How To Pack Your Panniers
November 19, 2007 by Darren Alff
I get a lot of questions from prospective bicycle tourists who ask how to go about packing their panniers for a bicycle tour. This seems like a simple question, but there is actually a lot that goes into packing your bike for a tour.
That being said, I can’t cover everything in just one post. So I’ve broken down this question of how to go about packing your bike, by breaking the question into three different sections.
1). How to pack your handlebar bag
2). How to pack your panniers
3). How to pack your bicycle
I’ve put together a little video where I show you exactly what I carry inside panniers and I give you some tips on how to pack your bags so nothing ever gets lost and you have more than enough room for everything you will need on your tour. Below the video, I have listed the contents of each and every one of my panniers and given details for why I bring these particular items with me.
Here’s a List of Everything I Carry In My Panniers:
Panniers - I have a set of Lone Peak panniers (made in Salt Lake City, UT) and I have used these panniers on my last four tours. They’ve been through a lot, but they look practically brand new. I have P-500’s on the back of my bike, P-100’s on the front, and the H-100 Alta Handlebar Bag. If you are looking for a set of panniers, I would highly recommend them.
Sunglasses (in a hard case) - Most cyclists see sunglasses as an essential piece of gear. I don’t wear my glasses as much as I should (mainly because I think I look funny with glasses on), but I won’t hesitate to wear my glasses if it gets real bright, or if I happen to enter a field full of dragonflies or other flying insects.
Stove and Fuel Canister - There are a number of different stoves you can use on your bike trip. Depending on where you are going and how long you plan to be out on the road, the type of stove you use will vary. Click here to read my report on the correct stove to select for your tour.
Fork and Spoon - If you plan to cook your own meals while out on the road, you’re going to need some eating utensils. I bring a lightweight fork and knife and wrap them in a handkerchief and put a rubber band or two around them so that they don’t rattle inside my bags.
Battery Chargers - If you’re bringing your cell phone, iPod
Food - Don’t pack your bags to the gills and then forget about the fact that you don’t have any food packed yet! You need to leave plenty of room inside your bags for food. On any given day, I have enough food in my bags to last me between 2-4 days. I usually purchase a large amount of oatmeal and that alone can feed me for a week or more if needed.
Cook Pot - If you’re going to be cooking your own food while out on the road, you’ll need to bring along a pot to cook everything in. I recommend bringing a medium sized pot and nothing more. You don’t need three different pots to cook in and you don’t need to bring something that holds ten gallons of water. You just need a pot that is big enough to cook a good-sized meal. A good thing to do before you leave on your tour is to start cooking out of your pot before you leave home. This will give you an idea of what it will be like out on the road and will tell you whether you need a bigger pot, or whether you can afford to use a smaller one. The smaller the better! I use the Coleman Exponent cook set
Lighter/Matches - You’ll also need to bring some matches or a lighter with you if you are going to be doing any cooking. I recommend bringing a few waterproof matches as well, just in case you encounter a terrible storm that soaks your bags and you want to get a fire started to stay warm or cook your dinner.
Sleeping Bag - What type of sleeping bag to bring on tour with you is going to depend on where you are headed and what part of the year you will be traveling there. I have two main sleeping bags that I have brought on tour with me. The first is a Coleman Canyon and it is my summer bag. It is very small and very thin, but is all you need when traveling during the summer months in most areas. The other sleeping bag I have is a North Face Cat’s Meow
Bike Lock - Selecting the right bike lock is very important. I use a lock similar to the OnGuard Doberman 5029 Bicycle Coil Cable Lock
Extra Tubes - If you get a flat tire while out on the road, you’ll want to have some extra tubes on hand. I don’t even try to patch flat tires. I just throw the tube out and put a new one in. You have enough to worry about when you’re riding. Don’t worry about whether or not your patch job is working. Just put in a new tube! It’s a good idea to bring along a patch kit just in case, but it’s an even better idea to have enough spare tubes that you never have to use the patch kit at all.
Tent - Selecting your tent is very important… as your tent is your home on the road. If you are riding alone, a one or two person tent is all you need. If you’re riding with a loved one or a friend and you’ll be sharing a tent, a two or three person tent is what you want to look for. I have a MSR Zoid 2 Two-Person Fast & Light Tent
Bike Pump - You’ll want a good bike pump for your tour. I like to use the slightly larger Topeak Harpoon S2 Master Blaster Bike Pump
Tire Levers - These plastic tire-changing tools are crucial for changing your tire in record time. They usually come in sets of three, but I’ve found that only two are needed most of the time.
