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You're leaving town for up to a year. What do you take?


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We've sold our home and will traveling with our 3 kids(6yo,3yo,1yo) for an undetermined amount of time. I have a list already of what I need to take for working, riding and getting out with all the kids. We will be staying at AirBnB's so a lot of the basics will be covered. What are some necessary items yall travel with if you're going to be away for awhile? Hoping to get some ideas for things I haven't considered

Our vehicle is a Honda Pilot with a Yakima Skybox 21 and a 4 bike rack(which I need to purchase still). First major stop is CO, then UT and who knows

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Never really had the opportunity to do this kind of traveling, but one thing that came to mind is that you might find yourself needing your important personal documents at some point over the course of a year (SS cards, birth certificates, immunization records, passports, etc.).  A good fireproof, waterproof lockbox might be a good purchase.

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Congrats on the long trip--that sounds amazing.

Sometimes you just need to gently wash off your bike, gear or kids at the trail-head, and when you're traveling a water hose isn't always available. A simple pump sprayer would be handy. 

Few things would mess with your big trip more than getting bikes stolen. And I'm forever removing my chains if it looks like I'm driving through rain. But with the pricey enclosed Black Box bike hitch rack, neither of those would be huge concerns. Depending on the 4 bikes you're looking to take (a couple of kids bikes?), you may get all 4 of them in the box. This video shows a 3 bike configuration. 

Edited by Barry
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You might want to consider a bigger vehicle for a family of 5 if you plan to spend a lot of time on the road.  Each family member will have around 2 suitcases\bags, plus some totes for food\random stuff and an ice chest.  Your 2 younger kids will need more stuff like cribs\high chairs.  And kids will be fighting in the backseat even more so if they are crammed together.   A third row is a great way to separate the kids.

A used suburban or expedition el would be much more comfortable for the amount of gear you need to take.  And the bigger vehicle will handle the extra weight much better. 

You might want to try loading up your pilot (family included) to see how much room you really have to work with.

 

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You're planning on doing this with a Honda Pilot? My family and I have temporarily relocated to PA for the past month to help out my in-laws and escape the TX COVID Hotspot. We traveled up in our mini-van with a weeks worth of clothes, my work laptop and accessories, wife's laptop, a small selection of toys for my two boys, and all the bikes and bike gear. We basically brought enough stuff to live up here indefinitely if needed without going overboard on taking too much stuff.

We're a family of 4 with boys that are beyond the kid-gear intensive years (no more pack-and-plays, high chairs, and umbrella strollers)
Our van was LOADED DOWN. We bottomed out the suspension so many times on our way up that I ordered new coil-over shocks and jounce bumpers to add some stiffness in the rear and prevent further damage.

I honestly don't know how anyone could attempt this sort of thing in a Pilot.

Here's my packlist for this trip to give you an idea of what I consider the "essentials" for a trip this long (and it doesn't even include the stuff for my wife and kids)...

Packlist

Clothes
7 pairs of underwear
7 pairs of shorts
7 shirts with some button ups
2 pair of pants/jeans
Cycling Builder shirts
1 Flannel shirt
Hoodie Rain jacket
4 pairs of non-riding wool socks
Vans
Chacos  

Biking
Clothes

3 pairs of bibs/liner shorts
3 pairs of baggies
webbing belt
2 Road Bibs
2 MTB Jerseys
2 Road Jerseys
2 Gloves
Halo headband
5 pairs of socks
2 Helmets
Mtb Shoes
Road shoes
2 boys gloves
Knee pads
kids sunglasses

Gear
Bikes!
Sunglasses
Regular glasses

 

My Camelbak
Mini Pump
CO2 cartridges
CO2 inflator
Bacon strips
Spare 29er tube
Multitool
Knife
Duct tape
zip ties
spare hanger
spare Boa ratchet and bolt
Power link
UST valve stem

Other Camelbaks (Dustin’s & Tanner’s)
Spare 20” tube
Spare 24” tube
9spd power link
10spd power link

Bottle of chain lube
Bottle of sealant

Tube of Slick Honey
Dirty Rag
Shock pump
volume spacer adjusters
Sag Meter
Fork Top cap socket for changing volume spacers
Multi-Hex tool
CDI T-handle Torque wrench and bits

Floor pump
Commuter lights and chargers
Water bottles

GoPro
GoPro Camera
Memory Cards
Chesty mount and other misc mounts
6 Spare Batteries
Battery charger and power cord
USB cable/sync cable

Laptop
Laptop
power cable
Magic Mouse
Mouse charging cable
Shure headphones and cords
USB-c hub

CBD drops

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We have copies of all the kids birth certificates in our family iCould. That was a good reco. The bikes will get locked up with a cable lock while on the road. 

The Yakima Skybox will hold all clothes, shoes, coats and a stroller. We don't need to pack much in the way of clothes or food and we'll be using vacuum storage bags to save space. The Pilot will be a great vehicle as it's the one we have and it's been good on all our other trips. 

 

 

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Pilots are actually very roomy and (I think) they all have a 3rd row of seats. We just bought a used Pilot a few weeks ago and love it so far. With the 3rd row folded down, you can put a lot of stuff in the cargo area, not to mention the added space of a cargo box on the roof.

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This sounds like an awesome adventure. A new town with new sights and people every few weeks! Cool!!

Please keep us updated on how things are going. I’m interested in hearing how it feels to not have a ‘home’ base to reference as you hit all these new places. The kids will do great but the adults will need some adjusting.

Good luck man.


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Sounds to me like this is an awesome adventure and you guys will make some great memories.    

