Hi Winston66,
I think I’ve got my packing down to a fine art – for me at least anyway. The secret is to have a removable netting partition between the pannier main compartment and the lid.
On the back seat I strap down the tent, sleeping bag, self-inflating mattress and rubber ground sheet (Aussie Three Corner Jacks tend to make short work of air mattresses without a decent ground sheet). I also have a collapsible bag strapped there for a polar fleece, plate, cutlery and 2 thermal tops. The tent is a 3-man one so I can bring my riding gear in out of your night-time creepy crawlies.
Under the seat are tools and tyre repair kit.
Fairing pockets have tyre pump, sunglasses, glass cleaner, tissues, headlamp and a few more tools.
Road-side pannier is 5 changes of clothes, toiletries, micro-fibre towel, 1-2 cans of stew, muesli bars and small gas cooker.
Left pannier is first aid kit, ‘Camps Australia No. 7’ map book, billy, coffee, mug, bottle of wine, chips and general odds and sods.
And on the rider is the Camel Back, camera and GPS Spot Finder.
I actually have room to spare. I easily added to a pannier my flat battery when it failed and I picked up a temporary replacement one from ST2UP.
I tend to shower at roadhouses, caravan parks or council swimming pools ($4-$5).
I cook up a can of stew at my night camp site or eat at roadhouses or pubs.
PS: The bottle of wine and chips are essential while the tent goes up and the stew cooks. I have however learnt that half drunk bottles of Pinot Noir don’t survive well in 40 degree heat inside panniers while being shaken all day at 120km/hr!