- Regular Tour Items - July 7, 2026
- Happy Birthday - June 18, 2026
- Lumix S9 - May 27, 2026
Packing for my next overseas ride I know off by heart almost everything which I will take with the only major choice being either my laminated Merlin rider gear for mild weather or my cordura Merlin rider gear if heading into hot weather.
Then it’s two pairs of Gore-Tex gloves from my glove collection (to match the conditions), plus my TCX Gore-Tex boots which are good for almost any temperature and my Nolan helmet, which is currently their excellent N70-2X.
Then I have a set of things which are regulars every tour which I have mentioned separately in ride reports but have not done a post for a few years just on what regular items I pack for every tour.
So without further ado here is a few items I always pack which you may already be aware of but then again maybe not?
Those hook pegs are the most handy thing on tour. I wash a shirt, underwear and socks every day in the hand basin of bathroom using a dash of shampoo and full basin of hot water (I carry washing up gloves for this <not shown>) but the hard part is getting things dry. Regular readers would have seen how I use these hook pegs to attach items to all sorts of places, the vanes of air conditioner ducts being one of my favourites.
When I cannot wash I spray items with an antibacterial clothes freshener to extend their use (only in cool climates). Also I spray inside my helmet and boots and rider gear at the end of each day. Makes a huge difference.
I’m sure you carry some medicines but it really is important when on tour overseas to have strong cold and flu medicine with you as in some countries obtaining same is not easy. Despite all my experience I have set off on a couple of tours without refilling my medi kit and of course then caught a flu leading to lost days and longer recovery than was necessary.
Sitting above my medi kit is a ultra compact umbrella. Such a handy item that takes up very little room and often has been used to walk to shops in a shower.
I carry a few bags, double lined plastic drawstring bags for my dirty laundry which I separate out to keep shirts away from socks and underwear and a woven type of shopping bag which besides being handy to bring dinner back from supermarket can be used to place a wet item in it which I never got dry overnight and often I can get that item dry during the day inside this bag in panniers or top box but if put in a plastic bag it will stay wet all day.
That roll is the non slip kitchen liner I often talk about. This stuff is fantastic for keeping your bag from sliding about on rear seat of bike. With a sheet of this you bag needs only minimal tie down straps as it will not slide. Without you have to strap bags down very tight and still it will move about.
For some years I have carried that mini air compressor (plus screw in tyre plugs). There are ones now that run from internal battery but they have to be in your carry on where as this older type with wires to attach to battery I put in my checked luggage (I pack it inside my helmet with my gloves to fill up that empty space)
Next to the air compressor case is a small item, this is a USB fast charger but also a higher voltage power supply in one. I can run my laptop from it thus no need to carry it’s brick power pack. Sorry I don’t know what these are called but if your laptop has a USB C power input then you can use one of these.
I used to carry a zip lock plastic bag with a damp cloth to clean my visor but now find it easier to carry a pack of these Devil Wipes. Unlike our Australian petrol stations that offer tissue paper and taps to wash your visor a lot of overseas places there is not even a tap you can access.
That orange item is a front brake lock device. Ever since I had a bike roll out of gear and fall down in Thailand many years ago I am wary of trusting a bike stopped on any downhill incline, even with a rock in front of wheel. But some places if you want the photo you have no choice. With this I can stop and get off bike anywhere.
I’m sure you all know Buff’s, one of the greatest items for a rider but the other is a waterproof neck gator. This allows you to get a water tight seal at the neck and stop any water leaking in there as well keeps you warmer in the cold than a regular Buff. A must on tour.
Last item that has become a regular is the waterproof roll top bag that everything is sitting on. I always have a rain cover for my seat bag which themselves have always been billed waterproof but a few times arrived at hotel with my clothes wet. No more – if it’s a wet day then everything goes into this bag.
Not shown but naturally I always pack ear plugs, sunscreen, lipbalm. Also I carry a spoon and fork and Swiss army knife and a cooler bag to keep drinks or food cold during the day. Oh and I always pack an emergency supply of toilet tissue in zip lock bag. All essential items for a tour.
Ok well I’m going back to packing after this small writing interlude. Can’t wait to get wheels turning again.
