Here we present, for the cycling-inclined and the generally curious, a very detailed list of all the gear we’re bringing with us. We left out our bikes themselves, along with the bike parts (pedals, rear rack, fairing), but otherwise weighed everything on our kitchen scale just before setting off. We’ve organized our gear into the following categories: camping, clothing, cooking, medical, repair, and miscellaneous. We also split our gear into three groups: communal gear, Brian’s gear, and Rachel’s gear. Traveling as a pair/group is great for bringing overall trip weight down as you can share many items, especially when you are riding the same model of bicycle. Since every pound counts on these trips, Brian spent long hours categorizing, commenting on, and weighing every single item on this list. While he toiled nobly at the computer, Rachel sacrificed young goats to the cycling gods in an arcane religious ceremony tried to make herself useful in other ways.
All told, our weights are as follows at the beginning of the trip:
Communal Gear: 22.8 lbs
Brian’s Gear: 20.7 lbs
Rachel’s Gear: 16.6 lbs
We plan to split up the communal gear while we ride, so we should weight in at about 30 lbs of gear each. However, we still need to add in food and water. 2.5 liters of water weighs 2.5 kilograms (5.5 lbs). Food for a day will vary, but we’re guessing we’ll be carrying about a pound each at a given moment. So, with a full water reservoir and food, we’ll each be carrying about 37 lbs.
Communal Gear
| Type | Item | Wt (oz) | Qt | Total Wt | Comments |
| camping | tent, two person (Big Agnes, Fly Creek UL2) | 42.00 | 1 | 42.00 | Our Big Agnes tent is incredibly light and small, yet just roomy enough. |
| cooking | cooking set (GSI Bugaboo Backpacker Cookset) | 28.25 | 1 | 28.25 | There are definitely lighter alternatives to this cooking set, but we enjoy camp cooking so much that we wanted a pot and a skillet. One of our luxuries. |
| cooking | stove fuel cartridge | 6.00 | 1 | 6.00 | |
| cooking | stove (MSR Pocket Rocket Backpacking Stove) | 4.00 | 1 | 4.00 | |
| cooking | rope for hanging food and laundry | 3.38 | 1 | 3.38 | In case of bears, raccoons, etc. |
| cooking | egg holder | 3.25 | 1 | 3.25 | Another cooking luxury. We decided to bring a hard case for holding a half-dozen eggs. A rather specialized item, but eggs are so readily available, cheap, and versatile that I think this will be a worthwhile addition. |
| cooking | Camp Suds | 3.00 | 1 | 3.00 | We plan to use a tiny bottle of this concentrated stuff for washing the dishes and ourselves. |
| cooking | cutting board | 3.00 | 1 | 3.00 | The nearly paper-thin plastic sheet kind. |
| cooking | ziplock bags (12) | 3.00 | 1 | 3.00 | |
| cooking | cooking oil container | 2.25 | 1 | 2.25 | A small container for holding cooking oil. Has a tight seal so your other gear doesn’t end up covered in oil. |
| cooking | spice holder | 1.13 | 2 | 2.25 | Another cooking luxury. These spice holders are segmented so that each holds two spices. |
| cooking | sill nylon stuff sack (Sea-to-Summit, Ultra-Sil Dry Sack) | 0.90 | 2 | 1.80 | We have one for food and one for laundry. |
| cooking | cooking knife | 1.13 | 1 | 1.13 | A small paring knife, very light. We wanted something separate from our Leatherman because food gets into the joint on folding knives, rendering them sticky, gunky and hard to use. |
| cooking | cooking spoon | 1.13 | 1 | 1.13 | The folding kind. Made for camping and very light. |
