The Stuff

This post will be about all the stuff going with me... and it sure seems like a lot of stuff.

Does everyone remember the George Carlin bit about "A Place for your Stuff"? If you have never seen it, or need a refresher, go ahead and CLICK HERE, I'll wait.

I need to sort through all my shit to narrow down what stuff will go with me.

As I had said in previous posts, the longest motorcycle trip I had been on was 6 days. I fared pretty well on that one, I don't really remember forgetting anything that I really needed, but there were some things that would have been nice to have along. For this trip, I figured 3 days worth of clothes would work well, I didn't want to have to do laundry every evening. On a trip like this though, 3 days worth of clothes really means 3 days worth of socks and underwear.

Planning what to take for clothes didn't take nearly as much thought as what else would be going along. I had to decide what kind of things were "must haves" what were "nice to haves" and what was "if I have room". Lots of the "if I have room" things were tossed out pretty quickly. I wasn't really going to have a surplus of room. I spent a lot of time reading blogs of people who had done similar trips and found a bunch of good information about things that I may not have thought about. I also had the luxury of being able to have things brought to me in South Dakota when Kate visits, I could ship a box to Seattle to have waiting for me when I arrive there, and I could use the US Post Office general delivery to have a box waiting for me when I get to Taos.

After lots of reading, some actual shakedown rides where I packed everything up for overnight trips, and talking to friends who had done similar trips, my list of stuff ended up looking like this:

Electronics and similar

• 4/3 Camera and flash - Pictures, pictures, pictures! I have always loved taking photos while traveling
• Booster battery - In case I need to charge phone, GoPro, Bluetooth headset, etc on the road
• Portable hard drive - to store photos and backup the laptop on the road
• GoPro - I'll use this both on and off the bike.
• Apple Lightning cable - don't leave home without it!
• Micro USB cable - data transfer to GPS and satellite tracker
• Standard USB cable - to charge the GoPro
• P/S Camera - for quick shots where I don't want to dig the bigger camera out
• Ear buds - still on the fence about these. I have speakers in the helmet for music on the road. May not need these
• Laptop charger - self explanatory
• Small tripod - for non-selfie photos and I will hopefully get some sunset shots on the west coast
• Selfie stick - for the GoPro and P/S camera
• Chesty GoPro Mount - Mounting the GoPro directly to the bike makes for shaky shots. I have found that the chesty mount has a good perspective and is relatively stable.
• Laptop & case - for blogging, GPS mapping software, photo editing, etc
• Charging kit (USB dock, Camera charger, micro USB cable, apple cable, microSD card reader)
• GPS - Must have
• Headset remote - allows me to change music, operate intercom, etc.
• SPOT Satellite tracker + extra batteries - For emergencies this device can send a SOS and get emergency crews in route to where you are based on location. In areas where I have no cell signal this device will also allow me check in with Kate so she knows I'm OK. If you ride, camp or hike, look into one.
• Cell phone - self explanatory

Keys/Security/etc.

• Extra keys (bike, Shad, disc lock, cover lock) - Lost keys with no spares would suck
• Cable lock (combination retractable) - this will allow me to lock my  helmet and gear to the bike if I want to take a hike along the way or be away from the bike for a bit.
• Small Coiled cable - works in conjunction with above
• Alarm remote - the bike has an anti-theft alarm
• Bike cover & lock - lots of the blogs on motorcycle travel say that this is a pretty good deterrent for people messing with your motorcycle in hotel parking lots. the lock will keep in on the bike in wind.
• Disc lock pin & Key - a lock that goes through the front brake disk immobilizing the bike

Tools and similar

• Kickstand plate - just a flat 4" square piece of metal to keep the kickstand from sinking on soft surfaces
• Head lamp w/ extra batteries - I LOVE my headlamp! Light wherever you are looking when needed.
• Multi-tool - bottle opener, screwdriver, pliers.... the usual
• Tire pressure gauge - low pressure in tires = bad things
• 60mm socket - not something every motorcycle shop may have. Needed to remove the rear tire on this bike. Better to have it and not need it than to not have it.
• Flat kit - I have had to use this twice now. I won't ride further than 50 miles without it.
• Vac sealed rags - never know when you'l need a rag
• Monks brand hand wipes - cleans grease off your hands really well.
• ROK straps - just in case I need to strap something down - these are fancy bungees.
• Extra velcro straps - same as above
• Tool kit - just in case
• Chain lube - have to keep the chain going! No chain, no go.

Hygiene and similar

• Laundry pods - these things are great for travel - super portable
• Dryer sheets - I hate static
• Toilet paper - for roadside emergencies
• First Aid Kit - also for roadside emergencies - non traumatic, of course.
• Shave kit – the usual stuff

Most of the rest of the stuff is self explanatory, so I won't state the obvious.

Gear

• Klim Suit
• Regular gloves
• Waterproof gloves
• Helmet
• Visor cleaner
• Balaclava
• Earplugs + extra set - I cannot ride without earplugs - they cut the wind noise and really help fight fatigue
• Dog tags & Med info card - when riding alone I always wear a set of dog tags that has medical info and emergency contact information
• Boots - please do not ride without good boots!

Miscellaneous

• Pencil/pen
• Travel pack - stamps, cash, hotel info
• Small notebook
• Water bottle
• Sunglasses
• Regular glasses
• Regular readers - presbyopia rules!!!!
• Folding readers - in the jacket pocket - see above.
• Maps - yes, I mean old-fashioned, paper, fold back and forth and back and forth maps. Just in case of detours.
• Portable backpack - for days off when I may be carrying around a camera, laptop, sunglasses, etc
• Credit cards, National Parks Pass, Drivers license, Fed ID, Insurance cards

Clothes

• Sneakers
• Riding shorts – 3
• Riding Socks – 3
• Underwear – 3
• Regular socks - 2
• Footie socks – 3
• Jeans – 1
• Regular t-shirt – 3
• Dri-fit t-shirt – 3
• Shorts - 2
• Long sleeve t-shirt – 1
• Windbreaker
• Ball cap/hat
• Down coat - This and the item below I'll have Kate bring to me in South Dakota before I ride through the Rockies - mid September can be pretty cold at 11,000 feet.
• Smartwool bottom & top

When I laid everything out (except what I would be wearing), this is what it looked like:

It looked like a lot of stuff, but then again, it really didn’t. I grabbed the case liners and my tank bag and started dividing everything up. The plan was to have the things I would use multiple times a day in the tank bag for easy access, the stuff I would use every night in the top case and the rest of the stuff divided between the two panniers. I also had to keep weight in mind - I needed to have the heavier things in the panniers and the light things in the top case to not throw the balance of the bike off.

EVERYTHING FITS!!!! Well, except the cat. He’ll have to stay behind.

3 days to launch.