11th May - Pack ‘n go!

Packing is quite an iterative process for me - packing, unpacking, repacking and so on.  I start with what I think I might need then see if I can get it on the bike, then start cutting down to what I ‘really’ need and think a bit about location of various items.  For example, the first stop is an overnight ferry so I don't want to have to lug everything off the bike and just a need a quick overnight grab bag, leaving the rest as secure as possible in situ.

The chief packing challenge this trip is that its going to be cold and quite possibly wet (so everything is more bulky).  I am also planning quite a bit of camping and potentially some wild camping (so I need cooking equipment and some ‘emergency’ food.

So over the past few weeks I have upgraded my sleeping bag to one (allegedly) comfortable down to minus 7 degrees, and am taking a quantity of thermal gear and down jackets for day and night use.
I am also taking a roll mat in addition to my tiny inflatable mat as I have found heat loss downwards to be a problem in the past.  As a result I cant get everything in the panniers (unlike my Morocco trip) and so I’ve added a dry bag on the back seat for the tent, roll mat and a couple of other bulky but lightweight items.

This trip I am experimenting with three new items, crash bar panniers, a small dry bag (in place of a tank bag) and a pacsafe net for the large dry bag so it can be left on the bike when I go off exploring on foot.

 The idea of the small crash bar panniers is to keep a few items handy (chain lock, first aid kit, tyre repair kit etc) and move a little of the weight forwards - not so much of an issue on the GS compared to my Tiger due to it’s lower centre of gravity anyway, but it all helps.

So finally all on board and we’re ready to go.

 
Next stop Harwich for the overnight ferry to Holland.