Long-term packing?

[gairym]

Does anyone that spread their packing, fettling, kit decisions, route choices and everything else over a nice long period of time prior to leaving for a trip or is it just me???

I think it's all part of the anticipation being half the fun thing as I do get a lot of satisfaction from going over and over certain elements of any given trip and very much enjoy selecting the right 'this' for the terrain or the more suitable 'that' for this time of year etc...

Anyone? Or do you lot just wake up early, throw some crap in a bag and set off....?

[Asposium]

planning is part of the adventure; whether the route in Garmin Basecamp, or kit in Excel.

Mrs rolls her eyes at me.

[Cheeky Monkey]

I'm hoping to join John on this packraft trip in the Lakes in a couple of weeks.

I've already spread my kit out on the garage floor. Partly because it's walking and paddling and his route has some stiff climbs in it and I want to get the weight right, right down (and not being that fit). However, also it's walking / bivy / paddle gear (rather than just for ride and bivy) plus food for 3 days / 2 nights with no resupply.

It'll be reet

[PaulB2]

A couple of times now I've drawn up a kit list for a trip and worked out what each bag is meant to hold, everything planned out to the gram. Both times, the evening before the trip I finally got the chance to actually pack, couldn't find the list and ended up throwing random stuff in bags. When I compare the two approaches I think I'm much better at TLS on paper.

[RIP]

Nah. Wash n Go.

But I probably would if I was going for a month. Maybe.

A few years ago, I realised I had a couple of days spare. Half an hour, maybe an hour, later, packed, I rode down to the station and asked Eileen in the ticket office where was cheap to get to at the moment. She said "why not Macclesfield?" so off I went. February it was. Bloody freezing. Saw lots of cars in ditches near Cat n Fiddle. Had a great time though and didn't die. Didn't meet the Macc Lads either though.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I dislike packing (and unpacking) and generally put it off right until the last minute. As Lu says, "jobs left until the last minute, only take a minute".

[RIP]

As Lu says, "jobs left until the last minute, only take a minute".

That's good that one. Squirrelled.

[rudedog]

I always have the intention of getting everything sorted well in advance but always seem to end up leaving it to the night before

[RIP]

I suppose the main thing to remember is not to leave the packing until after you've left.

[gairym]

I always have the intention of getting everything sorted well in advance but always seem to end up leaving it to the night before

That happens quite a lot too.

I often plan to plan, vaguely do things in a plan like manner in advance and then change everything at the last minute and wing it.

This time though it's all been very nicely thought through (due more to fitness limitations maybe?) and so pretty much all the boxes have been ticked.

New chain and brake/gear cables. New pads. Lubed everything that needs lubing. Tubeless fluid topped up. New toolkit additions.

Feels good.

[fatbikephil]

Last minute for me. Whenever I pack a day or two in advance the weather always changes so I have to tear everything off and start again. Doing BAM means it's easy enough to throw stuff into bags in a few minutes as I generally leave it lying around between trips.

[Cheeky Monkey]

My more typical approach is to throw everything I "might" want in a pile. Then just before I sort through it and chuck out as much of the "nice to have" and "packing my fears" stuff and then ram it into bags.

All the laying out of gear for John's trip has done so far is remind me all the gear I really need is somewhere else than at home

[Lazarus]

I would say 80-90%of my kit is just coming every trip tent, air bed, water filter,, tools, 1st aid etc and the only things that really change are
1. how much food i am going to set of with
2. Do i want a warm coat
3. How much do I need waterproofs - answer yes if multi day no if over nighter [ unless raining at the start of 100% guaranteed
4/ Do i want a stove and if so which set up- almost always the soto windmaster gas stove with a 400ml mug if i bother - occasionally a meths stove if going very light/not that bothered about cooking
I doubt anything other than that really changes from trip to trip or bike to bike

Winter kit is much bigger as bigger bag and mat and i usually have a frame bag for winter rides but its still basically the same

I dont race /do it as fast as i can and i guess if i did it would be harder to work out how minimalist /risky I would go

[jameso]

I tend to have a much better trip when I don't try to sort everything in the 24hrs before leaving!

Time away is valuable, worth planning/ packing and servicing ahead if you can.
Or, wing it last min because the forecast looks good or you feel like it or an offer to tag along comes up etc, and the stuff I inevitably forget just makes it a learning experience

[rivers]

I spend a good few weeks working through my packing list and kit configuration before a trip. And then go for several test rides- it's always fun doing an extended commute home on a loaded bike.

[thenorthwind]

I'm another last minute, or hopefully last few hours, packer. I try to leave enough time that it's not a massive rush (not often successfully) but if I did it in advance I'd just end up changing my mind several times.

While I never take exactly the same kit due to different bikes, conditions, length of trips, resupply opportunities, and just general approach/feeling, I've done enough that my approach to packing is fairly consistent in terms of what goes where, and there are some things that come on all or almost all trips.

[Linkpin]

I use a standard handwritten list for my bivvy kit and just follow it so I can generally pack ten mins before leaving for an overnighter. I have one for cold weather and one for warmer nights and the gear mostly all lives in one box for ease.

For longer trips, or those including children, I generally write a list well in advance and add to it in the days leading up to it, then run out of time to pack without rushing and run around collecting everything on my list and loading it onto bikes at the last moment and grumping at anyone who slows me down.

[godivatrailrider]

I use a standard handwritten list for my bivvy kit and just follow it so I can generally pack ten mins before leaving for an overnighter. I have one for cold weather and one for warmer nights and the gear mostly all lives in one box for ease.

For longer trips, or those including children, I generally write a list well in advance and add to it in the days leading up to it, then run out of time to pack without rushing and run around collecting everything on my list and loading it onto bikes at the last moment and grumping at anyone who slows me down.

Similar here too. I still swear by Filofax's ( I have 2 ) and I have several old handwritten packing lists , one for WRT, one for overnighter etc. Most of my stuff is pretty standard, goes on all trips. I know where most of lives on the bike so that's easy. I do tend to start packing a few days before, getting the bike fettled, fitting the bags.... but then repeatedly run through the list, tent, packed tick, something to sleep on ...tick... sleeping bag, tick etc..

[whitestone]

Things like tools and spares live on the bike (each bike has its own set) so no need to have to think about those.

Summer kit (quilt, mat, sleeping clothes, stove and the like) is pretty standard, usually the only decision is between tarp/bivy bag and tent. Packing is just stuff that has to stay dry at one end and stuff that can cope with damp at the other.

Food and consumables either get packed wherever there’s room or if there’s a lot then fit the frame bag.