When Tents Become Homes

Home sweet home. Morning view on an off day in Teddy Roosevelt National Park (Medora, ND)

Smoky summers are back here in Ashland and it’s about time we prepare to get out of town, fleeing to the clear skies in faraway hills and valleys and the coast. I always meant to write up a short post on our gear list in hopes of helping future travelers prepare for their journeys. Jeff and I asked around for help creating our list and perused blogs and videos to see what people had found most useful. Most of the time, other people’s lists merely affirmed that we were on the right track. However, I did get the idea from an online list to bring a camping dress, which was one of my favorite clothing items. It also helped that we had both traveled by bike extensively for years, so it was just a matter of taking a packing list for one week and expanding it a bit for 4 months.

It’s strange to look back at this list and remember that these possessions were all we had for six months- these clothes, this gear, these bikes. It’s especially strange now that we live in a two-bedroom house and have acquired a queen bed, bike rack, and a stocked kitchen. But to look back on this simplicity and memory of a stripped-down existence, one where we relied on each other to make it through, well, that’s when our new possessions melt away and we remember that our partnership is always at the top of the list.

All packed up. Bicycles and their riders enjoy the view from Deception Pass (Anacortes & Oak Harbor, WA)

Cross-Country Bike Tour Packing List

4 months / 5,400 miles

Make sure to scroll to the bottom to see our top items!

Key: B = both, K = Katie, J = Jeff, + = never used,* = used in the beginning and end of the trip (shipped ahead during the hottest weeks from North Dakota to Ohio)

Clothing

Showing the campground what we’ve got. Laundry day in Cardston, AB.

Riding clothes:

• Wool Jerseys- 2 (B, Ibex and Icebreaker)
• Riding shorts- 2 (B, Pearl Izumi and Bontrager)
• Wool sports bra- 1 (K, Smartwool)
• Knickers- 1 (K, Bontrager)*
• Short finger gloves (B, Giro)
• Thin wool socks- 3 (B, Darn Tough)
• Cotton riding hat (B, Pace)
• Clipless shoes (B, Shimano and Pearl Izumi)
• Sun sleeves, sun knees (J, Bontrager)
• Bandana (J)
• Sunglasses (B, Tifosi)

Dress bright, making sure that cars don’t overlook you as they whiz by (Boston, MA)

Layers:

• Wind breaker (B, Outdoor Research and Pearl Izumi. Katie’s becomes a reflective vest)
• Reflective vest (J, Bontrager)
• Rain jacket (B, Outdoor Research and Marmot)
• Rain pants (B, Pearl Izumi and Showers Pass)
• Long finger gloves (B, Giro)*
• Insulated gloves (B, Giro)*
• Toe covers (B, Bontrager)*
• Rain booties (J)+
• Knee warmers, arm warmers (J, Ibex)*
• Down jacket (B, Outdoor Research and Uniqlo)*
• Insulated vest (J, Giro)*
• Wool hat (B, Smartwool and Ibex)
• Infinity scarf (B, Buff and Ibex)

Off the Bike Clothing:

• Convertible pants-1 (B, Outdoor Research and Prana)
• Short sleeve wool shirt-1 (B, Ibex)
• Black tank dress (K, Target)
• Lightweight long layers, top and bottom (B, Patagonia and Ibex)
• Thicker wool socks-1 (B, Darn Tough)*
• Sports bra (K, unknown brand)
• Underwear- 2 (B)
• Athletic shorts-1 (B)

Cloudy skies, but cozy home (Peru, NE)

Camping Gear

Shelter:

• Tent (REI Half Dome 2, but we’re in the market for a lighter tent)
• Sleeping Bags (Vaude and Feathered Friends)
• Sleeping Pads (Nemo and Therm-a-rest, but we’ve recently bought new Sea to Summit pads)
• Silk & cotton sleep sack (Sea to Summit)
• Backpacking pillows (Nemo Fillo)

Camp Kitchen aka Organized Chaos (Lopez Island, WA)

Food:

