David's COMPLETE Equipment List

This document is a COMPLETE list of every single piece of equipment that I carry with me, down to the Q-tips. I've whittled some of my equipment down to virtually nothing, but then I've replaced with other things (like this Newton), so I'm still carrying quite a bit of weight. Your list will most likely be much different, but this may at least give you some ideas.

• Clothes
• Personal Items (toiletries)
• Cycling Equipment
  • Basics
  • Toolkit
• Camping Equipment
• Photo Equipment
• Computer Equipment
• First Aid Kit
  • Documents
  • Gauzes/Wipes/Bandages
  • Antibiotics
  • Antifungals
  • Diarrhea treatment
  • Anti-allergy
  • Miscellaneous
• Miscellaneous gear

Clothes:

• 1 pair lightweight long pants
• 2 t-shirts
• 3 pairs underwear
• 3 pairs socks
• 1 pair Teva sandles
• 1 pair cycling shoes (w/recessed SPD cleat)
• 1 cycling jersey
• 1 pair cycling shorts
• 1 pair long cycling pants
• 1 Goretex shell jacket
• 1 bulky, warm jacket, which I bought after I arrived in Ireland, because it was much colder than I expected it to be. It's huge, and I can't wait to get rid of it, but it keeps me warm.

Personal Items

• 1 bar soap, in plastic soap box
• 1 small bottle shampoo
• 1 razor
• 1 10-pack razorblades
• 1 stick anti-perspirant
• 1 bottle anti-fungal footpowder
• 1 pair fingernail clippers
• 1 pack dental floss
• 1 toothbrush
• 1 small tube toothpaste
• Several Q-tips/cotton swabs
• 1 swimmer's towel (made mainly by two companies, "Speedo" and "Sammy." It's a super-absorbant polyvinyl, very small, lightweight, and infinitely absorbant, just wring it out and use it again. The only problem is that it's small, so you can't wrap it around you and it can be difficult to wipe the middle of your back.)

Cycling Equipment

Basics

• 1 Bike (duh)
• 1 HELMET! (Gyro Alturus)
• 1 lowrider front rack
• 1 rear rack (Jandd Expedition rack, which is extra long so you don't kick your panniers with your heel)
• 2 front panniers, 100% waterproof (Ortliebs, the best)
• 2 rear panniers, 100% waterproof (Ortliebs, the best)
• 1 regular-size waterbottle cage
• 1 oversize waterbottle cage (up to two liter bottles)
• 1 regular-size waterbottle (500-750mL)
• 1 2-liter soda bottle (filled with water)
• 1 bike pump
• 1 headlight (miner/climber's style headlamp)
• 1 taillight (flashing red)
• 1 Kryptonite U-lock
• 1 6' cable lock

Toolkit

Much of this stuff isn't necessary in Europe, where bike shops are reasonably common. I'm carrying it with the expectation of going to Africa, where parts and tools may be quite scarce. I'm basically carrying a full-service mini bike shop.

• 1 Blackburn MTB multi-tool (great multi-tool; most hex wrenches, two tire irons, great chain tool, all three size spoke wrenches, 3 size box wrenches and a regular screwdriver, in a VERY small, lightweight tool)
• 2 spare innertubes (I like to carry two so that I don't feel like I have to conserve one if I feel the need to replace one)
• 2 patch kits (you can never have too many)
• 1 set (3) tire irons
• 1 spare brake cable
• 1 spare derailleur cable
• 2 multi-size cone wrenches
• 1 Allen (hex) wrench tool, metric (2,3,4,5,6,8mm)
• 2 individual spoke wrenches (Park Tools)
• extra spokes (three of each: front, rear drive side, rear non-drive side)
• extra spoke nipples
• 1 Presta-Shraeder valve adapter (so I can use gas station pumps with my Presta valve innertubes)
• 1 adjustable monkey wrench
• 1 bottom-bracket spline tool
• 1 Shimano freewheel spline tool
• 1 crank puller
• 1 tube bike grease
• 1 bottle chain oil
• 1 small nylon brush (for cleaning the chain)
• extra screws, bolts, nuts

I do NOT carry a chain whip, as that would be ridiculously heavy, and I've found that you can use your bike's chain for a field repair. (I've never had to field repair my freewheel, but I wanted to make sure it was possible before I left) I also do not carry a wrench big enough to adjust either my headset bearings or my bottom bracket. Even in Africa, I think I'll probably be able to find a big wrench. The spline tools that the wrench will go over, though, are probably pretty rare.

Camping Equipment

• 1 Goretex bivvy bag
• 1 -5°F down sleeping bag
• 1 light cotton sleeping bag liner/sleeping sheet
• 2 tarp/space blankets
• 1 Thermarest sleeping pad

Photo Equipment

Believe it or not, all this stuff fits in a schoolbag-size backpack, and doesn't end up being that heavy when it's on my back. Added to my other gear, though, it's a lot of extra weight. I never ride with anything on my back; the backpack gets bungee'd to my rear rack. And, believe it or not, I actually USE all this stuff...

