How many shuttle runs does it take to unpack your bike ???
 

I've worked out that one of the most tiring, stressful and irritating thing about bike travel is the carrying of all your luggage and bags to a room once you find some accommodation.

You know the drill... You park the bike as close to the hotel/hostel as possible and try and arrange a price. Then you have to trek up and down stairs in all your bike gear carrying all your bags, cases etc etc.

After sweating in 40c heat with 10 hours riding and this really starts to wear you down day after day..

It used to take me 3-4 journeys on my early trips and now down to 2 on my last trip..

Anyway, I'm trying to get my gear organised down to ONE walk from the bike.

I'm thinking...

1 x 39L Ortlieb rackpack with shoulder strap (camping gear)
1 x Peli storm 2100 briefcase 'backbox' (tools, electricals)
Softbag panniers...(Clothes)

I reckon I could carry all this in one go...

How about you guys ?? Got any good systems ???


Ted

Interesting thread...

I normally just take in my duffle bag with the stuff I'll want in hotels like clothes, wash kit etc... PLUS my tank bag with the electricals. I usually leave most of it on the bike, although I did use locking alu panniers on my last trip and covered it all up overnight.

It is a PITA though when it's a dodgey neighborhood. A remember a couple of times I've had to unpack EVERYTHING and cart it ALL up stairs to a hotel room including 2 tyres. Damn, the memory of it makes me tired and out of breath thinking about it. Happy dayz though!

I've sworn to try soft luggage next time round so who knows, maybe I'll end up carting the lot inside?

It can be done in one carry if really stubborn but usually with two or three slogs.

The key is the magic duffle on the back which is really an MEC 125L duffle. Too big really, but offers lots of room to stow the miscellaneous items haphazardly strapped on when stopped. In regular use allows for with easy insertion of tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, etc. and plenty of room to spare. Once strapped down, you can minimize the excess folds of the bag.

Advantages of having excess space is that you can stop, unstrap, and stow the soft inserts from your Pelican cases in the bag. Bag is slung like a backpack on your back, left arm through the helmet, tank bag in your left hand, cold beer in your right. Pelicans sit locked on bike but are empty.

Downside of this is that you tend to lazily allow the stuff in your panniers to work their way into the magic duffle at which you become overly top heavy. Bag is also not 100% waterproof so big kayak bag is required inside for any items you need to keep dry. Lazy, but with space to spare, packing and unpacking are much easier and no sorting and squeezing.

If using tank bags as well, not much can be done to avoid another trip. Usually too muddy to throw in the big bag, but strangely not too muddy to drag into the poor unsuspecting hotel room.

Everyone develops their own systems. None are exactly good or bad ... but all do tend to evolve over time and travel.

Lots depends if you're hauling camping gear ... and if you're bike is secure where it's parked or needs to be stripped if on the street in a busy city. Most of us go for secure-ish parking ... so I'll go with that.

Upon arrival and greeting I inspect the room and negotiate a price. Once done, I leave my Helmet, Jacket, and Camel Back in the room.

I immediately ask for the Mozo, Ayudante, helper or whatever. Most times someone is around ... even if not officially. I explain about my "false leg" and that usually gets a quick response and help. :wheelchair:

But if no help, then back to bike. In 30 seconds I have my bag liners out (two) of panniers. In one minute, my duffle is off. I sling it cross my back and carry the two bag liners. All this weighs less about 15 kgs.

Everything else stays on the bike: soft panniers (mostly empty), tools (hidden in locked tool pouch).

I worry about locking up and moving (if needed) the bike after a few beers or dinner. If I get help carrying gear in, I tip well and ask that he keep an eye on my bike ... with promise of more tips to come. Seems to work OK.

Being HOT and sweating like a rapist is all part of travel. We've got to wear the protective gear .. so we suffer at times. It's TOUGH ... but try to ZEN your way through. It's all in your head. :smartass:

When you think that you have whittled your baggage runs down to the minimum, try it walking with a stick. Ride safe.

I use a pair of roll top bags as panniers. If you carry a couple of extra straps you can convert them to old style throwovers and sling them round your neck. If you end up hitch hiking you can also strap them one on top of the other to form a back pack, but this takes me longer to set up than the walk to the room.

Andy

That's what I do with my side bags. Over one shoulder... The ortlieb over the other shoulder.

Pelicase in one hand and hopefully a beer in the other :)

Pack Horse Coates Reporting In
 

I know exactly what you mean Ted, I generally keep things to a minimum for what I need off the bike, but at times, I need everything, hence this picture...

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O...%20carry-M.jpg

Also in my right hand is my tank bag
Full bike gear including moto-cross boots which in total adds over 10% to my body weight as well :confused1:

Having to manhaul everything off the bike is a good arguement for travelling light but somehow I never do. Even touring on my 125 it seems to take three trips to move everything from the bike to the hotel room.

Mostly my mindset considers camping the norm where the bike will be next to the tent and moving the luggage isn't an issue but thinking back I probably spend as much time in hotels as I do under canvas - and far more in winter when I take more stuff anyway.

To date I've not really given any thought to this at all but I really ought to. It wouldn't take much effort to modify some of my luggage so it could be carried more easily. Leaving it on the bike is only viable in a small number of hotels and I've had panniers smashed open and stuff stolen in the past in locked compounds with an overnight guard :(.

Even when there doesn't seem to be any security issues I'm always uneasy leaving stuff on the bike and I've woken up many times in the middle of the night to check everything is still there. Pity I never stay in the kind of hotel where they have people to do the fetching and carrying for you.

I thought of this a lot on my last major trip. I was getting really jaded with all the packing, lugging etc. I swore I'd do my next trip in a 4x4 haha. But I just like riding too much. Prepping from scratch this time I'm giving this major thought and I'll be building racks/ luggage accordingly...

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

I keep playing with an old MOD framed rucksack and thinking the frame might keep a soft bag out of the back wheel but pop off like a hard case and go back to being a rucksack.

Andy

If you put a couple of old supermarket trolley castors on it you could wheel it into a hotel like an aircraft cabin bag. Make the top a bit longer and it could double up as a sack barrow so you could get all your luggage in in one go. :clap:

It always rises an eyebrow in the hostels doesn't it...

And god.. The heat.. The effort... It makes you want to buy an Air conditioned Land cruiser with an icebox and a stereo...

One day..............:innocent:

Its not too much of an issue most of the time when travelling two-up. But yes on your own it's not good, although I have had very few occasions when someone has not offered to help in some way. Usually you can prompt help at the check in desk by the following > " oh well.... now the hard bit, carrying all the bags in from the bike" it hardly ever fails. ( apart from when there is a language barrier )

It's great when you can get the bike secured somewhere in the hotel and leave most of it, I once had it parked in the back of the kitchen !

WHAT !!!! :eek3: