|
Luggage Logistics
Been backpacking and travelling the world over the last 20 years. Drove a van from Alaska to Ushuaia. Both of those are easy to store and carry your personal items.
On a bike with metal side cases and top box, how does one pack your items? If you head to a hotel, do you carry the boxes in with you? Do you pack your items in stuff bags (clothing in one, cooking in another, sleeping bags in another, etc) and only carry the bags into the hotel that you need, leaving the other stuff in the boxes? Of course, the bike would be in a secured garage or parking of the hotel. While camping, the bike would be close enough to you that you could hear anybody, and only take out what you needed...tent, bags, clothing...becuase the rest is easy access due to it's proximity. What are your luggage logistics? |
At a hotel, no matter how secure the parking, everything goes up to the room. To make it easy, use a liner bag inside the metal box (or inside a soft bag, as well.). Park, pull out the liner from each box and haul it up in one or two trips. The boxes stay on the bike.
Camping, I usually leave stuff on the bike and only take what I need into the tent. https://hosting.photobucket.com/58d0...720&fit=bounds If a campground doesn't feel secure, I'll put it all in the tent. https://hosting.photobucket.com/58d0...720&fit=bounds .................shu |
I'd second the idea of a liner bag inside a hard case - in particular I think a cheap drybag (from a discount outdoor store) would work well. Hardcase weather seals can fail fairly easily.
The other important rule for me is: the topbox is empty by default. It is empty space that is either for storing my helmet/gloves while I am off the bike, or for storing the day's grocery shopping when I am on the bike. None of the packed luggage "lives" in the topbox. (Maybe a hat.) |
With hard or soft panniers I separate things into smaller individual plastic / dry bags - when you're riding along the wind can push water into odd places in a way that doesn't happen when backpacking. I prefer to have a few smaller bags rather than one big one for compartmentalising things (and I split clothes on both sides so I'm guaranteed a dry clean set of underwear).
Previously with hard panniers I've added a drain plug in case they fill up for some reason (which was a perpetual problem in the Triumph hard panniers I once had). I don't use hard panniers now. |
Quote:
Here's my setup for the past 2+ years on the road. I almost never take any of the boxes off the bike. The only situation where I've taken the boxes off is if I'm staying in one place for an extended time and the parking isn't as secure as I'd like. I have a couple of times stayed in an Airbnb for a week or so and brought the boxes inside. Or... a few times I've taken a day trip with the bike while I'm staying somewhere. I've removed the boxes to make the bike lighter and easier to handle. Aside from that, the boxes stay on the bike. My camping gear is in my right box. My clothes are in a backpack in the left box along with extra shoes. The top case holds a handful of various items, but it's only about half full. If I stay in a hotel, all I need is my clothes. I bring my backpack with me, plus my tank bag which has my tablet and charging cables. Occasionally I'll need something out of the top case, like some food I bought. Taking the boxes to my room would be a big hassle. I can't remember the last time I stayed in a hotel which didn't require at least one flight of stairs. That said, a lot of other travelers bring all their luggage to their room every night. I guess for security... If I want extra security, I put a cover on my bike. https://cdn.img.cb500x.com/20241115_1438542.jpg |
...And...when you want to explore a national park or explore elsewhere for a few hours during the day, where you don't have a hotel room nearby: What do you do with your luggage then, when away from the bike for a few hours?
|
Leave it on the bike with panniers locked up. Lightweight cable lock through jacket, pants, and helmet. Sometimes cover the bike and stash boots underneath. I’ve done this during the day, overnight, even while off trekking for 4 or 5 days.
Sometimes there is a place to safely stash gear, but often not. That’s life.Traveling on a bike is definitely different from going by van, for better and (sometimes) worse. |
kiss
modify your agendas There is nothing better to explore on a bike with your gear in a hotel. If your time is restricted and you must see as much as possible , well this sucks. come back in the future, the second time is always better
|
Quote:
The cable lock is mostly for wind or mindless vandalism or kids being silly - wouldn't stop any determined thief obviously - but the point is, in real life, nobody wants your old sweaty jacket. As long as there are no valuables left in the pockets, it's not going to be a concern in most cases. I've left my jacket on my bike in a parking lot everywhere from New Zealand to Bosnia. |
Quote:
It's not "secure," as in my gear isn't locked, but nobody can see what is there. |
Regarding securing gear to the bike, my other half often leaves a jacket and helmet on her bike at at the airport by passing a chain through the sleeves and chin bar, and then covering them with a plastic bag. Not had problems with that approach yet.
I usually try and have some sort of visible deterrent on things, even if it's just a little luggage padlock, after having had some monetarily worthless yet needed things pinched from soft luggage in the UK. |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:08. |