Specific to Women

I have done several long tours alone. I carry a minimal tool kit- a friend set it up for me-- a just enough to keep it running kit, that is in addition/ upgrade to the bike tool kit.
I DO NOT carry tire tools. I don't go off road alone and I wouldn't attempt to change a tire on or off road. I am just not physically strong enough to break beads and all that. I have roadside assistance on my insurance, and off road I travel with guys who have TOOLS and EXPERIENCE and I am grateful for their help. I do carry a can of inflator/ sealant stuff and I had to use it once when I was alone. ( road bike, tubeless tire)

Have your bike mechanicals/ tires set up before you go, don't overpack/ over load and have a wonderful trip!!!!
SPOT satellite trackers are a good idea, and fun for your friends back home. I don't have one myself... but most of my riding buddies do. I do have a GPS and I highly recommend that. I have a car model ( cheap) with RAM mount and it has survived a lot of off road miles just fine.

I don't carry cooking stuff-- I don't want to deal with the extra stuff. I eat along the way from grocery store delis- fairly cheap, fresher than freeze dried. I take a quart size ziploc full of nuts,granola and dried fruit and that will get me through several breakfasts/ missed meals.

Woot ! Some really awesome suggestions in here. I wonder which is better, the shampoo or soap? I'll give those both a try out.
I like the idea of the longer irons, the more leverage.
The contact info is a great idea. I usually send a mass txt to 4/5 people (depending on the length of my ride) I send when I leave and the projected time to be back. I'm thinking that a ziplock with my info is going to be a nice addition to my tankbag's map pocket.
I usually do travel with other guys on the off-road trail and Simpson and several other guys are just incredible with help. But every now and then, that wild hair just gets loose and a lil bit of dirt looks reallllllllyyyyy good.

So jealous of the lone-tourers here :) and so glad you womenz are wonderful about the advice. It's really appreciated

Thanks! So far trip includes SLO, Salinas, and Shasta Lake to visit family and friends, then to RawHyde Adventures for something. I'm ready for more off-road training (that doesn't involve my husband being helpful and me getting upset because he's so much better :), plus some days in the desert sounds really good right now.

Comments on the ICE/info: I carry my information and cell phone in my jacket. I want to be able to call for help if I get separated from the bike, or if I'm down and can't reach the tank bag. Also, I've been an EMT and we look for info on the person first.

I'm about 2 hours northeast of SLO. Google Fresno and you'll find me. Hope you have time to stop and say hello!

[Comments on the ICE/info: I carry my information and cell phone in my jacket. I want to be able to call for help if I get separated from the bike, or if I'm down and can't reach the tank bag. Also, I've been an EMT and we look for info on the person first.[/QUOTE]

I also carry the cell phone in my jacket, but hadn't thought of the ICE. Good info. The only drawback re the cell phone is that a lot of places I ride don't have coverage. A SPOT is definitely the ultimate in personal safety.

great good one!!! as i like the way you written your post with joy and happily!!!!!!!!!!
Caverta

great tips all around

and one more thing for cheapskates like me:

the small light travel towels are very expensive, but if you go to an autoparts store (or wally world) just get some microfiber towels for detailing... it's the same stuff.

Do you have any suggestions on warm clothing to wear? The boy and I did some camping recently, and I wore Under Armour to make it through the well below freezing temperatures. And, to be fair, the Under Armour certainly did its job - I was as warm as I could have been. But I found that the tights absolutely do not breathe and if you're not near a shower, sometimes wipes just won't cut it after a day or two, there was no getting around it. What other kinds of layering clothes are breathable but still warm, and possibly able to fit under a pair of jeans?

I like Icebreaker clothing for warm layering. This stuff is not cheap, but it's nice quality merino wool, machine washable, non-itchy, and wool doesn't get smelly like many synthetic materials.
http://us.icebreaker.com/on/demandw...efault-Start?gclid=CNnTyaDT_60CFahgTAodXBWdkQ

I could not agree more! I have converted my entire wardrobe to ice breaker over the past few years. Just get one piece at a time whenever you can afford it. It never stinks and even if you sweat it wicks s you don't get cold later. This is the best you will find in m opinion.

REI carries some SmartWool long johns made out of Merino Wool that I've been wearing for about 4 years. They wear extremely well, breathe well and are very warm. I wear them on and off the bike and under clothing as well as by themselves. Absolutely perfect and so very soft! They haven't even stretched out over time like I thought they would.

Prices are cheaper than the Icebreaker stuff but only by a little. The nice thing about REI is that you can return them after wearing should you find they are not what you wanted - even if it's a year later.

