Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile ……
Packing
Written by Jules
You’ve done your research, you’ve chosen your Tour, you’ve paid in full and now you’re looking ahead and wondering ….. What exactly do I need to pack for a guided tour in a country like Cyprus?
This is much easier than you think and hopefully, this little guide on what you’ll need will help.
If you’re planning your own Tour, then you need to have absolutely everything “just in case” packed onto your motorbike that you may or may not need.
With our Guided Tours, much of what you need will be taken care of and you will be limited only by your airlines’ luggage weight limit.
Either you will be on one of our Hub Tours, in which case you will be back at the same accommodation every night and only need a few items for the day with you in your top-box (all rental bikes come with a top box) or you’re booked on one of our Roving Tours where we provide a support car for your luggage, leaving you with, yes, you’ve guessed it – only a few items for the day with you in your top-box.
So without further ado, here is our list of must-haves starting with the boring but mega important stuff –
Your Documents.
We’re sure you hardly need reminding to take your passport, driver’s license and travel insurance with you – but we’ll do it anyway.
It’s a good idea to make sure all your travel documents such as passport, driver’s license, plane tickets or boarding passes and travel insurance is packed and ready in the same place. We would recommend you pack all your important documents in a waterproof case or a Ziploc bag. You never know what sort of weather you might encounter on the road or you may simply have a leakage.
Just like any holiday, a trip on a motorcycle can be ruined by delays, lost documents, illness and more. There are plenty of travel insurance options, but you need to make sure you get a policy that includes riding motorcycles, and if it does, that it’s for bikes of the engine size you’ll be riding (many only cover up to 250cc).
At its most basic, you should look for insurance that provides cover for the following:
- Medical expenses
- Loss or theft of personal possessions
- Lost or delayed luggage
- Loss of your passport and other documents
- Travel delays and disruptions
- Having to cut your holiday short
Medications:
Always inform your tour guides about any medical conditions you may have so that they are aware and able to help you in case you need assistance.
if you take any specific medications and think you might run out while abroad, google the generic names of the meds before you go. This way, you will be able to buy them at our local pharmacies. If these are prescription medications, be sure to stock up before you leave and make sure you pack them in their boxes not loose to “save space.”
General Items:
- Smart Phone and Camera
- Chargers and cables
- Battery Powerpack for your phone
- SD cards for Camera
- Glasses if you wear them – reading / driving or both
- Credit cards
- Money – Euros
- Visor/Glasses Cleaner – Motul visor cleaner is brilliant, but we also recommend a glasses cleaning kit from Boots as it comes with a cleaning cloth and a small bottler of glasses cleaner, it’s small to tuck in your tank bag/rucksack/pocket but works just as well on visors as it does on glasses.
Your day to day safety riding kit.
Helmet:
The Bike rental companies we are affiliated with all have Helmets you can use if you don’t want to bring your own, however, we strongly suggest you use your own. As we all know fit is the most important thing when wearing any Helmet and so using your own means the fit will be perfect and as importantly, you will be comfortable. You could be riding for 5 – 8 hours per day, more than likely in hot weather so comfort is extremely important for the enjoyment of your Tour.
Make sure you pack a clear or transitional visor so that you will be OK for all eventualities. Some of our winding mountain roads become quite dark even in the summer. A Black Tinted Visor will stop you squinting but if you have limited space then you are better to bring a clear visor and a good quality pair of sunglasses that can be used on or off the bike.
How to Pack your Helmet:
We would advise you to pack your helmet in the centre of your case stuffed with as many rolled T-shirts as you can fit in sensibly – probably 2 or 3, then place into your helmet cover and wrap in any soft item of clothing you may be bringing with you or your Jacket if you’re not wearing it. Secure all sides of your wrapped helmet with your footwear, soles facing outwards and then roll all your other items of clothing and place around – Don’t forget to stuff your footwear with your undies too which works well for space-saving and cushioning.
We have taken many a helmet abroad this way with no harm. Please remember that most airlines will not allow you to take your helmet as hand luggage!
