It is a beautiful day out and I am in the middle of Oregon, just a few hundred miles from the coast. I feel like I am gonna explode from excitement, I get to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time in the next few days!
But before I arrive in Astoria and finish up my tour I thought I would share exactly what I have been dragging along with me from Northern New York. My philosophy in gathering gear for this trip was the idea of traveling “medium-light”. I don’t have a proper touring bike so I wanted a load that wouldn’t strain my road bike (or myself) beyond our capabilities. It probably wasn’t the wisest choice to bring a road bike but the cool thing about bike touring is that you don’t need to have the perfect setup to make it work. I have seen all kinds of people, with all kinds of setups, on all kinds of bikes riding across the USA.
So let me introduce you to my gear. This is the complete list of stuff I have (unless I missed something), but I didn’t get pictures of quite everything and it isn’t perfectly organized either…that’s my bad. I also don’t have the time to jot down all the details about each piece, so if you want more specifics about an item, just ask.
I hope this is not my only bike touring expedition so critiques and suggestions are welcome!
My Clothes
Two Sugoi Icefil jerseys
Two pairs of Garneau shorts
Long sleeve shirt
Wool socks
2 pairs of ankle socks
Pearl Izumi cycling gloves
Full finger gloves
Sunglasses
Columbia Arcadia II Rain Jacket
Rain pants
Tee-Shirt
Pair of Capri’s
Underwear
Care Items
Sunscreen
Toothbrush and tooth powder
Comb
Extra hair tie
Shampoo
(I have been using the shampoo as all-purpose soap, from doing laundry to washing my bike.)
Lip balm
Deodorant
Chamois Cream
Razor
First Aid Kit
Pack towel
Protection Program
(I am just being silly, the knife is used for food prep.)
Counter Assault Bear Spray
ResQLink+ Beacon
Knife
Food
Fork and spoon
Can Opener
Sardines
Tuna
Creamy Peanut Butter
Random snacks
Salt/Pepper/Sugar Packets
Stuff for the bike
Bike Levers
Mini Pump with gorilla tape wrapped around it
Two Park Tool patch kits
Spare Tire
Spare Tube
Cornstarch
Chain Lube
New Shoe Cleats
Random extra screws and bolts
Allen Key set
Zip ties
Cables for brakes and shifters
Bungee Cords
2 Fiber Fix Kits
(Thanks for the suggestion, Rootchopper and Doug!)
Chain break tool
Spare Brake Pads
Tool with flat and philip screwdrivers
2 Sets of bike lights
Bike Lock
Taco Seasoning
Gatorade powder
ReplaceSR tablets
(I take 3-6 a day so that I don’t have to worry about buying sports drinks for electrolytes.)
Tech
Tablet with Case
USB charging cords
Battery Pack
Camera
(I lost my phone a few days ago…)
Sleep System
Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 Tent
Marmot Sleeping bag
Thermarest Prolite Womens
DIY Groundcloth
(aka tarp cut to size, thanks mom!)
Other Stuff
Maps
Wallet with Bike Lock key
Bug clip thing
(I haven’t used this yet, I have my doubts whether it would keep bugs away.)
Chemical handwarmers
Pens
Paper
Glue Stick
People’s info and notes
Microfiber wipes
Passport
Hydration
Two 28 ounce water bottles
2 Liter Water bag
More Other Stuff
Helmet
Sleeve for map
Bike Computer
Schwalbe Marathon Tires (28mm)
(No flats yet!!)
Saddlebag with super secret stash of Clif bars
(If you guess what kind of Clif bars I have in my stash, you can have a free one! You just have to come to Oregon to get it.)
Worn out bike shoes
Sneakers
Bike Like Crazy 
Lots of overlap with my set up. You have healthier food though. (I still lost about 5-10 pounds in 11 days. Start fat, end lean is my touring motto.) Just one question: taco powder?
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I thought the same thing. How do you use taco seasoning on your bike?
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You spice up food with taco seasoning. I used to carry curry powder because I loved the flavor.
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Exactly!!
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It really should be in the food section…not sure how it snuck into the picture with bike tools 🙂 I love putting it on many different veggies.
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I have healthy food in my panniers because I eat up all the unhealthy junk as soon as I buy it, haha! I do try to eat somewhat healthy though, I love buying fresh fruits and veggies when I can, I am currently chowing down on a giant green pepper 🙂
I sprinkle the taco powder on my chain, the spice gives the bike a little extra fire and speed…kinda like an electric motor. You didn’t think I could make it all the way to Oregon just by pedalling, did you?
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Bear spray- wow!
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I never even saw a bear, but believe me, it made me feel so much better to see a sign like, “Bears on road” and know that there was a canister of bear spray in my back pocket!
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Saddle bags will carry everything you need but never as much as you want. I think you “done good!”
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Very true, Dan! And thanks 😉
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What a list! It sounds heavy Bri and I bet you jettisoned some stuff early on in the trip. Benefits of traveling with another tourist: you can share weight of many items like tool kit, spare parts, first aid kit, etc. like I presume you did while traveling with your brother. However, there’s nothing like the flexibility, freedom, and satisfaction of doing it all by yourself. You rock.
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We actually didn’t have to send anything home that we brought with us…we decided to bring a minimal amount of stuff and just buy something along the way if we needed it. Noah was awesome, he carried all of the bike tools, once I headed off by myself, I had to start carrying it all. I was spoiled!
It makes me so happy that I was able to do half of this trip with my brother, we made so many memories that I will treasure forever…and traveling by myself has also been a blast and given me new confidence. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to spend my summer riding my bike 🙂
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When you reach the Pacific, you won’t be far from Vancouver, BC. If you are still in the mood, head north. Would love to introduce you to cycling in this area, and learn more about your adventure.
