weighing in
Posted on January 11, 2012 by
We got nervous on Monday night, thinking of everything that was left to be done in these last three weeks. So, we decided that what would make us feel better was a trial run at packing. We’ve been wanting to see just how much we had, whether it would truly fit in our panniers and pack, and if it fit within the weight limit for our bike. These are all things that would drastically change what we were thinking of taking if the answer was no.
So, we stuffed, organized and reorganized until everything we were hoping to have with us was in one bag or another. And, to our amazement it all fit on the first try!! Here’s what it looks like all packed up:
(minus my boots, which I was wearing when I took the photo)
After the packing was complete, we got out the scales. That was the real moment of truth. We weighed each bag, our gear (which was about 15 pounds/person!) and ourselves for a combined total of 470 pounds. Whew. Sounds like alot, but when you think that is all we’ll have with us for the next 5 months, it’s pretty compact. The bike weighs 400+ pounds, and the maximum weight is 1000. So, we are squeaking in just under the limit. According to Bob, that’s pretty good for where we’re at, as most people start out over the limit and have to ditch items along the way. Here’s us with all 470 glorious pounds of our personal belongings!
Response to weighing in
Just don’t forget your passport. This would be a mess if you got all the way there and you don’t have it. Be safe and good speed ahead.
Do you have AAA just in case you get a flat? Also what are the plastic pouches with the tubes attached?
Hey Natasha!
We’re gonna have to work out flats on our own, or at least get the bike somewhere that it can be fixed. AAA doesn’t go where we’re headed :) The plastic pouches are water bottles. They fit in our jackets so that we can use them while we’re riding, and when they’re empty they compress down to almost nothing.