This is a complete packing list for my three month bicycle tour from Norway to Italy. Most of the gear was purchased from Amazon, Craigslist, REI and a few local bike shops. The items were at least midrange quality, because the last thing I wanted to be was stranded in the middle of nowhere because I didn’t spend an extra $10 on a decent bike pump.
The main challenge was preparing suitable gear for a combination of both cold and rainy Scandanavin weather, and warmer Italian weather, while still keeping it within a reasonable weight limit. Since this was my first tour, some items ended up being unnecessary and redundant, so my comments indicated this.
Total cost ~$3,000
Bicycle & Equipment
- Bike – Rei Co-op Adv 3.1 – $1,100 – This is a great midrange steel frame touring bike with Shimano components. It has flared handlebars for added stability and X’Plor tires for better grip and stability on gravel. REI has many sales throughout the year, so if you are patient it’s possible to get a 15-25% discount off the regular price.
- Panniers – Ortlieb Back Roller 5 Piece Set – $350. Hands down these were a great investment. They were waterproof and durable during heavy downpours. I purchased mine slightly used off Craigslist, but they can be found for even cheaper if you can wait for a deal.
- Dry Bag – Seal Line – $33 – This dry bag carried my camping gear (tent, air mattress, tarp).
- Headlight – Te-Rich Light – – $32 – It was waterproof, USB rechargeable, and bright enough to blind a deer at night. It came with a lightweight headlamp attachment which worked well for camping at night.
- Tail Light – Canway Light – $12 – Bright and waterproof rear light. However, the bike attachment came loose and I lost this halfway through my trip.
- Front Rack – Tubus Rack – $60 Craigslist – One of the higher quality racks, mine were found mine used online and it worked great to secure my bags without any issues.
- Rear Rack – Topeak Rack – $52 – Worked well without any issues.
- Pedals – Shimano PD-A530 – $45 – One side is clip in for bicycle shoes, and the other side is flat, so I could wear street shoes and ride around town on my day off.
- Fenders – Planet Bike – $40 – These were a must-have during the trip due to the constant downpours and mud at times. Just make sure to get the correct sizes corresponding to the correct tire and bicycle fork width.
- Phone Mount – IPhone Mount – $20 – The phone handlebar mount made it easier to listen to music and read gps directions while riding.
- Tire Liners – Mr Tuffy Liners – $17 – Great investment, and perhaps due to sheer luck or this purchase, I didn’t receive a single flat tire during my trip.
- Water bottle holders (3) – Holders – $15 – Two were used to hold my water bottles, the third held my camping fuel tank to ensure sure any fuel leaks would be outside my bicycle bags.
Electronics
- iPhone 6– Mainly for planning routes on Google maps and taking photos. This worked fine for basic photos and saved weight by not having to carry another camera.
- Power Bank – Anker Power Bank 20000mAh – $40 – This charged all my electronics (phone, GoPro batteries, lights) in lieu of bringing solar panels or installing a dyno charger. It claimed to be able to charge an IPhone 11 times. However, it added an extra pound of weight for the added luxury to use my electronics in remote areas. Unfortunately this had a tendency to lose its charge quickly when in exposed in cold weather. Also, I had to replace the first one after it stopped working the first couple weeks into my trip. Next tour I will probably purchase a smaller bank (around 8000mgz capacity) unless traveling somewhere extremely remote.
- GoPro With Mounts – Mounting Package – $14 – I only brought a few of these mounts in the package to film from some good angles while biking (chest and wrist mount, selfie stick) Thanks Tuyen and Justin!!!
- (2) Replacement GoPro batteries with charger – Wasabi Batteries/Charger – $20 – Its surprising how quickly the GoPro battery ran out, especially when transferring to my phone over WiFi. This was a great investment and they recharged easily through my power bank.
- Storage Cards (2) – MicroSD Cards 64gb – 30$ each – You can never have too many SD cards for your GoPro. I used two up and a half cards filming videos.
