There’s nothing worse than your motorcycle being weighted down by heavy panniers. Overloading your bike makes the bike handle terribly when you’re meant to be enjoying the bike. When I went on a short 4-day trip around Northland, New Zealand here’s what I pack in a single rear pannier (or a backpack if you want).
Clothing
This is excluding my riding gear, which I’ll be wearing while riding.
- 1 x Jeans
- 1 x Belt
- 1 x Long sleeve shirt – I’ll wear this under my riding jacket but also with my jeans when I get out of my riding pants.
- 1 x Light pants and top for sleeping
- 1 x Swimming or gym shorts
- 1 x Walking shoes
- 2 x Socks
- 2 x Underwear
- Optional: I’ll carry a poncho if I think it’s going to rain. Even though my riding gear is waterproof, I like to avoid not having to dry it.
Miscellaneous
- Small hand towel – a hand towel is sufficient to dry yourself
- 10 x Muesli bars – for snacks
- Toothbrush & toothpaste
- Sunblock
- GoPro
- USB charger
- Mobile phone
- 3 x Plastic bags – for a wet towel, shoes, and clothing
- Medication
My idea of a Nightmare. Photo by Chris Baird.Things you don’t need
- Soap – hotels and hostels supply this
- Laptop – my phone can do everything I need while away albeit a bit slower
- Jumper or jacket – use your motorcycle jacket instead
- A ton of clothing – if it’s a short trip you’ll survive wearing your clothes multiple times
My Kawasaki Versys 650 packed minimally with a single rear pannier (and locked to my bike with a terrible pink cable) for a recent trip around Northland, New Zealand.If you want to travel light in a mild climate, check out my super light packing list.
