Europe 2014: Packing list

Every time I travel I vow to take less with me the next time. This trip will be two up and, with the plastic Vario panniers, packing items on top is not an option.

Some of the items below are non-essential—for example, a modern smartphone can take photos and video rivalling a point-and-shoot camera, update a blog etc, but if space permits, I prefer to take my heavy SLR and a laptop which is far less cumbersome than banging out several paragraphs on a tiny phone screen.

I could probably do without the tyre repair kit and foot pump since I’m not going outside the range of BMW Assist but these items could potentially save me a wait. And the AA batteries and charger for the flash are unlikely to see any action since they last 400+ flashes on average.

If I was going someplace more remote I would take a tool pouch with only the tools and sockets applicable to the bike (rather than the whole set). And let’s face it, I’m not going to rip apart a bike still under warranty at the side of the road when BMW Assist is a phone call away.

Got any packing tips of your own to share? Leave me a comment below!

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Bike

• BMW R1200GS TE with OEM vario cases and inner bags (note 1)
• OEM accessories including steel crash bars, LED auxiliary headlights, secure oil filler plug and Gear Shift Assist Pro
• Michelin Anakee 3s
• BMW Navigator IV GPS
• OEM first aid kit (under pillion seat)
• St Christopher talisman
• Swiss and Austrian motorway vignettes—Toll Tickets offers fantastic service for these
• 2x disposable breathalysers and reflective helmet stickers to meet French regulations (note 2)

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Tank bag

• GoPro Hero3 Black Edition with Battery Bacpac
• Nikon D7000 with 18–105mm zoom lens, 50mm prime lens, polarising filters and SB-900 speedlight (note 3)
• iPhone 5 (note 4)
• 4x Sanyo Eneloop AA batteries with USB charger (took my own advice)
• DIN to cigar socket adapter
• 3-port USB high speed multi-charger
• micro/mini USB cables
• documentation wallet with VED (registration), insurance, passports, EHIC (EU health insurance card), BMW Assist card, credit/debit cards, driving licence plus paper counterpart, emergency map and plastic emergency bike key
• ear plugs
• packs of dried fruit—apple slices, mangos, bananas and apricots
• packs of beef jerky—classic and peppered

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Panniers

• spare gloves
• t-shirts, vests, shorts, trousers, trainers, underwear, socks (note 5)
• emergency repair kit for tubeless tyres
• DRC mini foot pump
• folding breakdown warning triangle
• reflective vests (Icon PDX jacket is hi-vis yellow)
• carrier bags
• personal hygiene items (note 6)
• small gifts for friends/family
• MacBook Air with charger (note 7)

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Me

• Sena SMH-5 bluetooth intercom
• Icon Variant helmet
• Icon Patrol Raiden waterproof jacket with thermal liner
• Icon Patrol Raiden waterproof trousers
• Bering gloves
• TCX X-Desert waterproof boots
• Caterpillar shatterproof safety sunglasses
• CamelBak 1.5l hydration pack (note 8)

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Zev

• Sena SMH-5 bluetooth intercom
• Shark S500 helmet
• BMW Boulder 2 jacket with waterproof, thermal liner
• Icon PDX waterproof/windproof shell jacket
• BMW City 2 trousers
• waterproof over-trousers
• Hein Gericke gloves
• Icon Patrol waterproof boots

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Notes

1. The BMW pannier inner bags seem to be much maligned by the GS community because they leave a lot of empty space in the crevices of the oddly shaped panniers, but they are very convenient when arriving at a B&B or hotel because you can swing them over your shoulder and walk straight in without fumbling with heavy panniers. The leftover space can be utilised alongside the inner bags to store the tyre repair kit, foot pump, warning triangle, reflective vests and carrier bags—items not required in the room overnight.
   
   
2. French regulations—just to be difficult—require carrying a breathalyser and having reflective stickers on your helmet. The stickers must be a permanent type—however, there is no way I’m ruining a perfectly good helmet to comply to this ridiculous and baseless regulation, so I use removable reflective stickers which look/function in the same manner as the permanent type. It would be a bad day indeed if the gendarmerie started picking at stickers at the side of the road to test their permanence so this is not a concern. Another regulation is to carry a spare bulb for each type fitted to a vehicle, however the R1200GS uses only LED lighting which are not user replaceable and therefore the regulation in not applicable in this case. For the record, I have never been stopped in France for anything in 21 years of driving/riding there.
   
