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15 min read
What to Pack for a 14–28 Day Motorcycle Tour Abroad
There's a moment, usually somewhere around day three of a long motorcycle tour, when you realise that everything you own in the world is whatever is strapped to your bike — and whatever you didn't bring, you'll have to live without. Planning thoroughly what is there - and what isn't - can be imperative for the success of the tour.
On my first trip abroad, I had no problems: I joined an organized tour and they had an accompanying car that would take whatever baggage you took. But it was not the same after that, when I began designing my own trips for myself and for friends – I had to choose what to take and what NOT to take, and my main problem was convincing my wife that we didn’t need to take the whole apartment.
After 16 years of touring two-up through the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Balkans, the Dolomites, and even through the Himalayas, I've refined my packing system down to a science. Even my wife has become an expert on packing in such a way that she is always happy with what she took. We run two 25-litre side panniers and a 50-litre top box — 100 litres total for two people — and everything fits. Every time.
This is the exact way we choose what to take. No fluff, no wishful thinking. Just what actually works for a fortnight or more on the road, from 2,800-metre mountain passes where it's 8°C and windy, down to sun-baked Mediterranean valleys where it's pushing 38°C in the shade.
Before we get into specifics, a few principles that make everything possible. First: the riding gear is on your body, not in the bags. You're wearing it. The GPS, equipment mounts, and cameras are on the bike. That's what clears up the space for everything else. Second: two people means shared resources wherever possible. One tube of toothpaste. One first aid kit. One power bank. Think in systems, not in individual piles.
We split the luggage like this: the two side-panniers are taken by my wife, who naturally takes more things than I do. The top box is used by me, and I save between half or a third of it for the safety and riding equipment.
What we're Wearing — Not Packing
Our riding gear lives on our body every single day. This is non-negotiable for a tour that crosses high mountain passes. For both rider and pillion, I recommend a quality textile jacket with CE Level 2 back protector and shoulder/elbow armour — something with a proper waterproof membrane and good ventilation zip options. The waterproof membrane will prevent the need to take rain vests, and thus save space.
Riding pants: we also chose textile with CE Level 2 knee and hip armour, with a waterproof liner you can zip in or out as the altitude and temperature change throughout the day.
A good helmet — we use the Schuberth C5 which is very quiet and has an excellent communication system, besides a quality visor and ideally internal sun visor — it stays on the bike via a helmet lock when we are at a café, and at night it comes up to the hotel room for charging the intercom system.
Boots are waterproof motorcycle-specific, comfortable enough to walk in, and covering the ankle properly.
Gloves: I need two pairs - A summer mesh pair for the low-altitude heat, and a waterproof/insulated pair for the passes. Sometimes, when temperatures are expected to be very high, I also take a third pair, with half-finger covering. They all fit in a jacket pocket. If you are using an adventure riding jacket, it will probably have a big pocket at its lower back. I usually put them there. My wife takes only one pair of gloves.
In the Bags: Safety Extras
Even with all that gear on our body, there are a few safety items that earn their space in the top box:
A compact first aid kit designed for motorcyclists — not a giant one, but one with wound dressings, sterile wipes, a foil blanket, and some basic medication (antihistamines, ibuprofen, rehydration sachets).
A pair of hi-visibility vests for both of us — since it is mandatory in several European countries, doesn't take any space, and are realy useful if we ever need to deal with a breakdown or accident on a mountain road.
A motorcycle-specific emergency tool roll: with tyre plugs, CO₂ inflators (or a travel compressor), a compact multitool, zip ties, and electrical tape. A small tow strap and a jump starter (the compact lithium kind weighs almost nothing).
Finally, we keep our breakdown assistance card and insurance emergency number laminated and in the internal top of the top box, where we can get to it fast.
Riding Clothes for the Changing Conditions
The key to mountain touring in European summer (and from my experience, also in more extreme places like the Himalayas, so I take it as a general rule) is layering — and understanding that "European summer" can mean an 8°C, drizzly morning on the top of the Timmelsjoch and a 36°C afternoon in the valley below by 2pm. One needs to dress for both in a single day.
