Kit list

Everything I'm planning to carry in March 2025

Feel free to skip this one if you don't want to read a silly amount of detail about what I'm packing. You don't need fancy gear to have a good trip.

The short version: I'm taking a bike, a tent, a sleeping bag, cooking equipment, and bike tools.

The medium version: just look at the pictures below and and skip the text.

Still here? Okay, let's get into it. This is going to be a big list.

My bike on a UK train. You can see my four panniers (red) and the handlebar and top-tube bags (black)

I've got four panniers - two smaller ones on the front, two bigger ones on the back. I've also got a handlebar bag and a small top-tube bag, for quick-access items. We'll go through one bag at a time as they're organised somewhat logically.

Front left bag

Toilet paper
Small shovel
Bar of hand soap
Waterproof overtrousers
Waterproof shoe covers
Waterproof bag cover (yellow)
Bike multitool (Topeak Alien 2)
5mm hex key
Tube patches
Spare brake pads
Chain quick link
Spare tube
Zipties
Electrical tape
Chain lube
Waterproof repair tape, patches, and sealant
Tent pole splint
Bike pump (Topeak Turbo Morph)
Swimming trunks
Microfibre towel

And the bags:

Toilet paper drybag (blue)
Waterproofs carrier bag (green)
Shovel plastic bag (white)
Bike tools bag (blue)
Towel drybag (red)

Waterproofs are at the top for quick access. My favourite thing here is the bike multitool. I've been using it for about a year and it's what I use even when at home. It's small, easy to use, and it's got everything I need including a chain tool built in. Plus it's fun to fiddle with, too.

Front right bag

Cooking pots, small and large
Camping gas
Camping stove
Zip lock bags
Foil wind shield, handmade
Bag of sugar
Bag of teabags
Microfibre dish cloth
Folding cooking knife
Spork
Clips, rubber bands
Bottle of oil
Bottle of washing up liquid
Tub of salt
Tub of garlic granules
Tub of red chilli powder
Salt and pepper sachets
Plastic food box
Snacks: nuts, chocolate, etc.

The kitchen! I've got the low-tech organisation system here of chucking everything in Sainsbury's bags. My favourite thing here is the Opinel no.8 folding knife. It's pretty, it's functional, it's sharp, and it's light. I much prefer it to using a Swiss Army knife for cooking - longer blade, comfier handle, and it locks so you don't need to worry about closing it on yourself accidentally. My least favourite item is the spork. Really, I think it would be fine to bring a separate spoon and fork. They're not very heavy or large. I've got the spork though, so I'll use it.

Back right bag

Tent (MSR Elixir 2)
Sleeping bag (Snugpak Travelpak 2)
Sleeping bag liner
Pillow

Simple, but very important - this is what gives me the flexibility to go out every day without worrying too much that I won't find a place to stay. I've replaced my tent and sleeping bag since my trip to Berlin last year, so I'm hoping things go smoothly with those two.

Back left bag

Inflatable sleeping mat
Thermos
Waterproof cycling jacket (Endura)
2x hiking trousers
Warm cotton leggings
Merino wool 3/4 leggings
Merino wool turtleneck
2x synthetic sweat-wicking T-shirts
Gilet
5x socks
4x boxers
Padded cycling shorts
USB-C charging cable
UK USB-C plug
Spare front light
2x USB-A - micro-USB cables
Wireless earphones
Power bank, 20,000 mAh
Spare glasses (reactive, so also sunglasses)
Electric shaver
Shaving razor
Moisturising cream
Body wash
Deodorant
Insect repellent
Travel laundry soap
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Hair gel
Eye drops
Lip balm
Retainer
Sun cream
Eye shade + earplugs
3 months of hayfever tablets
Large plasters
Painkillers + small plasters
2x courses antibiotics
Small tub Vaseline
Anti-diarrhoea pills
Spare retainer
Spare eye drops
Hayfever spray
Warm snood (grey)
Synthetic snood (black)
Merino wool snood (black)
Foil emergency blanket

Not pictured, but packed:

Ancient Kindle
Plug adapter UK-Schuko

And the bags:

Clothes drybag (red, hard to see)
Medicines drybag (red)
Toiletries drybag (yellow)
Electronic drybag (red)
Laundry drybag (translucent)

This one has got a lot going on, so much so that I couldn't fit the pannier in the picture. I might have been a bit overly cautious about first aid, but it's reassuring to feel prepared. My favourite thing here is the jacket. It's a recent purchase, so has a novelty factor, but it's also wonderfully breathable for a waterproof, and it's got big pockets. Hopefully it'll also keep me safe by being so orange. The ancient Kindle is also fun, and I'll be counting on it to entertain me if I don't have internet access or want to conserve phone battery.

Handlebar bag

Shoulder strap for this bag
Tissues
Snacks
Lighter
Hand sanitiser
Old digital camera, waterproof
Bungee cords

This bag has the most volatility. Things will often move between my pockets and this bag, and it might pick up items from the other bags like hand cream or a snood. The top-tube bag fulfils almost the same role, but is smaller and less portable as it's strapped to the bike.

That's everything. As bike tourers go, I'm on the more heavily loaded side, and I hope I'll be able to trim things down as I go. Perhaps I don't need all five pairs of socks, for example. But I hope it comes across that I've put some thought into where everything goes. I've made an effort to balance weight between sides and put about the right amount of weight at the front. Every pannier has a 'correct' layout of bags within it - heavier items at the bottom where possible, and towards the centre of the bike, for stability. No doubt I'll tweak this as I go on, too.

Right now, it's largely the same setup as I finished my London-Berlin trip with, the tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping mat being the major exceptions. Switching from a foam sleeping mat to an inflatable mat has allowed me to remove the rack-top long black drybag I was using entirely, which is a great improvement in my book. However, it means I have a bit less spare space in my panniers for things like shopping. I'm hoping this pushes me to trim things down further.

Weight

A lot of people have also asked me how much everything will weigh, so I did a quick measurement before leaving. The bike + a small lock (Ultimate 420) weighs 17.5kg already (heavy!), and then my bags, mostly packed, add another 20.35kg, making bike+bags 37.85kg, not including water bottles which will add perhaps 2kg depending on the day. At the time of leaving, I weigh about 56kg (light!), so it's more than half my body weight right now. I haven't done any "training" in terms of cycling, so my first couple of weeks will be interesting, but I'm sure I'll acclimatise to the weight.