- SIM card – $30-40 – I bought a “top up” plan when I arrived in Norway for the month. It worked on my unlocked iPhone and gave me enough calling time. But most importantly was the data, so I didn’t have to depend on WiFi while in the mountains. Overall, cell phone service was good in Northern/Central Europe and on nearby roads while biking. And thanks to recent legislation, there’s no roaming between countries in the EU. So my Norwegian SIM card worked just as well in Germany, Switzerland, etc.
Bicycle Maintenance/Repair Tools
- Bike Repair Toolkit – Topeak Kit – $28 – This included every Allen key size for my bike and an important chain repair tool in a compact case.
- Patch Kit – Patch Kit – $4 – Because why wouldn’t you bring one?
- Bike pump – Pump – $27 – This is a midrange compact pump because the last thing I need was it breaking at the worst possible moment!
- Pedal Wrench – Sunlite Wrench – $13 – These were only brought this to install my pedals when first arriving, then I “donated” it afterwards. In hindsight, one could also get a bike shop to tighten the pedals in my starting country without having to purchase this item.
- Repair and Replacement Parts – This was a zip lock bag with at least one replacement chain link, one small clamp, one spare tube, a few zip ties, string, sewing kit, and an assortment of replacement screws. Better to have them around just in case…
- Multitool – Leatherman – The Wave – $87- This is a great multitool brought from home, the knife came in handy especially while eating to cut food.
- Rag – Used for drying dishes and ripping off a piece to wipe and grease the chain each day.
- First Aid Kit – Mine was small and included the basics. Don’t forget aspirin for sore muscles!
- Chain Lube – Epic Ride – $8 – This was a small bottle meant for wet/variable conditions.
- Bungee cords – For securing my dry bag on top of my rear rack.
- Secondary Bicycle Lock – Pacsafe Lock – $16 – I initially bought this to lock my rear bags due to my paranoia about theft. However I stopped using this a few weeks into my trip.
- Sunglasses – If I’m outside in the sun all day, why wouldn’t I wear sunglasses? Get polarized!
- Duct Tape – You never know when it’ll come in handy! Wrap a small amount around a piece of pencil or stick so you don’t need to bring the entire roll.
- Sunglasses Mirror – Mirror – $13 – These attach to sunglasses so you can see vehicles behind you. However I didn’t didn’t get into a habit of using this consistently because there were so many cloudy and rainy days during my trip.
- Map – Michelin Map – $12 – I bought a paper map of my starting area in Norway to have a backup until I figured out a good method to navigate.
Clothes
The main challenge was preparing for a combination of cold/rainy weather in Scandinavia and warmer weather when finishing in Italy. I also wanted to bring a pair of clothes when off the bike and when doing a two week road trip in Italy. So another bicycle tour could potentially include different clothing depending on the climate.
I didn’t wear any cotton material when biking due to sweat and moisture. My clothing was either a mix of polyester, wool, Lycra or fleece.
- Fleece Jacket – Warm outer layer while both biking and camping at night
- Running Shoes – One pair when off the bike hiking or walking around the city.
- Bicycle Shoes – I chose mountain biking shoes instead of regular cycling shoes. They were comfortable enough I could quickly walk into a store without always having to change shoes every time.
- T shirts Polyester (2 pair) – For while on the bike.
- T shirts Cotton (2 pair) – For wearing something half decent when off the bike, and also during my road trip in Italy.
- Bike Gloves – Gloves – $12 – While other cyclists might swear by these, I stopped using mine halfway because they didn’t keep my hands any warmer and I didn’t get blisters without them.
- Full Fingered Neoprene Gloves – These were actually kayak gloves but kept my hands warm while bicycling in cold rain.
- Mountain Bike Shorts – Fox Shorts – $60 – These work better than normal bike shorts so you can quickly walk into a store without getting weird stares from locals.
- Bike Pants – For colder weather and it was water resistant in light rain.
- Bike Liner Shorts (3 pairs) – Izumi Shorts – $30 – Three pairs were ideal to not have to do laundry so often.
- Underwear (3 pairs) – While off the bike.
- Reflective Arm Sleeves – Arm Sleeves – $30 – For the sun! – These were an impulse buy because they were on sale. Although they make you more visible, they weren’t used too often because the weather wasn’t warm enough to be biking in a T-shirt.