Leatherman - The Leatherman
Bicycle Multi Tool - Unlike a Leatherman, a multi tool
Chain Lube - There are a number of different chain lubes to choose from as well. Some are for riding in dry weather. Some are for moist humid areas. Ask your local bike shop which is best for your tour. Whatever type you decide to use, be sure not to leave home without it!
Bungee Cord - I usually bring along an extra bungee cord in the event that I want to tie down something to the back of my bike… or if one of the bungees I’m already using to tie things down happens to break. I typically have three bungee cords on me at the start of a tour. I will often times ditch one of them somewhere along the way.
Toiletry Kit - I like to keep all of my toiletries inside one bag. I don’t use a Ziploc bag as these can break and tear. Instead, I use the Eagle Creek Wallaby II
Clothes and Underwear - The last thing I bring with me on my long distance bicycle rides are my clothes. What you decide to bring with you is up to you, but here is a list of everything that I typically take with me: (watch the video above for more information)
1 Warm Jacket
1 Pair of Jeans
1 Rain Jacket
1 Pair of Rain Pants
2 T-Shirts
3 Pairs of Underwear
1 Pair of Arm Warmers
3 Pairs of Riding Socks
1 Pair of Warmer Socks
1 Long Sleeved Shirt (to sleep in)
1 Pair of Sweat Pants (to sleep in)
1 Pair of Riding Gloves
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I don’t think I could ever prepare myself for my trip without your help. Every time I talk to you or go on your website I learn something new. Thanks for everything.
I’ve recently come across your website and think it’s pretty darn good. The videos will be especially helpful to those new to touring. After viewing your videos, I had a couple questions for you.
I see you don’t line your panniers with plastic bags or put any clothing in plastic bags. How do you keep things dry in the rain? I have Lone Peak front panniers and without plastic bags, items inside would have gotten wet.
Where do you store the second pair of shoes? In a pannier or just stored in a waterproof bag and lashed to the rack.
Where are your tent poles? Are they short enough to put in the tent roll or do you put them in your sleeping pad bag?
You can get a smaller sleeping pad that could fit in your panniers. There are many on the market but I have found Big Agnes Air Core to be very comfortable.
Last question. I didn’t see that you brought an extra set or two of cycling shorts and jerseys. Do you rely on washing and drying one pair everyday? That would seem a little difficult to depend on.
Overall nice job on the website. Looking forward to any new additions.
1). I do not use any sort of plastic bags to keep my panniers dry in rainy weather. I know others use trash bags or plastic bags to keep their things dry, but I’ve found this to be a complete waste of energy. Often times the bags end up ripping or getting caught in zippers and tearing, so I just don’t use them. Most of the time my clothes are simply stuffed into my panniers and the panniers themselves do a pretty good job of keeping everything dry. When the weather gets really bad though, I have a lightweight Sea To Summit Stuff Sack that I put my most important clothes into. I know I talk about it in at least one of my videos. I usually have the clothes I sleep in stuffed in this bag. Then, at night, I stuff the sack with my other clothes and use the sack as a pillow. In most cases though, I’ve found that my Lone Peak panniers do a pretty good job of keeping my clothes dry.
2). I’ve only brought a second pair of shoes with me on one tour. On this tour I put each shoe is a separate Sea To Summit Stuff Sack and bungeed the two shoes onto the back of my bike. I figured that if the shoes got wet it wouldn’t be the end of the world, so I wasn’t too concerned about making space for them inside my panniers. If I had to choose between dry shoes and a dry sleeping bag or dry clothes, the clothes and sleeping bag always win, so the shoes go on the outside.
3). My tent poles are short enough that they fit inside my tent bag and inside my rear pannier. There is no need to store the tent poles in a separate bag or inside of my sleeping role. The MSR Zoid that I have is perfect for one person on a bike tour - even though it is marketed as a two person tent. (The extra space is perfect for storing all your gear inside the tent at night)
4). I’ve wanted to get a smaller sleeping mat for some time. I am a tall guy (6’1”), so I like the length of my current sleeping mat, but it definitely could be skinnier. This would save me a lot of weight. I will look into the Big Agnes Air Core that you have recommended. I just wish I could try it before I bought it.
