Brett's Bike Trailer
Right, so I ought to mention that I purchased a bike trailer to make all my travelling possible, as my bike will not accomodate panniers. It's made by a company named B.O.B. (http://bobtrailers.com) which stands for Beast of Burden. The specific model is the YAK Plus, and I've been very pleased with it. Here's what it looks like:
For the 2007 trip, I'm typically carrying:
- tent
- ground tarp for tent
- sleeping pad
- sheet
- fleece blanket
- water bottle (usually partially or fully empty)
- Three Cups of Tea (book)
- journal
- maps
- a handful of energy bars
- a lightweight towel
- extra biking outfit (shorts, jersey, sock, kerchief for sweatband)
- long-sleeve jersey
- fleece sweatshirt
- street clothes (three shirts, shorts, two pairs of underwear, sleeping shorts, and sandals)
- toiletries and other possibly useful odds and ends like string, silverware, and tape
- five juggling balls
- three unibody plastic juggling clubs
- three extra tubes for my bike
- headlamp
- bike lock
I picked up my trailer Wednesday night, July 21st, 2004. That alone was exciting. I had a good amount of drama trying to install the new attachment mechanism to my bike, but with some washers from my kitchen wall and some elbow grease, I managed to have the trailer installed by about 10:00 P.M., and then I took it to the grocery store to buy food for the trip. Returning home triumphantly from its inaugural "trip," the trailer waited patiently whilst I packed the dry sack designed for it, and then went to sleep for a few hours before getting up for Stage 1 of my bike tour around the Northeast.
Here's a list of what I was typically carrying on my tour around the Northeast (not including Stage 1 and Stage 2):
- my tent
- my sleeping bag
- four juggling balls
- my journal
- address book
- maps
- my disposable camera
- a few snacks
- my toiletries
- clothing (extra biking outfit, sweatshirt, shorts, t-shirts)
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