I am shortly due to take off (8 weeks to go) on an overlanding trip from the UK to Oz.

As I am in the throws of putting together my final packing list it got me thinking what sort of things both personal and bike spares would you not leave home without?

Apologies in advance if this question has been asked before?

Earplugs. In a noisy location I can't sleep without them.

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Bruce Clarke --- 2005 Kawasaki Ninja EX500

Why not post your list?....and then we can pick it apart!

Here is my short list:

Credit Card/ATM card/more than one.
Cell Phone with SIM codes so it will work in foreign lands
Email of your parts man/dealer
Spare tire(s)
Brand new sealed type battery ..... just do it!
Dummy wallet with spare expired passport and license

Earplugs....as suggested....a must for less fatique on long rides and for sleeping. Get the good ones....Pura-fit 6800 or Howard Leight. I buy by the box (200 pairs).

Tool kit...one that's been used to pull bike apart. Should include tire changing/repair stuff, spare parts, fuses and electrical, Quik Aluminum or othere Quik Epoxy that will bond steel/Aluminum.

Skills to repair bike.....can't help with this one.

Decent wet riding gear
Good ventilated dirt bike type gear for heat/humidity (this is the part some UK
guys can't work out.....can't really grasp just how HOT, HOT is and what 90%
humidity feels like. Dirt gear packs small and light...bring it.

Proper protection....I used dirt bike knee pads under dirt bike vented pants,
even in HOT weather. Hip pads too, vented gloves.

Good boots you can walk in.

Properly prepared bike.....Let an expert assess the bike to find faults you may
have missed. You don't want to be in Turkey or Iran to find failed systems
you could have dealt with before leaving. Don't wait...do the fixes NOW!
YES...it seems you're money is pissing away...but better to NOT have these problems on the road.

Good supply of anti-biotics, anti-diaherrial, and first aid kit.

Having said all that....be sure to travel as light as you can. Remember, you don't need a liter bottle of shampoo...most stuff is sold everywhere including
bike riding gear, sunscreen, bike parts(common ones) and medicine.

Best,

Patrick

Yes, The old adage that says take half as much stuff as you think you need and twice as much money is absolutely true!!!

Take at least 2 bank cards with you! In case you lose one - or it is stolen - personal experience. hide extras in a safe place.

If you travel through eastern Europe take cash. My cards did not work there! Maybe yours will!

Have a friend who can wire you money if in need!

GSM cell phone is ok but they do not work everywhere... They are awfully expensive to use in most places in the east.

Extra tire - maybe, but defiantly a tire repair kit and a pump. a hand pump not a fill kit. I have only once had a catastrophic tyre failure in around 200k miles of riding.

Wrenches to fit everything on the bike x 2. Small electrical repair kit with splices, spade connectors, stripp/cutter, and crimper. Oh yes don't forget the tape - electrical and duck!

Led Flashlight - I like the Princeton Tec Impact torches. Light, simple, and practical - uses AA batteries. Will likely never burn out and the batteries last for days.

Ok, now this is not for everyone but it has got me places where most have never imagined. I am a ham radio operator and I will make contact with operators in the countries where I will travel to before leaving... I will take my portable Yaesu FT-817 with a portable dipole antenna. Yes, it is my entertainment on the road and will actually get you into places to meet some of the nicest people in the world. Requires a license... but, they will always be happy to greet you and show you around.

I may have to edit this a bit but I would also bring my GPS - a basic Garmin etrex legend.

__________________
Most of All... Have Fun!

Bruce... kb0pgo

A sense of humor and adventure... Oh, and condoms!

Oh yes, forgot that one... LOL!

__________________
Most of All... Have Fun!

Bruce... kb0pgo

what they are trying to say is to make sure they are non-lube so you can use them, like over you wallet to keep it dry if you tip in a river crossing, keep matches dry, carry water, that kind of stuff you know, and here I bet you were thinking they were for somtning else.

Toilet paper!

Spare pair of glasses

Tiny bottle of Oil of cloves

Spare key taped to the bike's frame

My two cents worth ;

Spare Cell phone ...
Spare SIM card ...with all the numbers..

Communication is one of the most essential thing ... IMHO ...

Cheers,

Something I thought of doing for my next big one was to give my family and friends my camera to record messages for me onto an SD card. When your a bit lonely you can cheer yourself up.

Roll Of Gaffer Tape And A Bag Of Zip Ties To Hold The Bike Together Incase Of A Off

Good idea. And with the advent of all the new video hosting sites, videos could go both ways....if you travelled with a vid cam you could up load to someplace like You Tube. Your family could do the same....you go online at an internet Cafe and check out your family's movie. Your family gets a narrative from you shot in the forecourt of the Taj Majhal or from a glacier! Make your own
"Long Way Round".

Patrick

Personally, i would recomend all the above and add a GPSMAP. This isn't a necesity, but after travelling with one for the last few years, i wouldn't go without. I just use the basic Worldmap from Garmin, which is horrendeously outdated, but has proven invaluable. It's nice to ride down a gravel road in the middle of nowhere, only to discover it leads nowhere. You can follow your track back out. It is the most invaluable in big cities, finding your way out or to the nearest highway. You can pay some money and get the Wanderlust maps, which come highly recomended by a few on this site. It also becomes a great conversational topic when you stop for gas!

yes had to use that.....once.....
but now there is a great alternative ...
WANDERLUST currently 1.6
Smellybiker

You won't regret it and will look at worldmap and wonder....... what was that all about then???

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Motivational beating will continue until morale improves