Practical Advice - Bike Touring: A Packing List

In the saddle from sunrise to sunset (Photo © Eyewire)

Sleep Well and Pack Well

If you're thinking of upgrading some of your core gear, consider starting with a new sleeping bag. In recent years the ultralight wave in camping equipment has created a space-race mentality among manufacturers to engineer ever-lighter, tiny-packing bags. A small-packing bag can save a surprising amount of space in a pannier or on a rack. Down bags compress the smallest, but you need to be hyper-vigilant about protecting it from moisture. If you carry down, stuff it into a plastic garbage bag after you crunch it into its stuff sack. New synthetic bags, particularly those that use new insulations such as PrimaLoft® Sport or Polarguard® Delta, compress surprisingly well and provide a respectable level of warmth for a modest weight. The key advantage for using a synthetic bag: It dries out much, much faster than down. In a pinch, you can even sleep in a damp synthetic bag (it will still insulate) and dry it out with body heat. Consider bringing a bag liner, too. It can boost a bag's comfort rating by 10 to 15 degrees, help keep a bag clean, and, on balmy nights at low elevations, can be used alone.

You've heard it before, but you can never hear it enough—plan to pack according to weather. A three-day tour through arid terrain will differ greatly, climate-wise, from a pedal through rainforest-lined asphalt. Also, while you do have those panniers to carry your load, still aim for the less-is-more approach; it'll increase your balancing ability, reduce weight drag, and give you spare room for that must-have purchase (perishable or otherwise) that you encounter mid-route, especially if you're weaving into small towns while touring. For the heavily-laden, also consider one of the new towing trailers that you can attach to your bike—they even have some out there now that can handle most singletrack routes (albeit slow-going).

All-Season Clothing