Base Layers (per person)
Three sets of technical merino or synthetic base layers — long-sleeve tops and underlayers. Merino is the gold standard because it regulates temperature, doesn't stink after a day of riding, and packs down small. If not merino, which is more difficult to find, we use those new active or dry fit shirts, which are very thin for packing, keep well body temperature and can be washed and dried overnight by simply washing during shower and hanging them in front of the air conditioning of the hotel. Take into consideration that even in summer, a base layer under the jacket makes the difference between comfortable and miserable at altitude.
Mid Layers (per person)
We used to take one lightweight fleece or softshell that fits under the jacket, or the jacket liner for winter temperatures. Nowadays, with the new Columbia Omni-Heat jackets (the ones with the golden internal side), which are warmer, lighter and thinner than fleece, softshell or the liner, we moved to taking these jackets as mid-layers. The good part with them as that they look nice enough to be our jackets in the evening when we are not riding and just walking to the towns and villages we arrived to.
Note that this is a mountain pass layer — it goes on at the bottom of every major climb and comes off when we go down or stop for lunch. It also doubles as a camp/hotel layer in the evenings when temperatures drop.
Rain Gear
Our textile jackets and trousers should handle most rain, so in most cases there is no need for rain gear, but if you have space, you can pack one set of lightweight over-trousers per person — the kind that stuff into their own pocket. They go over your riding trousers in heavy rain and add a wind-blocking layer for long descents. They weigh almost nothing and take almost no place.
Regular Clothes (Off the Bike)
This is where most people overpack and where I've learned to be genuinely ruthless. You're on a motorcycle tour, not a cruise. We will mostly be seen by other motorcyclists, hotel staff, and waiters — none of whom really care about what we are wearing.
Per Person
- 5 pairs of underwear (merino or quick-dry synthetic — wash one, wear one, three spare)
- 1 pair of lightweight trousers or jeans — one that can pass as smart casual for a nicer dinner and be used for active days
- 3 T-shirts (quick-dry) – lately they are the same of our base layers, so in this case we began taking 6 of them, since they all serve both purposes.
- 1 lightweight long-sleeve shirt – for cooler evenings or sun protection
- 1 pair of lightweight shoes or sandals — we used to need something to wear off the bike; our motorcycling boots were not really restaurant shoes. Anyway, lately there are some nice casual motorcycling boots, we both bought a pair of BMW casual riding shoes that look fine and are very comfortable, so lately we have been giving up on this.
- 1 lightweight packable down jacket or gilet — this is our evening layer at altitude campsites or cool mountain villages. Again, in the last years it is the same Columbia Omni-Heat jacket, since it looks very nice.
- Swimwear — you will always find a lake, a river, a beach or a hotel pool, and we surely don't want to regret not packing it. It takes virtually no place, so we do pack it. We also put it inside a plastic bag which you can use to store it when it is wet without getting the rest of the luggage wet.
- 1 lightweight packable hat (probably a casket hat) and sunglasses (in a hard case)
- Toiletries in a compact roll bag: shampoo, conditioner, and a soap bar, deodorant, sunscreen (a small tube, buy more locally), toothbrush and toothpaste, razor or a shaver. If I have space, I also take my CPAP machine, in case I don't, I just sleep in bed in a half-sitting position that prevent the snoaring and the breathing-cuts.
As I said before, we share toiletries as a couple. One set between two. If we are taking a towel, same with it — one large one is fine. We also take into consideration that in most hotels we will be given enough for the night, so we don’t carry big containers.
Documentation, Electronics, and Navigation
On the Bike (Not in the Bags)
The bike carries most of our electronics. A RAM mount or similar quality ball-and-socket system is essential — cheap mounts vibrate and destroy phones on long Alpine descents. This is what we run:
- Dedicated GPS unit or a dedicated phone for navigation mounted centrally — this is the primary navigation tool. We use Phone GPS (on a secondary phone that is mounted on the bike) when the bike has the ability to charge the phone and we have support for software with which we can use offline maps. Otherwise, a dedicated moto GPS with offline maps like a Garmin XT or similar is imperative on a serious tour. During the last years, we have rented BMW R1250RT or K1600GT motorcycles which have a compartment to the phone which can charge it and an offline map software which connects and present the navigation maps at the dashboard, so we can do fine with that.
- Main Phone mount – I prefer not to use phone mounts for my main phone, and to have it at the pocket of my jacket at all times, so that in the unlucky case of an accident I don’t find myself having to drag my body 200 meters to the motorcycle in order to be able to use the phone. My wife uses her phone for taking pictures of the way (in her task as my mounted photographer), so she has a phone case tied to her arm or to her jacket in such a way it does not fall and it is easy to hold.
