i read a lot about what to pack for touring and advice on trying to keep it light and simple so here's my best tip for saving space and keeping cool in summer buy a merino wool t-shirt in a sports fit (tight), not cheap but pays for itself over time very lightweight, great in hot conditions i take a tiny pot of handwash flakes with me and give it a quick rinse every night (dries very quickly and certainly by the next morning) if you are off the bike at lunctime and have been really sweaty in the heat, any slight breeze will dry it out in no time as you wear it and one of the properties of merino wool is you should stink ever so slightly less i got the Icebreaker SS Crewe 150 four years ago its at the expensive end but is it in very good condition after thousands of miles of touring you can find them for about £45 online (ouch)
Lambeth Longshanks tip No. 2 Don't take Ventura luggage. It looks gash and people will point and laugh. It's made for people with ordinary bikes. Kriega up!
If you roll your clothes up and put into carrier bags for each day they A) take up less room B) are waterproofed C) kept clean from your dirty clothes
If you use ventura you have enough space not to worry so much about taking the minimum... Plus it takes seconds and when kreiga user have 'had enough' you can act like the 4th emergency service and take their kit too
Dear Daily Mail I was on holiday last year and had cause to park near a building site. One day the scaffolding didn't turn up and all the foreign jonnies started shouting in their overexcited swarthy manner. I simply backed up my Ventura-'equipped' Fireblade to the building and the little chappies were able to swarm all over the building and complete it on time and on budget. Ace Ventura, I say! Yours Deluded of Manchester
Having to take kit with me is frankly an annoyance; as is having to anything other than ride the bike, so this Ventura/circus-tent thingy would be lost on me
Mate of mine on last years Germany trip adopted a disposable clothing policy. Saved up his ready for the bin socks, shreddies, tee's etc and wore them them once whilst riding then binned them in whichever b&b we stopped at. And because he had kriega he could stash the smaller 10l bags inside the space in the 30l on the way back, thus making him more aerodynamic, faster, fuel efficient and all round better for the planet, unlike ventura Eco-terrorists
