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How much do you pack on a week long trip?

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klaetos

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2021 Challenger
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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited)
This thread got me thinking. I have the ability to take a lot with me, but how much do I really want/need to take along? What do you take on the road for a week or more? How much crap do you pile on? Pics of your last big road trip?

Last road trip I was on we did AZ and the weather changed from 95 to 50 degrees up through the mountains. Just packing the leather waiting for it to get cold takes up some space. We didn't camp stayed at hotels. Add tent sleeping bag etc. That's a lot of stuff to haul.

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The basics:
Wallet
Tool Kit
Flat Kit
Hot weather riding gear
Cold weather riding gear
Rain gear
changes of cloths

EDIT: Adding some links for good reference if someone else stumbles upon this thread.

First long trip - looking for advice! | Indian Motorcycle Forum (indianmotorcycles.net)

What to pack | Indian Motorcycle Forum (indianmotorcycles.net)

Packing for a Road Trip | Indian Motorcycle Forum (indianmotorcycles.net)
 
#2 ·
I have noticed the more room i have, the more stuff i bring. Amazing how i had a victory with only saddle bags and that was enough space. Now a Roadmaster with trunk, storage in hard lowers and a bag on the passenger seat and luggage rack. How you ever watched Space balls? "Bring only what you need to survive".
639431
 
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#3 ·
if you're talking about clothes I’d pack for a seven day trip:
-wear a pair of jeans and pack a pair
-underwear and socks for each day
-shirt for each day
-one pair of shorts
-pair of flip flops
-sweatshirt (if cool at night)
-some type jacket

Then I also take the things that stay on my bike:
-tool kit
-compact air compressor
-tire plug kit
-rain suit
-bungee cords
-duct tape
-air gauge
-flashlight
 
#4 ·
It all depends what you are doing. Are you camping, and cooking meals....?? Staying at motels, and eating in restaurants...??

Wife and I camp, cook some meals, and pull a trailer.

--
Gordon
 
#5 ·
TRUNK:
2 Pair Jeans
3 Spandex Shirts (2 Short / 1 Long)
3 T-shirts ( 2 / 1 again)
1 Pull-over collar shirt
3pr. Underwear & Socks
3 laundry pods
Sometimes a laptop
Small repair toolkit
Cigarette power adapter (plugged in when devices are connected and riding, unplugged other times)
Charge cables
Wall-plug adapter
Sunglasses case
Extra drinks (Waters / Gatorade 0s)
Notepad
SIDEBAG 1:
Shop towels (disposable)
Spray cleaner
Rain gear
Small repair toolkit
SIDEBAG 2:
Reusable 64oz Double-walled growler
Towel
Baithing suit
Workout shorts
Sneakers
Baseball-style hat
LOWERS (left or right as I see fit):
1 roll of quarters
Suncreen
Wipes for Glasses
1 Water bottle or Gatorage 0 bottle
Headbands
Wallet
Keys
Snacks
Cellphone
Pens

*I still have enough room for other things I buy on the road.
 
#6 ·
I went cross country with a buddy of mine on our Challengers and he was able to pack everything he wanted/needed in just his saddlebags.....and that was a three week trip. Yes, that did also include rain gear. You can buy all of what you might need/want on the road........if you really have to. Room on your bike is like room in your garage.....the more room you have, the more you will "pack with shit" that you'll either never use.....or need. Sometimes less is more..........just saying!!!!!!
 
#7 ·
If riding solo the T-Bag holds a weeks supply of cloths incl an extra pair of Levis, shaving kit, c-pap machine. Air mattress, tent, air compressor, electric gear, extra gloves, 1/2 cover, spare batteries, charge cords, extension cord, laptop in the tour pack or strapped to the top of the bag. Rain gear, chaps, pistola, sun block, extra glasses, road atlas, side stand pad in the right saddle bag. Small tool bag, owners manual, tire plug kit, battery quick charger, battery tender, pair of tennis shoes, flip-flops in the left saddle bag. Roughly 15lbs in each saddle bag, 20lbs in the tour pack, 30lbs in the T-bag. Cooler rack on the trailer hitch will hold an overnight bag 25lbs or so which I use when the my wife is riding. Riding 2up yore not going to pack all the annmeties you want to for an extended ride. Pull behind trailers have become quite popular. This will be my 1st season pulling a trailer, a Lumina Wife and I heading for the west coast Monday for about 10 days. Followed by a trip to the east coast at the end of the month.
 

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#9 ·
Spankyrir said:
jeans, boots, couple of shirts-underwear, socks 1 for each 2 days. cash, toiletries, phone, .40 Smith and Wesson, at least 2 full mags. walmart is everywhere, and hotels have stuff.
Click to expand...
Didn’t see 1 Walmart out in Death Valley lol. It just depends how far ones traveling off the beaten path, pitching a tent etc…
 
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Discussion starter · #10 · (Edited)
So I see a common theme on bringing the home defense system on the road (this and the 1st trip insights thread). How many of you have actually had to defend yourself and ignite some gun powder? Or even expose it due to necessity? Or is it mostly a "I got it if I ever need it" kind of thing. Depending on what state you are traveling in and the extra curricular activities you choose to partake in that are legal in any given state (or your group partakes in), having a firearm along may not be a great idea.
 
#11 ·
Distance/time of trips doesn’t change as much for us as does the expected range of weather. You can wash the same socks and underwear for a week or a year! Having to deal with Hot AND Cold is more of a pain. We boondock for free on BLM land. I figure if a through hiker can hike for a year with 20 lbs of base weight gear then we can travel on a motorcycle with luxury!
 
