Packages have been arriving at the house every day as of late. I've been shopping obsessively to find all of the right lightweight clothing and gear to carry on the trip. I'll be carrying everything I need in two panniers and a rear rack trunk, so I don't want to pack too much. I also don't want to forget anything that I may really want or need and I've never done anything like this before, so it has been a challenge.
I replaced the rear rack on my bike with something a bit more substantial that can easily hold the weight of the side saddle bags. The new rack is made by Topeak and I ended up trying three of their rack trunk bags before deciding which would work best for me.
Here is a breakdown of everything I'm planning on taking at this point: