Packing Tiny: Minimal Brompton Overnight Packing List

Jul 22

Here’s a complete list of gear I brought on a solo Brompton overnight camping trip from Chicago to Harrington Beach SP in Wisconsin. The trip took place mid-July, with daytime temperatures in in upper 80’s, and high 60’s at night.

Brompton folding bicycle (mine was an H6R model)
Phone & charger
CC’s, ID and cash carried in shorts pocket, no wallet
Toolkit (fitted inside Brompton frame), spare tube and pump
Front and rear rechargeable bike lights
Personal items: toothbrush and toothpaste, small bottle of Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap, bug-repellent towlettes, advil (just in case)
Reflective Safety Pizza (I don’t consider this a frivolous extra, especially since it doesn’t take up any luggage space, and invites friendly comments from passers-by)

My goal was to carry everything as compactly as possible:

Front-mounted Brompton Rolltop bag: 9-liter capacity, approx. dimensions 13.75 x 8..5 x 4..5 in
Older Ortlieb roll-top seat bag , approx. dimensions 6.3 x 9.1 x 3.9 in
(I had to hack the attachment system with straps, as the included bracket does not fit on the Brooks saddle. Fortunately, the Ortlieb bag is outfitted with loops and slots for additional straps.)
Eddie Bauer fanny pack big enough for energy bars, phone, sunscreen, etc.

Vargo Titanium backpacking woodstove, which folds down to the size of a small saucer.
Matches and firestarters made out of cotton facial pads saturated with candle wax, rolled inside several sheets of newspaper
2 Bobo Bars (I should have saved the space, as I did not eat them, and I passed through enough populated areas that getting emergency food would not have been a problem)
1/2 cup precooked rice in a plastic baggie
Trader Joe’s lentil curry in a microwaveable pouch
GSI Outdoors stainless cup/pot
Spork
2 compostable coffee cups stuffed with
- Ortlieb coffee filter holder, plus 2 paper filters
- Ground coffee
- 4 tea bags
  (I could have gone more minimal with just the tea bags, like on this trip, but —shoot me— I wanted my coffee!)
Supplies picked up at the Piggly Wiggly on the way to the campsite, strapped to the top of the front bag:
- 1/2 pint heavy cream (can’t have coffee without it)
- Lemon (can’t have ice tea without it)
- Small boxed wine (shhh….)

Yes, I could have completely dispensed with any of these. But our little luxuries give life meaning…)

Thin stretch cargo shorts
Chaco sandals
2 sleeveless cotton shirts
2-piece TYR swimsuit (top worn while riding, bottoms packed in case there was an opportunity to go swimming)
Underwear
Thin rayon beach scarf rolled super small to be used as table cloth, towel or bug cover-up (I did not bring anything long-sleeved)
1 part of thin merino socks

Justyna Frank

Trials and tribulations of my minimal overnight set-up