Dave Lomax - Over Weight is Under Prepared
 

I was at the 2007 HU UK meeting in Ripley. I think the best thing I saw was the Dave Lomax presentation, “over weight is under prepared” or packing light. I know it was filmed but I’m trying to find information about what exactly was in that Kriega US20 bag?

Searched the HUBB, looked on adventure-spec (dot) com and Google/YouTube can’t find anything! I'm guessing Dave is a member on the HUBB ? If you do look at this mate, post a list and ?c? please, thanks

EDIT

I remember

T-6 Chain Tool
Motion Pro Trail Tool
Gear Aid (cuts and bolts) Kit
Byrd Knife
Puncture Kit

Using the "seach HUBB" function on the left, look for davidlomax. You can see his posts and send him a PM.
HTH
Chris

thanks
 

Done that but, he was last activity on the 21st January 2010 so, might take a while for a reply, i've mailed adventure-spec as well !

ADV rider? ever heard of it?
 

Dave is part of Pyndon's expedition through Africa. Austin Vince is along as well.
Nice pics and story. Those guys just don't post on HUBB it seems. I guess they can sell more books and DVD's on ADV? :innocent:

Salt & Gold 2009 - The Heart of Africa! - ADVrider

You will get him at Adventure-Spec. Email or call them.

Add:

Down sleeping bag
bivi bag
toothbrush with half handle sawn off and drilled!!
and from what I remember looking in the bag that was about it.

Dave also carried a HD inner tube and a couple of adventure spec tyre levers and a huge bar to help change the DRZ 400 seal that often fails and a spare seal.

Then there was 4x4 with 800 litres of fuel, lots of water and food following across Dave the Sahara on the salt and gold expedition.

I think 'over weight is underprepared' is a presentation that could help everyone with a useful way to think about packing. Nearly every trip I halve the stuff I pack next time. Cant see me getting near Dave though.

Love it!!!

Yep, that 800 litres was a struggle to get into my bag!

My first ever trip with support of any kind. We needed it for the end of the trip from Timbuktu north as the 4wd plan was to drop fuel/water dumps over the 1200km of bugger all between Timbuktu and Taoudenni and ride unsupported . As it turned out it had far more uses than that as we slowly broke bikes and riders as we went along.

Perhaps not something I would choose to do again, but a very different and unique experience...

In answer to your mails... I have no prejudice against the HUBB. If you check Adv you'll see I don't post too often on there either unless its business related. One you start your own business there is little time for anything else, especially with a one year old liitle boy added to the mix.

I got all the mails and requests and will dig out something tomorrow afternoon when I get five mins. Actually the list of stuff is quite long, its just that most things were quite small!

Sorry to be so slow replying.

Dave

Thanks Dave

:clap:

Ok, here goes…

Firstly a link to a DRZ prep article I wrote for a friend a year or so ago. That pretty much deals with what I do to the bike and here is picture of the finished machine in the Pyrenees (note the cable ties stored on the front forks, indispensable).

Link to article (when I get chance to posit it up on our website)



http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/...9d779a6b_b.jpg


Your question isn’t so easy really. I have never really tried to list EVERYTHING I take when I ride. My talk was only really designed to give you a flavour of riding light. For me the idea is that you take the three sets of equipment. One to keep the bike happy, one to keep me happy, and one for the ‘powers-that-be’, i.e. papers etc.

Stuff to keep my bike happy:

See the article linked above to understand how important it is to get your bike right before you go. Its only doing this that lets me travel so lightly with so much confidence. The list below shows pretty much what I carry although I have recently made some changes as my kit evolves.

Spark Plug
Wet n Dry
Quick Steel
Tyre Levers (I now use motion pro T6 levers)
Breaker Bar for front sprocket nut and wheel nuts
30mm Socket, 24mm socket (now at end of motion pro T6 lever)
Chain Tool, Motion Pro (superlight weight)
Spare Chain Split Links 2x
1 x Motion Pro Trail Tool
Cable ties (stored around front forks)
Electrical Wire (10 Amp long enough to run from front to back of bike and back)
Rad Weld…but in granule form
Lighter
Duct Tape (full waterproof stuff) roll around a pen.
Elec Tape
Hacksaw Blade (300mm)
Puncture Repair Kit
Pump
Spare Tubes (I only carry levers and tubes and puncture repair kit etc if I’m not running mousses)
Tow Strap (2 tonne breaking ‘tape’)
Araldite
Multimeter (superlight)
Hose Clamps x2 ( to fix blown rad pipes etc)
Grease (small pill bottle)
Spare nutsbolts (super small pack)
Leatherman Wave
Elec Connectors (a few spare to fix elec problems)
Shaft Seal (known failure of DRZ’s)
Sprocket Nut Locktab (To use after replacement of shaft seal)
Fuses (4 x 10 Amp)
Spare clutch and brakre levers
Fuel Pipe (for syphoning)
SparkPlug Spanner
Instant Gasket (super small pack)
Loctite (super small pack)
Tape Measure (ikea paper one)
File (to restore threads)
Spoke Spanner
Spare Oil 0.5l (dependent upon where you ride)
Copper Grease (uber small tube)
Bungies!!!!
Tyre Pressure Gauge (cheap slidey type)

