Go Back   Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB > Equipment, Travel > Equipment Reviews
What's your most/least useful piece of kit? What's your most/least useful piece of kit?
Register FAQ Calendar Today's Posts
Equipment Reviews Post YOUR REVIEWS of ANY Motorcycle, Camping or Travel Equipment and accessories. Tell us what worked and didn't work for you!
Photo by George Guille, It's going to be a long 300km... Bolivian Amazon

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by George Guille
It's going to be a long 300km...
Bolivian Amazon



Reply
Page 7 of 8 123456 7 8
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #91  
Old 24 Jul 2008
Crusty's Avatar
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Herts, UK
Posts: 215
Following the "every item has two uses credo", I did tens of thousands of miles in this and it's still giving good service.
Attached Thumbnails
What's your most/least useful piece of kit?-2008_0709horizons20080018.jpg  

__________________
Beware the dark, mechanical bird.
Reply With Quote
  #92  
Old 25 Jul 2008
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: West Yorkshire UK
Posts: 1,785
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crusty View Post
Following the "every item has two uses credo", I did tens of thousands of miles in this and it's still giving good service.
Go on then, what use is my mate? The main purpose is ballast to keep the sidecar wheel down in left handers. The secondary purpose? Beer disposal? Production of odd smells that stop me meeting young women? Spending hours doing his hair so I've got less time for drinking and more for checking the chain/ repairing old tubes / rebuilding the gearbox ? I've tried encouraging him to bring money with him on these trips but that doesn't seem to work

Now Gooner the dog, there's a multipurpose sidecar filler. Eats rubbish, hardly touches the , encourages all sorts of people to talk to you, acts as security (well only against people who can't see he's soft), keeps the tent warmer, flaters my eating habits......

Andy
Reply With Quote
  #93  
Old 25 Jul 2008
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Salisbury UK
Posts: 248
Jetboil - I've actually used it handheld in the car. Packs into a rucksack pocket.
Water filter - looks like a bike bottle and packs into the other rucksack pocket.

Not sure what a Leatherman does - so have never found a reason to buy one.
__________________
I've a feeling I'm not in Kansas anymore.
Last edited by teflon; 26 Jul 2008 at 01:39.
Reply With Quote
  #94  
Old 8 Jun 2009
dbg's Avatar
dbg dbg is offline
Contributing Member
HUBB regular
  
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Tunbridge Wells, England
Posts: 20
Most useful: penknife, Ortleib folding bowl (genius kit), hair conditioner (yes, really!) and therm-a-rest chairs - used EVERY single night - sitting back, drinking a (max) 2Euro bottle of vino and watching the stars by the tent... hmmmmm!
Forgot - silk sleeping bag liner - bloomin marvellous, it dries within minutes and feels sooo nice!

Least useful: 10L water bag (ditched it fairly early on), trainers, worst techno top (both ditched in Turkey and given to some kids, who oddly seemed thrilled) - my partner had a black silk long sleeved top - cool in hot weather (well, ish) and warm in cold weather, and doesn't show the dirt - marvellous. Mini MP3 speakers
__________________
"Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from god"
Bokonon
Last edited by dbg; 10 Jun 2009 at 18:06.
Reply With Quote
  #95  
Old 22 Jun 2009
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
  
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 8
Very Useful........
  • A piece of string on the end of my plastic thingy that goes under the footstand on soft ground. Think about it!
  • Duct tape of course.
  • A plunger thingy with a long tube that comes out of a handsoap bottle. Useful if you need to take petrol from the tank for cooking and for sucking engine oil out of you've put too much in.
Not So Useful......
  • My grannies ashtray. Just can't seem to balance it right on the tank. Maybe that's a good challenge for the duct tape!
Reply With Quote
  #96  
Old 24 Jun 2009
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: London
Posts: 404
Most useful - and it seems they have surplus stock
I have two of these at home and never realised!

Garage door opener - Snotr

(But I don't have a BMW - I think it'll still work)
__________________
TTR250 - London to Cape Town
Reply With Quote
  #97  
Old 24 Jun 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: West Yorkshire UK
Posts: 1,785
Quote:
Originally Posted by McCrankpin View Post
I have two of these at home and never realised!

Garage door opener - Snotr

(But I don't have a BMW - I think it'll still work)
Mine doesn't work and the returns policy makes BMW's approach to warranty claims look like a charity event. Running costs are equivalent to a Brough Superior with a hole in the petrol tank. It's worse when you think of the safety implications, get it wrong and you are likely to end up sleeping in the garage you had to open yourself. Caveat Emptor!

