Although we’re not that far into ‘the trip’ — the big, around-the-world epic — my gear has been refined over nearly a decade of preparation. Far too many late nights reading reviews, countless shakedown trips, and a first departure date of July 2020…that didn’t pan out for some reason.
The bare minimum
Everything below is excessive. For the blissful core experience of slowly riding your bike for days on end, you really just need:
- A sleep system (tent, sleeping bag, pillow, pad)
- A rear rack (~$20) and two waterproof panniers (Ortliebs last forever—find them secondhand)
- To not carry anything on your back—that’s the whole point of the panniers
No clip-in shoes or lycra required. Supportive flat soles (Vans, Converse) work fine. Leave the house in what you’re wearing and start pedaling.
I wrote more on the simplicity of riding your bike years ago: Bike to Work.
The cost
The thing is, the building never really stopped. I’ve been tweaking and adding components to the ‘same’ bike over a decade now, and the accumulated cost in retrospect is eye-watering.
Everything below trades money for convenience and comfort over the core setup above. How much further down the rabbit hole you go is up to you.
The list
If there’s a dropdown shown in the ”?” column, click the row for further thoughts on that item. The BUY links are affiliate links.
This table is best viewed on desktop: full-row tables will display instead of stacked cards.
I replaced a Soma Wolverine frame with this, after finding the XL Soma too flexy under load. The Prospector handles heavy touring weight without any issue.
I can finally ride a bike without pain, due to no less than 5 separate pieces of hardward in my right shoe...the topic for another post.
In left side pocket of my handlebar bag.
Although they make me look like a total redneck, I have not found anything that combines polarized lenses with such a tight wraparound, for a goggle-like fit that prevents watering, irritated eyes in windy conditions.
Although it's road cycling advice to avoid polarized lenses when cycling, so that you can better see into cars to make eye contact with drivers, in practice I find that riding at dusk or dawn into the sun and actually being able to see anything is safer on balance than the potentially missed eye contact, which I haven't noticed yet. So I definitely prefer polarized lenses outside of the scope of a day ride on an all-conditions tour.
I hang them off the side of a feed bag loop and keep their soft pouch in my handlebar loop bag.
In right side pocket of my handlebar bag.
Keep these things in the bottom of my sleeping bag liner, and I -still- need them in addition with thick wool socks to defrost my feet on cold nights!
In this situation, I'll additionally heat up water and putting it in the milKit metal water bottle, to keep things toasty down there.
Used for cooking as it's much nicer to handle than a pocketknife or multitool, plus you're not getting food on your bike tools!.
Mounted on Peak Design handlebar mount via GoPro extension arm. Goes in hip pack when off the bike
Worth the weight to me, for the amazing auto focus and image stabilization compared to my older Fuji camera.
I previously lugged around a decently light 35mm prime for my 'night lens' as well, but decided I wasn't using it enough to justify the extra weight, and sent it home.
Body only, controller in frame bag.
Mounted on right side with Decathlon out front mount
Mounted on Sony A7IV, goes in hip pack when off the bike.
Ball head stored in stem bag, legs strapped to handlebars.
For watching movies in hotels!
I shipped home the heavy charging case and instead use a small dock I bought to charge the mics (the receiver will charge through USB-C.)
The soft case it came in now also does duty to hold my essentials for extended computer work.
I shipped home the heavy charging case and instead use a small dock I bought to charge the mics (the receiver will charge through USB-C.)
The soft case it came in now also does duty to hold my essentials for extended computer work.
I shipped home the heavy charging case and instead use a small dock I bought to charge the mics (the receiver will charge through USB-C.)
The soft case it came in now also does duty to hold my essentials for extended computer work.
Rolled up empty, for hike-a-bike and off-bike day trips.
Very expensive but love them. The harness system means no rattle, and being able to remove the soft-sided bags from the harnesses means you can throw them in the tent without worrying about sharp edges.
I love this bag, finding it far more weatherproof in practice than my previous Tribulus Endover, due to it using waxed cotton, versus the Tribulus employing waterproof Xpac but with untaped seams that in practice led to puddles in my bag after being caught in a short downpour.
However it's not really designed for Jones bars, so as you can see it's mounted almost horizontally currently, making it not much good for storing anything but my tent and single large bulky items.
I've tried it with a lightweight bag rack (Nitto M18), but it wasn't tall enough to reach it on my XL frame, and it's far more stable anyway if directly triangulated to the head tube.
In the future I might give up on the 'weight saving' of no front rack, since I have these custom items adding weight around it anyway, and just return to my Tumbleweed T-rack plus some light small pannier bags.
