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My Gear

By Thom | January 11, 2008

I thought I’d post a list of my gear that I brought along for the trip along with reasons for each. This may help you in planning your own trip, but remember each motorcycle is different. This system worked great for me because my hard side saddle bags and top case do not hold a lot of gear, nor can they hold a lot of weight. The majority of the heavy stuff was placed in the large, green waterproof backpack on the rear seat. This offered a better location for weight and it also kept it in the air draft envelope. Most of my gear I already owned so I just dealt with it, instead of buying new stuff.

The list:

In magnetic Motopak tankbag (love this thing, can expand to super large volume and can be separated into a backpack, very well organized):

- Ear Plugs – ALWAYS RIDE WITH THESE, it saves my hearing, but also cuts down on the road noise that will wear you out. I have tried many different types, but I prefer EAR Areosoft Grippers.

-GPS (Lowrance iFinder GO, very low end, but kind of cool to look at at the end of the day, maps are very basic, but the battery life is wonderful)

-some tools (small ratcheting wrench, long extension, mulitbit screwdriver)

-chapstick (essential as your lips are subjected to high winds all day)

– old and fresh contacts/glasses plus solution (easy to get to)

-insect repellent (no bugs!)

-sunscreen (I threw some one each morning for windburn and to prevent those sexy sunglass lines)

-various documents – maps, id’s, passes (had my paper maps, national parks pass) -triple A camp books (highly recommended, just look up the city, and see where to camp)

-camera (easy to get to, along with another battery and sd cards)

-battery chargers ( for phone, camera and gps)
-knife (swiss army, ’cause you never know)

-flashlights (two, one windup and one headlamp, both LED)

Held in saddlebags/waterproof pack
-Columbia ice crest (nice tent, but too big/heavy, great ventilation though)

-North Face sleeping bag (11 years old, still works great, rated about 30 (more like 50 now), I can always put clothes on, but I hate sweating)

-Thermarest (trusty, long backpacking version, also 11 years old, still works great)

-CamelBak -100oz with the large screw top, throw some ice in at a gas station and you have cold water for about 12 hours

-toothbrush and toothpaste (helps to remove the bugs in the chompers)

-small softside cooler (fit well in my saddlebag, would keep cold for about 2 days, essentially just for fruit and ice water)
-motorcycle cover (nice for the night, and to keep eyes off my bike)

-1 sweater/sweatshirt (keep warm at altitude)

-1 jacket (doubles as a rain jacket, packs down small)

-2 pairs pants (1 jean, 1 khaki)

-5 pairs socks/underwear (less laundry)

-4 tshirts (old, didn’t mind if they didn’t look good afterwards)

-old shoes (too big,ditched for crocs halfway through)

-sandles (Crocs, ugly as sin, but great for all around, and easy to pack)

-2 pair shorts (both khaki)

– dishes (1 cup, waterbottle, and small container)

- 1 qt oil (cause you never know, never needed it )

-1 qt antifreeze (I developed a leak halfway through)

Wearing all the time on the bike: (I strictly adhere to “all the gear all the time” ATGATT – which means that I ride with my jacket, pants, helmet and gloves always on, no matter the weather – cause I’m not a fan of hospitals)

-Hein Gerike Mesh jacket (excellent jacket, has waterproof liner, keeps you cool and protected)

-Firstgear Mesh OT pants (same as Hein)

-Teknik Boots (Great price on the ‘bay, waterproof and not leather)
-Firstgear gloves (trusty glove that I bought a long time ago, incredibly warm and cool)

-fulmer full-face helmet (nice dragon theme, now with smiley stickers!)

- clear, smoke, yellow, driving sunglasses (I use these instead of changing my helmet visor, as you can wear them off the bike too)

-A BIG SMILE

A picture of the bike loaded:

The gear before packing:

Similar Posts:

• What I Wear To Ride and Why
• Aerostich Kanetsu Electric Vest Review and My Silverwing
• Adding a GPS to your Honda Silverwing
• Westward Distraction: Day Seven
• Westward Distraction: Day Nine

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