Kit list - I feel like I over packed

The last couple of days I have been thinking a lot about what equipment I should take on Expedition1000GER. It is quite difficult to think through all the possible scenarios that could happen throughout this challenge. There are so many uncertainties, such as where am I going to go sleep every night or how is the weather going to be.

Since I planned to keep my travel budget on a minimum I definitely have to bring a tent, a sleeping pad and a sleeping bag. A tent is already quite heavy but at the same time it makes you way more independent because you never have to worry about to find a place to sleep at the end of the day. If you can't find a campsite alongside your route you can just camp somewhere hidden in the wilderness aside the trails.

I find packing the right clothes for a bike trip is way more difficult than to decide to bring a tent or not. So you start asking yourself: How is the weather going to be throughout the whole trip? Right now it is summer so you should think you only have to bring another pair of shorts and a t-shirt besides the one you are already wearing. Maybe it is also a good idea to even bring a pair of sweatpants and a sweater if it is going to get chilly during the night!? However, if the weather is going to be like the current Flensburg summer then I definitely have to bring a rain jacket and rain pants.

I also want to document this trip. I want to film, photograph and blog. That means I have bring some electronic devices such as camera and notebook as well as extra batteries and chargers.

Damn…it seems like there are so many things that I have to bring on that trip. Oh well…nobody said it’s going to be easy.

So I started to ask myself: What is it that I most likely cannot live without on this trip and that is necessary to document it properly? The result is this kit list:

• Tent
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping pad
• Rain jacket
• Rain pants
• 1 pair of sweatpants
• 1 sweater with zip
• 1 pair of shorts
• 1 pair of swimming trunks
• 2 t-shirts
• 2 pairs of boxers
• 2 pairs of socks
• Baseball cap
• Sunglasses
• 1 towel
• Toiletries (only travel sizes)
• Toilet paper (very important – you really never want be without it)
• Lunchbox, water bottle, cup, camping silverware and a pocketknife
• Head torch
• Maps
• 2 books
• IPod and charger
• 2 spare tires and a repair kit
• 2 tension belts
• Action cam incl. extra batteries, charger and a few accessories
• DSLR camera incl. 1 extra battery, charger and microphone
• 2 64 GB SD-Cards
• Camera stand
• Notebook incl. charger
• Solar panel

All of that equipment is packed in 4 Ortlieb panniers (2 of them kindly provided by my friend Kevin), Ortlieb handlebar bag and two pack sacks.

I think that is not much stuff but I still feel like I over packed. I am sure I could live two weeks without all these electronic devices but how else should I document Expedition1000GER? What is it that you cannot live with on a trip?

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