* Copyright Dean0n0.
Seems like a good idea for a thread........
Seems like a good idea for a thread........
Lesson learnt: things NOT to do/take on trips.*
- Thread starter Ex-Call Centre Chimp
- Start date
My very first long vacation on a motorbike. About 12/15 days away in France.
My then girlfriend packed a travel iron. It was a foldable one.
"You know, to iron shirts, dresses" (we still used to pack "nice" clothing at the time).
That thing, thankfully, never made it out of the panniers. Never to be seen again.
My then girlfriend packed a travel iron. It was a foldable one.
"You know, to iron shirts, dresses" (we still used to pack "nice" clothing at the time).
That thing, thankfully, never made it out of the panniers. Never to be seen again.
Travel hair drier for Our Lass. Likewise didn’t get used and hasn’t been seen sinceMy very first long vacation on a motorbike. About 12/15 days away in France.
My then girlfriend packed a travel iron. It was a foldable one.
"You know, to iron shirts, dresses" (we still used to pack "nice" clothing at the time).
That thing, thankfully, never made it out of the panniers. Never to be seen again.
I've taken a travel kettle on many non-bike holidays. Never used it yet.
Walking boots, waterproof overtrousers and my walking jacket come on every bike holiday taking up half a pannier of space. Never used them yet.
Security chain without its key is another thing I'd strongly advice against. 
Did for a trip in Spain with a mate (I don't take a chain for my bike usually when traveling) with a brand new bike. Wasn't very useful I'd say
Did for a trip in Spain with a mate (I don't take a chain for my bike usually when traveling) with a brand new bike. Wasn't very useful I'd say
the missus! its why she got her own bike! Much better than having a pillion and you can take the stuff you want as you can fit loads when she carries her own luggage!
Binoculars, small, compact ones. I've taken them in my top box on my last 4 big trips and not once used them.
Never, ever, not even once, decide to take a jar of Colman's English Mustard in your top box for those moments when you need some to put on foreign food.....and no matter how tight you think you've screwed the lid on. The jar is guaranteed to escape, vibrate it's lid off and chuck all its contents over everything else in the top box whilst bouncing about. Removing and cleaning the carnage is nigh on fekkin impossible. Stupid is as stupid does....it happened to me twice for chrissakes!
( I now have a number of yellow psychedelic type T shirts in my wardrobe
)
( I now have a number of yellow psychedelic type T shirts in my wardrobe
)
We carried an enormous amount of tat with us on our long UK to South Africa jaunt - 2 x 60 litre panniers, large tank bag and several soft bags on top of the panniers. By the time we got to Athens (April) it was beginning to warm up so we made a big parcel with all our cold weather stuff and all the crap in the panniers we hadn’t used up to that point and posted it home. Still didn’t seem to have much space.
Since that trip I’ve become quite anal about travelling light but each time wifey makes a list of things we need to bring next time (and I make a list of things we don’t need next time!)
Since that trip I’ve become quite anal about travelling light but each time wifey makes a list of things we need to bring next time (and I make a list of things we don’t need next time!)
I always take to much tat that I never bloody wear, so on Nelson, I'm using SW-Motech blaze saddlebags, max 40l capacity, how much space does a bloke need when travelling without a pillion, I spoilt myself in years of GSA ownership so now need to have a long hard look at myself
Same here. Used to travel with a pillion on an R1150R with two panniers and a tank bag, being able to take with us also some decent clothing for a nice restaurant or similar (no iron necessary though
).Nowadays I travel mostly on my own and manage to fill the two alu panniers + roll bag... mostly bringing t-shirts...
My wife Sally once took her heated tongs. Ah well, I got them in
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Recently on a 3 week trip I recycled 3 T-shirts. Yes just 3, washing them when I had a 2 night stop over. I took loads of others but just didn’t need them. The key was quick dry t-shirts (Helly Hansen) and hotel soap . I could have reduced my luggage load by 50%.
. I could have reduced my luggage load by 50%.
Cliff at Adventure Bike Shop has some very nice lightweight Bamboo T-Shirts and Long Sleeve T's at a very reasonable price, they have become my go to travel gear now, they fold up to nothing, are comfy, and can go a couple of days or more before you start to smell like a tramps dog's ring piece. This year for a ten day trip around those alps I was determined to take less shite, so clothing and personal gear went into one V85 TT Travel pannier, and thye are not exactly spacious, camping equipment, toolkit, tyre repair kit the other, roll top bag with tent, sleeping gear, helinox, pillows etc (my tardis like SW-Motech 350 35l bag) and Top Box stayed empty as it was then used for stashing my lid, Marrakesh, gloves while mooching around.