| cooking | chlorine dioxide water treatment | 0.75 | 1 | 0.75 | Unlikely to need this, but light and great to have in a pinch. |
| cooking | lighter | 0.75 | 1 | 0.75 | |
| cooking | waterproof matches | 0.38 | 1 | 0.38 | |
| cycling | bike lock | 6.00 | 1 | 6.00 | Very thin and light cable lock. This would take about 5 seconds to cut through with the right tool. In the end, we decided that there were only two levels of locks. First are heavy-duty U-locks that add a lot of weight but can actually deter a thief. Second are light cable locks that won’t deter a thief with a lock cutter, but can at least stop someone from just walking off with your bike. Our main aim was the latter. |
| cycling | map folder | 1.00 | 2 | 2.00 | A simple plastic folder to keep moisture off our maps. |
| entertainment | iPad (3G) and case and charger | 37.35 | 1 | 37.35 | A luxury for sure. We checked the weight of 2 paperback books and realized that an iPad could serve as a way to read, watch movies, and update our blog. |
| entertainment | camera (Cannon S90) and case and charger | 10.18 | 1 | 10.18 | |
| entertainment | pouch for tech gear | 1.00 | 1 | 1.00 | |
| entertainment | wine reservoir | 0.75 | 1 | 0.75 | Not necessary, but so light. Seemed like a fun thing to have if we have the chance to purchase a bottle of wine not too far from where we plan to camp that night. |
| entertainment | headphone splitter | 0.50 | 1 | 0.50 | A Y-adapter in case we want to watch movies on the iPad together with our headphones on. |
| entertainment | ear buds (headphones) | 0.38 | 1 | 0.38 | An extra pair since a certain someone (Rachel!) is always losing them. |
| medical | sun block | 4.63 | 1 | 4.63 | |
| medical | first aid kit | 3.38 | 1 | 3.38 | |
| medical | hand sanitizer | 2.50 | 1 | 2.50 | |
| medical | bug spray | 2.00 | 1 | 2.00 | |
| medical | half-roll of toilet paper in waterproof bag | 2.00 | 1 | 2.00 | |
| medical | deodorant | 1.75 | 1 | 1.75 | |
| medical | comb | 1.25 | 1 | 1.25 | |
| medical | toiletry bag (Sea-to-Summit, sil nylon, small) | 0.63 | 2 | 1.25 | |
| medical | toothpaste (travel sized) | 1.00 | 1 | 1.00 | |
| medical | nail clippers | 0.75 | 1 | 0.75 | |
| medical | repair kit bag | 0.38 | 2 | 0.75 | |
| medical | floss | 0.63 | 1 | 0.63 | |
| medical | melatonin | 0.63 | 1 | 0.63 | |
| medical | lip balm | 0.38 | 1 | 0.38 | |
| medical | tweezers | 0.38 | 1 | 0.38 | |
| misc | route maps (Adventure Cycling TransAmerica set) | 11.25 | 1 | 11.25 | |
| misc | tripod (Joby Gorillapod, smallest size) | 1.63 | 1 | 1.63 | These things are awesome for biking. You can wrap them around your handlebars and take video while biking. Also great for taking pictures of us together. |
| misc | bear bell | 1.25 | 1 | 1.25 | It felt silly buying a bell to fend off bears, but Brian had his campsite ransacked by bears once and decided it was worth the extra ounce. |
| misc | wallet, two credit cards, two cash cards, to drivers licenses, 10 checks | 3.50 | 1 | 3.50 | |
| repair | spare front tube | 4.13 | 3 | 12.38 | Since we’re riding recumbents, our front and rear inner-tubes are different sizes. We decided to bring 3 front tube replacements since they are relatively light and not a common size for bike stores to carry in-stock. |
| repair | spare rear tube | 4.75 | 2 | 9.50 | |
| repair | tire pump and mount | 9.00 | 1 | 9.00 | |
| repair | pocket knife (Leatherman) | 4.25 | 1 | 4.25 | A small Leatherman. The pliers always seem to come in handy. |
| repair | tire gauge | 4.25 | 1 | 4.25 | |