   
3. The Nikon D7000 is not what you would call light or compact, but it will do at least 1,000 photos on a single charge without flash—so no battery charger required. The speedlight runs off rechargeable AA batteries and lasts around 400 flashes at varying intensities.
   
   
4. Any smartphone—iOS, Android, whatever your preference—is an essential item for travel. The Booking.com app is a must-have when travelling on your own schedule because the ‘tonight’ function finds you hotels in the area which have knocked down the price last minute to fill any remaining rooms—I’ve seen discounts up to 70%. Other apps, such as Trip Journal, are great for tracking and allow you to post your progress online if you wish. The Google Translate app enables you to speak into the phone and have it translate into a huge number of languages instantly—it will even speak the phrase in your chosen language. While roaming data fees with a UK phone within the EU are inexpensive (£1/20mb or £3/100mb), it’s worthwhile to check that your carrier has enabled data roaming for your account and that you have a suitable data plan. Just save the photo/video uploads until you are somewhere with WiFi. If you are spending a considerable amount of time in one country, consider purchasing a local pay-as-you-go SIM card. You will need to ensure your phone is unlocked beforehand—in the UK this can be done for free or for a nominal fee, depending on your carrier, usually at any time after the first 30 days of your contract, if applicable.
   
   
5. Clothing per person—two each of t-shirts and vests, one each of shorts and trousers, four each of underwear and socks, one pair of trainers. If necessary, there are always coin-operated laundromats. Alternatively, items can be freshened by washing in a little shampoo, then tightly rolling in a towel and hanging overnight to dry.
   
   
6. Personal hygiene items include the usuals such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, body wash, deodorant, moisturiser, painkillers, nail clippers, cleansing wipes, alcohol gel etc. For toothpaste and deodorant I buy a travel-sized tube and mini aerosol deodorant (sorry, eco-terrorists) which is sufficient for 2 people over 15 days. For the other items, Muji is great for folding toothbrushes and travel-sized, liquid-proof tubes and bottles to fill with body wash, mouthwash, moisturiser etc. Any medicines (even painkillers) should be kept in their original packaging/blister packs when travelling across borders to avoid potential hassle. Everything fits in a compact toiletries case which takes up almost no space.
   
   
7. Why a laptop instead of a tablet? The wedge shaped 11” MacBook Air is 490 cubic cm and 1,080g compared to 421 cubic cm and 660g for an iPad—almost the same size and with similar battery life, but with the advantage of a physical keyboard and a fully featured computer. I leave the case at home and pack the laptop between t-shirts.
   
   
8. When new, CamelBaks give water a dodgy, plastic taste, so fill and empty the pack twice a day for a week before you travel. Once broken in, a hydration pack is something you’ll never want to be without for long distance travel. In warmer climates, fill (not too full) and freeze overnight, when possible, so you have several hours of ice-cold water the next day. After storing for long periods I would advise filling with water and a drop of bleach, then flushing well several times with plain water to sterilise the pack.
   
   

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Gear: Top 6 electronic devices for travel

Good idea in concept but best left in the panniers for use off the bike.

There’s something to be said about people who can set off on an adventure with nothing more then a pen, a pad of paper and a wrinkled old map—and then come back safely several months or years later, having successfully circumnavigated the globe.

For most people, however, a mobile phone is a necessity, and for many more, so is a GPS device—not to mention still cameras, helmet cams, trackers, tablets, netbooks, laptops, chargers, cables etc. With all the gadgets available, it’s easy to go mad.

I’ve compiled a list of electronic devices that I find useful when travelling for longer than a day trip, ranked from least to most important.

6. Bluetooth headset

A bluetooth headset connects to devices such as a satnav, smartphone and another headset to hear turn-by-turn directions, make/receive calls (when stopped, of course), listen to music and speak to your pillion or others in a group.

I’ve ranked this as the least important device because it is a luxury, really—something that makes the journey a little bit more pleasant.

My pick is the Sena SMH5 which I’ve found to be a reliable and robust device regardless of weather—and easy to use with glove-friendly buttons and Sena’s excellent jogwheel. The cost of this model is also very reasonable compared to competitors such as Cardo.

Single £90/Dual £170

Photo: Sena SMH5 • Source: Sena Technologies

5. Tablet

Tablets have several distinct advantages over netbooks and laptops—they’re light, vibration-friendly (no moving parts) and have long battery life.

With accessories such as camera connectors and keyboard covers, it’s easy to download and edit photos/video, and, if you feel the need, to keep up-to-date with email, blogging etc. As well, there are many options for travel-oriented apps such as trip journal and mapping software.