Andy
Reply With Quote
  #98  
Old 25 Jun 2009
stuxtttr's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Lutterworth,Midlands, UK
Posts: 576
Useful : Duct Tape, Cable Ties (tie wraps) and Leatherman/swiss army knife

Least Useful : cheap copy of a camel back that leaked 2 ltrs of cold squash all down my back (in future will just use water bottles available anywhere with 1.5 ltr evain etc with hose mouthpiece for long stints
Reply With Quote
  #99  
Old 15 Jul 2009
mj's Avatar
mj mj is offline
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 303
It actually pains me when I think of how much crap I took on my first trip and how little I need today. Who could've possibly imagined that a Cuban Coffee Maker (also frequently referred to as Mokka Express or Poor People Espresso Machine) might turn out to be completely useless and way too large compared to a small jar of instant coffee even for a coffee-junkie like me?

Most usefull:
  • Compass! Never fails, never lies. Most important bit ever.
  • A close second: toilet paper
  • Swiss army knife
  • Germany Army folding shovel (because you never know when you might need a moat around your tent)
  • Gorilla Pod
  • Cargo pants with removable trouser legs (see third pair of pants).
  • Sheepskin (aka monkey butt postponer), also makes for a great pillow

Most useless:
  • Abovementioned Cuban Coffee Maker
  • A third pair of pants (see cargo pants).
  • Rubber mallet

Btw, guess who got a flat in the middle of Poland after thinking "oh well, who needs a tire repair kit anyway?"
__________________
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting GERONIMO!"
Reply With Quote
  #100  
Old 18 Jul 2009
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: London
Posts: 404
I'm no fan of hard panniers, but I suppose they do have their uses........
Attached Images
 
__________________
TTR250 - London to Cape Town
Reply With Quote
  #101  
Old 21 Jul 2009
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
  
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: washington, state
Posts: 5
Smile
Some say that 90% of all mechanical failure on a motorcycle will be electrical Related, That said, I invested in a small butane powered soldering iron that is hardly any larger than a felt tipped marker. and sure enough, I’ve used it several times while on the road to repair blinkers, heated gripes etc. -- Perhaps not THE most useful piece of gear, but nice to have.
As for the LEAST useful thing I carry around on my bike, well, that would have to be my dog ’LEO’; I CAN’T GET HIM TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL!!
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #102  
Old 12 Aug 2009
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
  
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 16
most useful is my thermal mug with a built in coffee plunger, without that the day could not start.
Reply With Quote
  #103  
Old 5 Sep 2009
Registered Users
HUBB regular
  
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Ireland
Posts: 64
Bloody Tyre repair bottles...
Definitely least useful; I had a bottle of the tyre repair foam explode in my panniers once in Turkey - my soft pannier was completely blown apart on that side (the other side caught fire later falling down onto exhaust because no weight to balance it - joy!) and when I went back to pick up my clothes I found that my only pair of jeans was completely coated in latex - suitable for Saturday night at a fetish night-club perhaps, but not very useful in rural Turkey - completely crap stuff!

Leatherman has to be my essential though - but then that sounds like something for a fetish nightclub too come to think of it...

Tony

(Now I drive a Landrover so I just carry an entire toolkit with me, and half a tonne of spares... and a big hammer to fix it with...)
Reply With Quote
  #104  
Old 6 Sep 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Southampton
Posts: 671
Cobb
Along with the usuual cab le tips, gaffer tape, wd40 and leatherman, I would have to say my most useful piece of kit is the COBB cooker. Roast potatoes, baked potatoed, baked banana, pizza etc etc mmmmmmmmmmm

Most probably need a car to carry it round with you though ....

Most useless ......... probably some the of the so called recovery books we carry round with us. Wish I'd filled the space with good novels from a 2nd hand book stall .............
__________________
Ollie

www.jollyfollies.com

Land's End to Sydney 2009
Reply With Quote
  #105  
Old 6 Sep 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Salisbury UK
Posts: 248
Would like to add solid soap as a useful piece of kit as I've just found some of that natural 'handmade' stuff that is brilliant for washing hair. Doubles up for normal washing and shaving - even laundry I suppose, though I wouldn't want to waste it. One big bar is cheaper than everything it replaces and easier to pack.
__________________
I've a feeling I'm not in Kansas anymore.
Reply With Quote
Reply
Page 7 of 8 123456 7 8

« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

 
 

Announcements

Thinking about traveling? Not sure about the whole thing? Watch the HU Achievable Dream Video Trailers and then get ALL the information you need to get inspired and learn how to travel anywhere in the world!

Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's the list of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now, and add your information if we didn't find you.

Next HU Eventscalendar

HU Event and other updates on the HUBB Forum "Traveller's Advisories" thread.
ALL Dates subject to change.

2024:

Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!

Questions about an event? Ask here

HUBBUK: info

See all event details

 
World's most listened to Adventure Motorbike Show!
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.

Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.

Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!


 

What others say about HU...

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia

"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK

"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia

"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA

"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada

"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa

"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia

"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany

Lots more comments here!



Five books by Graham Field!

Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook

"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.



Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!

Your ad could be here, on EVERY page of the HUBB, or the whole website, or as many as you like!

New to Horizons Unlimited?

New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!

Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.

Susan and Grant Johnson Read more about Grant & Susan's story

Membership - help keep us going!

Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.

You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:23.

Contact Us - Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers Website - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top