When you’re hitting the road on a motorcycle for a few months, packing becomes a real challenge. Last summer, we embarked on a six-month trip across Europe, starting from Turkey and making our way to North Cape in Norway. This journey was particularly tough because we needed to pack for both hot and cold weather. Our trip to Morocco, however, was slightly easier since the weather was milder even at the end of October, with temperatures around 60 degrees in Paris.

Last year, we used three panniers and didn’t strap anything on top of the rear top case. This year, we did the same. I got half of the bike’s storage space, and here’s what I packed:

First off, I took a small backpack, probably about 15 liters, perfect for day trips when you can leave the bulk of your stuff on the bike. I packed my laptop, iPod, cellphone, chargers, an international adapter, and important documents like my passport. There was still room for a water bottle, gum, and light snacks.

I also packed a long bag that fits in the upper part of the bike’s pannier. This isn’t huge, but it’s great for essentials. Inside, I had flip flops for shared showers, running pants, a shirt, a bra, several t-shirts, underwear, and clothes for 2-3 days. The plan was to take this small bag out most nights and leave the bigger one, then rotate the clothes every few days.

The third bag is larger and fills the rest of the pannier. It’s handy that these bags are made to fit the panniers perfectly, saving you the headache of trying to stuff things in. This larger bag also has a small detachable pouch where I keep a notebook, headphones, and small items like a nail clipper and extra soap.

Inside the big bag, I stored more clothes, including a second pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, some t-shirts, underwear, a pullover for colder weather, a bathing suit, and a pareo, which is incredibly versatile—it can be used as a scarf, picnic blanket, towel, and more.

I also took my running shoes, which were the only shoes I had apart from my flip flops. If we were riding, I wore the running shoes; otherwise, I walked around in flip flops.

My jacket held my keys, a pouch for credit cards, my driving license, a bus pass, and a coin holder.

That was all for my personal packing. We also shared a tank bag where I mainly stored hygiene products. Additionally, there was a square pannier at the back of the bike for our tent, two sleeping bags, some food supplies, and bike oil.

Before we left, I performed a full service on the bike, so we didn’t bring any tools, which might seem risky. Thankfully, nothing went wrong, and we managed just fine. We did our laundry roughly every 10 days. Although I could have stretched it longer, my partner brought fewer clothes. In Western Europe, laundromats are easy to find, and in Morocco, women will wash and fold your clothes for a fee.

Have you ever tried to travel light? Have airline luggage fees made you a more efficient packer?