Here are some helpful tips for packing when traveling by motorcycle:
Tip 1: Buy saddlebag and trunk inserts for packing
Packing is easier with these bags. They fit into your compartments, perfectly. The great thing about these is when you get to your destination you pull one bag out of each saddlebag to carry to your motel room. They keep your stuff together while reducing the trips back and forth between your room and motorcycle. In these bags use smaller organizer pouches like the Sfb Travel Storage Cube Bag 6 Pcs Set Organize Pouches sold on Amazon. They help you with organization with in your saddlebag/trunk insert bags. They also keep your stuff like clothes, toiletries, etc from moving around. My wife and I love them to keep things organized and easy to find.
Tip 2: Don’t take the items that a hotel/motel will have
You can skip packing the soaps and shampoos, but if you carry travel sized of these items you can might as well pack the ones you like. I am talking more about the big items. Most places these days have air dryers in the room. Ask when you make your reservations. By using theirs it reduces the need to carry a bulky hair dryer. Even a travel hair dryer takes up room and weighs. That of course is if you or your passenger needs one.
Tip 3: Clothes can be washed
Don’t feel you need to pack enough clothes for everyday. Take a little time to wash them. We always carry a few Washeze 3-in-1 laundry sheets on the bike just for that reason. They are 3-in-1 laundry sheets with laundry detergent, fabric softener, and a dryer sheet. They are easy to carry and wash your clothes well enough to finish your journey. A must have packing item.
Tip 4: Carry travel sized everything
Well most everything. You might need regular sized deodorant, because lets face it, riding on the back of a bike in the hot sun can be very sweaty and smelly sometimes. Where possible pack travel sized items like shampoo, hair spray, lotions, etc. They are a lot easier to find these days at most major stores like Target, Walmart, and drug stores like Walgreen. More major brands are even making travel sized items now.
If you can’t find what you like, make your own travel sized items. My wife tends to fill an old pill bottle with her Ponds Cold Cream rather than buying the travel sized. Just make sure you clean out the bottle really well before you use it.
Tip 5: Pack clothes and shoes for after the ride
After a long ride you just want to relax. Maybe find a nice restaurant and have a cold drink. Maybe you are in the mood to take a hike around town. What ever you do after your journey you probably want to be comfortable. Boots and jeans are only so comfortable. Besides like I mentioned in Tip 4, you’re probably going to be sweaty. That means you probably want to pack at least one pair of shorts and some comfortable shoes to wear with them for when you get off the bike. Don’t forget some swim wear too, so you can relax in the hot tub or pool.
Comfortable shoes are worth the room they take up. A good pair of sandals, open air shoes, or ever running shoes will give your feet the rest they need for the next long day of riding. If you plan to do some hiking, bring those hiking boots too. My wife and I were in MOAB, Utah and decided to hike to Delicate Arches. The hike is about 1.5 miles each way of rocky sandy terrain. We brought sneakers to change into and left our boots on the bike. We made plenty of our own mistakes (should have changed into shorts and should not have gone in the early afternoon), but as we hiked back to our bike we saw a group of bikers in their leathers and boots. It was a very hot afternoon and I can only imagine how hot they were at the end.
Pack the shoes you need for the trip you plan. Boots are great for the bike, but not for everything else.
Tip 6: Trunk bag
Add a bag that you can strap to the top of your trunk for the things you need quickly. We have a bag we picked up from the Bass Pro Shop that we carry on top of our trunk. We pack things here we might need on the side of the road quickly like our jackets, rain gear, chaps, a bike cover, extra face shield, snacks, and sometimes a small collapsible cooler with water. Weather changes, so you need to change with it and you don’t want to pull everything out of your saddlebag to get to your rain gear.
Make sure this bag is at least water-resistant because you will probable get rained on, and don’t put anything in there you are not willing to loose at a stop. Although we try to park where we can see the bike when we are in a restaurant, it is not always possible. The alternative is to carry the bag with you.
To learn how to best fold your chaps read Chaps and a Packed Motorcycle
Tip 7: Pack right
When packing, keep the heavy things low. Your adding a lot of weight to your bike and you want to avoid making it top-heavy. Roll clothing rather than fold it. It creates extra room and if done carefully will minimize the wrinkles. Pack the things you need first – last. That way they are on top and easily reached.
Tip 8: Don’t cut out the important things
When you are cutting out the weight, don’t loose the emergency items like tool kits, flashlight, first aid kit, etc. Those are important too, so keep them packed. You might even want to add a roll of toilet paper, just in case. Don’t use a full roll. Take one from you bathroom when it gets down to about a half-inch of paper left on the roll. You can flatten it and store in a storage bag.
Tip 9: Carry plenty of water
Water is a main staple of life. You need it going down the road just as much as any other time. If you don’t have cup holders, get them. Get them for both you and your passenger. It is so nice to reach over and have water at your finger tips when you need them. Invest is a small collapsible cooler as well. This will allow you to carry extra water and keep it cool.
Tip 10: Don’t forget your camera equipment
You want to record your trip for later in life when you are no longer able to ride. That will be a sad day. Add that action camera like a GoPro to record your drive. My wife carries two cameras. She carries her Nikon of course. She is a photographer after all. But, on the back of the bike as we travel down the road she carries an Olympus Tough Camera. It is a smaller lightweight compact camera that is water proof, just in case it rains, and she keeps it on a lanyard around her neck. Having the camera at arms reach allows her to get some great shots while on the move.
Carrying more than an action camera and a compact camera takes a little extra though. Since My wife is a photographer we often carry multiple lenses and even a tripod. That is a huge factor in how I pack the bike. Sometimes there are trade offs.
Travel and Technology writer