I am fortunate enough to be going on a ride during the beginning of the month of July. This will be my first long (read interstate) ride in three years. This is the longest dry spell I've ever had and I'm really looking forward to the ride.

I hope that you have plans in place for Summer and will also have an opportunity to take a vacation.

Anticipation of a ride can be as great a pleasure as the actual ride. This trip will be the kind of trip I really enjoy. I will spend about two weeks "out there". I do not plan the trip rigorously. If I may be going near relatives, I warn them that I may be in the area and if a visit is imminent, I will give them a day or two of notice on the road. I don't have a firm destination, but have something in mind. This time I am thinking about checking out the Canadian Rockies. I carry along enough supplies to camp overnight without cooking, but I camp or stay in motels based on weather or whim.

Like the last trip, I am traveling with Joel Cavell. Both of us enjoy photography, so I plan on spending a bit of time off the bike with a camera.

There are several categories of preparation for a trip. The bike must be prepared. The household has to be prepared. There's family to deal with. Last time, I was trying to wrap up a project at work before I left. As is usually the case, things didn’t go quite as smoothly as planned. The week before departure, I was working fourteen hour days. The last day of work arrived and I left early at nine P.M. to get ready for the vacation starting the next day.

I remember that evening vividly. I spent almost the entire night jamming everything I might need into duffel bags and caught a couple hours of sleep before departing.

The next morning found me riding west with my bike overloaded and handling like a Mack truck. I felt like pulling over and UPSing most of it back home. As it was, I spent the first few evenings repacking and rearranging to lower the center of gravity.

This time things will be different.

So here I am going over the list of items I will be bringing with me. Bear in mind that I haven’t actually packed the saddle bags yet, so some things will change. The following is my first version of the list of items that will be carried along.

The first priority is keeping the bike rolling. I have a set of tools that I always carry with me. These include wrenches and tools to pull tires, plugs, etc. It also includes tire plugs and a CO2 tire inflation kit. To that kit of basic tools, I add:

Once I have the bike rolling, I then think about keeping the bike. I have a pair of Kryptonite locks that I carry. One is a brake disk lock. The other is large enough to tie two bikes together by their tires or to lock the rear tire to the frame. I have a light chain, but I think I will pass on it this time. Joel has a heavy chain and may bring it.

This brings up an important idea about traveling with others. Take advantage of what they will pack and don't duplicate what someone else is carrying if they really have that base covered. Most folks are willing to use a heavy chain they carry to lock all the bikes together. If you have a mechanic in the group who likes to carry a full set of tools, you can get by with a minimum set.

Now it's time to think about keeping myself going. I don't have any health problems that require me to carry prescription medicines. I do carry simple first aid items. I really should invest in a real kit. Since I spend a lot of time outside on a bike trip, sunscreen is a vital piece of equipment. I also throw in the cellular phone here since I would consider it emergency medical equipment.

Now its time to add in the riding equipment. This will vary depending on where I'm going and the season, but for those of us who are acclimated to Houston summers, almost anywhere else will feel downright cold. It also seems to rain anywhere I go, even in the desert.

I ride with a open face helmet and carry a snap on face shield for when it rains (no windshield on bike). In fair weather, I wear a wraparound set of Oakley sunglasses and carry tinted and amber lenses. My full face helmet is in pretty bad shape. I used to carry both helmets. If I manage to replace the full face helmet, I will return to carrying both again and drop the snap on face shield.

Usually, I drink at stops only. In severe heat, I will buy a plastic bottle or two and carry them with me, refilling them with water as I go. I'm thinking of bringing some bicycling water jugs or an insulated jug this time. Then I can drink plenty of water the whole trip rather than waiting until I notice a problem.

Last time, I brought way too much clothing. A week's supply is more than enough. For me that means just the clothes on my back, especially if it rains and I skip the rain suit. Well, you get the idea. It's easier to stop and wash once or twice at a motel or campsite than it is to carry all that stuff. Besides, it's a good idea to leave room for a couple of new T-shirts as souvenirs. Since every climate feels cold to me, I also bring thermal underwear. Since this trip will include some mountain riding, there will certainly be some genuinely cold climates encountered. Some people like to wear light long sleeved shirts to block the sun. I usually wear T-shirts and sunscreen.

Douglas Adams fans are probably wondering why I have taken this long to mention the one most indispensable item for the galactic traveler. Always bring your own towel. To that I would add a washcloth since some campsites may not have showers.

Camping equipment can vary a lot depending on how much comfort you need. Sleeping is one of my talents, so I can get by with very little equipment. I've been known to sleep on the ground or on a picnic table even when sober. I have camped with people who had back and neck problems, so bring what you need to sleep and enjoy the day after. I usually carry an air mattress which I'm frequently too lazy to inflate. I'm thinking of trying one of those high-tech self-inflating pads and pillows. Maybe the ground has gotten harder since the last time I camped out.

There's a few miscellaneous items still be to mentioned. It's very important that you carry a notebook and pen to record notes about your trip. That way you can write more detailed articles for the newsletter.

Now for the truly discretionary portion of this list: the camera gear. I won't go into great detail here. During the last trip, I really needed a wider lens (I borrowed Joel's) and a longer lens (I did without). It happens that Joel and I are both carrying Nikon SLRs, so we can share equipment. Hmmm…, maybe I could convince Joel that he needs to balance a heavy chain to lock the bikes with my telephoto lens.