From: "R Heath" <rheath@arttouch.com>
To: <cycleoregon@majordomo.dmz.advance.net>
Subject: cycleoregon Rox's CO list - very long!
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 15:00:56 -0700
Sender: owner-cycleoregon@majordomo.dmz.advance.net
Precedence: bulk
Reply-To: cycleoregon@majordomo.dmz.advance.net
So many people requested this I am just posting it to the group.
I am sorry about the messy format. I don't know enough about emails and the different ways you will be reading this to make it come out in a pretty format so it is easy to read.
(I have tried to figure out where the line breaks should go, and have added a couple of headings. Otherwise, this is as Rox sent it. --- Andrew)
Here is the addendum sent out in the final week.
First, a general introduction. There are 3 of us going -- husband, wife, and 17 year old son. This list was optimized to fit our needs. However, in going through it, I also added in other stuff listed in the CO book and other postings I remembered. Let it remind you of things and cross out what you think is silly. It is still early to pack and some of this will get deleted (or added to) at the last minute -- mostly depending on weather trends. My part of this list is a result of a couple of Cycle Oregons, 6 years of Boy Scouting, and 25 years of car camping and motel trips with and without kids. We enjoy "comparative luxury" and obviously don‚t pack light. However, making the 65 lb. goal was still no problem. I combined both the male and female lists of clothes here. Just ignore what doesn‚t apply to you! Many of the explanations included are out of the book we give out to new Boy Scouts who join our troop.
Take enough of all items to last you the whole week. Many items are very hard to find in small towns and you will probably have better ways to spend your time anyway!
All Ziplocs mentioned are the Heavy Duty Ziploc brand bags. I have had some trouble on campouts with other bags.
The term "fleece" is used to indicate something similar to Polar Fleece although we use many brands. All are made of synthetics and contain no cotton.
I have indicated some cheaper "non-bikewear" substitutes on the clothes that are working well for us.
This list is designed for no laundry during the week. It also does not include clothes to wear home on Sunday. I am going to leave those in the car during the bike ride.
You can often buy T-shirts (and sweatshirts) along the route. I will probably leave home 1-2 of the "in camp" shirts and assume we will buy some somewhere. I make sure to take all of the "cycling" T-shirts because we are so picky about color and fit on these.
Dirty clothes -- last year we dried them out and packed them in 2 gallon ziplocs, flattened the air out, and sealed. They were put on the bottom and around the edges of the big duffels. This worked very well.
When you wake up at 5 a.m. and pack your tent it will be wet inside from condensation. Put all of your next-day's clothes in a plastic bag the night before. This also makes it easier to find them in the dark.
Stuff in tubes (like Desitin, A&D, sunblock, etc.) does not spread well when cold. On cold nights put the tube in your sleeping bag with you (in a ziploc) so you can get it out of the tube in the morning.
Pack things together that are used together. I know this is kind of obvious, but on this type of trip you will find it sometimes makes sense to group things in odd combinations.
You may want to augment this if you plan on spending the optional days in camp. Most of this fits into a light weight duffel that is about 24" long and 12" in diameter. This is lined with one of those black plastic "lawn and leaf" bags. Bulky items live in their own plastic bags inside the giant duffels. This list also includes what we are wearing on Saturday on the drive to CO. These clothes are also all loose and comfortable (and often somewhat shabby or "broken-in").
9 underwear (wear 1)
8 "normal" socks (wear 1)
1 pair of heavy boot socks (wool or polyester) if you get cold feet at night
4 shorts (wear 1)
2 long pants
8 T-shirts (wear 1) -- leave out 1 or 2 if you plan on buying these along the way
2 fleece sweatshirts or jackets -- these layer one inside the other
1 knit or fleece hat -- "stocking" hat style -- it should be long enough to pull over your ears when needed
1 pair of slip-ons or lightweight tennis shoes -- comfortable!
1 lightweight belt if needed
1 swimsuit
1 sun hat (for the follicle-ly challenged)
1 pair of long johns -- this one is pretty iffy -- I am going to decide based on weather the last couple of days
These are packed into 1 gallon Ziplocs with one day's clothes in each bag.
