How to Pack a Motorcycle for Multi-Day Travel with Kriega OS Bags

Heading out for a daylong ride is easy. All you need are the essentials, and you can even gamble with the rain gear. 

Packing for a multi-day trip, however, can be a daunting task. What should you bring? How much or how little should you pack? 

I’ve traveled to 33 countries and have visited almost all of our states and Canada’s provinces. Here are my packing tips so you can spend more time planning your ride, not what or how to pack.

Should You Use Hard or Soft Bags?

Over the years, my preference for luggage types has swung back and forth. While I appreciate hard panniers for their protective qualities (motorcycle and rider), they generally aren’t the best-looking option. 

If you’re less vain than I am, you might get over the looks. But there are still the acquisition cost, possible dents from drops, and other factors. 

Soft luggage, on the other hand, shines with style points and versatility. The bags might get dusty and sun-bleached, but all that does is add street cred. 

Many systems are quite universal, meaning you can put them on more than one motorcycle. No racks required. 

Most soft saddlebags are large enough that, when stuffed full, offer a softer landing pad in case of a tip-over (although your belongings in the bag may not escape unharmed). What kind of protection each bag offers in a crash depends on speed, road surface, and so many other things. 

Kriega OS-Base and OS Bags

Since 2025, I’ve used the Kriega OS-Base on my 2021 Yamaha Ténéré 700. It’s a tall and sleek motorcycle, so I wanted a luggage system that blended in, not stood out (figuratively and literally). 

The OS solution consists of two parts: the OS-Base harness and the OS bags. We detailed the system in greater detail in a previous post. 

There’s a T7-specific harness, but since I installed an aftermarket luggage plate on the back, the universal OS-Base fits my motorcycle best. I chose the OS-12 bags, which provide a good size compromise for most of my multi-day trips. For a trip longer than a week, I highly recommend the OS-18. 

Pack Smart

The choice of bags is just the first step to your packing journey, though. You still have to be strategic about actually stuffing the bags.

Using separate packing cubes, your clothes stay together, take up less space, and don’t come out completely wrinkled. Don’t forget about regular street shoes like I always do! Make sure you have enough space for a pair of sneakers or sandals. 

It’s a good idea to put all fresh clothes on one side and use the other for dirty laundry and shoes. 

Never pack to full capacity. Leave ample room for things you might buy along the way. 

The goal is to pack smart rather than pack heavy. Riding gear should be climate-appropriate and comfort-focused—you'll be wearing it for hours on end, so it needs to work hard. 

Beyond what you wear in the saddle, clothing needs are simpler than most riders expect. Four T-shirts, four pairs of socks, and seven sets of underwear cover a full week with room to spare, since evening clothes only get light use after a day of riding.

Choose synthetic fabrics over cotton whenever possible. Synthetics dry overnight in a hotel sink, meaning a quick wash before bed gives you fresh clothes by morning. A cotton shirt in the same situation will still be damp when your alarm goes off. 

A compact tool kit is non-negotiable regardless of how reliable your bike is. Be prepared for tire repair with an air compressor, a multi-tool, and the basics for roadside fixes.

Kriega also offers bags that act like a topcase and backpacks if the OS Bags fill up too quickly. 

Was that maybe too much to take in at once? Download our packing list so you won’t forget anything.