After I came back from my recent self-supported Manali to Leh cycling trip many people wanted to know what I carried on the trip. So here is a list based on what we carried. There were two of us, and we figured that some of the items could easily be shared, so we did not carry two of every thing (I think there are some exceptions to this, but I guess that advice could be another post). The list has four main sections:
- Bike and bike related gear
- Clothes
- Camping & Cooking gear
- Toiletries & Miscellaneous items
I also carried a comprehensive first-aid kit, but I am not going to list the items here because I tend to carry too much – perhaps because I am trained to be a wilderness first responder.
| Category | Item | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Bicycle Items | ||
| On the bike | ||
| Water bottles | 2 | |
| Frame pump | 1 | |
| Mirror | 1 | |
| Cycle GPS | 1 | |
| Solar charger for GPS | 1 | |
| Seat bag | 1 | |
| Headlight w/batteries | 1 | |
| Tail light w/batteries | 1 | |
| Rear rack (Btwin) | 1 | |
| Rear panniers (Ortlieb) | 1 | |
| Bungee cords to hold extra stuff | 2 | |
| Front rack ( Old Man Mountain) | 1 | |
| Front panniers | 1 | |
| Camelback | ||
| Helmet | 1 | |
| Sunglasses - interchangeable glasses | 1 | |
| Cycle tools | ||
| Cycle multi-tool | ||
| Swiss army knife | ||
| Pliers | ||
| Spoke key | ||
| Chain breaker | ||
| Lubricant | ||
| Cleaning cloth | ||
| Tool pouch | ||
| Cable ties | ||
| Puncture kit: | ||
| Patches | 20 | |
| Sand paper | 1 | |
| Glue | 1 | |
| Lever | 2 | |
| Tyre repair patch | 2 | |
| Cycle spare kit: | ||
| Break Shoes | 1 | |
| Tube | 2 | |
| Brake cable | 2 | |
| Gear cable | 2 | |
| Spokes | 5 | |
| Clothes: | ||
| Cycling Clothes | ||
| Cycling shorts | 2 | |
| Cycling jersey | 2 | |
| Base layer: polyester microfiber | 2 | |
| Cycling gloves - Short fingers | 1 | |
| Cycling gloves - Full finger | 1 | |
| Other clothes | ||
| Underwear | 4 | |
| Polo shirt | 2 | |
| Night clothes | 1 | |
| Footwear: | ||
| Cycling shoes | 1 | |
| Light Sandals | 1 | |
| Socks | 5 | |
| Cold Gear: | ||
| Down jacket | 1 | |
| Thermal socks | 1 | |
| Acrylic sweat shirt | 1 | |
| Warm gloves | 1 | |
| Long cycling pants | 2 | |
| Skull cap/under helmet/balaclava | 1 | |
| Trouser/shell Pant | 1 | |
| Thermal inners | 1 | |
| Rain Gear: | ||
| Cycling Rain jacket | 1 | |
| Shell pant | 1 | |
| Camping & cooking Gear: | ||
| Camping Gear: | ||
| Tent + bag | 1 | |
| Sleeping bag | 1 | |
| Waterproof stuff sack | 1 | |
| Foam pad | 1 | |
| Plastic garbage bags | 5 | |
| Toilet paper | 1 | |
| Net bag for laundry | 1 | |
| Clothes detergent | 1 | |
| Head lamp | 1 | |
| Cooking Gear: | ||
| MSR Stove + bottle | 1 | |
| Match box + lighter | 1 | |
| Pot + pan + common cover | 1 | |
| Plastic TV dinner plates | 2 | |
| Plastic knife/fork/spoon | 2 | |
| Rag/cleaning cloth | 1 | |
| Thin plastic glove for handling fuel | 1 | |
| Tea kit: | ||
| Tea bags | 50 | |
| Sugar cubes | 100 | |
| Milk powder | ||
| Plastic cup | 1 | |
| Food items: | ||
| Precooked Biryani/Pulao | 5 | |
| Oral Rehydration Solution | 10 | |
| Energy Bars | 20 | |
| Dryfruit mix: Almonds + Cashews + Raisins | ||
| Biscuits | 4 | |
| Chana | 2 | |
| Khankhara | 1 | |
| Maggi can be bought on the way | ||
| Other Items | ||
| Toilet kit: | ||
| Carrying pouch | 1 | |
| Tooth brush | 1 | |
| Toothpaste | 1 | |
| Liquid soap (small dispenser) | 11 | |
| Shampoo Pouch | 3 | |
| Hand sanitizer (small dispenser) | 1 | |
| Sun screen (moved to items we should have carried) | 1 | |
| Chap stick | 1 | |
| Insect repellent | 1 | |
| Miscellaneous: | ||
| Wallet/credit cards/driver’s license/Identity | ||
| Journal/notebook | 1 | |
| Pen | 1 | |
| Wristwatch | 1 | |
| Ziploc bags | 1 | |
| Camera + batteries | 1 | |
| Small towel | 1 |
Items we did not take and wish we had: (will take next time)
Duck tape
Rubber bands
Cable/lock
Chain Degreaser tool
Bicycle chain maintenance kit - old toothbrush, degreaser, large rag
Plastic clothes pins (6)
Dromedary Bag or extra water bottles
Rain cover for shoes OR Plastic bags for shoe covers
Sunscreen
Items that are likely to be on many lists but we did not take and did not miss:
Sewing kit
Shaving kit
Book to read
Sun hat
Poncho (required only if you do not have a good cycling Rain jacket)
Windbreaker (required in you do not have a good cycling rain jacket)
Sweat shirt
Items that were on our original list but we did not carry and did not need. :
Spare Tire
Items that broke down or malfunctioned:
Solar charger malfunctioned and I could not recharge my Garmin (has a very poor battery that performs even worse in the high-altitude cold environment)
Garmin GPS clip that attaches the GPS to the handle mount
Cateye headlight (On two occasions we rode in pitch darkness. Sorely missed a good light)
One rear spoke – probably because of all the weight on the rear panniers
Heart monitor - ran out of battery
First published on October 11, 2010
#cycling, #bicycle touring packing list, #cycle tour in india, #cycle touring, #manali to leh cycling
You may also be interested in these related posts:
Manali to Leh — Self-supported cycling trip
Cycling trip across the Jalori Pass, Himachal Pradesh
Musings on self-supported cycle travel