I use this as the 'glove box'; it contains my light, heavy, and rain/wind gloves.
I have learnt not to use hard-sided organizers/pouches for anything on the bike, because every one takes up a little extra space that can't be filled, and so they add up.
This is the one exception I make, since it goes right at the bottom of my frame bag, preventing gear from ballooning out there and providing a safe arc for my pedals.
This thing is huge for a stem bag! I can fit not just my water bottle, but sunscreen, my clickstand, insta action stick, and a collapsible shopping bag underneath the bottle.
I would switch this smaller bag over for a second Roadrunner bag to carry more, but for the versatile features on this - I like the stretchy mesh pocket on the outside, that I use for small accumulated trash or storing my dishcloth to dry, and my sunglasses stay on it via a small loop for this purpose.
Great for size and stability but would definitely recommend the non-zip version, as this will likely be the first zipper in my setup to go.
I use this for grocery shopping before I pack items onto the bike (or into the backpack if I'm desparate for space).
No down, just the sheet - if I need head warmth, I use my beanie for first layer, and down jacket for second.
Second buy after my first ones turned rusty, so I specifically sought out stainless steel. Surprisingly great for the price.
After desperately cycling around hours before a flight to find a bike shop on a Sunday that could loosen off my pedals for me, I know I can't rely on a multitool or ratchet alone for removing pedals!
As handy as a ratchet is for quick bike dis/assembly, I have had one break in the field before. So unfortunately I consider a backup hex set a requirement if touring with a ratchet.
I go back and forth between this one and the Leatherman - the Leatherman has a very superior pliers and wire cutter, but I've needed to buy a cheap hacksaw three times on the trip now for some bike fixes, which were then too bulky to take with me and super wasteful, so I bought this for the included metal saw.
1-2 screws and bolts for everything I have on the bike.
I require a -very- precise bike fit - the difference of a few mm is the difference between me having no issues, and needing to ride the bike out of the middle of nowhere by using one leg and/or pushing. Therefore, I know keep a tape measure handy to ensure that my seat position is within my narrow range of tolerance!
Used as a spare water bottle, but amazing for getting tubeless tires seated when I really need it. In Salsa bottle cage on fork.
Strapped to top of handlebar bag. I prefer the Helinox Chair Zero Ground for comfort, but like this one for its versatility and because it's so much quicker to deploy (and therefore actually gets used more).
I use it for kneeling on while doing stretches, as a quick sit pad, as a protection to put my panniers on in the vestibule, and even in the tent to use my laptop sitting up!
In right side pocket of my handlebar bag.
Worth the weight to me, for the amazing auto focus and image stabilization compared to my older Fuji camera.
I previously lugged around a decently light 35mm prime for my 'night lens' as well, but decided I wasn't using it enough to justify the extra weight, and sent it home.
Body only, controller in frame bag.
Mounted on Sony A7IV, goes in hip pack when off the bike.
Rolled up empty, for hike-a-bike and off-bike day trips.. Contains:
In right side pocket of my handlebar bag.
In left side pocket of my handlebar bag.
In right side pocket of my handlebar bag.
I use this for grocery shopping before I pack items onto the bike (or into the backpack if I'm desparate for space).. Contains:
Although they make me look like a total redneck, I have not found anything that combines polarized lenses with such a tight wraparound, for a goggle-like fit that prevents watering, irritated eyes in windy conditions.
Although it's road cycling advice to avoid polarized lenses when cycling, so that you can better see into cars to make eye contact with drivers, in practice I find that riding at dusk or dawn into the sun and actually being able to see anything is safer on balance than the potentially missed eye contact, which I haven't noticed yet. So I definitely prefer polarized lenses outside of the scope of a day ride on an all-conditions tour.
I hang them off the side of a feed bag loop and keep their soft pouch in my handlebar loop bag.
Used for cooking as it's much nicer to handle than a pocketknife or multitool, plus you're not getting food on your bike tools!.
I go back and forth between this one and the Leatherman - the Leatherman has a very superior pliers and wire cutter, but I've needed to buy a cheap hacksaw three times on the trip now for some bike fixes, which were then too bulky to take with me and super wasteful, so I bought this for the included metal saw.
I require a -very- precise bike fit - the difference of a few mm is the difference between me having no issues, and needing to ride the bike out of the middle of nowhere by using one leg and/or pushing. Therefore, I know keep a tape measure handy to ensure that my seat position is within my narrow range of tolerance!
I shipped home the heavy charging case and instead use a small dock I bought to charge the mics (the receiver will charge through USB-C.)
The soft case it came in now also does duty to hold my essentials for extended computer work.