- Bicycle Socks (2 pair) – Izumi Socks – $15 – They made a huge difference than bicycling in normal cotton socks. One pair was made from wool for more warmth in colder weather.
- Cotten Socks – For when off the bike and walking around town.
- Sweat Pants – This was essential when camping and staying warm in my tent in colder weather.
- Jeans – I wanted a pair to look at least half decent while drinking a beer downtown in the evenings.
- Sandals – For swimming or when using campsite showers of questionable cleanliness.
- Beanie – Works great under my helmet when biking in colder weather or in my sleeping bag.
Rain Gear
- Rain Jacket – If you’re caught in a downpour for hours on end, eventually the water will seep through any rain jacket and you’ll get soaked (from personal experience). But aim for one that is somewhat breathable and offers good protection.
- Rain Pants – These worked well in rain but started disintegrating after a few weeks. Duct tape patched them up as a short term solution.
- Shoe Covers – $2 – REI Used Gear Sale for the win! Just don’t walk around in these because they will wear out quickly on concrete.
- Safety Vest – Vest – $6 – Great investment for safety. It was lightweight, and made me visible when going through tunnels or biking near heavy traffic on the highway shoulder.
Camping
- Tent – Winterial 1 Person – $100 – Compact and good budget tent. There wasn’t too much space inside, but it was waterproof and durable.
- Plastic Tarp – This extended the longevity of my tent, and also acted as a rain over.
- Inflatable Sleeping Pad – Sleeping Pad – $4 – From the REI Used Gear Sale, no issues at all.
- Sleeping Bag – Slumberjack 30 Degree Rating – $70 – It kept me warm at night and I added sweatpants the few times temperatures reached freezing. I found a good deal for this off Craigslist.
- Sleeping Bag Liner – This was thin enough and much easier to wash than my sleeping bag.
- Small Backpack – For carrying my items when walking around town and hiking.
- Inflatable Pillow – Onwego Pillow – $20 – This was much more comfortable than rolling a pile of clothes to make a pillow. The tire patch kit can also fix any holes.
Cooking
- Camping Stove and Bottle – MSR Stove & MSR Fuel Bottle – $120 – I ended up using this only the first couple of weeks to cook dinner. I was often too tired to set up, clean, and pack after a long day of cycling. The advantage of this system is it uses multiple types of fuel. I filled mine with normal unleaded gasoline at the gas station when in remote areas.
- Camping Pot Set – OUTAD Cooking – $17 – Good single person set when cooking.
- Insulated Cup/Mug – I had an ambitious vision to make coffee every morning at my campsite. Realistically, I bought coffee every morning at the first cafe and saved time dealing with my stove. Otherwise this is a great camping mug.
- Plastic Utensils – A spoon was sufficient during my trip instead of a full cutlery set.
- Spices for Cooking & Coffee – I stopped using these after the first two weeks after stopping cooking dinner.
- Water Purification Tablets – I didn’t use these too often because there were enough drinking fountains and sinks along my route to fill up my bottles with potable water.
Toiletries
- Quick Dry Towel –REI Towel – $18 – It was a love hate relationship. This dries extremely quick but doesn’t feel nearly as comfortable as a normal towel.
- Camping Soap – Biodegradable, which worked well for both showering and doing laundry.
- Wet Wipes – Because who knew if I would find a campsite shower or a cold river to jump into at the end of the day. This was a convenient but not ideal alternative.
- Toothbrush/Toothpaste – If you’re really paranoid to save weight, cut off the toothbrush handle before you go.
- Travel Insurance – World Nomads -$360 (3 months) – I’ve always bought travel insurance before going abroad and this was a bit more expensive than I expected, but I felt particularly paranoid something would be stolen during my trip. So I purchased insurance from World Nomads which gave up to $100,000 emergency accident coverage along with many benefits, plus theft coverage for all of my equipment up to $3,000, ($1,500 per article limit) if anything got stolen during my trip. Luckily I didn’t have to use it.