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