7 bike socks -- you can substitute ankle high athletic socks containing cotton here. These are used for nice days and the cotton will help to cool your feet. See below for wet days. Or you can just use bike socks. With 3 people and 7 days this got too expensive.
7 bike shorts -- no substitutes here! You want the real thing. We also avoid the kind with the seam down the middle of the chamois padding.
7 T-shirts -- These are light colored (white preferred)
T-shirts with a loose fit -- often a size too big. They are great for hot days. They absorb the sweat and as it dries in the wind it cools you.
7 sports bras -- CooLMaX is nice!
Packed separately in a Ziploc - to substitute in when needed on wet days --
3 pair acrylic socks -- these are the fuzzy socks many men wear to work. Use them for wet days when you want warm feet.
2 short sleeve bike jerseys
1 long sleeve bike jersey
(For these jerseys we have also had good luck with shirts designed for other sports -- such as soccer. Just be sure the shirt is made of artificial fabrics and contains no cotton. Of course there are no pockets in back, but I got them at local thrift stores very cheap.)
These are used throughout the whole week. Each night we listen to the weather forecast and choose what to wear. Coats and vest have full-front zippers so you have a wide range of temperature adjustments. Whatever is not being used each day is packed in plastic in the big duffels.
1 fleece vest -- these are not wind-proof, but very warm when combined with the windbreaker or raincoat
1 windbreaker, unlined -- big enough to fit over the vest 1 bike raincoat (or lightweight nylon raincoat long enough to cover your back when riding) -- also big enough to fit over the vest
1 pair bike gloves
1 pair warm gloves with fingers -- these need to be flexible enough to run your shifters and brakes. Our current gloves came from the men's section of Target last fall. Heavy bike gloves are expensive and I couldn't shift with the pair I tried. Avoid cotton (too cold) and wool (takes too long to dry)
1 polypropylene or lycra skullcap or knit hat. This is very thin to wear under your bike helmet
1 bike helmet with mirror if you don't use a bike-mount mirror
1 pair bike shoes -- 2 of us wear bike shoes. Our big-footed son wears Nike basketball shoes. They are like a cross-trainer, but a little higher up the ankle. Very comfortable.
1 pair arm warmers -- if you have big arms just buy small leg warmers for these.
1 pair leg warmers or tights or nylon pants. If you use the pants include a strap to go around your ankle so the fabric doesn‚t get caught in the chain.
1 pair sunglasses & case, and mirror if this is where you prefer yours.
I just pack these in a 1 gallon Ziploc for each person. All bottles are travel size and with a good seal. If you want to dump shampoo into a smaller bottle REI has small Nalgene bottles.
Comb
Toothbrush & paste in their own Ziploc
Dental floss -- Wallmart has travel size Glide in 3-packs Deodorant
Hand soap (in a soap case)
Shampoo
Razor
-- in Ziploc(s)
1-2 bottles Ibuprofin or Aleve, travel size A few Sudafed, note directions
A few Imodium, note directions
Itch relief if bug bites bother you
Vaseline intensive care tube, travel size Toe nail clippers
Tweezers
1 pack Q-tips, travel size
Band-aids, etc. to augment what you carry on your bike Pre-wrap tape -- The tape they wrap knees with can cause some skin sores if you don‚t pre-wrap the area first. Prescription medications
Over the counter medications you take on a regular basis Vitamins, minerals, etc.
Feminine hygiene stuff
Diaper wipes, several travel size packs each in its own Ziploc -- these can be used to bathe a small area of your body anywhere, anytime -- use them on areas where you have sweat build-up problems, spilled ketchup, etc., or where you just want that "fresh feeling". So far I have not tried them on my face, though. The kind I get fit perfectly into a one pint Ziploc. They also work well cleaning grease off of camp stoves or whatever.
Desitin, A&D, etc. -- I use A&D for prevention of chaffing problems. Desitin is the only thing I have found that lets you actually ride on an area that has already been severely chaffed. Take a couple of small tubes if you think you may have problems. Remember this is a week-long ride and there is not a lot of recovery time. I use multiple small tubes rather than one large because with a severe outbreak you may need to carry one with you on your bike to reapply at rest stops.