#12 ·
solar garden lights are great lightweight items to carry. 1 for the tent 1 for the bike 1 spare,
 
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#13 ·
Underwear and socks for every day + a few spares.
Shirt for each day
Pants for every other day
Raingear
Extra pair of gloves
Jacket - At least a light one, no matter the season. Just a few hundred miles North of your location could mean cool nights and mornings.
Chaps - Seasonal. Having one pair of pants that are a little warmer might be enough.
Medicines/first aid kit
Water bottle
 
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#14 ·
klaetos said:
So I see a common theme on bringing the home defense system on the road (this and the 1st trip insights thread). How many of you have actually had to defend yourself and ignite some gun powder? Or even expose it due to necessity? Or is it mostly a "I got it if I ever need it" kind of thing. Depending on what state you are traveling in and the extra curricular activities you choose to partake in that are legal in any given state (or your group partakes in), having a firearm along may not be a great idea.
Click to expand...
I have many fire extinguishers in my home. I have not needed them. It doesn't mean having them may not be a great idea.

with my NH carry license and my non resident carry license from Florida, I can legally go anywhere i want. I can't go to Illinois or California for example but I don't really want to go there. ;).. Riding through, however, is possible with a locked case.
 
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#15 ·
MikeA said:
TRUNK:
2 Pair Jeans
3 Spandex Shirts (2 Short / 1 Long)
3 T-shirts ( 2 / 1 again)
1 Pull-over collar shirt
3pr. Underwear & Socks
3 laundry pods
Sometimes a laptop
Small repair toolkit
Cigarette power adapter (plugged in when devices are connected and riding, unplugged other times)
Charge cables
Wall-plug adapter
Sunglasses case
Extra drinks (Waters / Gatorade 0s)
Notepad
SIDEBAG 1:
Shop towels (disposable)
Spray cleaner
Rain gear
Small repair toolkit
SIDEBAG 2:
Reusable 64oz Double-walled growler
Towel
Baithing suit
Workout shorts
Sneakers
Baseball-style hat
LOWERS (left or right as I see fit):
1 roll of quarters
Suncreen
Wipes for Glasses
1 Water bottle or Gatorage 0 bottle
Headbands
Wallet
Keys
Snacks
Cellphone
Pens

*I still have enough room for other things I buy on the road.
Click to expand...
Like Mike, I carry about the same with my RM. My wife is with me. and she can bring whatever she wants as long as it fits in one saddlebag. rule of thumb is 3 sets of shirt underwear t shirts and 2 pants. Plus the one set we wear. Every 3 days we make sure we hit a hotel with a laundry and we are good to go for another 4 days
 
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#17 ·
I use zip lock bags of various sizes. Roll your clothes place them in the bag and seal. Takes up less space, easy to pack and organize. I keep a couple of empty bags to rotate the dirty clothes into.

Rawhide
 
#18 ·
Rusty Arse said:
Didn’t see 1 Walmart out in Death Valley lol. It just depends how far ones traveling off the beaten path, pitching a tent etc…
Click to expand...
Good point. My intent was to convey the point to pack as light as you can, I've been on trips where I packed everything but the kitchen sink. I spent more time looking for crap I didn't need, than enjoying the amazing country we live in. The stories I could tell about the wonderful people that helped me along the way when things went south.
Of course I have basic maintenance items. The " home defense " issue is simple for me about people, "trust,but be prepared " you may not need it for yourself, but for someone else in peril. A pound and a half hunk of metal is a small weight to bear.
 
#19 ·
MikeA said:
This is reason #1 that we each have a motorcycle!
Click to expand...
I envy you on this one. My wife spent 20 years as an ICU nurse. She has worked in 5 states and seen more trauma accidents involving bikes than you could have read about. It took all i could to get her comfortable enjoy the X counrty road trips to just ride with me.

She has no desire to ever learn how. Also at 4'11" , I would have to start her on something so little it would take years to get her on something she could follow on with. I am not talking about cross town. Our summer trips exceed 5000 miles. this year it's probably 7000miles + (NH to AZ and back)

We are both in our late 50s. Other than trading her in for a new model, which would be prohibitively expensive after 36 years, this is how it works.
 
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#20 ·
40caliber said:
I envy you on this one. My wife spent 20 years as an ICU nurse. She has worked in 5 states and seen more trauma accidents involving bikes than you could have read about. It took all i could to get her comfortable enjoy the X counrty road trips to just ride with me.

She has no desire to ever learn how. Also at 4'11" , I would have to start her on something so little it would take years to get her on something she could follow on with. I am not talking about cross town. Our summer trips exceed 5000 miles. this year it's probably 7000miles + (NH to AZ and back)

We are both in our late 50s. Other than trading her in for a new model, which would be prohibitively expensive after 36 years, this is how it works.
Click to expand...
How to get your +1 to want to ride!
  1. Get your own bike that's not a piece of junk, in relative good shape, and won't bankrupt you both.
  2. Set a schedule, go out, and tell your +1 how much fun you had after you get back.
  3. On occasion, tell your +1 what you'll do to have more fun on an upcoming ride.
  4. Explain to your +1 that even if you don't want to ride, a MC Riding course is a defensive driving course and will easily lower your insurance (typically pay for itself in a but over two years).
  5. Tale your +1 with you when you MC parts and accessories, and have your +1 look at bikes they might enjoy.
  6. Repeat steps 2, 3, and 5 occasionally.
  7. Have your +1 commit to the MSF course.
  8. Make sure to repeat step 5 with your +1 until they find their bike.
  9. Work with the sales associate to get your +1 to bite the bullet and get that bike.
  10. Go with your +1 on a the first few rides carefully, and provide positive but critical feedback when needed.
  11. Let your +1 ventur a few times on their own around the block, then neighborhood, then 2 or 3 not-so busy roads.
Yep. That's how you do it!
Consequently, that is how my wife got me into by first bike!
 
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