Wander Around Washington - Packing List

OK, some folks care about stuff like this. Here's a list of what I'm lugging all around the great state of Washington on my old green Gary Fisher HooKooEKoo.

In the front basket I have a small nylon bag. It used to hold a Fox Racing Shock (they send these things to shops in nylon bags, go figure! Anyhow, I'm a scrounger so I have a few of these bags hanging around):

First Aid Kit
Sunblock
Cafe Vienna Instant Coffee
Green Tea bags
a small plastic bottle of sugar (I use sugar in my tea)
3 granola bars
a big plastic bag of peanut M&Ms
2 Tiger's milk bars
Gummy worms
Cashews
(please note, I am not a nutritional role model)

the front basket also has two toe-straps to secure the load, a clip to hold a map and a Princeton Tec EOS headlamp.

The handlebars have a brass bell, A Serfas white front LED light that I often use as a front blinkie, and Ergon Grips.

Within the main triangle of the bike I have 2 28 ounce water bottles. I also have a Cateye Enduro cyclecomputer attached to the downtube. This helps keep me from staring at my computer and obsessing about numbers but I still can track my mileage easily.

The bike's saddle is a WTB Rocket V.

The bike as home made coroplast fenders.

An old Wald metal basket is mounted to a rear Blackburn rack.

On the back of the basket are two Planet Bike red rear flashers

Underneath the left side of the basket is a shortened Z-rest pad held in place by one nylon strap and one toe strap.

Underneath the right side of the basket is a nylon bag containing a Kelly Kettle, a small stash of twigs, matches and a butane lighter.

In the basket is:

2 one liter bottles (I fill these up if I'll be going through dry stretches of country.)

A heavy duty plastic bag containing: a Topeak Road Morph pump, 1 spare inner tube, 1 patch kit, 2 tire levers, chain tool, M8/10 wrench, M9/spoke wrench, Park AWS-10 multi-allen tool, 6" adjustable wrench w duct tape around handle, 8 speed quick link, a small length of spare chain, zip ties, TriFlo, brake cable, derailler cable, fiber fix spoke.

A cable combination lock.

A Seattle Sports drybag containing: 4 tent stakes, a silnylon tarp/poncho, parachute cord, a very old Goretex bivy, a mosquito head net, a Montbell #5 down sleeping bag.

2 custom bungee cords with carabiner ends.

A Dana Designs Kompressor Stuffsack/Pack containing: reflective sash, 2 reflective ankle bands, yellow nylon vest, Marmot DriClime windshirt, Rainlegs, O2 Rain jacket, legs for REI Sahara shorts/pants, Voler bike shorts, leg warmers, 2 pairs wool socks, 1 pair long fingered wool gloves, Buff headband, short sleeve button down cotton shirt, short sleeve wool t-shirt, long sleeve wool zip-neck shirt, 2 bandanas, 2 plastic bags (for waterproofing inside the stuff sack).

An old Camelbak Blowfish pack holds all my electronics and miscellaneous stuff. It doesn't have a water bladder in it, I just use it as a pack. While riding, it's held on top of the rear basket via two carabiners and a couple of bungies. The Camelbak contains: my 16 ounce Thermos, a Nokia N800 web tablet, a folding Bluetooth keyboard, USB cable a solar charger, an AC charger for the Nokia, headphones for the Nokia, an AC charger for my cell phone, an Olympus voice recorder, a compact AC NiMH charger, an AA based charger for the Nokia, spare AA and AAA batteries, a Kodak C433 digital camera, my passport, maps, ferry schedule, business cards, 2 mesh nylon bags, container of vasline, razor, Dr. Bronner's soap, toothbrush, tooth paste, Wet Ones wipes, chlorine dioxide (H2O purification) tablets, Vitamins B&C stress tabs.

Items worn on person (varies with temperature, this is stuff not covered above and what I'm wearing as I type this): Keen Shoes, wool socks, Voler cycling shorts, REI Sahara shorts, long sleeve cotton shirt, REI cap.

In my pockets: Aiptek Pencam SD, wallet, keys, cell phone, compass, Leatherman Squirt E4, Swiss Army Knife, Inova LED light, sharpening stone, magnesium firestarter w flint, Rite in the Rain notebook, 2 pens, 1 pencil, lip balm

Also Specialized bike helmet with mirror, Princeton Tec EOS headlamp, Bell tail light.

Cycling gloves.


Wow, that's a big list. I don't know how much it all weighs. I can tell you it's lighter and less than most of the touring loads I see out on the road.


OK, that's enough typing for one night. I've got to get up early in the morning to catch a ferry.