Realizing that you forgot something when you’re hundreds of miles from home can be extremely frustrating or downright dangerous (depending on what you forgot) so using a check list before leaving for a trip can be really helpful. These are pretty general and every person will have different needs but these will at least be a good start. Download and edit them to fit your needs.

Packing Check List Printable PDF

Packing Check List editable Excel file

You’ll notice that I mention “kits” in the packing check list. Below are lists of what I have in each kit (including links to most products). I managed to find little bags or cases for each kit but if you want to buy something look into packing cubes or search your local thrift store for camera bags etc. I remember trying to find instructions on how to build different kits for motorcycling when I was new to the hobby and what I found was that these kits will be different for every person and every bike. These kits are what has worked for me and will give you a good idea of what you need to start with but make sure to change your kits to fit your needs. ESPECIALLY the tool kit!

FULL DISCLOSURE: These are all Amazon affiliate links so, yes, I do get a small cut…but it doesn’t cost you any extra. It’s things like this that allow me to bring cool content to the internet for you to enjoy so I sure would appreciate if you used the links if you feel you need any of these items.

Tool kit

Lets start off with a video of all the things in here.

Smacase I found this on amazon and its the perfect size for my needs. There are many other sizes available but make sure to go with one that has a zippered pocket in the lid….many of them just have an open pocket in the lid and anything you put in it will come out making it difficult to stay organized.

Snap-on ratcheting screwdriver I chose this because the shaft is interchangeable allowing me to have multiple tools with one handle. I have the stubby shaft, a long shaft, a flexible shaft, and a 1/4 inch drive shaft. Then I can put whatever tip I need on the end. This saves a ton of space while still carrying a lot of tools.

Metric allen bits for the screwdriver

Torx bits My bike has lots of torx head bolts on it

Standard allen bits My bike is metric but I like to have these just in case. Sometimes the aftermarket things added to bikes will have standard hardware or I might be with someone that needs standard tools. I generally carry tools for the group so I have more than I need.

Low profile ratchet This isn’t the exact one I have put I couldn’t remember where mine came from and this is the closest thing I could find online. Mine has a 6 inch handle and on one end its 1/4 inch drive and the other is 3/8 inch drive. Again…combining tools to save space.

6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, & 17 MM sockets. These are the most common sockets on bikes.

Gator Grip Socket Don’t knock it till you try it! This tool will fit any bolt/nut from 7-19mm or 1/4-3/4 inch and can sometimes grab onto rounded off bolts too. Its saved my but many times.

1/4 inch and 3/8 inch drive 6 inch extensions, 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch drive 3 inch extensions. Plus a 3/8 to 1/4 adapter and 1/4 to 3/8 adapter to allow for weird situations that require a mix of different sizes.

Gear Wrench flexhead ratcheting wrenches I managed to fit the entire set in my bag. Having the flex head can be really helpful and makes these multiple tools in one (vs having to carry straight and offset wrenches).

Wrench Inserts These awesome little tools turn a ratcheting wrench into a low profile ratchet. Sometimes its nice or even necessary to have two ratchets for a task so these tiny little pieces let me have that option without having to actually carry two ratchets.

Knipex Pliers WrenchThese are in my top 5 favorite tools. Between the two of them there isn’t a bolt on a bike that you cant grab on to. I use the big one for axle nuts all the time. They grip a million times better than normal adjustable wrenches. You have to remember though that, as with any adjustable wrench, they can slip and are more likely to round off a bolt head than a box end wrench or socket.

Motion Pro BeadPRO I don’t always bring this with me but when I don’t, I wish I did.

Battery Tender volt meter I made a plug for this that allows me to plug volt meter test leads in to it and it basically makes a tiny volt meter…..its not perfect and it wont do you any good if you don’t know how to use it but its helped me a couple times. I’ll make a video explaining the modification and link it here.

Gerber Suspension multi tool (update from the future: sadly these have been discontinued by Gerber so get one while you still can) I have many (read: too many) multi tools and I have always come back to the classic Gerber Suspension. It has every tool I want and they are so cheap! I’m gonna have to do a review on this tool one day cause I love it so much. Seriously there is no reason to have $120 dollar Leatherman in your tool kit……says the guy who carries a Benchmade in his cooking kit.

Streamlight Bandit headlamp This is hands down the best headlamp I have ever used. Rechargeable, compact, and bright. Its a flood beam, so its not just an annoyingly bright spot. The flood beam pattern makes it really nice for walking around and doing things like cooking, and because the flood beam disperses the light so well you wont completely blind everyone that looks at it. It has a headband or it can be clipped to the bill of a hat. I generally keep this in my tank bag while on a ride but when I get home it lives in my tool kit. I need to review this thing too.

JB Weld Steelstick Any brand of two part epoxy putty will do. You never know what you might need to fix. I’ve used this to fix clutch covers, plastic fairings, and even my boots once.

Gorilla tape mini I wrapped about 3 feet of the regular size around one of my wrenches and then I also carry a whole mini roll.

Self fusing silicone tape This stuff is amazing. Any brand will do…they’re all the same. You just wrap it around whatever you’re fixing, stretching as you wrap, and it fuses to itself making a tight seal. I’ve used it to help someone with a popped power steering line once and it worked well enough to get them to a shop for real repairs. I’ve used it to fix a leaking coolant hose and one time a worn through battery cable. Its not permanent (except for on wires…its better than electrical tape for that) and it wont fix leaks in high pressure scenarios but it can do a lot and its gotten me home a few times so its earned a place in my tool kit.