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Sweet! I didn’t know if you were still in Ontario or not but I am taking the train up to Vancouver, I will be hanging out all day in the city on August 2nd waiting for my connection train to Edmonton, it would be fabulous to ride with you 🙂
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Perfect!!
I live close to the train station. It’s actually on one of the bike paths. When will you arrive and how long do you before your connection to Edmonton?
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I am supposed to arrive just after midnight and then my train leaves at 8pm. I will want to be at the station a few hours before that of course, but other than that I am free all day 🙂 And according to the Amtrak website my bike can stay fully intact, so I should be ready to ride!
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Where do you plan to stay the night you arrive?
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I haven’t planned that out yet…I am great at procrastinating!
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And will you have your bike or will it be packed up?
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It’s helpful to read this post Bri… I’d been wondering what you did for tech things Bri. Enjoy seeing that big ocean! 😀
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Thanks Gail! Depending on how far I make it today, I might see the waves TOMORROW!!!!
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Glad to see you got rid of the Bontrager tires. How is the tread wear on the Schwalbes? I mistakenly put my tires on without seeing the little ‘rotation arrow’ for direction and my rear tire tread wore in only 1,500 miles. But checking Schwalbe’s website they say there’s still plenty of rubber, not to worry and the tire is good for many more miles. Just curious if it wore because I had them on backwards? How are your tires?
Nice. I’ll be there to get my peanut butter Clif Bar. Almost at the turn around point, eh? Southern route for the ride back?
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Yeah, I adore these tires! I put them on just a week or so before the trip so they have about 4,000 miles on them. Once we got to Colorado Noah let me steal his front tire to put on my rear wheel, with the weight of touring, the rear wheel really wears out faster! I will be replacing them once I get home, but they made it all the way across the country so I am super impressed.
Haha, you don’t get a Clif bar! Nice try 🙂 I am actually going to Canada to visit my Grandma!! Super excited 😉
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I forgot the extra hair tie… mine snapped after a while and I had to tie a knot in it *big fail*
I took a spare gear cable with me since I have one that is prone to snapping, and I used it, but on the side (front derailleur) that isn’t usually a problem… but the main problem was the outer cable gave out (it was rusty inside and snagging the cable until it broke after I kept having to persuade it not so gently to change gear) and I had to ride a few days stuck on the wrong chain ring until I stumbled upon a bike shop.
Another bane was my chain (that rhymes, yay!). I fitted a fresh new one before I left thinking that would see me through with no maintenance, since I was used to a new one lasting me a few months without needing oil, since they come ready greased… but I started my trip in the rain… and yeah, I had a few days of squeaky chain until I found some oil. Bane/Chain/Rain… 😀
You said we could ask about anything on your list, so since you’re a girl I’m going to amuse myself and ask for details about your underwear 😀 Just calling me cheeky will suffice 😉
Really I think you have a lot of stuff, especially since you’re using a road bike… where do you pack it all!? I was like 4 panniers and a tent and I’m sure I took half of what you have. Maybe that’s what the glue stick is for – sticking stuff on places when they wont fit in anywhere!?
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Squeaky chains are the worst! Not even using rhyming words to describe it can lessen the horror.
I would call you cheeky but since I don’t live in the UK, I will call you impertinent instead. (Which still doesn’t seem like a very american thing to say!)
I do have a lot of stuff, haha! But it all packs down into my two rear panniers quite nicely…apart from my sneakers and the tent poles, those are tied down to the top of my rack.
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I have been following your blog for awhile and really enjoy reading about your adventures. I especially like reading about your current adventure. As far as your equipment, it looks like you have things covered well. I have no experience bikebacking, but do have some miles on my hiking boots backpacking. My only suggestion would be to carry a tool that can serve multiple purposes instead of bringing individual tools. For example, bring one spork in place of a separate spoon and fork. Also, you could bring one Leatherman tool, which could take the place of a separate knife, can opener, screwdrivers, pliers, etc.
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Hey Jim, it is so cool that you have been reading along! Thanks for commenting, backpackers are super savvy about saving weight…I guess you have to be 😉 What a great suggestion, my birthday is coming up, maybe I will ask my family to get me a Leatherman! Haha, it is so funny how my birthday presents have changed over the years, last year I was thrilled when my dad gave me a bike lock and chain.
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Cool mint chocolate Clif bars! When I make it to Oregon to pick one up, we could eat them together, along with a carrot cake milkshake…except that sounds almost as bad as tuna with peanut butter, doesn’t it? Thank you for the call yesterday, my friend! So good talking with you again. Hope you are thoroughly enjoying the Pacific Ocean!
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Haha! I get to keep my Clif bars cause you are wrong! The ocean is awesome and it is waving to you 🙂 I love you so much sister dear!!
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Awww, I love you too! And how nice of the ocean to wave! Are your Clif bars chocolate chip? I really want to know, even though by the time I see you again, you will have eaten them for sure.
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Nope, nope nope! C’mon, I am pretty sure you can get this!
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They can’t be peanut butter, because peanut butter Clif bars do not contain bananas. And as everyone knows…oh wait, we don’t talk about that anymore. 😉 So my next guess is Chocolate Brownie! Which is the flavor of my last hoarded Clif bar…which makes me want to eat it now, but saving it for a lacking-in-protein-day in the village. Can I guess more than one flavor in the same comment? You didn’t say no, so that must mean yes. Blueberry Crisp? Oatmeal Raisin?
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