The RAGBRAI Packing List was inspired by the BikeIowa.com packing list.
The list is designed to inspire and help riders not forget the essentials. On RAGBRAI, less is more.
Camping
- Sleeping bag
- Stuff sack
- Sleeping pad
- Small pillow (Inflatable Sea to Summit)
- Tent
- Tent stakes
- Bug spray (make sure to let all the mosquitos in your tent before zipping them in)
- Backpacker stove & mess kit (not necessary)
- Camp coffee pot, w/coffee, creamer, sugar (Massive pain in the ass.)
- Solar shower (I’ve never used mine.)
- Towel (pack towels are great. This is the most useful thing you can carry.)
Clothes
- Cycling shorts (2-3)
- Hat
- Comfy campground shorts (1-2)
- Pants (only needed these once)
- Extra sportsbras for hanging out and sleeping
- Flip-flops or comfy sandals
- Hoody, fleece and pants (can get cold at night and morning)
- SPD sandals
- Sunglasses
- Swim suit
- Tank-tops (3-5)
- T-shirts (2-3)
- Underwear (3-5)
- Rain jacket
- Sport Kilt
Daily on the Bike
- Two water bottles
- Helmet
- All-In-One-Tool
- Front and Rear Lights (sufficient for riding after dark)
- Cash
- Credit/ATM card
- Driver’s license
- Health Insurance ID card
- Patch kit
- Riding gloves
- Riding shoes
- Bike bell or horn (very helpful)
- Spare tubes
- Sunscreen
- Chapstick (spf 15 or more)
- Condoms
- Tire Levers
- Tire pump
- Toilet paper
- Zip Ties
- Bike lock
Technology
- Camera
- GoPro
- Phone (it won’t work most of the time)
- Waterproof phone case, or zip lock baggy
- SD Cards
- USB Charger and Cables
- Lightning cable for iPhone
- Battery charger or solar panel for phone
- Bluetooth speaker
Humorous
- BIKE!
- Case of Schlitz to use as bum repellant
- Hill Erasers
- multiple alibis (just in case)
- muzzle for Web’s tongue
- skank repellent
- Slim Jims (dog repellant)
Luxury
- beads, beads, beads
- Koozies!
- CD Player / Walkman / Radio / Headphones
- Cell Phone
- Cell Phone Charger
- chain breaker
- compact (foldable) kite
- extra pair of sunglasses
- frisbee
- Powdered lemonade & vodka
- Spare tire
- Super Soaker
- Tent fan
- Flask
Misc
- Ear Plugs
- Sleep Mask
- Silk Sheet
- ZipLock Baggies
- Chamois Butt’R – trust me – it will save your ass (literally)
- Chapstick (3 or more)
- routine medication
- bungee cords
- Desitin Baby ointment (don’t laugh it works)
- duct tape
- fanny pack
- first aid kit
- gum
- Hacky Sack
- lip sun screen
- Plastic grocery sacks for bike seat
- wind proof lighter!
Toiletries
- Quick-dry travel towel
- ALEVE or Ibuprofen (Big bottle)
- Antacids, zantac, prilosec
- Allergy meds
- Baby powder/gold bond (very helpful) – (Desitin for emergencies)
- Baby wipes or athletic wipes (in case you miss the shower)
- Band aids
- Glasses
- Contact Lenses
- Contact Solution
- Disposable razor
- Eye-drops
- Q-tips
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Soap
- More condoms
- sports cream
- toilet paper
- Tooth brush/paste (Toob rocks)
Stuff Others Thought of!
- $50 cash per day minimum (Ride with me, drink for free) – Rob Johnston
- 2 or 5 mile range FRS radio (walky talky)
- A “townie” basket
- a cooler for luggage
- A extra fork for Homemade Pie
- alcohol wipes
- Bandannas
- basket
- batteries
- AAA Card
- battery operated fan
- be sure to spray water proof your tent each year!!
- beef jerky
- beerslide
- Benadryl
- Bible
- bicycle powered blender
- bicycle towing system
- blinkie
- booties
- Bug spray/repellant
- Chain Lube
- chex mix
- clipless
- clothes line
- Clothes Pins (to hang up wet clothes for drying)
- Comfortable shoes or sandals for the evenings
- Compass
- dried fruits
- duct tape
- even more beer
- extra batteries for lights
- Extra spokes
- fig newtons
- film
- Flashlight w/new batteries
- frisbee
- glasses/contact lenses
- Gloves not biking cold wet mornings
- Groundcloth for tent
- guaze
- guaze pads
- gum
- Gummy Bears & Octopi – Rocket Fuel
- hacky
- hair de-tangler
- hair ties
- hairbrush and hair ties
- hand cleaner
- hand crank blender
- hand crank up radio -flashlight
- heavy tent stakes for winds
- Hydrocortozone cream
- Ibuprofen, not Tylenol
- Imodium AD
- ipod
- ketchup and salt packets
- kleenex in a ziplock for corn field stops
- knee pads
- L.E.D. flashlight (batteries last 100hrs if left on)
- Laundry detg (small Cont.)
- long distance calling card
- Maps
- Matches
- Mayan style hammock
- mirror
- Name Cards with email address, phone #s/ City,State
- newtons
- old 35mm film container or two
- peanut butter in a tube
- pedialite..great for hangovers
- penicillin
- Petzel head lamp
- playing cards
- Powered Gatorade
- Preparation H Wipes
- presta/schrader valve adapter
- Rain jacket, pants, booties & helmet cover
- repellant
- rolling papers
- Rope for cloths line
- Butt Ice Wet Wipe
- safety pins
- schrader
- Shampoo (Travel size)
- shampoo and conditioner
- shoes
- Shower caps for bike seat, under helmet if it rains
- Shower shoes or flip flops
- sh-sd60 shimano sandals
- slim jim
- small hammer
- Small notebook
- Small Swiss Army Knife
- Super soaker
- Socks
- Soft-sided 12 pack cooler
- spare clips for clipless pedals
- spare contact lenses
- Topeak multi-tool
- Topless Women Riders
- towel
- townie
- travel john personal urinal
- tripod stool
- twizzlers
- Tylenol PM – Great for hangovers (take before bed!)
- under food and drink—-Powder sports drink
- use a blow up kind of pillow, it won”t matter if it gets damp
- valve stem extractor
- vaseline
- viagra
- Watch
- Weather radio
- Ziplock Bags