Tips for packing for the Rally

OK I have been doing Rallies for longer then i want to remember

Here are a few lessons that i have learned by making mistakes and watching others it just may help so spend a second or two reading :-D if you want to

I use four “inventory” cards and a ICE sheet and if you decide to follow this PLEASE write it down.. we do not remember what we think we do (GRIN)
I have 1 3x5 card for all of the camping items and when they go on the bike then i check them off. This is not a full list but a guideline to work off Hope this helps someone to make their life and trip a bit easier

Sounds simple but if i have a quarter for everyone who goes “ouch no stakes” or something else I would have a nice large collection of BMW bike (GRIN)

The camping card that i use includes the following
Tent
Tent poles
Tent Stakes
small/mid size hammer
drop cloth
sleeping bag
sheet
and any other items that would make camping better for you

The second card is my list of clothing
4 or 5 days worth of clothing
radio (i do like music)
book
flashlight or two
extra batteries
medical items and sunscreen and other personal care stuff
toiletries as per you
drinking cup (good for coffee and or adult beverages)
sneakers and or sandals
bad weather gear as you want

The third card is for the tools that I will NEED not want.
Inexpensive DVM you will not be doing detailed testing just a go/no go
Tire plugging kit and small compressor
Trash bags small
Electric tape and, yes, small roll of duct tape…

And the forth card is for all the electronics that we travel with
2 power plugs for your phones and other stuff
spare cords that you have tested before
spare batteries if needed
I also carry two copies of the ICE sheet This is a list of all important numbers for traveling. These are printed out and one is in my jacket and the other stored on the bike.

A emergency phone number in case of really bad items I also have this as a note on my phone
A full list of all the pharmacies with their number that you take. Walgreens or CVS can issue emergency dosages if your gets damaged or lost after checking with your doctor. Will take a while but if you need the drugs to live ….
My drivers license number
My insurance number and their phone number
My CC number and the their phone number; they can FedExpress you a new card overnight

I also look up all the BMW dealers close to my route and include their address and phone number

Welcome to the forum and thanks for posting? I developed my list for packing for trips...generally I motel-ed it, so issues with tents/bags/cooking were off my list. Here are a couple of threads on packing. One from a year ago for last year's rally and another from two years ago about packing in general.

Everyone has their own approach to do it...sometimes it's based upon experience because on the last time, you might have needed something and forgot to bring it.

https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?92498-First-Rally-Pack-List-Ideas

https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?90112-Camping-Checklist

Plenty of other discussions about packing for trips on the forum.

Welcome to the forum Jim. Pretty comprehensive list, so you have given the subject some thought. If it helps someone going on a trip, then you have indeed done us a good service. My personal style is minimalist, but I know and ride with some folks that have a list about like yours.

Again, thanks for the tip and good luck.

My wife and I travel via two wheels every summer and we never made a list for anything. I came to two conclusions after the first trip we took, we will need something we never thought of, and there is Walmart every where.

Many moons ago, a number of volunteers worked together to publish motorcycle camping information on the MOA web site. Thanks to Archive.org, that information is still out there and still fairly relevant. A lot of the links are dead, though... but that is how it goes.

In reading your post I see you’ve got a good list down, but have you though about how you’re going to pack all this stuff on your bike?

Don’t show up looking like the Beverly Hillbillies!

The best piece of advice I can give you is to develop a system so that what-goes-where is always the same. It will save your sanity and help you to not leave something important behind.

Ian

I’ve rarely bothered to put a list together but I might this time as a bit of a guide seeing as I’m only home for 5 days or so before I leave so I’ll definitely be a bit rushed between packing and the honey do list I’m going home to.

I’ll have to make a few adjustments as it will be the first time for me packing this bike for a trip.

Don't need no packing list...

Packing list, I don't need no packing list.....that's why I'm always forgetting a lot of stuff. L0L. Good advice here. I keep a list in my head and add to it as I go. That's why I start packing 3 or 4 days in advance. Of course with me it would be "crap, I forgot to put x on the packing list". Probably at 72 I'd start making a list and forget where I put it.

No, you got to be 82 first before you forget the list!