- Action camera mount — we run one Insta360 X4 mounted to the handlebar and a Garmin Virb XE mounted on the top of my helmet, and I use them alternately or at the same time for not loosing good videos of the way. Both cameras come off and go into the hotel room for charging at the end of each day, or to the topbox or to my jacket’s pockets when we stop and leave the bike unattended.
- Communication System — our Schuberth C5 helmets include the Schubert SC2 Communication System (made by Sena), and it can be charged by a regular USB-C charger, so we don’t need to take anything special for that.
In the Bags: The Electronics Kit
In a single padded electronics pouch in the top box, we carry:
- Universal power bank (20,000 mAh — large enough to charge phones and cameras multiple times; most modern ones also charge via USB-C at 65W which handles a lot). I usually take two of those, just in case we stay more than one night in a place without electrical power. If you know you will stay in hotels most of the time, you need only one.
- Compact laptop or tablet — optional, but on a 28-day trip it is recommended for route planning, uploading footage, and having a proper screen for the occasional evening of work or film. I usually take my 14-inch HP Pavillion laptop which doubles as a tablet when you turn the screen 360 degrees to the back.
- USB-C and USB-A multi-port charging adapter — Many times we have found ourselves in hotels where there was only one plug for the whole room, and having to charge two phones, two cameras, two communication systems, and sometimes more. I bought a 5-port fast charger which can charge simultaneously 5 devices using 4 USB-A to USB-C (or something else) cables and one USB-C to USB-C (or something else) cable. One room plug for charging almost everything. When we arrive to the room we put the things that charge rapidly (like the cameras) to charge, and before we go to sleep at night we change and begin charging the phones and the communication systems (these last usually take 7 hours to completely charge.
- Camera charging cables, communication system charging cables, and phone cables — we pack one of each type, unless for the USB-C that we need to use for many devices at the same time, so we pack more.
- Small Bluetooth speaker for evenings at campsites or terraces — far more useful than expected
Documents
Everything travel-related is contained in a waterproof A5 document wallet in the top box, except when stated differently:
- Passports - on days in which we know that we will pass borders, we keep them in our jacket pockets.
- International driving licences and our national driving licenses
- Vehicle registration document
- Insurance certificate and Green Card
- Breakdown/roadside assistance membership card (ADAC, RAC, or similar)
- Health Insurance Cards — or equivalent travel health documentation
- Trip itinerary printout with hotel bookings and emergency contacts
- Petrol and ferry receipts for expense tracking
Here's the actual distribution we use:
Both panniers (50L) — Wife's equipment: 5 underwear, 6 T-shirts, 1 long-sleeve, 1 jeans, 1 active trousers, toiletry roll, over-trousers, packable shoes, swimwear, toiletry kit.
Top box (50L) — Safety equipment (1/3 to 1/2 of the box): Electronics pouch, document wallet, first aid kit, hi-vis vests, tool roll, emergency bike kit, CO₂ inflators (or compressor), jump starter, 1 shared large towel, and whatever food or snacks are on for the day.
My equipment (1/2 to 2/3 of the box: 5 underwear, 6 T-shirts, 1 long-sleeve, 1 jeans, 1 active trousers, toiletry roll, over-trousers, packable shoes, swimwear.
The jackets, helmets, and gloves stay with the bike or go to the room with us. The cameras come off every night. The GPS stays mounted in case it is possible, because in most cases it is connected to the bike's power and doesn't need to be charged.
Note that we use panniers and top-box liners. They can help us in three ways: first, they help us plan the baggage and know before time that all we are taking fits the boxes, even if we are using rental bikes. Second, we take them to the plane as our baggage so there are no suitcases. And third, they prevent the need to mount, dismount and carry heavy hard-boxes to hotels in which sometimes there are no elevators.
The hardest part of packing for a long tour isn't knowing what to bring — it's accepting what to leave home. You will not need that third pair of jeans. You will find a laundrette or a hotel with a tumble dryer within three days. You will be happier with a lighter bike through a switchback at 2,500 metres than you ever would be with a "just in case" extra fleece.
Pack less than you think you need. Trust the plan. And enjoy the passes.
The mountains are always worth it — as long as your panniers close.