• 1 35mm SLR camera
• 1 IR remote control shutter release (great for taking pictures of yourself, or for long-exposure shots, so you don't jiggle the camera while pressing the shutter button)
• 1 external flash unit (the built-in flash really isn't sufficient)
• 1 28-80mm lens (most often used)
• 1 18-35mm wide-angle lens (for the big stuff that just won't fit in the frame)
• 1 75-300mm zoom lens (wildlife, people, etc. )
• 1 2x teleconverter
• 3 UV filters (one to protect each lens)
• 2 circular polarizing filters (one as a backup)
• 1 Cokin filter unit
• 1 Cokin 2-stop neutral grad filter (great for sunsets)
• 1 blower/dust brush
• 1 microfiber cleaning cloth
• 1 Ultrapod mini-tripod
• 1 Canon Universal lightweight full-size tripod
• lots and lots of film, mostly Kodak Elite II 100ASA slide film
• 1 dictaphone (microrecorder) (for keeping track of what I shoot!)
• 1 schoolbook-style backpack to carry it all

Computer Equipment

It's heavy, it's expensive, and yes, of course I worry about it being stolen, but you wouldn't be reading this if I didn't carry it with me!

• 1 Apple Newton 2100, stock software
• 1 Newton keyboard w/serial adapter
• 1 4MB flash memory card (thanks, Dann!)
• 1 33.6kbps PCMCIA fax/modem, Newton compliant
• 1 Road Warrior acoustic telecoupler, for accessing email via any phone, including payphones (in theory)
• 1 inconspicuous Samsonite travel satchel w/shoulder strap, which costs less than half what the Newton carrying cases costs, holds more, and looks much less like it might carry something expensive.

First Aid Kit

Most of this is totally unnecessary in Europe, but could save my butt in Africa. MANY of these items require a prescription, which of course I have and carry with me.

Documents

• 1 Travel & Wilderness Medicine guidebook.
• All my prescriptions
• A list from my doctor of what all my medications are used for.

Gauzes/Wipes/Bandages

• 1 medium-size ace bandage
• Band Aids
• 1 roll medical tape
• 5 Large gauze pads
• 5 small gauze pads
• 5 Betadine antiseptic swabsticks
• Benzalkonium Chloride antiseptic moist towelettes

Antibiotics

• For skin, urinary tract or respiratory tract infections:
  • Augmentin
  • Ceftin
  • Cipro
• For treating Malaria:
  • Doxycycline. (I am allergic to Sulfa drugs, which are often used to treat Malaria)
• For treating eye infections:
  
  • Tobramycin eye drops
• For bacterial skin infections:
  
  • Bactroban Ointment

Antifungals

• Lamisil (anti-fungal cream)
• Lotrisone (cortosone anti-fungal cream)

Diarrhea treatment

• Pepto-Bismol (for diarrhea, upset stomach)
• Tums E-X (for upset stomach, heartburn)
• Loperamide (anti-diarrhea tablets)

Anti-allergy

• 1 MaxAir autoinhaler (I have occasionally had allergy-induced asthma)
• Acular eyedrops for eye allergies (hay fever)
• Claritin-D (antihistamine/decongestant)
• Allegra
• Benadryl (great OTC antihistamine for quick response)

Miscellaneous

• 1 ultra-compact space blanket
• 1 tin Carmex lip balm
• 1 bottle water treatment tablets (I'll have my water purifier mailed to me when I get to Africa)
• Lariam (Mefloquine, Malaria prophylaxis)
• Tongue depressants (for making small splints)
• 2 pairs latex gloves (should I have to treat someone else)
• Alleve (anti-inflammatory, OTC pain killer)
• Elocon cream (for inflamed skin reactions on face)
• Diproline ointment (for inflamed skin reactions elsewhere)
• Denavir ointment (for cold sores)

Miscellaneous gear

• 1 Swiss Army pocket knife, medium-size (not ALL the bells and whistles, but enough to be quite useful)
• 1 loud whistle
• 1 money belt (for the majority of my currency, traveler's cheques, passport, etc.)
• 1 wallet (for my day's currency, student card, etc.)
• 1 compass (This is not in the "camping gear" list because I don't consider it camping gear. The place that I used my compass most of all was in the middle of London, particularly when exiting the underground and trying to orient myself on the map.)
• 1 roll of garbage bags. (These can be used to keep your gear dry, put your shoes in so you don't have to bring them in your tent, put your dirty laundry in, put your trash in, or any number of other useful things.)
• 1 Walkman tape player/radio (radio is very useful for helping you to learn the language wherever you are, and the tape player can be nice when you really want to hear some music from back home)
• Lots of extra AA batteries (My flash unit, Walkman and Newton all take AA's. Fortunately, they'll all very good, low-power-consumption units, too.)

Whew! Is that a lot of stuff, or what?

Now, if you actually want to know what I THINK of some of this stuff, check out my Equipment REVIEWS!