Glider11,

Thanks. That is what I was thinking of and just wanted to see if anyone else had good luck going that route.

Maybe your windshield be full of bugs from all the riding.

 

I don't use stuff sacks inside the saddlebags but do use these.
http://www.ridetek.com Good quality and made in USA right here in Arizona.

 

Kayak dry bags work great. kinda like a heavy vinyl compression sack. strap it to the luggage rack with mc tie downs. I have a big yellow one with 2 different color straps. kinda blows the whole black leather image.

 

Whatever you do it is better that you take a lot less or go without and let her take her stuff.
Regarding weight..unless you both are at 200 lbs each the luggage weight should be a non-issue.
A week with an extra large sissy bar bag and a roll bag on top of it is doable.
Something like the Dowco Rally pack.
I use the large zip lock type bags (3gal,5gal) and sort items.
Then place all in a sissy bar bag and roll bag that has a trash bag as an internal liner.
Been through many storms and all is dry.

 

Cabela's, Gander Mountain and Dunham's Sports carry what hikers call a compression sack. Comes in 3 sizes, I got the middle size. I can stuff 10 tees, socks and undies in one bag. Got one for the wife too. Mostly only pack tees for 4 days as you always buy some along the way. Midway thru the trip, we stop by the post office and mail our dirty clothes home, making room for additional goodies purchased along the way. We seem to always bring home clothes that we haven't worn. As stated above, a good rainsuit is a must and when you pack make sure that it is on the top. another thing that I take along is a full face shield for the rainy days that you always encounter. Have fun and remember, you are only one wrong turn away from your next greatest adventure.

 

Jay72.....

"Have fun and remember, you are only one wrong turn away from your next greatest adventure"

Best quote I have heard for a ride.

 

Lay out all what you think you need and then reduce it by half! You can purchase whatever you MIGHT need along the way. Mailing stuff back home works too! I have logged thousands of miles on trips and without fail I have almost always came home with some clothing I did not wear or need. Most all hotels/motels have washer/dryers if you need. Have fun! Ride safe!

 

Thanks to all. You have all provided some great tips. We both plan on packing for 4 days so that we have room for items we buy. I plan on packing stuff that I can throw away if we run out of room. A fellow rider told me the easiest thing to pack is your credit card and that is what I have kept in mind. LOL

 

This is a great book to read and very very cheap if you have a kindle.

 

Dirtball, I think you already learned the biggest lesson on your last trip, packing too much! You can always buy something you need on the road if you need it or forget it.

We've done trips from a few days to a month on the road, and each time we learn what we really don't need.. Installing the tourpack rack is a great idea. Get a small rack bag and pack things in it that you won't need on a regular basis. We usually put our raingear in ours so it's easy to get to when you need (usually quickly!) and it's easy on/off when we stop for the night.

I'll give the wife one saddlebag for 'her' stuff, and we keep the tourpack for shared things, like walking shoes, cameras, laptop, etc. that we may want to get during the day. Our rack bag has water bottle holders and small pockets for sunglasses.

We try to share toiletries as much as we can to pack less as well. If you only plan on packing for 4 days each, you will have plenty of room. We did the Pacific Coast Highway last year on a Fly & Ride for 15 days. We packed for 6 days each (we rode with another couple), tried to share as much as possible (one laptop, shared battery charges for the camera, things like that). We rented a house in Pacific Grove for 4 days in the middle that had a washer/dryer. We did laundry when we arrived, and right before we left to stretch our clothes out. When we were out for a month in Australia, we just scheduled 'laundry' days in a place that had things to do that we could walk around or did shopping, while we caught up with other things.

Have a great trip!