In order to prepare for a ride that should take five to eight days, I must draw upon the experiences of all my previous rides and take into consideration the time of year I’ll head out.
Most notably, my learning experiences with other multi-day rides include:
- Packing too much food and clothing,
- Bringing along unused camping supplies,
- Not having adequate protection from the elements,
- Following GPS through horrible traffic (depending on the GPS for routing),
- Leaving with untested equipment,
- Not wanting to leave the bike with unsecured luggage,
- Riding without breaks or adequate hydration for too long, and
- Not taking advantage of technologies I brought along (including cell phone, music players, cameras, binoculars, camping equipment etc…)
With that in mind, the rules of the game:
- Travel light,
- Buy most food along the way,
- Be sure all of my equipment will survive the “torture test,”
- Use the most versatile (and secure) riding gear and luggage, and
- Do lots of riding with plenty of down time for my other hobbies: hiking and photography.
Riding has a few interesting caveats that I can relate to hiking (which makes the two hobbies complementary!). Size and weight matter a lot. More so with hiking, but size and weight can really be a burden that takes away from the enjoyment of getting away. Motorcycles have very limited packing space, so when bringing along something that goes unused (essentially, not needed) then the entire experience would have been more enjoyable if it had been left at home.
So, things I’ve hauled before but will leave at home:
- Camping cot (I have better ways to keep from getting a good night’s sleep),
- Camp chair (I can lie down or sit on a picnic table),
- Thermarest (I have a better alternative – these just didn’t provide enough padding from rocks and other irregularities),
- Canned and bottled food,
- The silverware “Swiss army knife,”
- The giant square sleeping bag,
- Lots of clothes,
- Soft saddlebags,
- CD player, in-helmet headphones,
- The “neck pillow,”
- Contact lenses,
- Every tool I own (well, almost).
- Alcoholic beverages,
- Herbal tea (just doesn’t taste the same out there…),
- Steel cup (finally gave up and started to rust),
Things I’ll continue to bring:
- Water pouches / hydration systems,
- Seasonally appropriate sleeping bag (that folds small!),
- Teton 2 tent (upgraded from hiking),
- DSLR camera, GPS,
- Plenty of cash,
- Change of riding gloves,
- Latex gloves in the first aid kit (helps cold resistance),
- Stove and fuel (upgraded the Coleman multi-fuel to a Pocket Rocket – awesome upgrade!)
- MSR Hiking mess kit,
- Basic hand tools,
- Travel cover for motorcycle,
- Rain cover for any soft luggage,
- Paper maps,
- Small notebook,
- Basic hand tools, tire pressure gage, knife, Swiss Army-style knife, flashlight,
- Cigarette lighter power splitter,
- Cell phone,
- Upgraded tent stakes,
- Full riding gear,
- Ear plugs,
- Glasses,
- Insurance papers and ID
New things I’ll bring with me this time:
- Sleeping bag liner,
- Inflatable camping mattress (which I acquired for hiking),
- A few instant meals,
- A smaller whisk broom (for keeping the tent clean),
- Tire pump and repair kit,
- A genuine inflatable pillow,
- A camcorder (for recording while riding),
- A book (for down-times and when I can’t sleep),
- Spare light bulbs,
- Certain hiking apparel (depending on the expected temperature range),
- Aluminum or stainless cup,
Things I’m not so sure about:
- Music player, stereo, headphones,
- Collapsible sink, cutting board,
- Binoculars (rarely used and bulky),
- Touring trunk vs. tailbag vs. backpack,
- Hiking boots or shoes,
- Swim trunks (rarely used),
- Sandals (rarely used),
- Shaving kit,
- Passport (who knows if I’ll hit
- Rain Gear (depends on the riding gear I take),
- Thermometer (to say, “It was THIS cold!”
And of course, the farkles:
- Accessory lights,
- Driving lights and bracket,
- Glove box modification,
- Integrated turn signal modification,
- Heated grips,
- V-Strom hand guards,
- Gel grips,
- Manic Salamander bar end weights,
- SAE outlet,
- Cigarette lighter,
- RAM mounts for camera, GPS,
- Tank bag pass through wiring kit,
- Upgraded headlight bulbs,
- LED taillight bulbs,
- Voltmeter,
- Sliders, Clutch basket cover, Handlebar Risers (all once part of the fabled Avanti Kit),
- Radiator guard,
- Custom wiring for powered accessories,
- Aftermarket windshield (still waiting to test),
That’s about it for the lists… for today. As the ride draws closer, I’ll add even more thoughts about the upcoming motorcycle trip.
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