Gear

We are not sponsored by any companies, and a lot of the gear below was already in our closets.  New items were purchased as a result of careful research or because they were cheap at an REI gear sale. The following list is comprehensive; we have only these things with us on our bikes. Since we don't want to be carrying more than is necessary over such a long distance, we aimed to take only the essentials, and we will be riding with only two back panniers. As we ride we'll post on how durable and successful our chosen gear has been.

You may notice that we do not have a stove, nor fuel, nor pots and pans.  For our reasons behind this choice, read Going Stoveless, a short article by Danny.

12/10/14 Update (from southern California): The list below was what we started with in Alaska.  Not needing bear canisters or a lot of warm clothes for Central and northern South America, we pared down much of our things.  Click here for an explanation of our new setup and the gear we decided not to bring.

Danny's Gear
The Bike
Surly Long Haul Trucker (stock everything except saddle and dynamo wheel)
Dynamo wheel (Velocity Dyad Rim, Schmidt SON28 hub)

The beautiful dynamo hub

Blackburn Expedition EX-1 Rack 
Ortlieb Backroller Panniers
Serfas USB rechargeable taillight
Bell Sweep helmet with Take-a-Look mirror
2 water bottles
Jandd seat bag with spare tube, tool, and tire levers

The Backpack
Osprey Aether 70 (the brain, the detachable, uppermost part, is used as my handlebar bag)

Osprey Aether 70

Sleeping Stuff
Sleeping Bag: Mountain Hardwear Phantom 15
Sleeping Pad: ThermaRest ProLite

Clothing
Two pairs of bike shorts: both Sugoi
Two shirts, one merino wool, the other polyester
One pair of "dressy" shorts
Long underwear: REI midweight
Fleece layers: top a college fleece and bottom Mountain Hardwear Microchill
Rain shells: top Outdoor Research Maximus and bottom REI cheapos
Down jacket: Big Agnes Shovelhead

Danny's futuristic-looking down jacket

Biking gloves: Giro
Warm gloves: Gordini 80s style
Warm hat: Seirus balaklava
3 pairs wool socks
One pair nice pants
Specialized biking shoes
Merrell Moab Ventilator hiking shoes
Mosquito Head Net: Sea to Summit

Accessories
Headlamp: Black Diamond Cosmo
Prescription glasses and sunglasses: Oakley Half Jacket 2.0 XL
BearVault BV500 food container
Toiletries
Bowl and spoon
Camera: Canon SX160, extra memory cards, SD card reader
Kindle
2 collapsible 2 liter water reservoirs

Tam's Gear
The Bike
Walnut: a Kona Sutra touring bike fitted with caliper brakes
Racktime rear rack
Ortlieb waterproof back panniers
Headlight and taillight
Helmet
2 water bottles

The Backpack
Osprey Aura 50

Sleeping Stuff
Mountain Hardwear Phantasia 15 sleeping bag
ThermaRest women's ProLite sleeping pad

Clothing
Two pairs bike shorts
Two shirts for biking/hiking
One pair shorts
Long underwear, top and bottom
Fleece layers, top and bottom
Rain shell, top and bottom
Biking gloves
Warm gloves
Warm hat
3 pairs wool socks
One pair nice pants 
Pearl Izumi bike shoes
Merrell Moab Ventilator hiking shoes
Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net 

Accessories 
Headlamp
Prescription sunglasses from Bowers and Snyder

A USGS topo map

BearVault BV500 food container
Toiletries
Guyot squishy bowl, and spoon
Journal
Paper, pens, and watercolors
2 collapsible water reservoirs
Art Supplies

Shared Gear
Chamois butter
Sunscreen
Sewing kit
Replacement/repair bike parts, including an extra tire, tubes, chain links, cables, cable housing, and bolts

First aid kit
Maps/compass and map case
Pocketknife: Leatherman Wingman

Spot GPS device
iPhone with wireless keyboard: Microsoft Wedge
SteriPen Classic
Big Agnes Seedhouse 3 tent (roomy, lightweight, and a great green color)
Rechargeable Sanyo Eneloop batteries and charger
Bike lock
Tenacious Tape (a must-have for repairs!)
Waterproof matches
Stove: None right now; we may purchase one for travel to Central and South America
Bear Spray