cont.

Bag 2: 31 litre (size M) Ortlieb 'Rack-pack' dry duffel bag. This bag contains all my personal belongings - clothes, my wash-kit bag, sandals for when off the bike (all you need - they pack flat, double up as slippers for nocturnal toilet jaunts, and if its cold, just wear socks in a British stylee!), and a small Kriega pack that contains my chargers and cables for GPS/iPod/Phone, plus a few spare batteries for my cameras.

I also pack my clothes 'modularly' in nylon dry bags inside the Ortlieb - not for any additional weather protection (they don't need it - the Ortlieb is excellent), but to keep things simple. I try to have as many different layers as possible, all of which individually pack down very small, but together offer warmth and sun protection as required.

One bag for underwear (5 sets - you can handwash), one for outerwear - that is three vests, one t-shirt (doubles as a nightshirt), one long sleeve fleece top, one pair of Jeans (Jeans are great as they are smart enough for restaurants/sightseeing, and strong enough to wear when riding if needs be). I also have a North Face wind-stopper jacket, which is a great layer under my vented enduro jacket, and again smart enough to wear during an evening out (we're not talking the Ritz, obviously)...

I also have a set of Helly Hansen thermal leggings and a long sleeve thermal top, and thermal glove liners - again, they pack down to nothing, but make a real difference when it gets really cold. Finally I have a small dry-bag with a loo-roll in. It made me laugh watching Long-Way Down and the boys were criticised for having a toilet roll bag... but it makes perfect sense to me - wet toilet paper is worse than useless after all!

Together with this kit, I also have small folding travel towel in a pouch - again it's big enough to dry off after a shower, but not taking up much space - they dry quickly too. I also have a sarong which is truly the most versatile piece of travel clothing you can own, but some of you fellas might feel a little silly in one of course... (same goes for my bikini, but swim trunks/shorts pack small too).

There is also enough room to squeeze in a book or two, plus maps I'm not using. The beauty of having all this gear in one bag, is that it is everything you need to take into a hotel or when overnighting anywhere. Although it might sound like I have virtually no clothes - I've found that with regular (overnight) hand washing, it's really all you need for pretty much any situation: There is a complete change of clothes should you have got utterly soaked during the day. Comfortable clothes for around camp/hotel room. Swimming kit if that's your thing. Warm layers if camping or in cold climates. And something to wear off the bike when sightseeing or going out for a meal.

Both Bag 1 & 2 are similar in overall size/volume, and I've found the passenger grab handles make great lashing points for a pair of cargo straps looped over both bags and pulled tight - secure even at 50+mph on the desert piste! These two bags combined are essentially my whole travel luggage system - supplemented by the following (see below) which I can also use on day to day rides...

cont.

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