Now that you have packed your emergency equipment, it’s time to get down to the other essentials. A lot of this will be common sense, but it’s always good for the Dirt Bike Tours Chiang Mai to have a reference. Like with almost every kind of holiday, I found that I tended to over-pack the motorcycle until I wised up on what I really needed. On the bike, weight can often be the enemy, especially if you’re an adventure motorcyclist. On the road, you can get away with packing too much, but you’ll regret it as soon as you hit a patch of sand or a nasty piece of dirt road. Hence, you should follow these rules.

1. Unless you’re packing from a tried-and-tested list, know that you can probably do with only two-thirds of what you’ve packed. Unpack your panniers or saddlebags, and start over. You can make do with less.
2. Do it again.

Of course, the amount you pack depends hugely on how long you are touring, how much space you have on your motorcycle, and how far out into the sticks you plan on motorcycling, in addition to the climate. Roughly, for a one- to two-week trip, you will need the following. Note that this list does not pretend to be exhaustive, but more items should be added with care.

1. Four T-shirts
2. One or two pairs of jeans
3. Comfortable, all-purpose shoes
4. Sweater (include thermal underwear if a cold snap seems possible)
5. Four sets of underwear. Sorry – unless you’re going to get them laundered, you’ll have to wear them more than once. Your mother will not approve, of course. If you’re willing to part with some other items, you can take more.
6. Four pairs of socks. (Same holds as for the underwear.)
7. Travel toothbrush and toothpaste
8. Soap – unless you’re staying in places that will provide it.
9. Towel – a microfiber towel saves a lot of space, and dries much quicker than a normal towel.
10. Swiss Army knife or Leatherman (I like to keep a blade in my pocket – I’ve used it more than once to dig out bees’ stingers).
11. Sunglasses
12. Ear-plugs (long hours on the motorcycle without protection can lead to hearing loss.
13. A charger (battery-powered if your motorcycle does not have a socket) for your phone
14. Luxury items, such as an iPod and a book
15. A map – even in the age of GPS devices, I enjoy being able to look at the big picture.
16. A soft cloth, wet on one side, dry on the other, to wipe bugs off your visor