Kleenex -- a couple of small travel packs Eyeglass or contact lens products as needed 1 bottle bug repellant
1 bottle sunblock
... packed in Ziploc(s) and grouped by use
1-2 thin bath towels or pack towels per person Washcloth if desired
1 totebag, thin nylon or mesh -- this is to put your towel, toiletries, and clothes in while showering. It should fold up to almost nothing
Thin nylon rope -- I buy a 48‚ package of 1/8" nylon rope and put it in a Ziploc. Multiple uses -- clotheslines, tying down tents, hanging tarps or rainflies for sun shades, etc.
10 or so clothespins per person -- I use plastic and make sure they have a good spring. Wallmart sells some nice ones. These can be used not only for laundry, but also to hold things together for sun shades in camp or whatever.
1 small waterproof case of matches
Duct tape -- either get a small camping roll or roll up a cardboard core and wind the tape around that. Short pencils also work well for a core. Duct tape can be used to fix an amazing amount of stuff (including a hiking boot with a split sole in the middle of a backpacker)
Swiss knife
Leatherman if desired
Alarm clock, very small travel
Earplugs if desired
Space blanket -- the really thin, small kind. If you are very cold at night wrap this around your sleeping bag
1 small 2-AA flashlight per person -- Maglites work well for this. Some people may want head lamps although if you share a tent it is hard to not shine it in the other person's eyes.
1 4-AA lantern/flashlight per tent -- these are yellow, made by Eveready, and the front pulls in and out to make them either a flashlight or a lantern. Very handy hanging in a tent or when visiting the blue rooms at night. We went through 2 sets of batteries during the trip.
MANY spare batteries -- flashlights, cameras, razors,
GPSs and other electronic gadgets.
Spare flashlight bulbs
Very minimal sewing kit including a few safety pins of various sizes
Camera(s) -- Bob handles this for us (he is a photography nut and it gets complicated)
Film or spare memory
Tiny set of binoculars - We camping in some scenic areas!
Cards, stationary, post cards, stamps -- whatever you want to send the folks back home. Do not count on being able to buy this stuff on the road. There is usually a post office with a drop box for mail with stamps in the towns.
Pens, pencils, etc.
Free-time stuff -- books, magazines, small drawing pad and pencils if you like to sketch, playing cards, etc.
Plastic bags -- all large items such as sleeping bags need to have extra plastic bags packed in case of rips. Also include a few extra of each size. You can‚t have too many. Sizes we take -- garbage bags (lawn and leaf, tall kitchen with drawstring, small); Ziplocs (2 gallon, 1 gallon, quart, pint)
1 gallon bags -- these are the non-Ziploc lightweight kind that use twist-ties. Take quite a few. They are handy to cover bike seats at night, carry with you during the day for messy food, etc., and can be put over dry socks in wet shoes for warm feet. (It works great!)
Cash - you will need ones to tip the sherpas (usually around $1 or so per bag per trip), and also money for souvenirs (T-shirts, etc.), ice cream cones, sticky buns, espressos, and other "habits" you want to support.
Although some towns have cash machines, change is very hard to get.
Bankcard
Billfold
Watch
Keys to car, home, bike locks
Very lightweight fanny pack -- you will often have a shortage of pockets -- both in cycling wear and when going through the food lines. For folks in the Portland area the lightest fanny packs I have found are the purple Bridge Pedal packs they gave out last year. I see them at thrift stores and friends may have them if you don‚t have one of your own.
Walkie Talkies using the Family Radio Service band. These are those little lightweight units you see available now all over. If your group gets separated a lot in camp or you want to be available to a wandering teen (and do some wandering yourself) then these may be for you.
Power bars, gel etc. If you want extras of a particular brand or flavor. Last year CO had Cliff bars of several flavors.
