About Tjoan

Packing List

It's the one thing a Recumbent Bicycle type like my Low Racer Fujin lacks, Packing Space! it was designed as a racer after all! Luckily racks and specialized Bags that hang suspended from the seat are made to overcome that problem. Still,space remains a scarce commodity, no bags on a front wheel rack or handlebar bag can be used. This leads to a careful selection of Travel gear where compactness, more than weight, is an important selection criterion.

Having more places for bags you can bring a lot!

As we planned the trip to be a self contained one, essentials like Tent, Sleeping gear and Cooking equipment are must bring Items. Clothing for all purposes and outerwear to suit all types of weather situations are close second. Some Tools and Spare parts are indispensable. For navigation, Maps and maybe a Guide are essential. Some personal Items like Toiletries, Identification, Money, Camera, Cell Phone and a small notebook with important info are also not to be left out. Almost all remaining space now left is available to add the Luxury items for comfort or pleasure. Almost all, because adequate space needs to be reserved for the near Daily Supplies of Groceries too!

Putting the gear together is always worthy of carefully consideration but especially for an extended tour like this. Since Menno and I will part ways after having reached the West Coast we are both required to be complete with our Travel gear. Sharing the Load of such items like Tent or Cooking gear or groceries space is not an option.

To add to the independence of my travel modus and considering it's duration and for flexibility,I chose to add three items not common in a standard kit. The first being a robust water filter suitable for expedition style adventure, with that I can make any water source safe for consumption. Water from River, stream, even deep puddle can be used to make safe drinking water. Second is a solar panel to provide energy to charge various items that need regular energy input like my mobile phone. No more need to worry that the battery will run out just when it is needed most! Lastly, but not least important, is the tool to validate the existence of this very website namely, a small computer that holds between a PDA and a laptop on which I can write the travelogue, collect and sort through photographs, communicate via E-mail and a host of other tasks a computer can do for you nowadays. All three are, for my journey, essential must carry along items. By now my desired maximum total weight of the travel kit has almost been reached. This is a total of 20.5 Kg. (= 45.2Lbs)

Less would have been nice but there it is. On the Road variables in amount of fluids and groceries will add some to this.

All items were carefully selected for their usefulness, compactness, durability and weight. A categorized list was drawn up and all items were weighed. Putting together such a list is helpful to realize the weight consequences of choices made as well as serving as an inventory list, in case of loss or theft, for travel gear insurance purposes. A detailed list of all items can be found below...

Details

Here you can find my inventory of Camping Equipment, complete with the weight of the items: Inventory Tjoan on his TransAm Ride (pdf-file).

Specs on my Water filter can be found on www.katadyn.ch and for the specs on my stove, visit www.optimus.se