Ready or not, here I go!

Well, the departure day has finally come. I've been running around frantically trying to sort out all the details which got put off until the last minute. I leave Monday the 25th in the morning, with my first stop in Hope. In order to meet a friend in the Valhallas this coming weekend, I've set my first deadline of Friday night in Slocan (the previously posted route has changed already).

The panniers have been packed three times, and each time better than the last. Here is a picture of the bike with loaded panniers.



Since a lot of people have been asking, here is a list of all the gear I'm taking with me (F/R+R/L = Front/Rear Right/Left Pannier, Handlebar = Handlebar bag).

Edit upon trip completion: I've updated this with things that were added (*) or sent home (**) along the way. This leaves a setup that I was very comfortable living off of for 3 1/2 months. I didn't miss any comforts of home except maybe a bigger camp towel (nothing sucks more than having a difficult time drying yourself after a cold swim). A big plus was the Whisperlite stove, spice kit, and decent size pots ... I was the envy of other cyclists in the campgrounds while cooking delicious meals. Trust me, 50% of your time is spent eating, thinking about eating, or talking about eating.

Bike
MEC Rear Rack, MEC Front Rack, Ortlieb Classic Rear Panniers, MEC Front Panniers, Front pannier covers (FL), Fenders, Aero bars (Thanks Sinisa!), Mirror, Front light, Rear light (AAA), Front / Rear Reflectors

Tools
Pliers with cable cutters (FR), Cassette lockring remover (FR), Small adjustable wrench (FR), Allen keys / screwdrivers (Filzer Tool) (FR), Chain tool (FR), Spoke wrench (FR), Pedal wrench with homemade chain whip (FR), Tire levers (FR), Patch kit (FR), Chain lube (FR), Brush (FR), Zip ties (FR), Duct tape (Everywhere), Spare rags (FR), Presta - Schraeder conversion valve (Bike), Bike lock cable / key (FR), Pump (Rack), Brooks Tension Tool (FR)

Spare Parts
Spare tubes (2) (FR), Chain links (FR), Spokes (Rack), Cables (FR), Brake pads** (4) (FR), Spare rack clamps (FR), Spare rack bolts / nuts (FR)

Personal Hygiene
Campsuds (RL), Shampoo (RL), Razor (RL), Deodorant (RL), Camp towel (RL), Toothbrush / Floss / Toothpaste (RL), Toilet Paper (RL / Handlebar), Nail Clippers (RL), Little plastic trowel** (RL), Sunscreen (RL / Handlebar), Chap stick (RL), Bug repellant (RL / Handlebar), First aid kit (RL), Bag Balm (RL)

Food Equipment
MSR Whisperlite Stove (FL), Stove repair kit (FL), Pots + gripper (FL), Fuel bottle (2) (FL), Bowl (FL), Cup (FL), Spoon / Fork / Knife (FL), Swiss army knife (Handlebar), Dish towel (FL), Spices (Garlic Powder, Italian, Curry Powder, Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder) (FL), Olive oil (FL), Spatula (FL), Lighter (2) (FL + Handlebar), Matches (Handlebar), Camel back bladder (RL), Scrubby pad (FL), Food waterproof stuffsack (Rack / RL), Water treatment (FL)

Camping Equipment
Western Mountaineering Caribou Sleeping Bag (RR), Sleeping bag stuff sack (RR), North Face Tadpole 2 Tent (RR), Tent poles (Rack), Tent footprint (RR), Tent stuffsack (RR), Thermarest Go-Lite (RR), Thermarest Pillow (RR), Sleeping bag liner (RR), Headlamp (AAA) (Handlebar), Cord (RR), Ziplock bags (RR), Small Collapsible Saw** (RL), Fishing Kit* (FL), 6m of Cord / Clamps for Clothesline* (FL)

Clothes
Cycling shorts (3 **one pair sent home) (RL), Cycling tops (2) (RL), Cycling gloves (2) (RL), Zip off pants (1) (RL), Shorts (1) (RL), Synthetic shirt (2) (RL), Underwear (2) (RL), Sandals (RR), Socks (4) (RL), Toque (RL), Waterproof stuff sack (RL), Sunglasses (Handlebar), Fleece jacket (RL), Waterproof jacket (FR), Waterproof pants (FR), Waterproof shoe covers (FR), Bandana (RL)

Hiking specific stuff
MEC Genie 30L Backpack (RL), Shoes (RR), Compass (Handlebar)

Climbing specific stuff
Harness (RL), Climbing Shoes (RL), Chalk Bag (RL), Reverso (RL), Locking biner (2) (RL), Daisy (RL), Long sling / biners** (multipurpose) (RL)

Electronics
Garmin GPS** (AA) (Handlebar), Cycling computer (Bike), IPod (Handlebar), IPod charger / connection cable (RL), Acer Aspire One Netbook (RL), Netbook charger (RL), Headphones w/ built in microphone (Handlebar), Camera (AA) (Handlebar), USB A/Mini B Cable (RL), Spare AA/AAA batteries (RL), Cell phone (Handlebar), Cell phone charger (RL), Watch (Handlebar)

Misc
Notebook / pen (Handlebar), Needle / thread (RL), Speedy stitcher** (Thanks Dave!) (RL), Wallet (Handlebar), Passport (Handlebar), Important document copies (Seatpost), Ski straps (Bike), Map* (Handlebar), Good Book* (Handlebar)

Edit upon trip completion: Carrying things on a bike significantly shortens their life span. For example, start riding with an unripe banana and it will go straight from green to brown, entirely skipping the yellow stage. Things that broke along the way and had to be replaced were: bike pump, fork (cutlery), spoon, rear light, mirror, camera (not replaced yet), cycling computer, one cycling jersey, camelback, helmet (run over by a camper van), and sunglasses. During the trip I wore out two sets of tires and a set of pedals. The only mechanical problems I had were two broken spokes and six flat tires.

I'm also carry rice, lentils, split peas, pasta, oatmeal, ice tea powder, hot chocolate powder, pancake mix, granola bars, trail mix, and sidekicks (emergency bonking prevention) in a sack on the rear of the bike. This will also serve as a shopping bag for fresh food at the end of the day.

We don't have a scale, but I estimate everything weighs between 40 and 50 pounds (including the food). This extra weight (particularly the weight forward of the front fork) turns my responsive road bike into a stubborn beast which doesn't want to turn or stop ... hopefully I'll get used to this.

Well the weather forecast looks great so far ... wish me luck!