Due to feature overlaps with other devices, most tablets can serve as a backup a failed GPS device or play music as alternative to an MP3 player/smartphone.

My pick is the 3G Apple iPad mini which is not much bigger than a large smartphone. You may prefer an Android- or Microsoft-based tablet—they all get the job done.

WiFi £269–429/WiFi+3G £369–529

Photo: iPad mini • Source: Apple Inc

4. Camera

The ubiquitous camera is one of the most effective tools for documenting a holiday. I’ve ranked it 4th because most people already have a camera in their pocket in their mobile phone—the latest generation of which surpass the quality of low end point-and-shoot cameras.

I have always been partial to dedicated cameras and I am willing to make the room to carry my D-SLR and an extra lens because it takes photos that are in a different league from a point-and-shoot. That said, compact point-and-shoot cameras in the £250+ range will take photographs that most people would be very happy with, while fitting in a quarter of the space of a D-SLR.

My pick is the Nikon D7000 + 18–105mm VR lens kit plus a Nikon 50mm F1.8 lens which can take excellent photos in low light. It will take up to 1,000 photos without flash between charges, or 2,000 with the pictured battery grip—enough that you could probably leave the charger at home. Other camera manufacturers such as Canon, Pentax, Sony etc also make top quality cameras so shop around.

Nikon D7000 + 18–105mm VR lens £980

Photo: Nikon D7000 • Source: Nikon Europe

3. Universal charger

Why bring individual chargers for all your devices when you could invest in a good 12v USB charger? Most current generation devices such as smartphones, tablets, headsets etc charge via their USB ports. However, connectors can differ—for example, mini or micro USB connectors, Apple dock or Lightning connectors, and other proprietary connectors. Bringing the correct cable takes a lot less room than the whole charger so before a trip, double check that you have appropriate cables for all your devices with you.

I rank the universal charger in 3rd place because it is a critical device if you’re travelling somewhere without access to electricity, but also convenient for keeping devices charged up on-the-go. You probably have better things to do than wait for your phone to charge at a petrol station.

My pick is the TomTom High Speed Multi-Charger because it has one standard USB port (good for phones and headsets) and a second 2A USB port (good for tablets). The charger lives in my tank bag and is powered using a (ridiculously overpriced) Powerlet DIN to cigarette socket cable.

TomTom High Speed Multi-Charger £20

Photo: TomTom High Speed Multi-Charger • Source: TomTom Intl

2. GPS/satnav

For me, a GPS is an essential bit of kit, particularly when navigating foreign cities and motorway networks. Not only is it safer to not have to stop unduly to check a map, but it also uses less petrol to get where you’re going as efficiently as possible—important when petrol costs £1.50/litre.

I had a TomTom Rider v2 for several years, which was an excellent unit with an easy-to-use interface. I would still be using it today had it not stopped being waterproof during a rainstorm in Belgium—sadly it has left our plane of existence.

My pick is the BMW Navigator IV because the cost was similar to its sister model, the Garmin Zumo 660, but it comes with a better mount with glove-friendly buttons for zooming the map, repeating instructions etc. The installation is solid—on the F800GS it bolts directly to the handlebar risers, and is powered by a cable running to a dedicated CANbus connector located next to the bike’s battery. But, like every other GPS I've used, I prefer keep the female synthesised voice muted—she is strict as a Gefängnisdirektor and her sultry tones become wearing very quickly... saucy minx.

BMW Navigator IV £540–625 (depending on maps)

Photo: BMW Navigator IV • Source: BMW UK

1. Smartphone

The humble phone has become a computer, camera and music player in your pocket. It has become an integral part of our lives, from facilitating grocery deliveries, making payments, boarding flights, controlling helmet cams—almost anything you can imagine.

I rank the smartphone as the most important device to have when travelling. It’s my music player, GPS backup, helmet cam viewfinder, tracker and source of information for weather, routes, restaurants, hotels etc.

My pick is the iPhone 5 because it integrates well with my other devices, has a decent camera for quick snaps, and is a solidly-built piece of kit. It also integrates with my Nikon camera via an SD card reader dongle. Apps tend to be good quality due to Apple’s militant approval process. As mentioned previously, Android- and Microsoft-based smartphones will also get the job done so do your own research and buy the phone that best meets your needs.

iPhone 5 £529–699 (contract-free)

Photo: iPhone 5 • Source: Apple Inc

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