Bike touring packing list

For days or months on a loaded bike, camping most nights. The spares change with the length of the tour, and the clothes stop at two sets because you'll wash them at camp.

Spares for how far you're going

For a weekend, tubes, a pump, a multi-tool and a quick link will get you home. On a longer tour add brake pads, spokes and a spare derailleur hanger. Hangers are made for each frame, and shops on the road are unlikely to have yours.

Get the bike serviced before you go: a fresh chain, good pads and tyres with plenty of tread.

Two of everything you ride in

One set on, one drying on the back of the bike. Keep a dry set for the evening that you never ride in, so there's always something clean and warm to put on at camp.

Roll-top panniers keep everything dry without covers. Put the things you need during the day in the handlebar bag.

What's on the list

Two weeks on the bike, camping, mild weather, cooking

Papers and money

Passport: Check how long it has left. Some countries want six months from the day you arrive.
Travel insurance details: The policy number and the emergency phone number, on your phone and on paper. Check it covers what you'll be doing.
Two bank cards, kept apart: If one is lost or blocked you still have the other.
Some cash: Not everywhere takes cards, and a card can be blocked just when you need it.
Emergency contacts on paper: If your phone dies, you'll still have the numbers.

Bags

Panniers: Roll-top ones keep everything dry without covers.
Handlebar bag: For what you want while riding: phone, snacks, sun cream.
Dry bags: For anything that mustn't get wet, like your phone and spare clothes.

Clothes

Underwear × 3
Socks × 3
Cycling tops × 2: One on, one drying.
Padded cycling shorts × 2: One on, one drying. Wear them without underwear.
A dry set for the evening: Something you never wear on the trail or the bike, so it's always clean and dry.
Shorts
Thermal top and leggings: To sleep in, and under your clothes when it's cold. They weigh little and add a lot of warmth.
Fleece or warm jumper
Insulated jacket, down or synthetic: Evenings get cold fast once the sun goes, even after a hot day.
Waterproof jacket: Bring it whatever the forecast says. It's your windproof too.
Sun hat
Warm hat
Neck tube: Sun, wind, dust and a thin hat in one.
Sunglasses

Footwear

Light shoes for the evening: Your feet will be glad of a change at the end of the day.
Cycling shoes you can walk in: You'll be off the bike in shops, campsites and towns.

Sleeping

Sleeping bag: Look at its comfort rating, not the extreme one, and match it to the coldest night you expect.
Sleeping mat: The ground takes your warmth. A good mat matters as much as the bag.
Inflatable pillow: Or a stuff sack filled with clothes.
Earplugs: For thin walls and other people's snoring.

Camp

Tent, poles and pegs: Pitch it once at home to check nothing's missing.
A few spare pegs: They get bent and lost.
Tent repair kit: A pole splint and repair tape. Most tents come with one.

Food, water and cooking

Bottles in cages × 3: On hot days you'll want more than two.
Folding water carrier: Fill it at the last tap so you can cook and wash at camp.
Water filter or purifying tablets: For streams and taps you're not sure about.
Snacks: Something you'll still want to eat when you're tired.
Stove and fuel: Take enough fuel, and check the canisters sold where you're going fit your stove.
Lighter and matches: Two ways to light the stove, in different bags.
Pot with a lid
Mug
Spoon or spork
Small knife
Food for the days between shops: Check where the shops are, and when they're closed.
Washing-up kit: A sponge, a small bottle of washing-up liquid and a tea towel.
Rubbish bags: Take everything away with you.
Folding shopping bag

Washing and toiletries

Toothbrush and toothpaste
Toiletries: Small bottles. You'll be carrying it all.
Sun cream: When you're out all day you can burn even when it doesn't feel hot.
Lip balm with sun protection
Quick-dry towel
Loo roll, a trowel and a bag: Dig 15–20 cm down, well away from water and paths. Bag the paper and carry it out.
Hand gel
Travel wash and a few pegs: This list assumes you'll wash clothes as you go.
Glasses or contact lenses, and spares: If you wear them. A spare pair saves a trip.
Period products: If you need them. They can be hard to find in remote places.

First aid and medicine

First aid kit: Plasters, a bandage, tape, painkillers and antiseptic wipes cover most things.
Your medicines, plus a few days spare: Keep them where you can reach them, not at the bottom of a bag.
Insect repellent

Phone and electronics

Phone and charging cable
Power bank: Maps and photos drain a phone fast.
Plug adapter: If the sockets are different where you're going.
Phone data for abroad: Check what your plan charges abroad, or get an eSIM or a local SIM before you go. A local SIM needs an unlocked phone.
Head torch: Hands free in the tent, and for finding things after dark.
Charger with several ports: Campsites and cafés rarely have enough sockets.

Finding the way and safety

Offline maps on your phone: Download them before you go, while you have wifi.
Your route, left with someone at home: Where you're going, and when they should start to worry.

Bike, tools and spares

The bike, serviced before you go: A fresh chain, good brake pads and tyres with plenty of tread.
Helmet
Front and rear lights: For tunnels and dull days as well as at night.
Bike lock
Pump
Spare inner tubes × 2: Even with tubeless tyres, carry one in case.
Puncture repair kit and tyre levers
Multi-tool with a chain tool
Spare quick links for the chain × 2: Made for your chain's number of gears.
Chain lube and a rag
Cable ties and tape: They'll hold most things together until the next bike shop.
Tyre boot: For a cut in the tyre. A folded banknote works in a pinch.
Spare brake pads × 2: Loaded bikes on long descents wear them fast.
Spare spokes: Rear wheel spokes break most on a loaded bike. Tape them to the frame.
Spare derailleur hanger: Each frame takes its own, and bike shops on the way are unlikely to have yours.
Spare gear and brake cable
Straps or bungee cords: For the extra bread and the wet tent.
Cycling gloves

Bits and pieces

A few zip bags: For wet things, receipts, and a phone in the rain.
Some tape wrapped round a pole or bottle: Fixes blisters, tears and broken buckles.
Book or e-reader
Needle and thread

Questions people ask

What tools should I carry on a bike tour?

A pump, tyre levers, a puncture repair kit, at least two spare tubes, a multi-tool with a chain tool, spare quick links, chain lube and a rag, and cable ties with some tape. On long tours add brake pads, spokes, a derailleur hanger and gear and brake cables.

How many clothes do I need for bike touring?

Two sets of cycling clothes, one dry set for the evening, a warm layer and a waterproof. Wash the riding set most evenings.

Panniers or bikepacking bags?

Panniers carry more and are easier to pack, and suit long tours with camping and cooking. Frame and seat bags are lighter and better on rough tracks, but hold less. The list works for either.

How do I keep my things dry?

Roll-top waterproof panniers, and dry bags inside for the sleeping bag and electronics. Keep the waterproof at the top where you can reach it.

Should I bring a stove?

If you want to camp away from towns, yes. Remember gas canisters can't go on a plane, so buy them when you arrive. Untick Cooking our own food if you'll eat out.

Can I weigh my bike touring kit?

Yes. Open your list and press Weigh at the top. Every item starts with a typical weight, and you type in your own as you weigh things.

Lists for other trips

The other tools

Gear list: Weigh your kit and your pack
GPX tools: Open, fix, join and convert route files
3D film of a route: Turn a GPX into a flyby film with your photos
All tools

We make Pebbls, an app that keeps a map and diary of a trip as it happens. You don't need it to use any of this.