You will get a ton of advice but it is based on the experiences of the person commenting, doesnt mean you need to haul all your possessions with you though.  

When my kids were younger and we traveled to where ever we almost always took too much stuff we thought we needed and just never used. 

In the end we did not need all that crap. After a lot of miles and trips we learned to travel simple and no one cared. Live in the moment without  the creature comforts or trappings of life. The basics will get you by fine.

And Yea ,, report back this sounds pretty cool.

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1 hour ago, olddbrider said:

Pilots are actually very roomy and (I think) they all have a 3rd row of seats. We just bought a used Pilot a few weeks ago and love it so far. With the 3rd row folded down, you can put a lot of stuff in the cargo area, not to mention the added space of a cargo box on the roof.

Crap...I got confused. I was reading Pilot, but thinking Element.

The Pilot is much more realistic, especially with the roof carrier. My van has two bikes on the back and three on the roof for our current expedition, so no cargo box for us. That weight though is still going to add up.

It does sound like a cool adventure!

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you'll need a lot of stuff considering the bikes and stuff for the whole family, so that will be different. my wife and I travel whenever we can, just the two of us. we are always surprised at how much crap people carry in airports. we've done three two-week trips to Europe and two week-long visits to Africa, and each time we just each carry one moderately sized backpack or a duffel bag. we bring just enough clean shirts, socks, and underwear so that you can go a few days before washing it all in the hostel sink and hanging it near a window while you go sight-seeing for the day. I really don't know what vacationers with suitcases the size of a minivan are thinking. learning and reminding yourself of how little you need to live comfortably is a great exercise.

Edited by mack_turtle
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we did a month in a airbnb in durango last summer. most important things were just the basic tools for bike maintenance, pumps, extra tubes, sealant, everyone's helments, and water packs, and few backups like pedals, tires, brake pads.

i brought the bike work stands, but i would say its optional.

other stuff like fishing gear and rafting gear we brought were unnecessary. 

we also brought piano and guitar so my kids could continue with lessons remote. and some workbooks and art supplies etc (we homeschool). ipads are a must.

making sure your work setup is good and getting a place with good internet was very important to me, and hard to find, as alot of places are remote cabins with basically dial up internet.

 

Dude, enjoy the trip!

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15 hours ago, deadtokevin said:

We've sold our home and will traveling with our 3 kids(6yo,3yo,1yo) for an undetermined amount of time. I have a list already of what I need to take for working, riding and getting out with all the kids. We will be staying at AirBnB's so a lot of the basics will be covered. What are some necessary items yall travel with if you're going to be away for awhile? Hoping to get some ideas for things I haven't considered

Our vehicle is a Honda Pilot with a Yakima Skybox 21 and a 4 bike rack(which I need to purchase still). First major stop is CO, then UT and who knows

I personally would do an RV instead of a pilot. There are 24ft RVs forsale for 20-30K. Tow a small car for driving around the area.

Something like this

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2613183542232560/

2613183542232560

Edited by crazyt
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23 hours ago, deadtokevin said:

Our vehicle is a Honda Pilot with a Yakima Skybox 21 and a 4 bike rack(which I need to purchase still). First major stop is CO, then UT and who knows

I’m selling a 4 bike rack.  Got it new. Used twice. 2 inch hitch. PM for details if interested.  
 

Most importantly enjoy the adventure.  Sounds like a fun one!

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I think the Air BnB is the right way to go with kids. It’s also the best way to figure out what works and what doesn’t when it comes to traveling. Once you see if you like the lifestyle and pare down to the essentials, then you look at van or RV life. I know my wife wouldn’t go for van life but she lives living in other people’s houses.


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Remote working and space for the kids to learn and play is key for us. No lumbering around in an RV or Sprinter. I do wish our Pilot was 4WD but it’ll do. We are minimalist and there’s a Wally World nearly everywhere. Just no HEB’s 😞 

A molle panel is something I need to look into. My 4runner had one for the rear side window. I need to select me essential car tools and bike tools and figure how I’ll pack/store then. I was thinking I would pass on the floor pump and use CO2 or my pump from my waist pack 

 

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1 hour ago, deadtokevin said:

I was thinking I would pass on the floor pump and use CO2 or my pump from my waist pack 

 

CO2 is not the best for long term tire inflation. It's ok for repairing a flat to get you home but you'll notice the next day or two that your tire will be almost completely flat.

 

While butyl rubber (IIR) is less permeable than natural rubber by far, CO2 diffuses through rubber 11x faster than air. If you have to air up your tires every 9 days, then expect CO2 to last you a day. If you have to air up your tires daily (latex tubes), then expect CO2 to last you a few hours.

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I would use the CO2 to seat the tire. I don't know if tires have gotten better but in the last few years but I haven't had to use an air compressor to seat a tire. A floor pump does just fine. I normally seat the tire, remove the valve stem core and add my sealant and reinflate

 

Found the perfect rack https://www.saris.com/product/superclamp-ex-2-cargo

superclamp-cargo-5.jpg

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9 hours ago, Chief said:

CO2 is not the best for long term tire inflation. It's ok for repairing a flat to get you home but you'll notice the next day or two that your tire will be almost completely flat.

Eh? I've filled plenty of tires from a CO2 canister and not thought twice about it. Tires hold just fine.

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13 hours ago, TAF said:

Eh? I've filled plenty of tires from a CO2 canister and not thought twice about it. Tires hold just fine.

When I used to road bike, anytime I fixed a flat using co2 the next day the tire would be almost flat. Just my experience.

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