Tops: $80
Bottoms: $80

Costco has some too right now.... called Paradox. ~$25 each piece. I didn't think that I would like the wool, as regular wool is always itchy, but they are fine. Very soft and cozy.

-k

SmartWool is another one of my faves --but locally, we don't have much in the SmartWool selection (mostly socks), so I've been buying Icebreaker for longjohns and tops.

Thanks, guys. I'll definitely have to check out both options - the REI merino wool (luckily there's a REI directly on my way home from work, how convenient:eek1) and the Icebreaker brand. Hopefully with some careful scouring of the big bad interweb, I'll be able to find some good deals.

Wow!!!

I love smart wool too ... Also mostly for socks. The smart wool shirts I have are great but I find not as durable as icebreaker. I still love it.

Glad I read this, found a great Ibex top (made in USA) on sale for $30 at Marshalls of all places. I'm going hiking today, will see if it passes the 'stink' test. So far, very warm and soft.

I have been travelling south and central america and mexico for 5+ months with my boyfriend. We are riding 2 up on a DR650 so space and weight are super important. I have also done a 4 month bicycle trip which is when I first discovered some of these low weight,low space products. Toiletries are just a difference between guys and girls thats all there is to it, and my boyfriend makes fun of my bag of toiletries all the time, but here is my list for us outdoorsy type girls:

General Toiletry Items:
--LUSH brand bar shampoo and conditioner. (absolutely amazing)
--LUSH brand lotion bar (I swear I dont represent them! they are just a super good brand for small and efficient products)
--disposable razor
--Dr Bronners soap, small bottle. can wash you, your clothes, almost anything
--toothpaste, toothbrush, floss
--nail file and tweezers
--mini deoderant
--Burts Bees lip balm
--small packet of anti-inflamatory/painkillers, anti-allergy, anti-diarrea, and anti-migraine pills
--5 or 6 bandaids and small plasic sqeeze packets of anti-bacterial
--the essential roll of TP!

Makeup:
--one 1 cmsquared cube of eye shadow which i always forget i have and only occasionally bring out for special nights

Period Stuff:
--o.b. tampons are tiny!
--a few pads, you can always a little box later, *also, if you are in an environmentalist and dont have a divacup, you can cut the ankles off an old pair of smartwool socks (the best socks i have found that dont smell even after a week or chaff when wet) and use as a pad and wash when needed.
* this disposable panty thing that was mentioned is quite funny to me. i just only carry black underwear that way they never stain, and you just wash when needed... also, the ex-efficios do dry quickly but they also get smelly again very quickly, and ultimately I ended up buying cotton because it just feels healthier down there. (this experiment took place during a 4 month bicycle tour) but i havent tried the mens ones yet....


Just because you have a vagina doesnt mean that you need a ridiculous amount of toiletries.

+1

My toiletry kit for my last big trip (seven months in Mex/CA):
-Toothbrush, toothpaste and floss
-Sunscreen
-Small deodorant
-One bar soap
-Pocket-size hairbrush (and I have a lot of hair--I promise it works) and extra hair ties
-Razor and spare razor blades
-Small bottle shampoo (I'll have to try LUSH--I used to use JR Liggets but it started gunking up my hair too much)
-Small bag of Q-tips
-Tweezers
-Small pair scissors (to trim bangs, etc...)
-Black eyeliner for special occasions
-A small packet of minipads (IUD mostly takes care of this issue, but I used to use [and love] the DivaCup)
Everything fit into a 1.5 liter mesh bag

Non-motorcycle Clothing:
-5 pr cotton undies (cute ones--after seven months on a bike, you need something to feel pretty in!) In retrospect, I would get seamless panties because that many hours on the bike does tend to dig seams into your sits bones... However, wearing a thong on a motorcycle in Central America sounds a) uncomfortable, and b) like an open invitation for a yeast infection :huh
-One bra (nude-colored so I never have to worry about whether or not I can wear it with this shirt or that shirt). I always bring safety pins, and by the end of this trip the metal bits on both straps had broken, and they were held together with safety pins for the last two months! Kind of ghetto, but it worked a treat!
-One sports bra
-Two t-shirts
-One tank top
-One bikini
-One breathable button-up adjustable-sleeve shirt
-One pair lightweight airy pants
-One skirt (lived in it off the bike)
-Polypro top and bottom
-Hat for sun, hat for cold
-Flipflops and Five-fingers
-Two-gallon ziplock bag to wash laundry in when there's no sink, or no sink plug, or whatever else.


In all, I carried almost half the amount of stuff that the various guys I met carried with them (full gear rundown here), and that's with a vagina.