On a trip such as this, you need to carefully choose your inventory. Weight is a factor, which means light is good and volume is bad.
The bicycle
A bicycle is a must. They each have 21-speed Kuwahara bikes which run about 11 kilos. Color? One black, one blue.
Panniers & Fanny Packs
Each pannier weights about 9 kilos. They are carrying:
- Cycling clothes include goretex jacket and pants, and includes biking shoes
- Two changes of slacks and t-shirt, underwear, extra pair of shoes
- Basic toiletries – lip balm, tooth brush and paste, brush, razor, sun-block (Loretta is carrying no make-up except lipstick)
- Hats
- Tools, matches, patches, bike tube, whistles, flashlights, extra batteries
- Maps and a list of motels
- Fido cell phone, Palm Pilot plus modem so they can do simple email, camera and film, plus dictaphone and log-book
- 2 bike locks and 1 chain (heavy suckers)
- Ground cover plus 2 foil blankets and 1 sleeping bag
Loretta created this list for me the night before they left. Notice that there is no pump on this list!