3 shirts or 4?

For all those competitors and crews getting ready for the 2019 peking to Paris challenge the time has come to turn our attentions to packing. Over the past numerous years I have had the pleasure of being in a truck capable of taking a huge amount of luggage, work clothes, "going out" clothes, obviously a wide range of hats and shoes to compliment chosen attire, I've even noticed that Skippy's bag has got larger over the years! But taking luggage in a competing car is a whole new problem to over come, Julian is taking 2 shirts only, I hope he does take something to cover his lower half! I want to keep below 8kg for my luggage so am preparing to dress like a vagrant for 6 weeks, Having spoken to Owen it seems he will be in the same pair of jeans and boots in Paris that he will be at the Great Wall (keep your distance around Ulan Bator.). One of our hero sweeps, Matt, has already started packing and I'm a little jealous of the size of bag he has, Julian and my bags are basically the size of a laptop bag each, thank god Tesco has arrived in Russia, "more underpants please!"

And what about washing? This being my 3rd P2P I am all too aware that hotel laundry is a nightmare, even came back from Rally of the Incas with a frilly Pinafore, I think it was Alan Beardshaw's but he never admitted to it......So I guess I'll find launderettes on the way, just won't be going with Rikki Proffit as most of the launderettes serve alcohol, that's how you lose clothes!!

I plan on "borrowing" from every hotel en route, shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, hopefully deodorant but I apologize to Julian in advance if the hotel, cannot "provide."

Julian and I land on the 30th, along with the majority of the ERA team, straight to hotel and then to the Chinese driving license chat, this will be my third time of hearing this talk, I WILL be asleep, just as I have on all previous occasions, Owen snored loudly on the last one, I have a photo somewhere!