• Collapsible cooking pot (Sea to Summit X-pot)
• Collapsible cup (Sea to Summit)
• Collapsible bowls (Sea to Summit)
• Spoons (GSI, Sea to Summit)
• Spatula (GSI)
• Backpacking stove (Primus)
• Fuel containers- 2 (whatever we could find at hardware stores, usually we had one full and one almost empty)
• Cooking staples: Camping stacking spice jar (GSI), Olive oil, Soy sauce
• Sponge
• Cutting board
• Leatherman/Knife (B)
• Talenti container

Hygiene:

• Camp towel (B)
• Head lamp (B, Petzl and Black Diamond)
• Cathole trowel + (think about bringing if there will not be a bathroom at camp)
• Water filter + (used once climbing the North Cascades, our longest climb)
• Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, 3 oz Dr. Bronners, Q tips, Glasses cleaning fluid, floss, deodorant, Diva Cup, extra contact lenses, collapsible brush, sewing kit, nail clippers, ear plugs, eye mask

Who would have known that emergency tire boots would be so useful? (Lincoln, NE)

Other:

• First Aid kit
• Tennis ball + (used a handful of times for rolling out muscles)
• Journal/pen (K)
• Address book/postcard stamps
• Adventure Cycling maps (Northern Tier, Lewis & Clark- we would only carry a few maps at a time and shipped the others to ourselves)*
• Passport (B)
• Book (B)
• Chamois butter (B, Paceline)
• Spray-on sunscreen
• Portable electronic charger
• Cell phones + chargers

Tools/Bike Accessories

An impromptu bike stand- South Dakota cattle ranch cinder blocks (Bonesteel, SD)

Mainenance:

• Cycle computer (K)
• Water bottles (3-K, 4-J)
• Bells (B, Spurcycle)
• For the tires (B): tire levers, patch kit, tire boots, portable pump, multitool (Crankbrothers M19)
• Spare tubes-2 (B)
• Spare spokes (B)
• Spare tire-1 (B)
• Front lights-2 (B)
• Rear lights-2 (B)
• Saddle cover-1 (B)
• Derailleur cable-1 (B)
• Presta Valve Adapters (B)
• Lube/rag/rubber gloves
• Headset wrench-1
• Cassette tool-1 (JA Stein)
• Spoke wrench- 1
• Cable lock- 1

Containers for adventure and livelihood (Boston, MA)

Bags:

• Panniers-2 (B, Ortlieb large size)
• Handlebar bags- 1 (B, Ostrich and Detours)
• Insulated feed bags for handlebar (B, Revelate)
• Compression sack for tent
• Saddle bag (J, Revelate)
• Frame pack (J, Revelate)
• Saddle wedge (K)

Katie’s Top Two

Favorite items:

• Black dress: it’s the only item that I didn’t have to wear anything underneath, aka the perfect summer laundry outfit!
• Sleep sack: for those hot nights where you really don’t need your sleeping bag. Also, for if you are staying on someone’s couch or in a hostel

Most useful:

• Revelate feed bag: I had one of these small insulated bags hanging off my handlebar. Guess what an insulated bag is perfect for? Keeping ice cool, hence enjoying ice water from gas stations hours later!
• Talenti container: Perfect for everything- a Tupperware, an avocado/pepper holder, a cutting board, etc. Thanks to Joe and Rachel for their tip on this one after their hike of the Appalachian Trail!

Could have left at home:

• Bandana
• Sun sleeves and sun knees

Sweetpea on the MoPac Trail (Walton, NE)

Jeff’s Top Two

Favorite items:

• Ostrich Handlebar Bag: ready access to layers, gear and food
• Bontrager reflective vest: lightweight insulation from wind and rain- a must!

Most Useful:

• Sun sleeves and sun knees: the less sunscreen to apply the better
• Tire boots: Soma Supple Vitesse EX and Panaracer Pasela PT tires, though quite supple, were prone to center tread cuts with the added weight. Note to self – the boot can fail too…

Could have left at home:

• Sleep sack: sleeping in or on top of my sleeping bag worked well!
• Extra piece of Tyvek for rainstorms: if you’re going to get wet, you’re going to get wet

Morning chores at Rasar State Park (Concrete, WA)