Gear

What’s In All Those Bags? (UPDATED Gear List: 2020 Additions & Replacements!)

Here is my very detailed current pack list (as of Jan 2020) of what all my luggage (that I basically live out of) contains, since I get asked quite a bit! Hopefully this can give you an idea of what you may need to pack! I bought many of these items used on Kijiji/Craigslist, on sale, or online on eBay or Amazon, so I strongly suggest you do the same if you have time and you’re trying to stick to a budget. If you are not a fan of Amazon, you can likely find all of the camping items at a store like MEC or REI!

Click HERE to check out my original 2017-2019 gear list (which I rode across Canada and up to Alaska with!). I am currently in southern California as I write this! 🙂

Obviously, this list won’t work for everyone, but hopefully it will give you an idea of what you might need for your own motorcycle trip!

This gear list was last updated on Jan 27, 2020. I will keep updating it as time goes on…

Luggage

• NEW: Ogio Sport Saddlebags (Comments: I HATE these. Don’t buy them. They’re flimsy & they ripped a bit after ONE use. Maybe if you’re just going to put clothes in them, they’d be ok. I’m still using them but they are being held together by straps!)
• Cargo Endurance Tank Bag (AMAZING! GET IT! If you need a big tank bag)
• Overboard! yellow waterproof duffel bag
• NEW: 75L Waterproof RED Duffel bag (Comments: Not as thick and durable as my yellow waterproof duffel. But… IT MATCHES MY BIKE. AND TENT. We’ll see how it goes. It’s definitely way too big, lol.)
• Gregory Maya 22 Daypack
• Bungee cords
• Luggage nets
• Extra straps
• NEW: Men’s Leather Fanny Pack (Comments: How in the world did I ever live without a fanny pack? After using/destroying a few cheap ones, I decided to invest in this one which is amazing. It’s pretty big and has a lot of pockets! It looks good with anything I wear, and is better than a purse because no strap gets caught in my hair. Also, I just move it onto my hip when riding!) 
• NEW: Black waterproof bag covers
• NEW: Drawstring knapsack
• NEW: Decor (Pirate flag, fox tail, plush unicorn, whitetail deer skull)

Approximate weight of all my luggage when loaded:

• Saddlebags: 20 lbs each
• Tank bag: 30 lbs
• Red duffel bag: 25 lbs
• Blue backpack: 10 lbs

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Apparel 

• Neck warmer
• Balaclava
• Fleece headband
• NEW: Galaxy Leggings
• Jeans
• Leggings
• NEW: Balloon/harem pants (Extremely comfortable, and good for warm weather!)
• NEW: Yuedge Hiking Socks (Comments: I like these socks more than my merino wool socks! They’re pretty thick and I think they’ll last for awhile. If you want to hike or walk around a lot, make sure you have even just one pair of high quality socks in order to prevent blisters!)
• NEW: Compact Down Jacket (Comments: The least expensive and most packable light down jacket I could find! I like this one because the sleeves were long. It’s very warm for how thin it is, and was only $50 on Amazon. The same one was $200 in-store.)
• NEW: Compact Rain Jacket
• Shirts
• Dresses
• NEW: Lace & fishnet stuff (pretty & packable!)
• NEW: Wool devil hat (From my best friend! I wouldn’t survive cold nights without it)
• Sandals
• Flip flops
• Scarf
• Swimming clothes
• Down jacket
• Sweaters & hoodies
• Unmentionables
• Merino wool socks