Sunglasses:
If you’re going with a Clear Visor then make sure you pack a good quality pair of sunglasses. Preferably ones that will take care of the glare. Our August Tours especially, often face low sun early in the morning which can be quite blinding. You will, of course, need sunglasses between the months of April – Dec just walking around off the bike sightseeing so make sure you don’t forget them.
How to Pack Sunglasses:
Best Packed in their case in your hand luggage so easily available when you land if you have a day flight.
Jackets:
Temperatures in Cyprus are generally mild to extremely hot depending on the time of year you are coming. For November through to April the weather can vary area by area and it is possible to ride through sun, showers, cloud and mist all in a two-hour ride. We do try to plan our routes to provide you with as dry and warm an experience as possible but inevitably we still haven’t managed to be 100% accurate 100% of the time. During these months it is advisable to bring either a multi-purpose Touring suit which can be adapted to all climates or a lightweight set of waterproofs and Armoured Jacket be it mesh, textile or leather.
From May – November it is incredibly unlikely for it to rain and it steadily gets warmer and warmer until August sees regular temps of 36 – 46 depending on the area. For this, you want to pack your summer kit, and mesh works best for Jackets if you have it. Any lightweight but armoured Jacket will suffice for these months. Even at our hottest days, we dress for the slide and not just the ride.
How to pack your Jacket.
Often we don’t. As weight restrictions get tighter and tighter on flights, we find ourselves more often wearing/carrying our jackets. If you have the luxury of 30kg weight limit then by all means pack and we would advise using your jacket as the outer wrap for your crash helmet.
Trousers:
The minimum we will accept on any of our Tours is a good pair of heavyweight Jeans. We would prefer and always wear ourselves Kevlar and armoured Textiles, leathers or Jeans.
How to pack Trousers:
The best way to pack these is to take the armour out of the knees and place around your Helmet centre case and then roll up the jeans to take less space. If you are worried about your weight limit – you may have only 20kg – then we always wear our biking trousers and boots and carry our jackets. If the armour is out of the trousers they are plenty comfortable enough to travel in and even the spikiest motorcycle boots can be undone and walked in easily enough to get through an airport and onto a plane.
Boots:
Motorcycle Boots are a must-have with the minimum requirement to ride with us being an ankle boot. If your boots are laced then please make sure the laces are long enough to be tied and then tucked inside your boot so that no loops are left hanging to catch on any pegs. Remember you may be riding a different style bike to normal.
How to pack Boots:
As with your Jacket, unless you have a high weight limit, it’s easier to wear them. However, if you really can’t see yourself walking through the airport in them then swap them out of your case for your trainers. You really only need your motorcycle boots, a pair of trainers and a pair of flip flops for the entire vacation. So if you’re not wearing them place them around the outside of your helmet for extra protection in the centre of your case and don’t forget to stuff them with your underwear to save space.
Gloves:
This is our last mandatory item. You will not be able to ride without gloves. It’s foolish to not wear them even when it’s very hot. No matter what time of year a lightweight summer glove will be fine for Cyprus. You don’t want to be hot and sweaty when riding, so pack a pair of well-worn and trusted summer gloves for when the temperature rises. Vented gloves are even better if you have them.
How to Pack your Gloves
Really?
Ear Plugs:
It’s personal choice but if you are used to wearing soft foam ear plugs, make sure you bring at least three pairs as they will get dirty, or you will drop/lose a pair.
How to Pack your Ear Plugs:
We tend to put these either in with our sunglasses or in our toiletry bag. If you’re bringing a rucksack with small compartmental pockets then you can use one of these but do not put them into a pocket you will use often as they will likely get pulled out un-noticed and you will arrive without any.
