Packing & Loading

This is packing and loading day for my two-weeks on the road.

Here's my pre-departure checklist:

• Fuel the bike and check tire pressures.
• Put oversize saddlebags on bike.
• Pay all bills in advance.
• Do last-minute laundry.
• Pull together tent, air mattress, sleeping bag and inflatable pillows and jam them into big yellow and black BMW waterproof duffel.
• Collect all of my electronic gadgets - cell phone, netbook, iPod, digital camera - and their charging devices. Put all charging devices in ziploc bag.
• Gather up all appropriate pharmaceuticals.
• Pack a reasonable amount of underwear, socks, shirts, handkerchiefs in compressible Space Bags and put them into the saddle bag liners.
• Pack travel toiletries bag and bag containing spare contact lenses, case and saline solution.
• Pack regular jacket liner, Gerbings heated jacket liner, heated gloves, windstopper pullover, rain suit, rain gloves.
• Do tank bag inventory, making sure to include MotoLight bulb changing wrench, spare MotoLight bulb, power regulator and cord for Gerbings heated clothing, earplug headphones, sunblock, sunglasses, GPS case, rain covers for XM radio and tank bag, binoculars, ballpoint pens, trip log, flash light(s), pocket knife, matches.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something that I'll remember about 100 miles down the road tomorrow morning.