Powdered drink mix if you use it
Gorp if you want some (I am mildly hypoglycemic and nibble this stuff constantly while riding hard) Stuff to eat after riding for a quick re-fueling while waiting for dinner
What you carry and what you just leave at camp depends on your style. We carry a few tools and spare parts with us to fix what is most likely to happen to our bikes. Since we often ride together this can be combined. Remember that one of a group can be pulled out to sag with little notice (accidents and exhaustion happen). Put group items in an easy-to-find pouch or bag for quick transfers to the remaining riders. Supplies such as sunblock are bought in several small amounts and the extras are carried in the regular luggage.
Bike tool kit -- patch kit, tire levers, Kevlar spoke, small crescent wrench, pliers, reverseable screwdriver, 10 mm wrench for brakes, pump, Allen wrench set, etc.
First aid kit -- big gauze pads, tape, band-aids (both normal and big for knees), ointment in tiny packs, wipes, gloves, safety pins, etc. Make your own and put it in one of those small waterproof bags often used for cameras, etc. (Camping section at sporting goods stores like GI Joes) You can always choose to wait for help, but I would rather have a few things with me and not have to wait.
Hydration system, cleaning stuff, spare parts or at least two 20 oz. waterbottles (CO says you must have)
During-travel medications -- think of what you may need during the day. Besides what you would normally take would you like Ibuprofin, Aleve, etc. available? I buy name brand stuff that imprints their name on the pill and stick a couple of each in a tiny plastic case with a little tissue to keep them from rubbing together on the bumps. Make sure you know the directions. This was invaluable last year when I had a muscle cramp and needed some Aleve. Ambulances carry some stuff, but not all, and are not always handy when you need something for that headache.
Small travel size roll of TP, kleenex. The blue rooms are stocked well and available at all rest stops, but you may also use other "facilities".
Bike headlights & mounts if desired -- some of these can also be used around camp as flashlights.
Bike front bags, trunks, under-seat bags, panniers -- whatever you are comfortable with. We use a front bag and a bike trunk. The bike trunk holds tools, clothes we shed, etc. The front bag holds food, cameras, a handkerchief, and small items that are easily lost.
2 bike locks & 2-6‚ cables -- These are for in-camp use and allow us to easily lock all 3 bikes together (both wheels and through the frame)
Sunblock, small tube (you will probably want to have replacement small tubes carried in your luggage)
Lip chap with sunblock
Artificial tears if needed
Lightweight plastic bag for messy stuff
Bandana or handkerchief for cleaning your hands
(grease rag)
Bandana or handkerchief for wiping sweat off your face before it runs in your eyes
Greasy wet wipes -- These are small foil-wrapped wipes for greasy hands. I found them at REI. Somehow our flats are always on the back!
Cycle computers -- extra battery or replace it ahead of time if it has been a long time.
GPS -- Bob has fun with this
Inner tube(s) -- you must carry this (CO rules)
Tire, spare -- if you think it is something Bike Gallery wouldn‚t have
Tire pump
Bike bungees to hold clothes to back rack if needed
1 small bottle chain lube oil
Power Bars or gorp or whatever you pick up at a food stop and carry with you to snack on during the next leg of the tour
Route maps and elevations -- photocopy these ahead of time. They fit better in map pockets and you don't want your tour book getting wrecked. These will get very wet sometime during the week!
If you want it kept dry, put it in its own garbage bag!
Pillow, small(compress it if needed)
Thermarest or similar, 1 per person, include patches
Sleeping bag, 1 per person
Folding chair, 1 per person -- we bring the kind that fold up into a narrow cylinder about 27" long
Tent -- we bring 2 (an 8‚ by 8‚ dome for Bob and Rox and a 7‚ by 7‚ dome for Robbin. These allow us plenty of room to bring all the gear in with us and still have some extra floor space.
Groundcloth for each tent -- we use 3 mil plastic cut to be slightly narrower than the tent. We leave one end a couple of feet too long to serve as a porch during nice weather. Be sure to tuck it under in the event of rain or it will funnel water under your tent. This should be a disposable item at the end of the trip as cow and deer pastures are sometimes used for camp sites. Be sure and fold it so the against-ground side is against itself before you put it in your duffel!
