Checklist




	*Don Feidner*




		Last Update: 16 February 2009


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	Have your bike checked by a bike mechanic before you leave home.

The following list is what I took along on my 8000-kilometer trip around Germany. By being especially careful to purchase only very lightweight clothing and equipment, I was able to get everything I needed into six pieces of bicycle luggage: two rear panniers, two front panniers, a pack on top of the rear panniers, and a handlebar bag. Depending on the time of year and weather conditions, you should pack your bicycle accordingly. Below is a list of what I packed into each bag for my trip from April to September 2006 in Germany:

Left Rear Pannier - My Wardrobe
Cycling gloves (normal fingerless & warm gloves with fingers)	3 pairs of socks (2 thin and 1 thick)	Safety vest (thin, yellow) - for driving on busy highways
Long-sleeved cycling jersey and long-legged cycling slacks	4 sets of breathable stretch shorts (not cotton). Also substitutes as swimwear.	Vaude Trousers, light-weight, quick dry with removable legs for hot weather (for hiking and nice looking evening wear)
Cycling shorts and jersey with short sleeves	2 long-sleeved undershirts - stretch and 2 short-sleeved undershirts - thin stretch	Quick dry dress t-shirt for special occasions
100% waterproof rain jacket (Colibri)	Long ski underwear (top and bottom) as pyjamas at night	Waterproof rain trousers (lightweight)
Fleece Jack Wolfskin ski hat (I wore this at night to keep my head warm.)	Bike shoes (used for both biking and hiking)	Waterproof shoe covers
Full fleece jacket for warmth	Buffs - 2 normal and 1 polar	Long-sleeved shirt (quick dry breathable)
Foldable foam seat that I stuffed into my fleece jacket to use as a pillow.	Fleece headband	Sleeping sheet bag for extra warmth - I used this as a lining for my sleeping bag.

Right Rear Pannier - My Kitchen
2 light-weight titanium inter-fitting pots	Spices: pepper, salt, chili pepper, hot spice, paprika, garlic powder, basil, mustard and mayonaise in a tube	Sweetener (or sugar)
Frying pan - foldable	Olive oil in plastic bottle	Dried soup packages - noodle soup, etc.
1 McKinley light-weight stainless steel deep plate	Bic lighter	Dried mashed potatoes
2 half-liter plastic glasses (blue for tea and hot drinks, yellow for soups)	Maggi cubes: beef, chicken	Tea, hot chocolate, soluble vitamin, magnesium, and calcium tablets
McKinley fork, spoon and knife set with bottle and can opener	Honey in a squeeze bottle	Ziploc bags
Primus light-weight gas cooker with extra fuel bottle	Dried fruits, nuts, and granola bars	Paper towels

Black Bag on Top of the Rear Panniers - My House

Vaude Space III Tent - Lots of room, waterproof and lightweight

A sleeping bag and a warm fleece liner - In very warm weather, I used only the thin linen bag (kept in my wardrobe). A bit cooler, I put the linen sheet into the fleece liner. For very cold weather, I used all three.

Important: Air Mattress (Isomatte) - Usually, I left this outside the black bag so I could get to it quickly for lying on the beach.

Rubber hammer - to pound the tent pegs into hard dirt

Moisture protection sheet to place under tent. This sheet is only the size of the sleeping area.

Extra large sheet of plastic to lay under the tent for moisture protection. This sheet was the exact size of the entire tent floor and the apses. The normal moisture protection sheet goes on top of this.

Thin strong clothesline and 8 heavy duty clothes pins.

Left Front Pannier - My Workshop for Bike and Body
FIRST AID Kit	SHOWER & TOILET BAG	Bike Repair Kit
Painkillers (Ibuprofen, Tylenol)	Suntan lotion	Bike Oil (Teflon) & Grease
Band-aids	Shampoo & soap	Leatherman with alan keys and screwdrivers
Moleskin (for hiking)	Hairbrush & comb	Pump, tube patch kit, & plastic irons
Gauze bandage/dressing	Deodorant	Topeak Alien Tool
Hydrogen peroxide (disinfectant)	Razor (disposable - not elec.)	Zap ties (fasteners)
After (Insect) Bite - Iodine	Toothbrush, paste, floss	Spoke wrench & spokes
Sewing kit & folding scissors	Ear plugs (for sleeping)	Nuts, bolts, light bulbs, etc.
Tweezers, needle	Fingernail file	Latex gloves and rag
	Insect repellent
Other Stuff
Personal medicine	Towel (small) and face cloth	Liquid laundry soap
Scouring pad	Dish washing liquid	Soap for washing clothes
Hand cream	Mosquito net	Plastic trash bags (wet gear)
Ziploc bags	Water purifier tablets	Duct tape, electrical tape
Small funnel for primus fuel bottles

Front Right Pannier - My Office
Sub-notebook	Battery charger	Mobile phone charger
Paper tissues to clean laptop screen	Camera charger	Swim goggles
Solar charging panel	Small day pack (hiking)

Handlebar Bag - Important Papers or Things I Need Quickly
Business cards with my picture and contact info on them	Lip balm	Medical Insurance Card
Tissues & toilet paper	Metal ID tags	Passport
(Clear and dark glasses -- insect protection)	Notepad, pen	Shot record
Lightweight flashlight	Envelopes, log book, calendar	Camera
Swiss pocket knife	Mini Camera Tripod	Reading glasses
Whistle	Maps	Head lamp - with straps
Pepper Spray (for mean animals)	Portable radio & MP3 player w earphones	Small red bag for used batteries
Cell phone	Cash, ATM and charge cards	Felt marker pens: green, red and blue
Small sealed sheet of paper to explain who I am, what I am doing, and who to contact in case of an accident.	Two chargeable battery containers with 4 AA batteries each. Also another container for 8 AAA batteries.	Black net bag for energy bars and sweets.

Bike Gear

Helmet (with sun visor)

Bell

Front white & rear red light

Fenders (Mudguards)

3 Water bottles w holders

Comfortable seat

Heavy-duty rear rack and low-rider front rack (for panniers)

Waterproof Ortlieb panniers and bag - see above

2 quality cable combination locks*

GPS

Bicycle computer

Rear view mirror

The Best EQUIPMENT – A few tips about the items above – based on my experience.

Get loose fitting cycling jerseys that are easy to wash and dry quickly
Titanium pots are ultra light and easy to clean.
A thick fleece jacket is better than wool and you can use it as a pillow
Get an "ultra-light" sleeping bag, a fleece liner, and sleeping sheet (see below).
Ortlieb and VauDe bicycle panniers are 100% waterproof.
Ask your dealer about a thick cable lock from Abus that cannot be cut with a bolt cutter. They are well worth the money.
Löffler, Colibri, Goretex super lightweight 100% waterproof breathable rain jackets also serve as good windbreakers.
Sleeping Sheet (This is a thin easy-to-wash sleeping sack that you can use as a liner in your sleeping bag. It gives you extra warmth when it is cold and adds life to your sleeping bag. When it is really hot at night, you can sleep in it on top of your sleeping bag to stay cool and yet have enough warmth to sleep well. Feels great!

Things that fail to work properly

Cheap tires – split or blow. I recommend Schwalbe tires.

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		Visitors since 16 September 2006