I think this year, off the bike I did the whole trip just in flip flops in the evening. I must have cut down the gear I take by over half on this trip, and still think it was to much.
Thinking back to years ago, when I was a squaddie, coming back to U.K. from Germany on a 6 week course, I rode back on my GPZ900R, with a green army holdall, and a kit bag, wrapped in a couple of bin bags and bungied over the back seat, trapping kit, uniform and equipment for a 6 week course. I then became a creature that would fill 80 litres of space on a GSA for a weekend around the Shropshire hills with my mates
Anyone can be uncomfortable, but there is that happy balance there
I think this year, off the bike I did the whole trip just in flip flops in the evening. I must have cut down the gear I take by over half on this trip, and still think it was to much.
Thinking back to years ago, when I was a squaddie, coming back to U.K. from Germany on a 6 week course, I rode back on my GPZ900R, with a green army holdall, and a kit bag, wrapped in a couple of bin bags and bungied over the back seat, trapping kit, uniform and equipment for a 6 week course. I then became a creature that would fill 80 litres of space on a GSA for a weekend around the Shropshire hills with my mates
Anyone can be uncomfortable, but there is that happy balance there
“A Tramps dogs ringpiece” 
Over the years I've refined mine and her ladyship's packing and have got it down to the bare minimum; too often we have gone on a touring holiday and returned with clothes that never got worn.
We have just spend two weeks in Cyprus and only took two small suitcases as hand luggage which met the airline requirements for fitting in the overhead lockers.
I took about 6-7 shirts, 1 pair of swimmers, two pairs of shorts, 3 pairs of underkecks, 2 pairs of soft Summer shoes, toiletries, some adaptors and charging leads for the phones, a Daily Telegraph Cryptic Crossword book, I also carried my laptop and that was it. There was still room in the suitcase for more.
I wore a pair of trousers and a pair of socks and trainers and a lightweight jacket for the flight. I didn't wear the trousers and the socks or the jacket again until I flew home. I washed my underkecks on a daily basis, washed a couple of shirts and in close on 30C every day they dried very quickly. Alena, took a little more than me but still met the weight requirements for overhead luggage.
Now we know we can do it, we will never take and pay for hold luggage again; and of course an added benefit was the fact that we did not have to wait for our luggage to appear on the carousel. It can be done if you are brutal with your needs.
We have just spend two weeks in Cyprus and only took two small suitcases as hand luggage which met the airline requirements for fitting in the overhead lockers.
I took about 6-7 shirts, 1 pair of swimmers, two pairs of shorts, 3 pairs of underkecks, 2 pairs of soft Summer shoes, toiletries, some adaptors and charging leads for the phones, a Daily Telegraph Cryptic Crossword book, I also carried my laptop and that was it. There was still room in the suitcase for more.
I wore a pair of trousers and a pair of socks and trainers and a lightweight jacket for the flight. I didn't wear the trousers and the socks or the jacket again until I flew home. I washed my underkecks on a daily basis, washed a couple of shirts and in close on 30C every day they dried very quickly. Alena, took a little more than me but still met the weight requirements for overhead luggage.
Now we know we can do it, we will never take and pay for hold luggage again; and of course an added benefit was the fact that we did not have to wait for our luggage to appear on the carousel. It can be done if you are brutal with your needs.
Never take a wife or Girlfriend
Much easier to find one en route and a lot less hassle and kit
Much easier to find one en route and a lot less hassle and kit
Uniqulo's sport t-shirts (forgot what they call them) are excellent for biking use.
I keep doing this.
This summer I've been away about three months. I was by car, but luggage capacity is pretty much the same, or little more, than the GS. I even ended up using the Kriega inner bags
Given the temperature I ended up using pretty much the same stuff (shorts and t-shirts) on rotation, washing often.
I did come back to London and took out of the bags one long pair of jeans and three shirts that never got out for the entire three months.
Anyway, going back on topic. One year I did travel with jumpstart cables in my roll bag (I was having battery issues on the GS). Fairly useless.
Touratech screen spoiler has been fairly useless too. Last long trip with it two or three years ago (I used to fix it on the bike only when traveling) it spent all its time in one of the panniers (didn't make that much difference and was adding vibration). Replaced it since with the Wunderlich one that actually works in reducing wind noise and doesn't look gash.
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