Tech Gadgets 

• Macbook Air 13 (2011)
• Laptop cover
• NEW: Used unlocked iPhone 7 (Comments: I’ve only ever bought unlocked, used phones (and use a $15 Data-only plan on them). I will NEVER go back to Kijiji after discovering this website! I HIGHLY recommend it if you want to buy a used iPhone or Samsung in Canada. I had a pretty awful experience ordering through Best Buy Marketplace but apparently it’s hit and miss.)
• NEW: iPhone screen protector (Comments: If you’re like me and drop your phone at LEAST once a day, I HIGHLY recommend buying a high quality case in ADDITION to a screen protector. Having 2 screen protectors does make the screen a little less responsive, but you’ll get used to it, eventually!)
• NEW: Otterbox iPhone defender case (Comments: the discounted colours are much less expensive!)
• GoPro Hero 3+ Silver Action Cam
• GoPro Accessories kit
• Nikon Coolpix P7000 camera
• Kindle
• NEW: 2 X 20000mAh Powerbanks
• NEW: JBL mini speaker (LOVE IT! Goes on sale a lot)
• 3 TB external hard drive
• NEW: 4 TB external hard drive (Sucks! Don’t get this “easystore” one)
• 1 TB external hard drive
• USB Flash drives
• NEW: Taotronics collapsable headphones (Comments: My old folding Sony headphones served me well for the last few years, but since music is so important to me, I decided not to buy a dirt cheap pair this time. These were $60 (on sale). LOVE LOVE LOVE these. Foldable but still a bit bulky. My first “nice” pair of headphones and one of my favourite things I own! I consider over-ear headphones crucial to city exploring, so that you’re not constantly getting hounded.)
• NEW: Amazon braided lightening cables (Comments: Hit and miss with these. Usually, they last longer than Apple brand lightening cables!)
• Cheap earphones
• Assorted chargers & plugs
• NEW: Simple sony 4GB Mp3
• Wifi enhancer
• Mini flexible tripod
• Headphone splitters
• NEW: Door stop with alarm (Comments: It’s pretty sad that I would need this but… yeah. There’s no harm in putting one of these under a door, even if it’s locked. I got a knock off via eBay from China for $5, but it took over a month to arrive. Pretty essential safety item to keep IMO, especially if you’re a woman traveling alone. I actually feel safer camping in the middle of nowhere!)
• Plug converter (3 prong to 2)

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Camping Gear 

• NEW: MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 Person Tent and footprint (Comments: Definitely the most valuable thing I own (aside from my motorcycle). I LOVE it. It’s just perfect. It’s my home. My old tent was great too. I highly recommend a high quality, lightweight, compact tent if you’re going to use it a lot. My first tent was a $20 kid’s tent from Walmart!)
• Lightweight Tarp
• NEW: Large lightweight tarp
• Hammock
• Sleeping bag (The North Face -18)
• Mini cooking stove set
• Sawyer single mini water filter
• Propane butane fuel canister
• NEW: Healthy Human thermos (21 OZ in Mulberry)
• Black Diamond headlamp
• Spork
• NEW: Inflatable pillow
• Flashlight
• Mini multitool
• 550 Paracord
• Insect repellent spray
• NEW: 100% DEET (Comments: This REALLY works but gives me a headache. Apparently it melts plastic. I don’t actually recommend this much. I think it’s actually illegal in Canada (max legal limit is 30% Deet). But if you’re going to ride up north in the land of evil giant mosquitoes, you MIGHT be desperate enough to use this.)
• NEW: Firestarters
• NEW: Wire saw (so not worth the labour, lol)
• Mosquito head net
• NEW: Compact camping microfibre towel
• Emergency poncho
• Emergency blanket
• NEW: Emergency sleeping bag (Comments: OMG. There is no way I would have survived my Alaska trip without this. I pretty much use it as a sleeping bag liner on cold nights (even though I have a warm sleeping bag)! The only con is that you wake up kind of… MOIST *gag*.)
• Gregory 2L hydration pack
• Military can openers
• NEW: Cabela’s inflatable sleeping pad (Comments: Cheap, comfortable & compact, but I should have invested in something better. It has zero insulation and started leaking sooner than expected!)

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Motorcycle Stuff

• NEW: Hotwired heated vest (Comments: Best gift I’ve ever gotten. Best heated vest I’ve owned. MUCH higher quality than my old vest (which quit working 3 times)! Highly recommend if you’re going to be riding a lot in cold weather!)
• Armoured cowhide motorcycle jacket (by “First Classics”)
• NEW: US Army Combat Boots (Comments: Best boots I’ve ever owned (I need something that will work for riding, hiking, and look nice too!). Even my last 2 pairs of Doc Martens fell apart, lol. These combat boots were gifted to me! I literally bled to break these in, but now they are pretty comfortable, and despite the abuse, show no signs of falling apart like all my other “quality” pairs of boots did (HA!). The only thing I don’t like about these boots is that.. for some reason… they just don’t do well on wet wood?)
• ICON chainbrain helmet
• Leather motorcycle gloves
• XENA disc lock with alarm
• NEW: 6 foot coiling security cable (to secure helmet/luggage to my bike)
• Spare keys
• Kickstand pad
• Battery tender with USB charger
• Tire pressure gauge
• Pad & markers (for directions)
• Tire plug kit
• Ninja 250 owner’s manual
• Stock toolkit
• Waterless car wash & rag
• Spare signal light
• Spare rear foot peg bracket
• Nike mini air pump
• Fork seal cleaner
• Motul chain paste
• Extra Rotella T6 5W40 oil
• NEW: A few stickers from Redbubble (Cheap AF, but not ideal for vehicles)

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“Girly” Stuff (Ha!)