Gear gremlin cable repair kit Nothing will put a stop to a ride faster than a busted clutch cable. Most people don’t have the space to carry an extra clutch cable with them so this little gem can be a god send. As long as your cable housing is intact you just pull the old cable out and feed this one in the old housing. It isn’t a permanent repair but it will get you home. This is another one of those things I carry for other people. My bike doesn’t have any cables.

I also keep a little bag of spare bolts and screws in the kit. Whenever I do something to the bike that leaves me with bolts removed from the bike I toss them in the bag. And lastly I just fill all the empty space left in my kit with Zip-ties , a little bit of bailing wire, a little bit of electrical wire, and nitrile gloves (these ones in particular are great).

Remember this kit is in addition to the stock tool kit that came with my bike.

C02 inflator I don’t really consider this part of my big tool kit because its always under my seat but I thought it deserved an honorable mention. I put a tire plug tool and plugs in the bag it came in.

Cooking kit

Sea to Summit x-set 32 This set is great for its pack-ability. I usually leave the pot at home for moto trips.

Sea to Summit x-cup & x-bowl set These are great for how small they pack and the cup has measurement marks so you can measure water for your freeze dried meals.

MSR folding spork I went with this over other options because it folds in half and they are dang near unbreakable. Seriously, I got my first one for free so I decided to see if I could purposely break it…..it took fire to finally kill it.

P-51 Can opener I don’t often eat canned food on a bike trip but its happened a few times and this sure beats carrying a full size opener or using a knife.

E-tekcity folding stove This thing is the best! It works great it packs very small and it’s super cheap!

Stove fuel I usually prefer the smaller canisters. If your only boiling water for a few days of camping a small one will be fine.

MSR scraper again….it’s small so it’s nice

Benchmade Nimravus Any knife will do. However; this is the only time I don’t prefer something folding or compact…..I like a fixed blade long knife for my cooking kit…..it just doesn’t need to be this fancy. I happen to have an unhealthy taste for expensive knives so this is the one I take with me.

Camp spices Most of the time I’m eating freeze dried food or at a restaurant but this can be nice if you like to get creative.

Mountain House meals These are a great way to carry food and save space. And despite what you probably think if you’ve never had them….they actually taste quite good. I like to buy them in bundles like this to save a little money.

Sawyer mini water filter I find myself in the desert or way off the beaten path pretty often and this has saved my butt many times. This one in particular is nice because it’s small, but because of it’s small size and serious job I will toss it and get a new one after using it on a trip….they’re cheap and I don’t like the idea of bacteria camping out in there just waiting for me to use the filter again.

GoPro kit

So I call this my “GoPro kit” but it actually contains 3 different cameras of varying levels of GoPro-ness. The kit also includes all the necessary accessories for each camera.

Garmin Virb XE This is my main camera. It’s mounted to the chinbar of my helmet so it looks where I look. I chose this camera a long time ago for its small size and it’s gps capabilities but I would like to replace it with another hero 7 some day.

Garmin Virb remote this is paired to the Virb and lets me snap a picture or record video whenever I see something neat.

Wasabi batteries keeping extra batteries on hand lets me shoot all day. I actually have 6 batteries for the Virb because it gets the most use. I’ve used Wasabi batteries in a lot of my cameras (going all the way back to my hero3) and I have never had one single issue.

GoPro Hero 7 Black This is the secondary camera and it gets mounted to the bike and put in time lapse or video mode and is controlled by a remote. This camera is more of a passive tool…..I just leave it on and hope it records something neat. Its almost always plugged in to the bike so I have not bought spare batteries for it yet.

GoPro smart remote this remote is a thousand times better than the Garmin remote…..being able to see what mode the camera is in makes life so much easier!

GoPro accessories all of these accessories work with both the GoPro and the Garmin and it’s a cheap way to get a whole bunch of mounts.

GoPro ram mount ball this little gem lets you put your GoPro (or Virb) on a nice sturdy ram mount. I use it to put a camera on the bars pointed at me……makes for a cool shot sometimes.

DJI Osmo Pocket this is the newest addition to the kit and I’m still working out all of the uses. For a long time I’ve wanted to do a short log at the end of each day and this seemed like a good tool for that but I also think it will be nice for talking to the camera while walking around….like some sort of vlogger.

Lightning SD card reader sometimes I use this to transfer pictures or video to my iPad for quick editing and posting while on the go.

I also keep cords for the cameras in this bag as well as all the micro SD cards ever.

I also carry a Nikon P530 but it’s in my tank bag so I don’t really consider it part of the kit. I’m also slowly moving away from this big camera…..my iPhone takes just as good of pictures for 99% of what I need so the Nikon has been somewhat forgotten lately.

And sometimes I will bring my DJI Spark but only if I have the room for it and only if I really want to take aerial shots…..it’s too big to just throw in with no regard to the space it takes up.

Gear Repair kit

Lets start off with a video of all the things in here

Gear Aid sewing kit I’ve saved myself a few times with a quick sewing repair while on a trip. This kit is small and light and, as long as you take the time to learn to use it effectively, you’ll sure be glad you have it when you need.

Gear Aid Seam Grip field repair kit This is for fixing blown out seams on your tent, clothing, or soft luggage. it also includes two Tenacious Tape patches.

Gear Aid Tenacious Tape This stuff can be great to have for a quick repair to fabric until you can sew it. Duct tape out of your tool kit will work in a pinch as well.

Sea to Summit field repair buckle I’ve used 2 of these throughout my motorcycling career. Both times were to fix soft saddle bags and both times they ended up being permanent repairs. This one in particular is nice because the screw installation makes it quick. You can also scavenge buckles off of old bags destined for the trash….they can be a bit more time consuming to install but will work.

Super glue Cause….reasons.