Cotton T-shirts Vs Specialist Wicking/Sport Garments:
It is worth considering what you will be wearing underneath your bike jacket. Riding in Cyprus can be really hot and you will definitely sweat! 100% cotton will get wet and will stay wet and they take a while to dry out. Many bikers I know who ride in a standard cotton T though and are ok with that but if you want the very best then it is very easy these days to find synthetic/micro-fiber T-shirts, vests, underwear, and base layers that advertise moisture-wicking properties. They’ll keep you dry, comfortable, can be washed in the shower or sink in the evening and be dry enough to wear the following morning if you want to travel really light. Long sleeve wicking garments are ideal as they stop you getting stuck in your jacket which makes life easier if you’re on and off the bike all day. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but worth considering especially if you wear a form-fitting jacket.
Your non-riding clothes
Now we’re not telling you how to suck eggs but thought we’d just provide a list of the basics so that you have little to think about. When you’re packing your clothes, make sure they are light and pack small: instead of carrying a thick jumper, for example, consider getting a smaller fleece or a base layer shirt.
The beauty of Cyprus is that there is very rarely a dress code. It is an incredibly casual Island which makes packing for your trip much easier. However, we know it’s very different for Guys vs Girls so we’ve separated our advice below. The only thing you have to gauge is the length of your trip. Below caters for a 7day Tour.
Guys:
- T-shirts x 6
- Shorts x 3
- Jeans/Trousers x 1
- Collared Shirt (think more Polo than dress shirt) x 1
- Trainers x 1
- Flip Flops x 1 (Flip flops – nothing like a flip-flop when you’ve been on a bike all day – pure heaven!)
- Underwear x 6
- Swim shorts x 2
- Long Sleeve Top or Hoodie (if travelling October – May for the evenings)
Advising ladies on what to bring is a little more complicated as we’re all so different so we’re just going to base it on what we take ourselves as we’re kind of in the middle as far as practicality and looking good goes.
We tend to keep our packing to three colours – Black, white and an accent colour so that everything is interchangeable (great if you’re a bit of a mood dresser). This way you can wear all black or all white or a mix and add colour if you feel like it. This way you have options. Here at AAMCT we love options. Also, our clothes tend to be much smaller than the guys and so we can take a bit more if we want to.
- T-shirts/Vest tops/Strappy Cami’s x 6
- Shorts x 2
- Jeans/Trousers x 1
- Skirt/Dress x 1
- Long Sleeve Cardi, Hoodie or Lightweight Jacket
- Trainers x 1
- Flip flops x 1
- Decorative Belt
- Jewellery
As this Blog is just Basic Advice on packing, we’ll leave it there but if anyone would like more detailed advice on how to maintain a sense of style whilst keeping items to the minimum on a Bike Tour then just comment and we’ll make sure to add a blog around that in the future.
Male or Female try to remember – Take only what you think you really need as opposed to everything that you want. After all, you’re going on an adventure rather than a luxury holiday but as we have stated before, if you are going on one of our Tours then you are only really limited by your airlines’ weight limit as you will either be travelling back to your hotel/accommodation each night or using our support vehicle for your luggage.
Toiletries.
Please check with us when you book your Tour as some of our Accommodations supply the basic shampoo, conditioner and body wash.
If you’re worried about weight then I would either invest in those travel bottles available now. If you have no specialist products or you can do without them for a week or two then I would buy your shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, sunscreen and deodorant when you get here. If you’re coming with friends, you can consider sharing some of these to keep the costs down. Other than that the list is standard – don’t forget your toothbrush and toothpaste. It’s also a good idea to add a few essentials like band-aids, painkillers, and stomach pills. If you have any allergies or medical conditions, be sure to pack the meds that you might need on your trip.
- Body Wash
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Deodorant
- Sunscreen
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Painkillers/headache pills
- Band-aids
- Stomach Pills/indigestion etc…
- Antihistamine
So to summarise – On a guided motorcycle tour, you won’t need much so stick to the essentials and remember that you don’t need to pack for every eventuality: you will have a support vehicle and a team of experienced guides taking care of most of your day-to-day needs. Aim to pack light and roll your clothes as this is a major space saver and also helps prevent creasing. It also makes finding your clothes mega easy.
As with most vacations – most riders go home having only worn half of what they took.
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