• 100 SPF Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Carmex chapstick
• 48H Deodorant
• Toilet paper
• Soap
• Baby/face wipes
• Loofah glove
• Q-tips
• Toothbrush & mini toothpaste
• Camp mirror
• NEW: Korean snail BB cream/sunscreen (Highly recommend! Hard to find)
• Maybelline gel eyeliner (Been using it for years. Cheap, waterproof, and widely available!)
• Other make up
• Jewelry & body jewelry
• NEW: Cage bra/harness
• Period stuffs
• NEW: Dry shampoo (Comments: I don’t usually buy dry shampoo unless it’s on sale. Anyways, this is THE BEST brand. Don’t bother with the other brands… just use baby powder instead, which is what I usually do.)
• Mini baby powder
• Leave-in conditioner
• Mini shampoo & conditioner
• Brush
• Jasmine oil
• NEW: Rosehip seed oil (Best moisturizer!)
• Hair bands
• Nail polish
• Atomic pink hair dye by SFX (I can only buy this online!)
• Razors & mini shaving cream

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Health & Safety 

• “Dog” spray (legal in Canada)
• NEW: Bear spray & baby shampoo
• NEW: Mini air horn
• Personal alarm
• Fox 40 whistle
• Assorted knives
• Mini Swiss army knife
• Mini folding scissors
• NEW: Mermaid knife (Got mine in Alaska, but here’s something similar!)
• NEW: Pocket knife sharpener
• NEW: Taser/stun gun
• Other self-defence items
• Sawyer first aid kit
• Mini SAS survival handbook
• NEW: Surgical tweezers (for possible tick removal)
• Vitamins & supplements
• NEW: Green powder packets
• Caffeine pills
• Hand sanitizer
• Hydrocortisone cream
• Latex gloves
• Blister protection
• Money belt (not sure why I have this)

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Food Staples

• Peanut butter
• Tuna & herring
• Olive or coconut oil
• Instant coffee
• Tea
• Bullion cubes
• Spice mix
• Mini hot sauce
• Mayo & mustard packets
• NEW: MCT oil powder (Comments: Available at many grocery stores. I bought this to use as a sugar free/keto coffee creamer! It works fine but I’m sure there are better options out there.)
• Stevia packets
• 3L water at all times

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Misc 

• Earplugs
• Sleep mask
• Needle & thread
• Wallet
• Important paperwork
• Passport, documents & photocopies
• Water bottles
• Lighters
• Mini sketch pads
• NEW: Mini acrylic paints
• Pencils/pens/markers
• Stationary & stamps
• Contact cards
• Ziplock bags
• Other bags/sacks
• Rubber bands
• Zip ties
• Goop glue & crazy glue
• Mini Gorilla tape
• Batteries
• Mini leather cream & wax
• NEW: Black boot polish
• Locker lock
• Mini luggage locks

Another thing to keep in mind (after reading this list!) is that this is not just a “trip” for me, it’s my life. I have pretty much been living out of my bags for YEARS. This is why I carry many items that are luxuries, but not necessities. I value these items enough to carry them with me. If your trip is shorter, then I definitely suggest packing as light as possible as it will be more comfortable for you!

Packing Tips For YOU

• Use assorted sizes of ziplock bags to organize and waterproof your belongings.
• If you find yourself not using something, just ship it home or dump it.
• If you’re not sure if you need something, just buy it along the way instead of bringing it (better to under-pack than overpack).
• Read several “what to pack” articles to get some ideas, and tailor it to fit YOU.
• Black garbage bags (and bags) are always somehow very useful. Just bring a couple.
• Make sure you buy the most compact versions of everything, or even cut some things in half (like your towel). Get creative!
• Buy more expensive items used on Craigslist or Kijiji (I did this for almost everything, especially electronics).
• Amazon is pretty amazing for quick and cheap shopping (even for used items).

What do you think your favourite luxury item would be? Leave it in the comments below! I am also open to suggestions 🙂

You can also check out my old gear list from my 6-month USA solo motorcycle tour in 2014/2015!

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