Our next stop was Troy, NH, only 30 miles away. We were not in a rush, but relished the road, so broke camp early and packed up. One of the great joys of motorcycle camping and long-distance riding is packing. I know many travelers find such packing abhorrent, but the notion that everything has a place and I have a place for everything on my bike brings me satisfaction and a sense of self-sufficiency.
I have two waterproof side bags that each hold up to 32 liters of gear, and a tank bag. Behind my saddle I carry a big bright green dry bag that holds our sleeping bags, inflatable camping pillows, and Thermarest pads. Each side bag carries specific contents. The right side bag is higher and easier to access when the bike is parked with the side stand down and thus contains things that might be needed quickly on the road like snacks, extra water, and “winter in a bag,” my small dry bag of warm things like my merino wool shirt and long underwear. The left side bag contains the kitchen bag which includes whatever foods we plan to cook within the next few days (usually veggies, tortillas, and cheese) the spice bag, a small bottle of olive oil, the breakfast bag which includes coffee, and my clothes bag. These are things I access only when we stop to set up camp.