To keep me happy

1/2 a toothbrush
Moisturising crème ( I have found recently that I get incredibly itchy legs when I wear MotoX boots which stop me sleeping…a bit of Nivea helps loads?!)
Toothpaste
Small antiseptic crème (dependent on where you ride)
Small antihistamine Crème (dependent on where you ride)
A whistle
A mirror
A spare sink plug (dependent on where you ride)
A compass
Waterproof matches
Small bar of soap
A shaped 2/3 length inflatable sleeping mat
A 300g 750 fill power 95% goose down sleeping bag
A superlight weight bivi bag (Rab)
A torch (usually a small LED headtorch)
A GPS (dependent on where you ride)
A Map (dependent on where you ride)
My phone
1 Spare pair of underwear
1 Spare pair superlight trousers
1 Spare long sleeve synthetic shirt
1 Spare pair of synthetic socks
2 Spare AA Batteries for the GPS in case I have to walk…

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2683/...f4be54ab_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/...35817b27_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/...cdb27b92_b.jpg


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/...928a580f_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/...4812c821_o.jpg
Hope thats ok, sorry for the delay. Finally a pic of my choice. Where home shoud always be...


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2656/...a5be5cee_o.jpg


Ride Safe,



Dave

Thanks Dave

You’re the man! Wicked :) that’s how I’ll be doing it, hopefully! Anybody that gets a chance to see the presentation at a HU meeting MUST go along!

Thanks for your time, will look at the link when you post it

Nice set up and obviously one that works!
I read most of the Adv RR with Pyndon. Great stuff.

Did you guys ever figure out what was dogging the DRZ? IIRC, one of them, or both, had a few gripes. What was it in the end?

Tools:
I was wondering if you carry open end wrenches? I carry ones that fit my bike only. I can't do everything with just sockets. I use 1/4" drive set. I like a small Vise-Grip pliers, can double as shift lever, or clutch/brake lever.

I loved your Lighter, Filter Skins, bit of grease, Gaffa tape, Whistle!, Zip Ties. All good!

Do you run Radiator guards/braces on your bike?

I like a nice spare nut/bolt collection with common OEM pieces along with springs, O-rings, washers, odd sizes. Really handy for unprepared riding partners :innocent: As you've noted ... SO important to be sure your bike is right before departure. Wise words indeed!

I carry 2 levers as well. (Clutch/Brake), two fork seals (small, light).

I carry quick drying liquid Epoxy as well. Works in places the Quik Metal dough will not. Loved that you Gaffa tape up your tubes of stuff to avoid puncture. Thats experience for sure! :thumbup1:

I guess for Mongolia and very remote areas a chain kit is the way to go. I only carry spare split links, no chain tools, but begin with new X ring chain and sprockets, usually good for 15K to 20K miles. (I carry spare Counter Shaft Sprocket)

I store tire irons in bash plate, keeping them low and central.
My tool kits evolve over time like yours, build up a kit for each bike for the specific trip at hand.
Question is, have you left room for Beer? :eek2: Cheers! :mchappy:

Good point about the levers, I forgot those. I keep them cable tied to the bike frame for ease of access and NEVER ride without them.

Only the Blue DRZ400s had problems. We think it was crap in the fuel. Once we got it started it ran sweet as a nut afterwards. The KTM 525 on the other hand was a constant source of problems. I believe they call it 'KTM itus'.

I'll make an effort to post up a copy of the DRZ prep article this afternoon, then the rest of the story becomes clear.

As for Beer...ITS EXTRA WEIGHT!!!

Dave

Dave, Awesome! :thumbup1: Only thing I'd add is a small tarp, but otherwise thats probably my ideal setup if I could stand to sleep on the ground.

Would love the link to the DRZ prep article...
 

Hi,

Just moved to South Africa this year, have taken in the World Cup and now realise that I've fallen on might feet with the speculative purchase of a DRZ. Aim is to get it ready over the next year to ride back to the UK when I finish here.

I love the pics and kit list here. The icing on the cake would be the DRZ prep article - any chance of posting the link still?

Cheers John


2004 DRZ400S
2008 Ducati 848

Same here... i've got an 09 DRZ and would love to hear more about your prep.. the levers and irons strapped to the bike is brilliant! along with the zip ties... simply awesome!