August 23, 2012 4:17 AM PDT
I just got back from a trip, and I think I used just about everything I had packed, and only slightly missed a few things I left at home, but was able to make do with what I had.
The key things I did remember this trip was rain gear, extra fuses, and a spare headlamp bulb.
When my group decided to depart Toledo Ohio at 5:00 am last Saturday, I wasn't quite prepared for the temps, barely 50 degrees. So, I layered on two long sleeve t shirts, a leather shirt over my leather vest, and topped it all off with my usual denim jacket. I also put on 2 pairs of socks...1 thin pair of knee socks plus my usually thicker pair that hits mid calf, about the same as my boots. Since I wore my roomiest boots, I had enough room to add a pair of water resistant but breathable socks over the top. I also have the same fabric in a glove liner, so I had them on under my normal gloves. Since I had decided at the last minute to leave my chaps at home, even though I had treated them with waterproofing during my pre-packing prep, I put on my rain gear pants to keep my legs warm. All in all, I stayed warm enough to keep going.
I did lose all my running lights and my headlight this trip, so I was glad I had a spare bulb and extra fuses in my tool bag. Also, my horn had come loose and was vibrating against the cover. I had the tools on hand to take the cover off, but rather than risk over-tightening the horn and damaging it, I used a zip tie to fix its position. It didn't rattle the rest of the trip.
The other savior was a spare credit card. Too many stops in too many states resulted in my first card getting shut off for a potential fraud alert. I used a backup card until I could validate my first one with the card company.
And after a few idiotic moves of cagers and tractor trailers I was glad I had the ashes and patches of my biker angels with me to keep me from becoming road kill. Yes, ashes, really.
My other favorite thing to have with me on bike trips is my iPhone. I was able to use it as a GPS, play music along the way, update my Facebook status for the benefit of friends and family, and keep track of or dress appropriately for the weather. I knew whether the raindrops I felt were just the edge of a random cloud and nothing to worry about vs the start of a soaker for the next hour. It also has my entire service manual on it, just in case!