My haircut

#6 all over and a little more off the sides and back.

Packing

Here are some of the things I plan to carry.

Sleeping bag

Tent

Clothesline

Toiletries

Mess kit 

Travel towel

Washcloth

Camp stove and cylinder of gasoline

Long pants

Bike shorts (2)

Bike jerseys (3)

Poncho

Tights

Shirt

Long sleeved undershirt

Emergency blanket

Water filter

Bike cables

Extra cleat

Lens for sunglasses

Pepper spray

Suntan lotion

Jacket

Preparations

I must be ready to travel in 4 days and am starting to panic. I am traveling to Charlotte this weekend and will spend a few days there before taking the plane to Portland. Therefore, I must address all the little things required for a successful tour. The goal is to pack what you need and not an ounce more. 

How it started

My friend and biking buddy, Louis Anderson, and I had talked about a bicycle tour this summer. We talked about leaving Richmond and heading west with no clear plan of how far to travel. Then we decided to leave from his house in Charlotte. Then we decided to take the plunge and bought airline tickets to Portland, Oregon.

We will ride east but haven't decided how far we intend to travel. To complete the route from the Pacific Ocean to Charlotte in my timeframe would be a physical challenge and might make us miss too much smelling of roses. We may decide to dawdle and add miles and end up something west of Charlotte.

I plan to return to our terminus and complete the trip to the Chesapeake Bay in the summer of 2014.