Contains: Various Anti-malarial, Dramamine, Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Azithromycin, Anti-diarrhea, Loratadine, Tums, Bandaids
Contains: Platypus QuickDraw Ultralight, CNOC Vecto 2L, Hydrapak Seeker 2L, Belkin BoostCharge Pro 20K, Baseus 100W USB-C Cable
I have learnt not to use hard-sided organizers/pouches for anything on the bike, because every one takes up a little extra space that can't be filled, and so they add up.
This is the one exception I make, since it goes right at the bottom of my frame bag, preventing gear from ballooning out there and providing a safe arc for my pedals.. Contains: Various Spare Screws and Bolts
Contains: Topeak Tire Lever (from Ratchet Rocket), Generic Backup Hex Key Set, Generic 8mm Hex Key, Channellock Small Channel Lock, Shimano Brake Cable, Shimano Gear Cable, Generic Work Gloves, Park Tool Bottom Bracket Tool
Contains: TheTentLab The Deuce #2, Steve Hogg In-Shoe Forefoot Wedges, Steve Hogg Heel Wedges, Generic Toilet Paper, Generic Wet Wipes
Contains: DJI Mic Mini Transmitter (Spare), DJI Mic Mini Receiver, Road Warrior Universal Travel Plug Adapter, Anker Nano 70W 3-Port, DJI Mini 4 Pro Propellers (spare set), Sony Body Lens Cap + Rear Lens Cap, Xiwai USB-C to HDMI Adapter
Contains: Suri 2.0 Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush, Suprent Beard Trimmer, Tweezerman Slant Tweezer, Mr. Green Nail Clipper, Kent Pocket Comb, Matador FlatPak Soap Bar Case, Dr. Bronner's Bar Soap
Keep these things in the bottom of my sleeping bag liner, and I -still- need them in addition with thick wool socks to defrost my feet on cold nights!
In this situation, I'll additionally heat up water and putting it in the milKit metal water bottle, to keep things toasty down there.
Contains: Devold Breeze Merino 150 Boxer, Devold Breeze Merino 150 Boxer, Uniqlo AIRism Boxer Briefs, Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Socks (spare), Montbell Wickron Dry Touch Long Sleeve Shirt
No down, just the sheet - if I need head warmth, I use my beanie for first layer, and down jacket for second.
Contains: Flextail Zero Pump, Kimkoo Sleep Mask, Mighty Plugs Pure Beeswax Ear Plugs
6 items, 22.34kg total
I replaced a Soma Wolverine frame with this, after finding the XL Soma too flexy under load. The Prospector handles heavy touring weight without any issue.
9 items, 5.78kg total
Strapped to top of handlebar bag. I prefer the Helinox Chair Zero Ground for comfort, but like this one for its versatility and because it's so much quicker to deploy (and therefore actually gets used more).
I use it for kneeling on while doing stretches, as a quick sit pad, as a protection to put my panniers on in the vestibule, and even in the tent to use my laptop sitting up!
Worth the weight to me, for the amazing auto focus and image stabilization compared to my older Fuji camera.
I previously lugged around a decently light 35mm prime for my 'night lens' as well, but decided I wasn't using it enough to justify the extra weight, and sent it home.
Mounted on Sony A7IV, goes in hip pack when off the bike.
Rolled up empty, for hike-a-bike and off-bike day trips.
42 items, 9.6kg total
Ball head stored in stem bag, legs strapped to handlebars.
Reserved for carrying food.
In right side pocket of my handlebar bag.
I love this bag, finding it far more weatherproof in practice than my previous Tribulus Endover, due to it using waxed cotton, versus the Tribulus employing waterproof Xpac but with untaped seams that in practice led to puddles in my bag after being caught in a short downpour.
However it's not really designed for Jones bars, so as you can see it's mounted almost horizontally currently, making it not much good for storing anything but my tent and single large bulky items.
I've tried it with a lightweight bag rack (Nitto M18), but it wasn't tall enough to reach it on my XL frame, and it's far more stable anyway if directly triangulated to the head tube.
In the future I might give up on the 'weight saving' of no front rack, since I have these custom items adding weight around it anyway, and just return to my Tumbleweed T-rack plus some light small pannier bags.
In left side pocket of my handlebar bag.
Very expensive but love them. The harness system means no rattle, and being able to remove the soft-sided bags from the harnesses means you can throw them in the tent without worrying about sharp edges.
Body only, controller in frame bag.
No down, just the sheet - if I need head warmth, I use my beanie for first layer, and down jacket for second.
