I prepared for BAK for months, both in terms of riding and in deciding what I needed to bring. Since this was my first tour, I really didn’t know what I was doing, but I’d been reading others tour notes and packing lists, and I finally put together my own. Here’s my list:

Camping Gear:

  • I ordered a sleeping pad mailorder, and didn’t get what I expected. The description on the web site was not real clear. I thought I was getting a self-inflating pad. but it was just foam, and didn’t roll up very small. I ended up sending it back for a refund, and driving to a local Cabella’s and purchasing their 72″ x 20″ x 1.5″ self-inflating pad (XPG Ultralight Sleeping Pad, Regular). It’s not really very self-inflating, but it’s light (1 lb. 12 oz.), packs small, and seems reasonably comfortable.
  • I had a bit of trouble deciding whether to take a sleeping bag or not. My bag is fairly light and small, but I didn’t think I needed the insulation, though the extra padding may be nice. I ended up taking two fleece blankets, a large one (72″ x 58″) and a smaller one. These are a bit lighter and less bulky than the bag. They won’t provide any additional cushioning, but are more flexible than the bag.
  • I decided to use my old dome tent. This is a very old tent, probably at least 20 to 25 years old. But it’s still functional. I set it up in the yard at home, and all seemed well. The only problem I found was that the elastic in the rainfly straps is brittle and broken, but I decided that it should still work OK. Setup seemed harder than it should be, with three rods that need to be threaded thru pockets on the outside of the tent. Perhaps a newer tent would be lighter, or easier to set up, but this one was sufficient for this trip.
  • For a pillow, I bought one of those squishy microbead pillows. It’s very formable, and reasonably light. It’s actually made with a strap on the back - intended as a travel pillow for car seats - but it serves two purposes for me. I can use it as a sleep pillow, and can also use it as a lumbar support pillow on the bike.
  • I bought an Energizer head-mount lamp for use around the campsite. It offers several modes - beam, flood, beam + flood, and red lamp. It also features an adjustable angle, and I think it will work well for reading.
  • Alarm clock (Timex travel)

Bike & Gear:

  • 1 Sun EZ-Sport recumbent bicycle (w/accessories attached)
  • 1 helmet
  • 1 eyeglass mirror
  • 1 spare 20″ tube
  • 1 spare 26″ tube
  • 1 tube patch kit
  • 1 set tire tools
  • 1 15mm pedal wrench
  • 1 bicycle toolkit (multitool, etc.)
  • 1 trash bag to cover seat at night

Clothing & Personal:

  • 3 pair of riding shorts
  • 1 jersey
  • 3 short-sleeve wicking t-shirts
  • 1 long-sleeve wicking shirt
  • 3 pairs socks
  • 1 pair riding gloves
  • 1 pair riding sandals (Lake SPD)
  • 1 pair off-bike sandals (cheap Walmart)
  • 1 pair off-bike shorts (doubles as swimming trunks)
  • 1 rain jacket (O2 Rainwear hooded jacket)
  • 1 MSR Packtowl UltraLite, large
  • 1 set earplugs
  • 1 pair eyeglasses, 1 pair sunglasses
  • 1 bottle ibuprofen
  • 1 lip balm
  • 1 MP3 player w/earbuds
  • 1 portfolio w/paper & pen
  • 1 travel wallet w/credit card, ID, insurance card, cash
  • Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, shampoo, etc.)
  • Misc energy bars

I packed all this into two duffel bags. One weighed 18.4 pounds, the other weighed 17.4 pounds. Together they were 36.8 pounds, just under our 40 pound weight limit. This weight included some stuff that would ultimately be carried on the bike (bike bag, tubes, tools, rain jacket, gloves, helmet, etc.).