I certainly never thought that I would be talking about packing cubes and a collapsable dirty clothes hamper when it came to motorcycle gear bag organization, but here we are! My OGIO RIG 9800 has been a source of malcontent since I unboxed this cavernous travel bag. The OGIO quality is a 10/10, but usability is tough when it comes to packing for a weekend trip or longer adventure.
When it comes to organization for spaces that aren't designed well for packing, it's all about utilizing space. That's where the packing cubes are a big help. They allow you to keep like gear in cubes that keep you from removing all of your clothing just to find one jersey. For longer riding trips, I have started rolling my riding pants and jersey to save even more space within the packing cubes.
I haven't gotten to the point of folding jerseys within pants, like you would a suit jacket and pants, but for my upcoming Desert 100 trip, that might be a necessity. I'll probably even pack everyday clothes, and toiletries, into the boots and helmet to save from packing too many bags.
The collapsable dirty clothes hamper though is EPIC! I whip it out when I'm done riding, put all my dirty gear in the hamper and it goes straight to the laundry when I'm unloading at the house. The hamper then gets folded up and shoved right back into the gear bag. On days where my gear gets extra smelly, I leave the hamper out to dry for a few hours, maybe with some Lysol or Febreze to help it along.
The truth is, some of you my not even care wether your gear is organized in your gear bag or not. You're allowed to worry more about #GettingSeattime and let the other cards fall where they may. I was just tired of unearthing all my gear while trying to gear up pre-ride. These packing cubes, and some forethought as too where stuff should go, has made the moments before and after a ride a bit less hectic. If you have other thoughts or organizational ideas, send them our way!