As we have never done anything like this we have no idea what to pack. So here is the list of what we are going to take and we shall report back, via this blog, what was forgotten and probably should have been packed.
As we are flying bikes over with us, it is important to keep the weight down. The airline we are travelling with only allows one bag to be checked in at 20kg. Even though the bike is lighter than this, it would cost a minimum of $65.00 extra to check in an additional bag, even if the total of the two bags was less than 20kg. So, as the $65.00 can be better spent elsewhere, I have decided to take only what I can wear on the plane or whatever can fit within the 10kg carry on luggage allowance. A few items that can be purchased in Bangkok.
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| The bike all packed and ready to fly |
Rain jacket
Shorts x 2
Pants x1 (purchase in Bangkok)
Light weight skirt (purchase in Bangkok)
Couple of t-shirts (purchase in Bangkok)
Long sleeved shirt for sun protection
Sandals for riding. 1 pair of thongs for evening wear.
Underwear
Bathers
Other stuff
Toiletries
Towel
Sunglasses
Headlamp
Sunscreen
Occy straps
Camera/ipod/journal
Lock and cable
Basic first-aid kit
Bandannas (will be essential for keeping dust from our faces - buy in Bangkok)
Pocket knife or Leatherman (pliers and other tools are handy)
Water carrying bladders or containers (don't quite know if this will come in handy as you are unable to fill up at taps due to health concerns)
Bikey Stuff
As our knowledge about the tools necessary to undertake such a trip is very limited, I jumped on the internet and discovered the world of Mr Pumpy, touring bike enthusiast extraordinaire. And this is what he recommended taking on the road :
The bike!
Helmet
Pump
Puncture repair kit
Tyre levers
Allan keys
Shifting spanner
Spanners, screw drivers, pliers.
Gaffa tape
Ockie straps - handy for keeping your panniers on in rough terrain, or hanging your washing off them in the hotel room. Also good for tying people up.
Bike bell
Bike lock - never leave home without it
Photo of the bike, and bike serial number - In case the bike gets stolen, and you need to see the local police, take a photo of the bike and record its serial number.
Thanks Mr Pumpy ....
2 comments:
Hi Mel,
Sounds like a fantastic adventure! Am just reading your packing account. Stew and I and another friend Millie took our bikes to Cuba a few years back on an adventure, which was superb. My advice re packing would be GAFFA TAPE - which you have. Also a pedal spanner as you'll need to take your pedals off to get your bike in box to get it on the plane. A universal bike tool is a great thing. And a spare tube, sometimes the valves become faulty and if that happens your puncture repair kit is no good.
Re water, bottle cages on the bikes and water purification tabs are a good plan.
What is an occy straop when it's at home?!
Am lovin' the idea of this and looking forward to reading about your adventures!
Teen
You'll want to take as little as possible! Since you'll be push pushying it everywhere you ride... So your list is looking pretty good.
I second the spare tube. I've had heaps of trouble fixing punctures on the go and would recommend possibly swapping tubes and fixing the other tube when you get to your destination so you can spend more time to fix it properly. A good way to find where the hole/s is/are and to check if a tube is fixed is to put it in water and look for bubbles. (Wait a while before checking after you fix it so the glue dries first...)
A couple of tubes of glue could be a good idea as it gets less effective once opened it seems, though your trip is probably short enough that this won't happen I suppose.
You probably won't even have a puncture anyway... I'm really unlucky with punctures, but Oli has had way less puncture trouble than me in his whole riding history...
A rag or two is handy for wiping greasy hands in the case of roadside repairs... And for giving bike a wipe down maybe.
You taking chain lube or anything like that?
What are you bringing the occy straps for? (Teen - Occy straps are those elastic straps with hooks on the end.) Attaching stuff to your rack? Oh I see pumpy guy's suggestions now... I would almost say don't bother with them, but if pumpy guy says... You can always give them to someone somewhere along the way if you decide you don't need them anyway...
Assuming you're staying places where you don't need bedding then...
I'm a bit iffy about riding in sandals myself and don't do it real often, for the sake of protecting my feet from injury, but that's probably just me being overly cautious. You might rather protect your feet from sweating too much! :-)
Plastic bags to water proof stuff inside your panniers. Even the ones that are supposed to be water proof aren't always completely water proof...
That's my two cents anyway...
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