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Supply lists seem forever incomplete and this one is no exception. The rule of thumb when preparing for a trip is to leave half of everything at home and you'll still be carrying too much. Somehow we each crammed these 200 items onboard our bikes.
Documents
Important tip: Copies of everything were given to my travel partner, or kept in a separate pannier, and also left with my family. Most importantly, scan and save this in a secure location on the internet. Of course, memorize all critical information.
- Passport with extra pages (renew before leaving)
- Drivers license (renew before leaving)
- Visas (None necessary for Latin or South America, others obtained a month in advance in the nearest embassy)
- Medical emergency info:
- Will and Power of Attorney (Left with family)
- Health insurance card and info
- World Health Organization Vaccination Card
- Blood type
- Allergies
- Yellow Fever inoculation
- Health history
- Physician contact
- Emergency and Power of Attorney contact
- Banking and money info
- Consulate/embassy info
- Photocopy of all documents placed in separate pannier
Money
- See Money for list of monies tips and tricks
Shared Supplies
Important tip: Eventually, your partner may wish to leave, and so pack light and durable. Don't skimp on money now.
- Compass
- Maps
and guidebooks
- World map to show locals what I was doing
- Regional map and guidebook
- Additonal maps and guidebooks purchased along the way. Generally I preferred Lonely Planet; however, so did everyone else, which defeats the point of leaving your own country. Tip: Buy the book no one else does.
- Spanish dictionary, phrase book and translator
- Short-wave radio
- Water purification tablets (iodine)
- Katadyn ceramic water filter
- Therm-A-Rest repair kit
- Goretex repair kit
- Tent repair kit
- Cards (Ended up alongside the road with most non-functional items.)
- First aid kit
- Malaria medication
- Loperamide (diarrhea medication)
- Aspirin
- Ibuprofen (kept in waterproof Nalgene bottles)
- Bandages
- Eye drops
- Anti-bacterial ointment
- Sunburn medication
- Insect repellent with DEET
- TIP: To keep my kit light, I varied my medication according to needs, besides it's easy enough to buy medicine in India.
- Heavy duty Bike tools
- Bike grease
- Chain whip (I only need this once.)
- Lock ring remover
- Adjustable wrench
- Needle nose pliers
- Spare parts
- Brake and shift cables
- Two spare chains and extra links. TIP: Chains are rotated every 1000 kilometers to prevent the cogs from wearing unevenly.
- Brake pads
- Cooking supplies
- MSR International Stove and repair kit
- Fuel Bottle
- 2 liter MSR Blacklite pot and lid
- Pots and pans
- Matches and lighter
- Stainless steel spoon. TIP: go durable, a steel spoon scrapes pots clean, as opposed to plastic which melts.
Bicycle and Gear
- Gunnar Rockhound (These guys actual care about building a good bike. I know because I met the owner and got a personal tour of the factory.)
- Bar ends
- 2 Bottle cages (needed 3 or 4)
- 2 Water bottles (plus as many soda bottles as needed)
- Clips pedals with cage in case you lose your shoes.
- Racks: Tubis and Jandd Expedition. Blackburn racks suck.
- Panniers: Vaude World Tour, Ortlieb Classic
- Handlebar bag w/ map case: Vaude's Komet
- Brook's All-Terrain saddle (the best thing I've ever bought!)
- Bicycle computer: Altimeter/Odometer/Thermometer
- Combination chain lock
- Rear view mirror
- Conte Top Tour Tires
- Fenders
- 4 liter MSR Dromedary Bag black. TIP: soda bottles work just as good and are disposable when you don't need them or they get moldy.
- Warning flag or vest
Repair Kit
- Chain cracker. TIP: Don't go anywhere without this one.
- Regular patch kit and rubber cement. TIP: glueless patches don't hold in the heat
- Presta adapter
- Swiss Army Knife
- Allen Wrenches
- Nylon rope spoke
- Spare spokes
- Spoke wrench
- Duct/electrician’s tape
- Oil
- Lightweight pump
- Pump replacement parts
- 4 Inner tubes
- 1-2 Spare tires TIP: bring one set of foldable knobbies and one set of slicks.
- Nylon spoons
- Plastic zip ties
- Rubber bands
- Spare nuts, bolts and washers. Very important. You will be rebuilding broken parts.
Bicycle Clothes
- 3
pair bicycle shorts
- 1 pair bicycle underwear
- Bicycle socks (very important)
- Multi-purpose cycle shoes
- Booties (actually plastic bags work just as good to keep the feet warm)
- 3 bicycle jerseys. TIP: I liked to use synthetic fabric which is very easy to wash and dry. And I liked shirts that looked fairly normal to blend in with the locals and for everyday use to save weight.
- Cold/rainy weather jersey
- Cold/rainy weather pants
- Yellow wind/sun breaker.
- Rain jacket
- Riding Gloves
- Cold weather gloves
- Hemet with a visor
- Knee warmers
- TIP: To keep my kit light, I varied my severe weather cothes according to needs.
Street Clothes
- Scarf/bandana
- Shorts
- Shirts
- Blue Jeans
- Underwear (optional :)
- Sandals or flip flops
- Hiking Shoes
- Wool socks
- Foldable full-brim hat. Another one of my favorite items. I also wore this while cycling to keep the sun off me.
Toiletries
- Ear plugs. Important TIP: never leave home without them.
- Sunscreen. Important TIP: spare no expense on this one.
- Soap/shampoo
- Needle/thread
- Floss
- Toothpaste/brush
- Deodorant (Optional.)
- Mirror
- Razor/blades
- Wash cloth
- Towel
- Nail clippers
- Women don't forget your womanly things. They can be hard to find.
CAMPING SUPPLIES
- 2-man tent. TIP: give yourself some room to stretch, because they'll be a day when you can't leave your tent.
- Ground cloth
- Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping Bag insert
- Therm-A-Rest
- Bunji cords
- Rope
- Headlamp. My favorite item.
Miscellaneous
- Coffee cup
- Plastic Grocery bags
- Ziploc bags
- Professional camera/film Useful TIP: I prefer digital now. It's easy to burn your images onto a CD in any internet cafe in almost every small city. Besides, you will ruin your film in the heat and cold.
- Backpack for day trips
- Binoculars
- Journal
- Ball-point pens
- Sunglasses
- Eyeglass strap
- Pepper spray
- Watch/Alarm clock
- Pillow. I often used my fleece jacket unless it was too cold.
- Fishing line.
- Book
FOOD and WATER:
- 1-3 days supply of whatever suits you. Proteins in the morning and carbs in the afternoon.
- COFFEE (Keeps you regular)
- Salt
- Chili powder Very important: kills the taste of bad food and parasites.
- Lemons. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TIPS OF THEM ALL: squeeze juice in your water to stay hydrated. Just drinking water isn't good enough. Dehydration causes acidosis (an acidic body). Acidosis not only causes those aches and pains, acidosis and fear are the two major causes of aging and disease.
Do you believe I got this all on a bicycle and around the world?
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