So you might be wondering … What the heck does one take on a cross-Canada cycle tour? Of course cycle touring can involve a wide spectrum of gear. I’m sure I lean towards the “overpacked” end of the underpacked/overpacked spectrum, and I’ve already abandoned a few items on the way to save weight and space. If interested how I obtained gear and for what price, let me know and I’d be happy to share with you.

Here’s my setup!

 

The bike:

2009 Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike – like a hybrid, but built stronger for durability. LHT’s are known as top touring bikes.

Schwalbe Marathon tires 26×1.50

Fenders – don’t know exactly, came with the bike.

Brooks B17 leather saddle

Shimano multi-release small clip-in pedals

Brooks leather handlebar tape

On the bike:

Filzer PR-4 rear pannier rack

Ortlieb back city roller rear panniers x2 – 20L each

Eureka Solitaire 1-man tent

MEC Camper sleeping pad

MEC Aquila 0 degrees Celsius sleeping bag

MEC World Tour 1L seat bag

Water bottle holders x2 – one with water, one with bear spray

MEC handlebar bag

MEC World Tour frame bag

Huahei action camera (“Chinese knockoff GoPro”)

Bear bell

Handlebar mirror (left only)

Minoura front pannier rack

MEC World Tour front panniers x2* – 12L each

Helmet with helmet mirror

Inside seat bag: 

4 bike lights, Allen keys.

 

Inside handlebar bag: 

Phone, iPod* (died from water damage), charging cable, headphones.

Epipen, first aid kit, Swiss army style knife, Coghlan’s mini tent lantern, bug spray.

 

Inside frame bag:

Snacks: Granola, usually spiked with dried fruits, which may be covered in chocolate or yogurt. Granola bar, electrolyte sport drink powder.

Inside rear pannier 1: Clothes (some of which I’ll most likely be wearing):

Misc: Tarp, small U-Lock, Packtowl microfibre towel.

Footwear: Perl Izumi X-Alp Seek VII clip-in cycling shoes, flip flops.

Cycling gear: Whitecaps-themed Louis Garneau cycling shorts, MEC cycling shorts, ankle straps x3* (2 of 3 mailed home), Perl Izumi SS cycling jersey, running shirts x2, tight-fitting skullcap toque, summer open-finger cycling gloves, winter cycling gloves*.

Rain gear: MEC cloudburst shoe covers, MEC drencher pants, MEC drencher jacket, MEC drencher helmet cover.

“Regular human being” outfit: Dress socks*, semi-casual pants, belt, plaid SS shirt.

Warm clothes: Stanfields long underwear*, Underarmour cold gear, thermal socks*, balaclava*.

Other clothes: socks x3, underwear x3* (2 of 3 mailed home).

Inside rear pannier 2: Food (fluctuates):

Thin plastic cutting board, Swiss army style knife, 3 sporks in varying styles, Source Liquitainer 2L bottle, Source Liquitainer 1L bottle.

GSI Pinnacle Soloist cookset: One-litre pot, half-litre cup/mug, pot lid, kit container.

“Flavour kit”: olive oil, BBQ sauce, sriracha sauce, curry powder, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper.

Snacking foods: bananas, granola bars (clif/vector/powerbar), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and raisins (often yogurt or chocolate covered), hemp hearts.

Cooking foods: wraps, pasta, pasta sauce, quinoa, veggies, avocado, deli meats, flax seeds, chia seeds.

Packaged foods: Uncle Ben’s rice, beef jerky, dehydrated backpacking meals, fat-burning formula powder, electrolyte sports drink powder.

Inside front pannier 1 (moved to rear panniers during mid-July “cycling diet” as front panniers were mailed home): Camping gear:

Zip ties (zap straps), duct tape, clear tape*, toilet paper, kleenex*, extra multifuel can, sunscreen.

Personal care: All-purpose camp soap, deodorant, scrubby, hand sanitizer, bug spray, afterbite*, chapstick, sports tape*.

Camping supplies/misc: MSR Pocketrocket camping stove, multifuel can, cigarette lighters x2, waterproof matches x2, Parks Canada discovery pass, carbiners x4.

 

Inside front pannier 2 (moved to rear panniers during mid-July “cycling diet” as front panniers were mailed home): Cycling/camping gear:

Selfie stick, Seatosummit Aeros travel pillow.

Cycling tools: Bike lube, inner tubes x2, CO2 cartridges x2*, extra chain links x2, patch kit, screwdriver, screwdriver heads, wrenches, assorted screws*, Brooks proofide, tweezers*, extra brake pads x2, Parktool spoke wrench, Parktool chain tool, MEC tire lever set.

Books: “Canada By Bicycle”*, personal journal, pen.

Electronics: e-reader, emergency phone*, charging cables, Coghlan’s powerbank.

“Bag of bags” containing many different sized ziploc bags.
* Items thrown out or mailed home during the mid-July “cycling diet”