This is what we're bringing on our great adventure! In the last couple of months we've been doing a lot of research: what to bring, what not to bring, specific kinds of gear, etc. You can always buy something more lightweight or a newer/better version of something. But sometimes you might just have something in your closet that works as well. Since we're pretty outdoorsy and go camping a lot we already had a lot of the essentials like: a tent, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, most of our clothes,...

 

Of course we're not going to be in the wilderness 24/7. If we find that we need something while bikepacking, we can still get it when we're going through a bigger town or a city. So the packing list you see right now might change a little over time, but these are (in our opinion) the essentials you need to cycle the Americas.


The Bikes

We searched for a bike that was robust, could carry a lot of weight, had a good range of gears (front and back), wasn't crazy expensive and was still available at the time. So after a little research we came to the Trek 520, it checked all of our boxes:

  • It has a steel frame, so it's a little heavier but more robust
  • It has 3 speed in the front and 9 speed in the back
  • It fell into our budget

We changed a few things on our bikes. We ordered a new front wheel with a built in dynamo hub to charge our electronics while riding. The tires that came on the bike were a little narrow in our opinion, so we changed them for wider (44mm) tires with a little more profile.


Shared stuff

Camping gear:

  • Tent - Forclaz MT900 3 persons
  • Sleeping bag
  • Sleeping pad - Sea to Summit Ether Ligth XT
  • Liner
  • Pillow
  • Tarp
  • Sitting pads
  • Headlamp
  • Ortlieb Panniers (2 front, 2 Back, 1 Handlebar)
  • Deuter Backpack 30L 
  • Organizing bags

Electronics:

  • Phone
  • Bike GPS
  • Watch
  • GoPro Hero 8
  • Tablet
  • eReader
  • Chargers
  • Powerbanks
  • Universal adaptor
  • Solar panel

Repair kit:

  • Multitool - Decathlon Bike multitool 900
  • Tire pach set
  • Bike pump
  • Disc brake pads
  • Spare Brake and Shifting cable
  • Chain tool
  • Pliers
  • Wrench
  • Emergency spoke
  • Missing links
  • Spare inner- and outer tires
  • Chain lube
  • Rope
  • Zip ties
  • Duct tape - fixes everything!!
  • Cleaning rag
  • First aid kit

Cooking gear:

  • Cooking pot (incl. Pan)
  • Plates
  • Cutlery
  • Multifuel stove - Soto Stormbreaker
  • Fire stick
  • Spices
  • Opinel
  • Cooking utensils
  • Water storage - 4L Ortlieb + 2L Platypus
  • Water filter - Platypus Quickdraw
  • Towel
  • Sponge
  • Eco soap

Personal stuff

Packing list Jesse

Head

  • Beanie
  • Cap
  • Buff
  • Sunglasses
  • Helmet

 

Upper body:

  • Baselayer (2)
  • Cycling shirts
    • Short sleeves (2)
    • Long sleeves (1)
  • Normal shirts (3)
  • Sweater (2)
  • Down jacket
  • Rain jacket
  • Wind jacket
  • Gloves

 

 

Lower body:

  • Underwear (4)
  • Socks (4)
  • Cycling pants (2)
  • Rain pants (1)
  • Long running pants (1)
  • Normal pants
    • Long (2)
    • Short (2)
  • Swimming trunks
  • Regular shoes
  • Trail shoes
  • Sandals

 

Toiletries:

  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Eco Shower gel/Soap bar
  • Deodorant
  • Mosquito spray
  • Sunscreen
  • Anti-chafing creme
  • Nail clipper
  • Sowing kit

Packing list Fien

Head

  • Beanie
  • Cap
  • Buff
  • Sunglasses
  • Helmet

 

Upper body:

  • Baselayer (2)
  • Cycling shirts
    • Short sleeves (2)
    • Long sleeves (1)
    • Top (1)
  • Normal shirts (3)
  • Sweater (2)
  • Bra (3)
  • Down jacket
  • Rain jacket
  • Wind jacket
  • Gloves

 

Lower body:

  • Underwear (4)
  • Socks (4)
  • Cycling pants (2)
  • Rain pants (1)
  • Long running pants (1)
  • Normal pants
    • Long (2)
    • Short (2)
  • Bikini
  • Regular shoes
  • Trail shoes
  • Sandals

 

Toiletries:

  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Eco Shower gel/Soap bar
  • Deodorant
  • Mosquito spray
  • Sunscreen
  • Anti-chafing creme
  • Nail clipper
  • Sowing kit
  • Tampons
  • Shaving razor

That was a fun read, right? If you have any questions about the gear that we're bringing or you have good additions to this list you can always let us know!