I go back and forth between this one and the Leatherman - the Leatherman has a very superior pliers and wire cutter, but I've needed to buy a cheap hacksaw three times on the trip now for some bike fixes, which were then too bulky to take with me and super wasteful, so I bought this for the included metal saw.
Mounted on Peak Design handlebar mount via GoPro extension arm. Goes in hip pack when off the bike
Great for size and stability but would definitely recommend the non-zip version, as this will likely be the first zipper in my setup to go.
Used as a spare water bottle, but amazing for getting tubeless tires seated when I really need it. In Salsa bottle cage on fork.
This thing is huge for a stem bag! I can fit not just my water bottle, but sunscreen, my clickstand, insta action stick, and a collapsible shopping bag underneath the bottle.
I have learnt not to use hard-sided organizers/pouches for anything on the bike, because every one takes up a little extra space that can't be filled, and so they add up.
This is the one exception I make, since it goes right at the bottom of my frame bag, preventing gear from ballooning out there and providing a safe arc for my pedals.
In right side pocket of my handlebar bag.
I would switch this smaller bag over for a second Roadrunner bag to carry more, but for the versatile features on this - I like the stretchy mesh pocket on the outside, that I use for small accumulated trash or storing my dishcloth to dry, and my sunglasses stay on it via a small loop for this purpose.
65 items, 3.34kg total
I use this as the 'glove box'; it contains my light, heavy, and rain/wind gloves.
Mounted on right side with Decathlon out front mount
As handy as a ratchet is for quick bike dis/assembly, I have had one break in the field before. So unfortunately I consider a backup hex set a requirement if touring with a ratchet.
Keep these things in the bottom of my sleeping bag liner, and I -still- need them in addition with thick wool socks to defrost my feet on cold nights!
In this situation, I'll additionally heat up water and putting it in the milKit metal water bottle, to keep things toasty down there.
After desperately cycling around hours before a flight to find a bike shop on a Sunday that could loosen off my pedals for me, I know I can't rely on a multitool or ratchet alone for removing pedals!
1-2 screws and bolts for everything I have on the bike.
Second buy after my first ones turned rusty, so I specifically sought out stainless steel. Surprisingly great for the price.
I use this for grocery shopping before I pack items onto the bike (or into the backpack if I'm desparate for space).
Used for cooking as it's much nicer to handle than a pocketknife or multitool, plus you're not getting food on your bike tools!.
Although they make me look like a total redneck, I have not found anything that combines polarized lenses with such a tight wraparound, for a goggle-like fit that prevents watering, irritated eyes in windy conditions.
Although it's road cycling advice to avoid polarized lenses when cycling, so that you can better see into cars to make eye contact with drivers, in practice I find that riding at dusk or dawn into the sun and actually being able to see anything is safer on balance than the potentially missed eye contact, which I haven't noticed yet. So I definitely prefer polarized lenses outside of the scope of a day ride on an all-conditions tour.
I hang them off the side of a feed bag loop and keep their soft pouch in my handlebar loop bag.
I require a -very- precise bike fit - the difference of a few mm is the difference between me having no issues, and needing to ride the bike out of the middle of nowhere by using one leg and/or pushing. Therefore, I know keep a tape measure handy to ensure that my seat position is within my narrow range of tolerance!
I shipped home the heavy charging case and instead use a small dock I bought to charge the mics (the receiver will charge through USB-C.)
The soft case it came in now also does duty to hold my essentials for extended computer work.
I shipped home the heavy charging case and instead use a small dock I bought to charge the mics (the receiver will charge through USB-C.)
The soft case it came in now also does duty to hold my essentials for extended computer work.
I shipped home the heavy charging case and instead use a small dock I bought to charge the mics (the receiver will charge through USB-C.)
The soft case it came in now also does duty to hold my essentials for extended computer work.
17 items
I can finally ride a bike without pain, due to no less than 5 separate pieces of hardward in my right shoe...the topic for another post.
For watching movies in hotels!
Bike: 22.61kg Luggage + gear: 18.44kg Total: 41.05kg
The ‘bell
You might notice a lot of Montbell in my clothing!
If you’re in the US and buy from the Montbell Japan website, you already get far cheaper prices than from the US site, but if you buy in a physical store in Japan, and get a further 10% off tax as a tourist, you pay literally half the price of the same bought in the US…
Therefore, I basically went all-in while touring Japan in 2025, upgrading my clothing to mostly wool and other technical fabrics.
This has led to me now apparently being some kind of unendorsed Montbell rep…(wanna sponsor me, Montbell?).
Things I used to carry
Items I’ve retired from my kit, shown with their weights so you can see how much I’ve shed over time.
Total weight saved: 6.7kg
