Morocco - Spain - France - Ireland bike trip preparation

In anticipation of my bicycle trip from Marrakech, Morocco to Dublin, Ireland, I have been doing some packing.  Julie is joining me in Spain for the last 3/4 of the trip. Here is a mostly complete packing list:

MEDICAL:

Bug spray

Sun screen

Medical tape

Medical Wrap

Antibiotic Ointment

Nuun hydration tablets

Band aids

Ibuprofen

Immodium

Razors (not really medical, but they snuck in the shot)

BIKE SUPPLIES: 

6 extra spokes for each bike

pliers

11-in-one screw driver

Chain Whip (needed to remove rear cassette)

Adjustable crescent wrench x 2

2 spare tubes for each bikes

Reflective anklets

Thin rope

Clamp (helps me change my tires

11mm crescent wrench (needed to adjus/fit the racks on Julie's bike

Bike multi-tool (Allen wrenches, screw drivers, chain tool, etc...

3 different size hose clamps (2 of each size, 6 total).  These are the best "MacGyver" bike repair thing I carry. 

Spoke wrench

Chain repair tool and one extra chain link

Tire patches

Presto to normal valve converter

2 different lubes (one for putting pedals on and one general)

Pad lock and cable

Duct Tape

Cloth Tape

Phil's Wood Oil

Bungee Chord x 4 

Shimano bike shoes

Hand bike pump

CAMPING 

Sleeping pad 

Sleep bag

Half Dome Tent & ground cover

Camp pillow

2 camp towels

2 sporks 

MSR Windburner camp stove

2 pocket knives

Head lamp

flash light

Steri-pen water purifier

Note book

Julie's bike with empty panniers (plus shop dog).  I got Julie some great racks from Old Man Mountain bike racks.  They customize racks to fit any bike (not just touring bikes). These particular racks mount to the brake "bosses" and through the axel.  Check out their website: http://www.oldmanmountain.com  

My Surly Disc Trucker with empty panniers.

My Surly Disc Trucker in pieces ready to be boxed for the airport. 

After bike is boxed up, time to pack up my life into 4 panniers. 

In addition to the tools, camping gear and first aid supplies listed above, I packed:

7 t-shirts (mostly bright colors, plan to throw them out as I go).

3 pairs of athletic shorts

2 pairs padded biking shorts

2 pair of Light weight pants (more acceptable in Morocco)

2 short sleeve collared shirts (for fancy events I might get invited to)

1 light weight long sleeve t-shirt

1 hooded sweatshirt (takes up a lot of space but could be needed in mountains of Morocco or in Ireland)

1 rain coat

cycling shoes

gym shoes

flip flops

5 pairs boxers

5 pairs socks

toilet paper

iPad

iPad charger

iPad keyboard charger

iPod

iPod charger

2 European outlet adapters

Irish passport

U.S. passport

Passport/money belt

toilet paper (? just seemed like a good idea)

book/crossword puzzles/ pens/pencils

notebook

3 water bottles (2 in bike box, one as carry-on)

Here is my life in 4 panniers.  The open one on the right will serve as my carry-on bag.

The other 3 are wrapped up in this laundry bag as one piece of luggage.  

Calder Cup Celebration

Nephew Mike and the Manchester Monarchs won the AHL's Calder Cup in June 2015.





Much like the NHL's Stanley Cup, the players who win the Calder Cup, get to celebrate with the Cup at home.  Some pictures from Mike's weekend with the Cup:

Mike and I with our two Cups:



Close-up of my Cup.  Chicago Catholic Hockey League 1994-1995 MVP "Nominee."  Thought it was a good party to celebrate the 20th anniversary of me almost winning MVP.  (Yes the Catholic League gave out beer mugs as trophies to high schoolers).



Without my CCHL Mug:







Real celebration:

Jules and I drinking from Cup:

Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA)

Neighbor Andy, neighbor Erick, friend Mark, friend Jimmy, nephew Will and I took a trip to northern Minnesota for a 7 day - 6 night canoe camping trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA).  We traveled with 3 adults and 3 kids aged 12-13.  Mark provided Satellite Tracking that was available to friends and family at home.  Each night he "pinged" our location and people at home could use the internet to see where we were.  Here is a screen shot of the tracking page from share.delorme.com:

The yellowish border is the boarder between the U.S. and Canada.  At our closest we were about 5 miles from Canada.  (Makes me wonder why we are so worried about the Mexican border when you can walk or canoe uninhibited into the country from the north).

Here is a photo of one of our maps.  The outfitter that we rented canoes from, Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters, provided us with a map and took some time the night before we left to mark out routes.  This is a photo of a map I purchased after the trip was over.  I marked out our routes.

Pictures of the trip:

Left to Right: nephew Will, Erick and Jimmy

Andy, myself, Erick, Jimmy and Will on the dock the night before departure.  

Bunkhouse 4 at Tuscarora outfitters

Map on the wall of the outfitters

Picture before departing

Jimmy practicing to portage a canoe

I think the map is upside down

Mark catching some zzzzz's

3 Loons

Let's fish

Uncle of the Year

Nice view from camp

Will portaging the Kevlar cane

Filleting one of the nine Walleyes Jimmy caught.  

Walleye for dinner 

Nice Northern Erick

Delicious Bass

Erick and I exhausted after a long portage

Cold night starting a fire

Foggy morning

Mark snuck up on me at 6:30 a.m. while I was deep in thought on a crossword puzzle

Check out the video of Will cliff jumping:

Still shot of cliff jump - check out his shadow

Beautiful Lake - Peter Lake - and a beautiful cliff jump.  Not another soul around. 

Midday moon

More crossword puzzles

Imparting life's wisdom to Will and Erick

Walking the canoe down a shallow stream connecting two lakes

Calm waters - time to relax

I got it Will - take it easy

Will - ready for a portage

Check out the bag that Erick manhandled all week

Saw and ate lots of wild raspberries and blueberries 

Rainy night

Jimmy, Will and I getting ready for another portage

Jimmy snuck up on me during a nap

Resting in the middle of a portage between lakes

Pack, oars and aluminum canoe

Will - looking a little ragged on last portage

Group shot pulling into outfitters at the end of the trip!

Group shot at end of trip at same place as day one photo

Like any good adults, we took the boys to a Wisconsin bar for pizza, beer and pool

The boys bellied up the the bar with their new friend.  Check out his shirt. 

Whose guns got bigger from all the paddling?? I think Jimmy takes it.