Survival
I try to plan for everything. What if I break down in the middle of nowhere, or if I am enjoying some mountain pass in the middle of nowhere and it gets dark and I'm miles or kilometers from the nearest town? So.........
I picked up a small 1man tent that can be put in a heartbeat. Then I got a very nice sleeping pad that has a foot pump built in which is about 4" tall and perfect for sleeping. Next was an emergency bivy sac that helps reflect your heat back to you. Who knows where I'll be and many of the mountain passes can range from 3-15,000+ ft. (My wife and I were in the Atacama Desert a number of years back where it NEVER rains or anything in mid-March. We drove over a pass and on our way back the temperature dropped to 32 F or 0 C and we started getting snowed on, so you have to prepare for anything.) Then a small towel, Knife, whistle, bug venom extractor, a water filter, and the Garmin InReach messenger.
The Garmin Inreach messenger does a few things. Allows basically a bread crumb trail with certain plans that sends out a signal every 10 mins. This will give family and friends a chance to see where I am at any time throughout the trip (as long as I remember to charge it) AND it allows me to call for help if anything should happen with a press of a button. The other great part of this unit is that I can send and receive texts from people and send them back. The texting can be done via the unit itself OR it can be hooked up via Bluetooth to a smart phone and you can text via your smart phone.
So that is my basic survival stuff.
Motorcycle stuff
I decided to purchase some soft saddlebags that are waterproof. I know everyone touts the Mosko brand but I just didn't feel like spending that kind of dosh. I found a really good pair on Amazon called Wild Heart, they are 25 liters per side which I think is big but they look very well mad and fairly easy to use. These are called Dry Bags and are supposed to keep your stuff dry in any kind of weather and be rugged enough to take a few falls. Time will tell.
Then I found a small battery powered air pump, a USB outlet for charging things from the bike to mount on the handlebar, some rim protectors and a pair of Motion Pro bead breaker and tire removal tools which I hope to NEVER use.
Camera Gear
Everyone knows I'm a camera nut. I purchased a very nice monopod to bring on the trip to hold up car but decided it was just too long. I decided to use the cheap small tripod and a metal selfie stick as my camera holders and they will just have to do. For cameras I have 2 cell phones, and a host of other camera gear, we'll leave it at that.
Moto Clothes
My trusty First Gear jacket I've worn forever and halfway around the world. It is textile and repels water, has a liner and it HOT in the sun and warm temps but that's the way the cookie crumbles. I've ridden with it in 20 F to over 100 F. Next I decided to finally after 40+ years of riding get a pair of mesh pants that will keep me protected yet allow air to flow through and keep my legs cool. The only issues will be for RAIN and cold temperatures. I have an old pair of gortex overpants that I can put on for both of those instances. I have some hard core dirt bike boots that are like concrete. I've worn them once for the BMW Performance school off road class and they did a great job but they are super heavy and I can't walk in them so I decided to do the next best thing and use my nice Vasque hiking boots. They will give some protection and I can walk. Ya can't please everyone but to bad, this is what I'm doing. I also have a couple of neck gators for dusty or cold conditions.
Other misc stuff
Some Rock straps, a couple of wratchet straps, a siphon tube, coupld of bungie cords, flashlight, leatherman tool, first aid kit, earplugs and a few medications. Of course, you have your electronics and a bazillion cables for everything and too much electronics, power adaptor, small extension cord, etc. You know what I'm talking about. Then of course a few pairs of lightweight pants, socks, shirts, underware but trying not to go overboard with too much stuff which I'm sure I have.
No comments:
Post a Comment