5). Finally, I don’t carry two separate jerseys and/or bike shorts. I wear the same pair day after day! That sounds horrible, doesn’t it? On my first tour I had multiple jerseys and found these clothes to be a huge waste of space. Now I use the same clothes day after day and do my best to clean out my gear as best I can while I ride. It sounds gross to wear the same clothes day after day, but having two pairs to switch between isn’t a whole lot better. Instead, I have found a great jersey that does a fantastic job of keeping me ventilated and keeping my bags from smelling like a decaying sack of potatoes. Usually, my riding clothes are even cleaner that the clothes I use to walk around camp/town. It’s strange how that works!
Greetings. I like your site and enjoyed listening to your views and recommendations. However, as a courtesy to new tourers, who would likely benefit most from your site, I recommend that you stipulate more clearly that there are other ways of doing things that are equally valid; your preferences are what work for you. As long as you explain the reasons behind your choices, you’re okay. For instance, your choice to only bring one jersey and one pair of shorts. You clearly stated your reasons for this choice, but didn’t say that the vast majority of tourers make a different choice. Likewise, your choice to not use rain covers or plastic bags in your panniers - most tourers I’ve talked to would make a different choice. However, don’t get me wrong - I like your site and the way you explain things. You’ve given everything a lot of thought, and it’s important that a new tourer understand the importance of planning and paying attention to the details.
Gordon. Thank you for your comment. I completely understand your point and I mention this numerous places on the website, but there are indeed multiple ways to conduct a bicycle tour. I never want to give off the impression that the things I suggest on this site are the only way to go about conducting a tour. The ideas, equipment, and strategies that I am suggesting on this site are things that have worked for me in the past and continue to work for me now.
Over the past seven years I have received hundreds of emails, letters and phone calls from people looking to conduct a bicycle tour for themselves… and in each of these emails, letters and phone calls, the people asked me about specifically what “I” do on my tours. For this reason, I created this site to answer this question. And for this reason, I am going to always say what I do first, and then talk about what other people do. I talk about what I know best and then am open to suggestions, comments, questions, debate, etc.
I understand that there are unlimited amounts of ways to tour by bike, but I am simply sharing my successful strategies with others. Whether they take that information and use it or not is completely up to them.
Which Lone Peak panniers do you use on your trips? Also, did you consider using a trailer instead of panniers?
My rear panniers are the Lone Peak P-500 Panniers and my front panniers are the Lone Peak P-100 Panniers. I also have the Lone Peak H-100 Handle Bar Bag. I would recommend all of these products. Mine are more than four years old and look like they are practically brand new. They hold up wonderfully!
As far as using a trailer instead of panniers, let me give you my thoughts.
First of all, there is a lot of debate amongst bicycle tourists about the use of panniers vs. the use of a trailer. There are benefits and drawbacks to each method, but I developed this site to let others know what equipment I use and the way I like to travel, so with that said, let me explain why I like to use panniers when I travel by bike.
First of all, when I did my first tour at the age of seventeen, I didn’t know anything about bicycle touring, but I was fortunate enough to have an uncle who had just returned from a long distance bicycle tour through Ireland. He used a mountain bike and pannier set up, so when I started talking to him about doing a tour of my own, he gave me his old panniers to use on my ride. So I took the gear I had available to me (panniers) and used it. At the time, I wasn’t really aware of being able to haul your gear in a trailer. I didn’t know that there were special trailers made for long distance bicycle tours. Now I know better of course, but at the time, panniers were the only things I knew… so that’s what I used.
At first panniers might seem like the worst choice because it can be difficult to control the bike with all that weight up on the front tire, but after a short while, you get used to the feel and the ride becomes quite enjoyable.
After my first tour I really got addicted to panniers and I’m still addicted to them now. I love the feel of riding with a fully loaded bike. It’s really difficult to explain, but I almost feel naked when I don’t have those panniers on my bike. After seven years of riding a fully loaded (with panniers) touring bike I think you can understand that riding with anything but panniers might feel strange.
With that said, I believe that no matter what you decide to use (a set of panniers or a trailer), the choice is inevitably up to you. It really is a matter of personal preference. Whatever you decide to use is fine!
Here are some other reasons I like panniers more than trailers. Once again, I don’t want to overly discourage you from using a trailer (because trailers do have their purposes), but I want to give you the reasons as to why I love riding with panniers.
First of all, if you are planning a tour that is on paved roads, then having a trailer might be unnecessary. I tend to think that panniers are better for road tours and trailers are better for off-road tours. If you are riding on small, single-track dirt trails, then getting a trailer like the Bob Yak, Bob Ibex or Burley Nomad (with optional cargo rack) is likely your best bet.
