What Should/Could I Pack?

It's hard to plan well for a trip on a bike, on the road, for almost 2 weeks. I had already made a couple multiple state to state, or one country to another trips, and knew what over packing looked and felt like. I knew I didn't want to do that again, but still, the danger lurked.

I was smart this time though and did some advance thinking/planning for my trip. What would I really need clothing wise? What would I wear? My Aunt Jean had great advice, if you can buy it somewhere else, don't take it. Then if you need a shirt, and you buy it in Texas, you can always say, "Oh I bought that in Texas, or Louisiana, etc." I thought was fun and excellent advice!

I also decided to only bring lightweight shirts because the heat in Texas was expected to be quite extreme. I didn't have room for bulky cotton t-shirts, or time for them to dry if they were washed by hand. This was an great decision that worked really well for me on this trip. In Texas I picked up my long sleeved Florida convention shirt, and that was the only long sleeve shirt I had the entire time (except for my uniform shirt).

I packed my T-Bag (which is really just a helmet bag, but I use it as a luggage bag) a couple of nights before, as well as packing my saddle bags to see how it would all fit. This was a great idea, because the night before the trip I decided I needed to remove some unnecessary items.

My bike fully packed, July 2, 2014.

Here is what I ended up taking with me:
White textile jacket (worn when riding)
Hydration vest (wore this some days, stored under cargo net over T-bag when not in use)
Mesh pants (worn when riding)
Leather boots (worn when riding)

Stored in my T-Bag:
1 air mattress (new) (put on bottom of T-Bag)
1 air mattress pump (electric, stored in T-Bag on way to convention, saddlebag on return trip)
1 pair of denim shorts
2 pair of white denim shorts
5 quick dry shirts tank tops
1 pair of nylon shorts (I wore these under my mesh pants most days, they wash and dry very well. I'd wash them out at night, hang them on a hanger and they'd be dry by morning. The quick dry tops were the same, easy to wash/dry).
1 Motor Maid sleeveless shirt
1 pair of jeans
1 pair of yoga pants
1 thin top
Tablet
Camera
Personal affects, makeup bag, straightener, under garments, jewelry, small first aid kit.
1 pair of Croc sandals (Camille told me these would be comfy, and I decided to try them, though I'm not a huge fan of Crocs. She was right, they are great comfy sandals for wandering around in. I slipped these under my cargo net, over the T-bag)

Saddlebags:
Bathing suit (left saddlebag)
Small purse (thanks Frankie, top left saddlebag for easy access at each stop).
Sun screen (left saddlebag for easy access)
1 Motor Maid uniform (vest/shirt/gloves, bottom of left saddlebag)
1 pair of black jeans (for uniform, bottom of left saddlebag)
1 half helmet (this fit in my new Leather Lyke saddlebags, left side)
1 ACMM t-shirt (stuffed into half helmet)
1 ACMM polo shirt (stuffed into half helmet)
1 rain jacket (right saddlebag)
1 seat cover (right saddlebag)
1 bike cover (right saddlebag)
1 pair of sneakers (I stuff an extra pair of sunglasses in each shoe, as well as a few pair of thin socks, right saddlebag)
2 pairs of flat sandals, (right saddlebag)
Battery cables, tools, spare fuses, bulbs (right saddlebag).
1 pair of clear safety glasses (right saddlebag).
1 Troll

I also had a small windshield bag that I used to hold a small bottle of Windex, Peroxide, an Ace bandage and a few small tools.

I did wash everything out, by hand, except my jeans and uniform items, giving them 2 nights to dry, at the Inn of the Hills. I simply used the technique Janet told me about, rolled them in a towel and wringed the towel to squeeze out the water. This worked great. I hung everything up across the shower curtain rod on hangers. It meant a lot less dirty laundry in my bag. Then I just put my dirty laundry in a plastic bag and stuck it under my cargo net.

I was extremely pleased with how and what I packed. My favorite packing item on this trip was definitely my cargo net. It made it hassle free when I needed to store my hydration vest, crocs, or dirty laundry! I don't think I'll ever go on a trip without a cargo net in future. It's the first time I've really used mine. I think I'd like one with smaller sections between the cord, but it's a great must have for bikers travelling.