Equipment for two people on a long tour. Overall weight of the gear was close to 100 lbs (45 Kilos) for Laurence and 75 lbs (30 Kilos) for Yolanda, including the panniers.
Cannondale
T700 - Drop bar touring bike, full fenders, rear Cannondale Rack, front
"Lowrider" rack by Blackburn
700x35 tires - we got about 8,000 miles out of a set of Continental "Top
Touring" tires. They are our first choice if we can find them. Gearing
was 42-32-22 up front and 13-30 in back giving a low-end ratio of 19.8
inches. Adequate for most hills on a loaded bike.
Rear panniers (Cannondale - 2500 cubic inch)
Front panniers (Nashbar - 1500 cubic
inch) - they are the exact same design as Cannondale
Handlebar bag (Jandd)
Kryptonite cable lock - A U-lock is pretty useless in most situations with
a loaded bike, you can't get close enough to a bike rack or fence to use
it effectively. A 6-ft cable is much more versatile.
Tools
patch kit 6" pliers
Cool Tool - adjustable wrench, 4-5-6mm hex, phillips, spoke wrench, chaintool
3mm allen
cassette cracker (used to take the rear freewheel/cassettes off)
quik stik® - some other tire removal tool. Don't use a screwdriver!
small screwdriver
file
13/14 - 15/16mm cone wrench- used to remove and adjust wheel bearings
T-handle socket wrench / screwdriver (LIFU-74)
jewelers screwdriver
Shoo-goo - better than Duct tape!
tool stuff sack - keeps everything together. Stick it in an outside pannier
pocket
Camping
A tent and sleeping bag are the only real necessities. You can buy
meals in stores and eat in restaurants but your flexibilty goes down and
budget goes up. Get a decent tent! Chose one with a full rain-fly, a leaky
roof makes the night a misery. Those $69 specials you see in Walmart are
usually heavy and inadequate. Good tents are not cheap, but quickly pay
for themselves if you don't have to run to a motel every time a rain cloud
appears.
North Face StarFire Extreme tent
Groundsheet (use a sheet of plastic cut to fit under the tent. It's cheap
and lightweight)
nylon tarp 7'x9'
space blanket
Pur "Scout" water filter - you only get giardia once!
candle lantern
Penguin Corp. flashlight
mini-mag light
Crazy Creek Chair - also used as an ancillary sleeping pad
Slumberlite sleeping bags - Two season, synthetic fill bags. We used the
silk liner to extend the rating and wore extra clothes when it got really
cold.
Silk sleeping bag liner - they are cheap to make yourself. Weight is a
fraction of cotton and they are much easier to wash and dry.
sleeping pad (closed cell foam) - A lot of folks swear by their Thermarest.
We weren't willing to lug the extra couple pounds for a glorified inflatable
mattress
Small Backpack - useful when you hike into town for supplies or just wandering
around.
Swiss Army Knife
Silva Compass
"Pack" towel - lightweight super absorbent camping towel. Dried
much better than regular cotton so got less stinky
20' nylon clothes line
clothes pins (15)
laundry soap
trowel (to make your own outhouse when rough camping)
Hygiene Kit (Toothbrush, etc.)
Cooking
Peak 1 multi-fuel stove - You can get by without a stove, but it sure
is nice to have a hot meal whenever you want. I would stay away from any
propane/butane models. The cartridges are too much hassle to carry and
dispose of. Get something that burns unleaded gasoline (any white-gas stove
will burn it but the manufactures try to tell you not to). I prefer the
one piece stoves (Peak 1) rather than the assemble-before-use types (MSR).
One less thing to worry about when you get to the campsite.
Sigg Fuel Bottle .7L - carries 25 cents worth of unleaded gas. Lasts about
a week making morning coffee, dinner, and heating the dishwater.
Wind screen for Stove
Bic lighter (beats matches any day!) - get the childproof type, they won't
accidentally discharge all their gas if you stick them in your pocket.
8" Aluminum frying pan
2 QT Aluminum billy pot
pot gripper (also used as a handle for the fry-pan)
fork
spoon (you'll find a knife is not really necessary, especially if you carry
a swiss army or Opinel already)
Spatula (with notch in handle for lifting pots)
Plate
Insulated mug - ditch those metal things that come in cook kits. An insulated
plastic mug is lighter, holds more, stays warmer and doesn't burn your
fingers when you try to drink
Opinel knife - 4in wooden handle folding knife, perfect for kitchen duties
water bag (3 gal)
nalgene bottles (4, 8, 32oz) for oil, vinegar, misc fluids
"Pack" dishtowel
dish rag
dish soap - also great for washing grease from hands
cutting board (Frisbee)
assorted stuff sacks (3)
Clothes
In general try to stay away from cotton. It gets cold, clammy, takes
forever to dry and is more bulky than a decent synthetic. "Cotton
Kills!" is a well know outdoorsman phrase. You need the cycle clothes
to be comfortable day after day in the saddle, but you also want something
loose to change into for around camp or when visiting towns.
Laurence
lycra cycle shorts
Umbro soccer shorts
cycle undershorts (2)
cycle jersey T-shirt (2)
SPD cycle shoes
white socks (3)
nylon warm-up pants
Goretex cycling rainjacket
sweatshirt
collared T-shirt
Convertible zip pants
undershorts (2)
Eagle creek money belt
button-up dress shirt
casual dress shoes
dress socks (2) (ie not white)
"Reef" sandals
Yolanda
Lycra cycle shorts
(2) cycle jersey
mesh shirt
T-shirt sports bra
underwear (4)
socks (3-4)
silk undershirt
black riding tights (2)
red stirrup pants
long sleeved shirt
bandanna
Tilley hat
Goretex rain jacket
nylon riding shell
fleece jacket
shorts
sports sandals (Teva style. Essential for getting around when off the bike)
tennis shoes
cycling shoes (SPD compatible - used Onza pedals)
handkerchiefs(2)
wool socks
long undershirt
brown slacks
purse -small black Eagle creek model
Miscellaneous
Playing cards (get the visually impaired ones with big letters for candle-lit
games)
Passports
maps - the more the merrier
campsite directories
first aid kit (Focus more on a Wilderness First Aid kit than a full EMT
version)
writing pad/envelopes
computer (Omnibook 300)
camera (Olympus Infinity Zoom)
ultrapod tripod
Lonely Planet Guide
mosquito headnet
address booklet
black permanent
marker highlighter (for outlining where you've been or tomorrows route)
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