I plan to do the Great Divide Bicycle Route at some point in the near future, and as this is primarily an off-road tour, I plan to use a full suspension mountain bike with a trailer like the Bob Ibex.
Another reason I like panniers is because with four different bags to keep all my gear in, it is easy to keep everything in its place and know where things are when I am out on the road. There is a certain advantage to being able to throw all your things into one big bag (as you do with trailers), but I like the compartmentalization that panniers offer. Using panniers help me to keep everything in its place and ensure that nothing gets lost!
Riding with panniers also allows me to easily take the gear off my bike and ride without the extra weight (if I so chose). I will often times ride without the panniers when I am in a big city and exploring for the day. I can leave the panniers in my tent or in my hotel room and stroll about on my bike without having to unhitch a trailer (or even worse, carry a trailer around with me all day).
Riding with panniers also makes your bike more compact. A trailer makes the length of your bike almost twice as long as it is normally. The length of your bike when riding with a trailer is usually not going to be a problem, but in some situations, riding with an extended trailer could be dangerous to you as a rider. The last thing I want when I’m out on the road is to get hurt, and I feel panniers add to my security when out on the roadl.
Finally, a trailer also adds one more wheel of resistance to your bike. Instead of having two wheels touching the ground, you now have three! This can make riding a little more difficult and gives you the potential of having just one more tire that can go flat or give your problems while you’re out on the road. And finding a spare tube or tire for your trailer can be tricky when you’re out in the middle of no-place.
So I think that just about covers it. Again, I want to say that I prefer panniers, but do believe that trailers have their place. Whether you decide to use panniers or a trailer, the choice is up to you! Whatever decidion you make is fine. What’s most important is that you have fun and stay safe when you’re out on the road.
I was surprised to see you promoting taking more than one spare inner tube… isn’t it soooo much easier to patch the tube at the end of that day than carry extra spares…. it takes me less than 5 minutes to patch a tire these days, and that’s got to be worth losing the weight and space of extra spare tubes. Nice site, btw… looking forward to you getting more articles!
I have a few reasons for carrying more than one tube on my bike trips.
First of all, the amount of tubes I carry depends on the distance and remoteness of my tour. I like to be as self-dependent as I possibly can when I’m on tour, so having multiple spare tubes is a part of that dependence for me. I like to know that I have a couple spares if I do get into a bad situation. Plus I have my patch kit on me as well if I really get into trouble and need to repair the tubes that I do have on hand.
Secondly, I hate patching tubes! It’s simply no fun! Rather than patching a damaged tube, I would much rather pull out a brand new tube and ride off a few minutes later in confidence.
Which brings me to my third point – which is confidence! Riding with a patched tire stresses me out! After patching a tube I am constantly worrying about my bike. I’m looking down and checking the pressure in my tires all the time. Riding on a patched tire just gives me one more thing to worry about. I have enough to worry about when I’m out riding, so worrying about my patch job while riding is not another thing I want to add to my list of worries.
Finally, I think you should try to have your bike and your gear in the best condition it can be while you are out on the road… and in terms of tubes, that means riding on a brand new tube… not a tube that has been patched up one or more times. In my mind, riding on a patched tire is like riding at less than 100%. While a good patch job may not actually drop the performance of your bike in any way, I see riding with a patched tire as a last resort - not a first choice.
So those are a few of my reasons for carrying two spare tubes on my tours. I know that others will disagree with me about this strategy, but this is a strategy I like to use and I’m going to stick with it until I find something that works better.
Thanks for the response. I must say you travel light. Most of us bring a few more luxuries but as you know us tourers are a particular bunch. By the way, I’m 6’2” and the Air Core works just great. The only down side is you need to blow it up. Some people don’t care for that but I don’t find it a problem. I tend to have plenty of time in camp to blow it up and the air mattress is very comfortable. It also deflates quickly. I picked up a brand new one for a great price on eBay! Keep Riding!
