Fun Around Virginia!

Ready To Ride — Packing For A Day Trip

There’s no denying riding season has finally arrived in Virginia! The open road is calling and the urge to drop everything and go is tempting. Unfortunately, experience has taught those of us who have been caught in an unexpected shower, frozen our tails off due to dramatic temperature changes, experienced that unpleasant wind burned face, or even ended up with a bad case of helmet hair, that a little planning is necessary.

Don’t worry that too much planning for a trip — much like making love, will ruin that spontaneous freedom of acting when the mood strikes. If you have an arsenal already prepared, no one will need to know that you spent a lot of time preparing to be spontaneous. Everyone will be impressed with your effortless ability to hit the road at a moment's notice. While everyone else is stumbling around, wearing themselves out looking for all the gear necessary, you set the standard that could rival any good Boy Scout's motto of "Be prepared". What to pack:

• Disposable poncho — can also serve as a blanket for an impromptu picnic.
• Lip Balm and a small tube of hand/face lotion — to keep windburn at a minimum.
• First aid kit containing the following items: (This is a fairly inclusive list — you may choose to scale down on some of the items).
  1. Alcohol swabs
  2. Band-Aids
  3. Alka Seltzer
  4. Aspirin
  5. Salve
  6. Benadryl
  7. Gauze
  8. Tape
  9. Tweezers
  10. Scissors
• Water, Gatorade or equivalent — it is very easy to quickly dehydrate when out riding in the wind, it is also very easy for you to forget to drink. My partner and I have an agreement to drink at every stop whether we feel the need or not.
• Medium Swiss Army knife — can cover almost any quick fix situation.
• Small flashlight — for looking into those tiny dark places.
• Compass and maps — for those of us who let the road lead us where it may, we still need to know how to get back home again. Besides, it will prevent that oh, so embarrassing condition of having to pull in at a gas station and ask directions.
• Lock and cable — it can get pretty tiring lugging things like your helmet around as you are sightseeing away from your bike.
• Camera — don't let those Kodak moments pass you by. There are many compact cameras that take great shots. If you are worried about loss or theft, disposable cameras, available just about anywhere at reasonable prices, take great shots.
• Notepad and pen — we have found this invaluable for making notes on where we were, writing down phone numbers of people we have met, etc. We carry a very small notepad that can easily fit into a hip pouch.
• Sewing kit — this can be as minimal as a needle and a bit of thread.
• Sunglasses — serves two purposes: protection from the sun and bug strike in the eye elimination.
• Cellular phone and/or pager — I know you want to get away from it all, but you never know when an emergency situation will arise that would make these tools virtual life savers.
• Rubber bands or hair ties and a hair brush — if you have long hair and have gone without any of these, no further explanation is necessary.
• Bandana — this can help reduce helmet hair and it will reduce the time it will take you to brush out the tangles that have formed as your hair rubs against your helmet. It is also extremely useful for the less glamorous use of keeping the sweat out of your eyes.
• Matches — even if you don’t smoke, you never know when these will come in handy.
• Sunscreen — it is so easy to forget about the sun when the wind is hitting your face. Unfortunately, you won’t be reminded until the damage is already done.
• Small bungee cords or string — for tying down all those little "extras" you pick up along the way after the saddlebags are completely stuffed.

Plan your packing to suit your needs and your limits. Starting a journey with bulging saddlebags is probably not the way to go unless it is food or something you will be doing away with throughout the day.

A word about saddlebags — much like closet space, my partner and I have found having a his and hers section clearly defined works best. If one or the other’s belongings migrates to the other person’s saddlebag it’s ok but basically we each have our own side to pack as we see fit. If you share a closet with someone, you can certainly sympathize with what I am saying.

For more carrying space, which is always at a premium, I use a hip pack. I keep my ID, credit card, and a little cash in a small change purse in my pocketbook. When I am ready to roll, I just grab it out of my purse and drop it in my hip pack. You can also wear a vest with many pockets such as a fisherman's vest or a photographers vest. Utilize any and all available pockets. This brings to mind the issue of proper dress. Clothing that is too tight might look great but you can’t carry much. You will need to decide what is more important to you — comfort and convenience or style. Speaking of comfort, you might want to consider carrying a small fleece to put on your seat. It works great, especially if you haven’t ridden for a while.

For those of you on a budget, or who would rather spend money having fun, many of items such as rain ponchos, sunscreen, small first aid kits, etc., can be found at a Dollar Store. I would suggest you start there first and then buy any items not available there from another source.

This basic list and tips should cover most of your needs for any day trip and have you well on your way to enjoying the Virginia byways and highways. With some well­thought out preplanning, your destination is only limited by your imagination. Ride safe.

Thanks for visiting VirginiaWind.