| repair | chain oil | 4.13 | 1 | 4.13 | |
| repair | wrench (adjustable) | 4.00 | 1 | 4.00 | Light weight adjustable wrench designed for cycling. |
| repair | allen wrench set (needed sizes only) | 2.00 | 1 | 2.00 | Taking only the needed sizes is lighter than carrying a multi-tool. |
| repair | chain tool | 1.75 | 1 | 1.75 | |
| repair | bike shoe cleats (spare pair w/ bolts) | 2.00 | 1 | 2.00 | It unlikely that a cleat will break, but a bolt might. |
| repair | spare rear spokes | 0.68 | 2 | 1.35 | |
| repair | duct tape | 1.25 | 1 | 1.25 | Rolled an ounce worth around a chopstick, then cut off the end of the chopstick. |
| repair | inner tube patch kits (box of 6) | 0.63 | 2 | 1.25 | |
| repair | tire levers | 0.50 | 2 | 1.00 | |
| repair | AAA battery (headlamp spare) | 0.38 | 2 | 0.75 | |
| repair | chain (spare links) | 0.75 | 1 | 0.75 | |
| repair | tent pole repair joist | 0.50 | 1 | 0.50 | |
| repair | zip ties (assortment) | 0.50 | 1 | 0.50 | Always useful. |
| Total: | 265.93 |
Brian’s Gear
| Type | Item | Wt (oz) | Qt | Total Wt | Comments |
| camping | sleeping bag (Western Mountaineering, HighLite, 6’6”) | 17.00 | 1 | 17.00 | |
| camping | sleeping pad (Big Agnes, Clearview Air Pad, 78”) | 15.25 | 1 | 15.25 | |
| camping | pillow (collapsable camping) | 9.13 | 1 | 9.13 | |
| camping | dry compression sack for clothes (Sea-to-Summit, Ultra-Sil Dry Sack) | 4.13 | 1 | 4.13 | |
| camping | head lamp (Petzl Zipka) | 2.25 | 1 | 2.25 | Great for cooking, reading, and any other two-hand activity. |
| clothing | rain coat | 14.13 | 1 | 14.13 | |
| clothing | long underwear top | 6.25 | 2 | 12.50 | |
| clothing | pants (Outdoor Research, Equinox Pants, 34-waist) | 11.50 | 1 | 11.50 | |
| clothing | rain pants | 9.75 | 1 | 9.75 | |
| clothing | underwear (ExOfficio) | 3.13 | 3 | 9.38 | |
| clothing | shirt (Ibex, Men’s Seventeen.5 Nelson Longsleeve) | 7.75 | 1 | 7.75 | |
| clothing | flip flops | 7.00 | 1 | 7.00 | Lighter than shoes. |
| clothing | long underwear bottom | 7.00 | 1 | 7.00 | |
| clothing | wool socks | 2.75 | 1 | 2.75 | |
| clothing | bandana | 1.00 | 1 | 1.00 | |
| cooking | water reservoir (MSR Hydromedary, 2.5 liter) | 6.00 | 1 | 6.00 | Great water reservoir. Light, flexible, and has a clip to pin the spout to your shirt or elsewhere. |
| cooking | water bottle (standard plastic biking) | 3.00 | 1 | 3.00 | |
| cooking | chopstick/spoon combo | 1.88 | 1 | 1.88 | |
| cooking | water bottle cage | 1.75 | 1 | 1.75 | Need to attach your water bottle to your bike somehow. |
| cycling | panniers – rear, dry (Ortlieb) | 40.00 | 2 | 80.00 | |
| cycling | bike shoes (Sidi) | 31.50 | 1 | 31.50 | |
| cycling | bike shorts | 7.25 | 2 | 14.50 | |
| cycling | bike helmet | 11.63 | 1 | 11.63 | |
| cycling | bike shirt | 7.50 | 2 | 15.00 | |
| cycling | bike socks | 1.50 | 3 | 4.50 | |
| cycling | flag | 4.00 | 1 | 4.00 | For added visibility. Our recumbent bikes are actually not that much lower to the ground than a regular bike, but a flag is a worthwhile safety measure nonetheless. |
| cycling | bike computer | 1.88 | 1 | 1.88 | A simple bike computer: odometer, speedometer, and trip distance. |
| cycling | lash straps (36”) | 0.75 | 2 | 1.50 | For strapping our tent, etc. to our rear rack. |
| cycling | bike gloves | 1.38 | 1 | 1.38 | |
| entertainment | iPhone and charger | 6.43 | 1 | 6.43 | |
| entertainment | iPod nano and armband and headphones | 2.28 | 1 | 2.28 | |
| medical | knee braces (large) | 12.75 | 2 | 25.50 | Heavy duty knee braces. Knee pain is the big wildcard for me on this trip. |