I have been wondering about this: which synthetic fabrics are worse, and which are better in relation to the “odiferousness” problem? ["Instead, I have found a great jersey that does a fantastic job of keeping me ventilated and keeping my bags from smelling like..."] I noticed those jerseys in one of the videos. Do you know what the materials are? The cycling jersey that you showed (and mentioned as being not so great in this department) — what material is that one made from? Thanks for the great videos and text! ***** [BTW I take it as understood that these are the things that work for you, not the only way.... (This is said with no disrespect for those who might see it differently -- human beings are a diverse lot, after all)]
Niles, to answer your question, I am not 100% sure what the two jerseys I use most are made of. I ripped the tags out of the jerseys a long time ago. My guess though is that they are both made out of polyester.
I just recently purchased a new Fox Racing Jersey that I plan to tour with and it says it is 100% polyester.
Like I said in my video, the reason I like the Fox Racing jerseys for touring is that they are not form fitting to your body and therefore do not pick up as much sweat as the typical bicycle jersey you see most people wearing when they are out on a bike.
I still wear regular jerseys when I am riding my racing bike around town, but I would never wear a tight fitting jersey on a bike tour.
The main reason I would never wear a tight fitting jersey on a tour is because it can begin to smell after a very short time. The second reason for wearing a looser jersey is that when you get off the bike, you don’t necessarily look like a bicyclist (which in my opinion, is a good thing).
I’m not an expert in fabrics, so I’ll have to do more research on this. What I can say though is that you want to get something that breathes, something that won’t stink after a day or two in the saddle, and something that you feel comfortable wearing.
I think North Face has discontinued the Cats Meow sleeping bag at this time.
A few of other essentials I always carry when I’m on the road: 1) On tours, I’ll take a long piece of nylon cord to be used as a clothesline and several clothes pins. At hotels you can usually string it up outdoors for things to dry faster. 2) Fingernail clipper, for the obvious, but also the clipper is great for removing thorns and truck retread wires out of your tires. 3) Swiss Army knife with an awl. The awl is great for digging glass out of tires. The tweezers on the knife aren’t strong enough to pull out thorns, goat heads, etc. from tires, hence the nail clipper. My Swiss Army Knife is a little less weighty and fits in smaller spaces than your Leatherman. Don’t have this rescue tool yet, but it’s on my “wish list” (Swiss Army Rescue Tool ) 4) I get really cold easily, especially when wet. So, I have some SealSkinz gloves and socks that really help. http://www.sealskinz.com
I was curious as to why you dont attach the bike lock and pump to your frame to save room? thx
Steffen, I have ridden with the bike pump and lock attached to my bike, but in most cases, I try and keep the pump and the lock inside one of my panniers.
The reason for this applies mainly to the bike pump. That reason being that when I go into a supermarket, post office, or other type of store, I don’t want to get anything stolen off my bike. I feel that by having the bike pump within sight of people passing by, they might be temped to quickly rip the pump off the bike and walk away. Because a bike pump is such an important part of a traveling cyclist’s gear, the last thing I want is to lose my pump.
When I was college I went into a store for less than 30 seconds and when I returned to my bike, my pump and front light had been stolen off my bike. It happened once, so I try to prevent it from happening again by keeping the pump inside my panniers at al times.
You might be thinking, “But you could just take the pump off whenever you go into a store?” And I would agree with you! My thinking though is that this constant process of putting the bike pump on the bike and then removing it later only wastes my time. You would have to do this every time you go into a store and every time you set up camp. I don’t want to have to worry about the pump every time I’m off the bike, so I keep it inside my panniers and forget about it.
As to why I choose not to keep the lock wrapped around my bicycle frame, I don’t do that anymore because I just think it looks messy. It would save space to keep the lock wrapped around the bike, but I simply don’t like the look of that, so I choose to keep the lock inside one of my panniers.
When these items are inside my bags, they’re out the way and give me yet another thing I don’t have to worry about when I’m out on the road.
What is the best way to pack your bike for a long trip? Should you use the 60/40 weight system? 60% in front or 60% in back? What is the best way to place the weight on your bike? Thanks, Brian
Using the 60/40 technique for packing you bicycle panniers is a good idea. Put 60% of the weight in the back and 40% in the front.
I don’t exactly mention this is my article/video above, but I do usually put my larger and heavier items (ie stove, tent, sleeping bag, etc) in my rear panniers… and my lighter belongings (ie clothes) in my front panniers.
Packing this way will generally keep you in the 60/40 range! Don’t worry too much about balancing out your bike, but definately keep weight in mind when packing your things.
Hope that helps!
Darren- I am leaving for a tour from Santander, Spain to Budapest, Hungary on June 23. Your site has been a great resource in helping me figure out what gear I need and how to pack it. Thanks a lot!