Vagabond Basics: Packing
East bound and down, Loaded up and Truckin’
Boring article I know, but an important one; packing for a trip. I probably carry more than I really need, but with all the space, your bound to use it. I've done week long trips with this setup without issue. So what do you need for your basics? Clothes are important, as are the tools and maintenance items you'll need on the trip.
So clothes, you'll have what you wear on your first day, plus enough for how many ever days you'll be on the trip, unless you want to make a stop at a laundromat, or physically can't carry enough clothes for however long your trip is. I like to carry an extra shirt and socks, just incase you get soaked or something, so if I go on a trip that'll take a total of five days, i'll carry 5 shirts, 5 pair of socks and 5 pair of underwear. Everything you wear, besides pants pack down pretty small and aren't a huge issue. Pants take up tons of room, and I usually just wear the riding pants I wear out multiple days, otherwise you'd need an extra bag for JUST pants.
Almost everything I carry with me on the road
Besides clothes your going to need toiletries: Deodorant, soap, shampoo, Q-Tips, and razor and shaving cream if you don't want to go straight Grizzly Adams. If your really strapped for space you can skip the soap and just carry shampoo, it's soap and gets the job done in a pinch, or just grab a soap bar from a hotel room since they're small. Everything I carry is “trial sized” to fit in a small bag and are easily available at any CVS, Walgreens or Target, they may just be not your preferred brands, but does it matter? If you're a solo rider like I usually am the only person smelling you is yourself. I usually carry something to entertain myself at night like a 3DS or a Switch. I also bring a set of rope tire plugs, the install tools and a mini 12 volt compressor to put air back in the tire, sometimes you'll travel places where there isn't any cell reception. That’s all you really need to exist on the road, stuff to keep yourself cleaned and clothed.
The left side saddlebag loaded up with things I won’t need on the side of the road
I also usually bring my camera an extra lens, a tripod, a drone, rain gear and some other things. The next question is how do you pack it. I usually put everything I won't access in the left side saddle bag. The clothes, toiletries, device chargers, entertainment all go in the left bag. Your kickstand is on the left so that side of the bike tilts to that side, making taking things in and out of it a precarious if you don't want stuff falling out everywhere on the side of the road. My right bag gets the things I don't pull out as often, Camera gear, tripod, rain gear and my maintenance/ emergency stuff. My new bike doesn't have a center stand, so I also carry a Tirox stand that leverages the bike onto it's kick stand and lifts the rear tire off the ground so I'm not chasing the bike down the road or parking lot to lube the chain. The Ducati had a center stand, so it was as simple as putting the bike on that and the rear tire would be lifted off the ground making chain maintenance super simple.
The right bag missing a couple things, but it’s loaded with stuff I will need on the side of the road, but not often
And finally, I like to carry a tank bag, for stuff you'll use a lot. In here I carry a battery bank to charge my phone or helmet coms if I need to, all important sunscreen. Us not blessed with skin that doesn't burn get a great raccoon look from the sun when we wear full face helmets, do yourself a favor and stop every two hours to re apply it, and use the right strength. I'll never forget being told “Awww bless your heart” when I had dried out skin on my face from using SPF 30 when I should have been using 55. I also carry at least a liter of water in the tank bag, a hat,pain killers, a couple granola bar and my camera in a special protective pouch.
The tank bag with the often accessed stuff like water, battery banks and sun screen, the top of the bag has a clear pocket to hold a map.
This isn't an end all be all packing list, your trip will change what you need to bring. When I was out for a week I did bring a 2nd pair of pants and rotated them every morning. You may want to bring a pair of sneakers if you plan on spending any significant time off the bike, motorcycle boots are stiff to protect your feet, but aren't the most comfortable things to walk in. I'd carry a slim pair of sneakers, like converses to have a small footprint (HAH! Get it?) Finally any cold weather gear if you think you'll need it. If you plan on camping, you obviously need to figure out how to strap the tent and sleeping bag onto the bike, which most likely precludes the use of a tailbag. Again, this isn't an end all be all list and everyone will have their own necessities, as well as the length, location and destination of the trip dictates what you'll need. Also, don't really worry about forgetting something. As long as your traveling in the states, Canada or most of Europe you'll be able to stop somewhere and buy what your forgot, this is how I came to own two battery banks, multiple cheap USB cables and a couple tubes of sunscreen.
This typically rides in the right bag, but this is the roadside maintanince case. the Tirox, chain lube (I’m trying out Motul C3, usually a small can on Maxima Chain Wax), Axle nut socket (because most moto shops don’t have a 60mm socket) and gloves to keep my hands clean