Tent stakes (take a few extras)
Hammer, lightweight for the stakes
Stuff to set up a sun shield out of a tarp or rainflies if desired
Flag if desired
1 giant duffel bag or backpack per person to hold all of this. The duffels we use are heavy duty bags about 36" by 13" by 19" high. They are rectangular and have a large pocket at each end (included in the above measurements) and a small flat pocket on the front. I am using distinctively-colored luggage straps to help preserve the zippers. (Having 65 lbs. randomly pushing and pulling against a zipper while the bag is tossed around has got to be hard on them!) Be sure to mark your bag very well. Besides the luggage straps we have surveyor's tape ribbons tied to quite a few points of each of ours. Be creative and unique in your markings!
The following is how our giant duffels are packed. The tent groundcloths are easy to get at and in one bag on top so that whoever gets in first can reserve a spot.
- Left end -- Pillow & misc. items
- Center -- in-camp clothes on bottom in small duffel, chair, sleeping bag, thermarest
- Right end -- bike clothes in ziplocs
- Small front pocket -- garbage sacks, Maglite
- Left end -- Bob bike clothes in ziplocs
- Center -- in-camp clothes in 2 duffels with large items on top in garbage bags
- Right end -- Rox bike clothes in ziplocs - Small front pocket -- garbage sacks, 2 Maglites
- Left end -- Books & entertainment, medical
- Center -- 2 sleeping bags along bottom back, 2 chairs along front.
Thermarest on top of chairs.
Top layer back to front = 7' by 7' tent, 8' by 8' tent, Thermarest, 2 ground cloths.
- Right end -- Misc. and backstock of bike-carried items
- Small front pocket -- garbage sacks
These items stay in the car all week and don't travel with us
Clothes to wear home on Sunday
1 tiny bottle Windex and cloth -- I actually keep this in the car and wash all of the bike mirrors immediately after we unload the bikes. The bikes travel on top and rear-facing bike mirrors often collect dead bug carcasses.
Bike rack and bungees or bike boxes or whatever you need to get the bike to and from CO
The following is a re-post on weather-related camping for those new to the group:
..This discussion has brought up three good points though for the new people and the rain-camping disadvantaged. I work with a Boy Scout troop and this is what we tell all the new Scouts:
Assume whoever unloads your gear is going to dump it in a mud puddle and pack accordingly. Put all non-waterproof items either in plastic garbage bags or ziplocs. Double bag items you really care about. Ziplocs come in all sizes from pint to 2 gallon although right now in my area (Portland) I have only found the 2 gallon bags at Winco. I realize our fellow cyclists/truck unloaders won't leave our luggage in a mud puddle on purpose (don't flame me!), but recently watered football fields can wick water up through your clothes almost as fast. Also, there are always unplanned thundershowers to deal with. Last year on day 6 our packs sat out in the rain for several hours and the clothes, etc. were dry and comfortable.
Make sure your tent has a rainfly that significantly covers it - not one of those that is 2' square - or bring a sizeable lightweight tarp (3 mil clear plastic found in the paint sections of variety stores works well) and lightweight nylon rope or cord for emergencies. If it is going to rain that night make sure that the plastic ground cloth under your tent does not hang out beyond the edges of the tent or it will funnel water under you and create a small lake for you to sleep in.
Dress appropriate to the weather and since we can't predict that be prepared! Artificial fibers such as nylon, polyester, spandex, etc. wick moisture away from your body and this keeps you warm (sweat-free layer next to your skin). They dry very quickly. Wool also works well, but a wool sweater may take so long to dry on a multi-day trip that it is useless. Non-down insulators in sleeping bags, coats, and gloves (such as Hollofil, Polarguard, Thinsulate, etc.) even insulate when very wet. Watch out for down sleeping bags and coats unless you can keep them dry. Wet down is a pile of soggy feathers and fairly useless. Don't use cotton in cold or wet weather!
As far as hot weather goes - light colored cotton T-shirts are great! Cotton has the ability to wick heat away from your body as it dries. This means that on those 90+ days you just need to get it wet - whether you use a convenient stream, somebody's water bottle, or the hose on the water truck doesn't matter. BTW sweaty (salty) water doesn't seem to work quite as well for evaporating so wash the sweat off occasionally.
Rox