| medical | towel set | 5.50 | 1 | 5.50 | |
| medical | knee braces (small) | 2.00 | 1 | 2.00 | |
| medical | Motrin | 1.25 | 1 | 1.25 | For my knee pain. Hope we don’t need it. |
| medical | sun glasses and case | 7.50 | 1 | 7.50 | Because of my heavy prescription, I couldn’t get light biking glasses. |
| medical | razor handle and two heads | 1.13 | 1 | 1.13 | |
| medical | propecia (100 tablets) | 0.75 | 1 | 0.75 | |
| medical | glasses | 0.50 | 1 | 0.50 | |
| medical | toothbrush | 0.50 | 1 | 0.50 | |
| misc | pepper spray | 2.00 | 1 | 2.00 | To fend off dogs. |
| Total: | 364.33 |
Rachel’s Gear
| Type | Item | Wt (oz) | Qt | Total Wt | Comments |
| camping | sleeping bag (Western Mountaineering, HighLite, 5’6”) | 15.00 | 1 | 15.00 | |
| camping | sleeping pad (Big Agnes, Clearview Air Pad, 60”) | 12.63 | 1 | 12.63 | |
| camping | pillow (collapsable camping) | 7.25 | 1 | 7.25 | |
| camping | dry compression sack for clothes (Sea-to-Summit, Ultra-Sil Dry Sack) | 4.13 | 1 | 4.13 | |
| camping | head lamp (Petzl Zipka) | 2.25 | 1 | 2.25 | Great for cooking, reading, and any other two-hand activity. |
| clothing | jacket (light) | 12.50 | 1 | 12.50 | |
| clothing | pants | 11.25 | 1 | 11.25 | |
| clothing | rain coat | 10.75 | 1 | 10.75 | |
| clothing | long underwear top | 5.00 | 2 | 10.00 | |
| clothing | rain pants | 8.75 | 1 | 8.75 | |
| clothing | flip flops | 7.63 | 1 | 7.63 | |
| clothing | sports bra | 2.00 | 3 | 6.00 | |
| clothing | long underwear bottom | 5.50 | 1 | 5.50 | |
| clothing | shirt (short sleeve wool) | 3.75 | 1 | 3.75 | |
| clothing | underwear (ExOfficio) | 1.25 | 3 | 3.75 | |
| clothing | wool socks | 2.25 | 1 | 2.25 | |
| clothing | bandana | 1.00 | 1 | 1.00 | |
| cooking | water reservoir (MSR Hydromedary, 2.5 liter) | 6.00 | 1 | 6.00 | Great water reservoir. Light, flexible, and has a clip to pin the spout to your shirt or elsewhere. |
| cooking | water bottle (standard plastic biking) | 3.00 | 1 | 3.00 | |
| cooking | chopstick/spoon combo | 1.88 | 1 | 1.88 | |
| cycling | panniers – rear, dry (Ortlieb) | 34.00 | 2 | 68.00 | |
| cycling | bike shoes (Sidi) | 24.75 | 1 | 24.75 | |
| cycling | rack – rear | 21.13 | 1 | 21.13 | |
| cycling | bike shorts | 6.25 | 2 | 12.50 | |
| cycling | bike helmet | 8.75 | 1 | 8.75 | |
| cycling | bike shirt | 7.00 | 2 | 14.00 | |
| cycling | flag | 4.00 | 1 | 4.00 | For added visibility. Our recumbent bikes are actually not that much lower to the ground than a regular bike, but a flag is a worthwhile safety measure nonetheless. |
| cycling | bike socks | 1.25 | 3 | 3.75 | |
| cycling | lash straps (36”) | 0.75 | 2 | 1.50 | For strapping our tent, etc. to our rear rack. |
| cycling | bike gloves | 1.25 | 1 | 1.25 | |
| cycling | bike computer | 1.00 | 1 | 1.00 | A fitness-oriented bike computer: odometer, speedometer, trip distance, trip time, and calorie counter. |
| entertainment | iPhone and charger | 6.43 | 1 | 6.43 | |
| entertainment | iPod nano and armband and headphones | 2.28 | 1 | 2.28 | |
| medical | multivitamins (90 tablets) | 7.50 | 1 | 7.50 | |
| medical | probiotics (60 tablets) | 5.50 | 1 | 5.50 | Billions of strains of bacteria to soothe my crappy stomach. |
| medical | towel set | 5.50 | 1 | 5.50 | |
| medical | toothbrush and case | 1.25 | 1 | 1.25 | |
| medical | glasses | 0.25 | 1 | 0.25 | |
| medical | sun glasses and case | 4.25 | 1 | 4.25 | |
| misc | pepper spray | 2.00 | 1 | 2.00 | To fend off dogs. |
| Total: | 330.83 |