermarc bib Knicks
• Icebreaker cool long sleeve merino top
• Alpine socks
• Icebreaker half size cool merino buff and Buff microfiber, cut in half (i.e. two pieces) as sun protection for neck and wrists
• Short finger Giro gloves
• Giro knitted touring shoes with mtb cleats
• Sports bra and heart rate strap
• Sunglasses
• Cycling cap
• Kask helmet
• Reflective hi vis ankle strap

Packed:

• Spare Vermarc bib Knicks in case of rain
• Macpack lightweight pants that adapt to shorts
• Worn-in skins long pants
• Merino singlet top
• Merino long sleeve top
• Long sleeve lightweight shirt
• Spare bra
• Underwear x 2
• Merino socks
• Spare cycling socks
• Kathmandu alpha down jacket
• Rapha commuter rain jacket
• Light sneakers (packed with foam bits to use as a seat)
• Winter waterproof gloves and disposable rubber gloves in case of very cold and wet
• Fluffy ear covers headband
• Shoe toe covers
• Alternate sunglasses (night/ winter)

Tools, First Aid, Just In Case

Tools and bike bits:

• Spare tube x 1 (running tubeless with relatively new tyres)
• 2 x tyre levers
• Topeak road mini floor pump
• Dynaplug tyre puncture repair kit
• Chain lube
• Bike ratcheting multi tool
• Leatherman
• Fine nose pliers
• 8mm spanner to fit mounts for fork cages
• 5mm Allen key to undo and do up rear derailleur when packing bike
• Cutters
• Fibre fix spoke
• Spare derailleur hanger
• Microfiber cloth for cleaning dirty bike bits, chain lube excess
• Collapsible backpack (in case bag mounts fail)
• Spare voile straps x 2
• Spare long strap x 1
• Spare carabiners
• Spare small water resistant bag for packing extra food I collect on Day 1
• Cloth tape
• Bike lock – compact deterrent level

First Aid and personal bits:

• Plastic shovel
• Small roll of toilet paper
• Compression bandages x 2
• Bands aids and blister band aids
• Fixamol
• Sterile dressings
• Eye drops
• Deep heat
• Dettol antiseptic cream
• Antihistamines
• Anti-inflammatory
• Cold sore cream

Bags and Packing System

• Bike Bag Dude custom frame bag
• Apidura handlebar roll, small
• Extra dry bag strapped onto handlebar roll, Sea to Summit ultra sil view 4L
• Apidura top tube bag, small
• Revelate handlebar bidon bags x 2
• Tent poles and pump rolled in non slip matting under handlebar roll, resting on handlebars
• Large Zefal bidon container with bike spares and tools
• Bedrock bags small seat bag
• Silicon net to strap on shoes in a waterproof bag then dirt protection second bag
• Extra dry bag with food attached via carabiners