Pack up the bike.. where goes what ?
 

Hi everyone,
1 month before departure (going on a RTW trip, France to Australia, through Iran, central asia, mongolia, south east asia..).. I'm very excited, and also frightened by the amount of things left on my to do list.. :mchappy:
Well, the bike is nearly ready and I start to pack up all my stuff at the right place, but that's definetly not an easy thing..

I don't have much experience with motorcycle trip, so here I am, asking for advices.. bier

I have 2 hard panniers (48L on the left, 40Lish on the right), 2 roll bags on the back seat (85L with light be sizeable stuff on the back, and a 60L bag in front of it, with heavier stuff). On the front, I have two 20L bags on the crashbars with two little 5L bags hung on them (for quick access).
I have no tank bag.. because I don't like them. :innocent:

Left pannier :

Right pannier :

85L bag :

60L bag : tent, tarp, camping stuff

20L left front bag : 5L jerrican (water) + Food
5L left front bag : electronic device to be recharged (phone battery etc..) on car cigarette lighter located on the crashbar, of course :clap:

20L right front bag : 5L jerrican (water) + rain equipment (jacket, pant, gloves, boots) + medical supply. That's full !
5L right front bag :

With my set up, I can easily access to my hard panniers during the day, or to my front 20L bags. The two big bags are underneath the spare tires, so access is limited.


Here is what I was thinking :
tools for the bike in one pannier only. That's too heavy to be in a soft bag, I think. Better to fit the as low as possible.
Sleeping bag : very important for me, has to be dry ! I was thinking to keep it inside a dry bag in one pannier (can stand vertical on one side of the 40L pannier).
Stove and italian coffee maker on top of one pannier : easy access during the day for a quick meal or coffee jeiger
Cloth and motorcycle equipement in the 85L bag with only dry stuff.
The 60L bag contains the tent can potentially get a bit of humidity inside (I will probably pack the tent outside if wet, until it dries out, but still).

Well, that's pretty much all I could think about for now.. but I'm sure I am missing important points ! I hope you guys can help me out to pack my bike in a smart way :thumbup1:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...84850554_n.jpg

cheers all,
jean-baptiste

Think. Plan.

What places do you need the heavy uncomfortable stuff?

10l of water?
Spare tyres?
Food?

---------------------
You only need
10l of water where you are going to camp out overnight and there is no water there .. so only load that up just before you need it. Take the empty containers .. they'll be light.

Spare tyres if your going to ware out a new set before you can get replacements... usually only a rear is needed. Plan where you can get tyres .. Turkey for instance. Have space for them .. but only have them when you need them.

Food. you need to carry that where what you want is not there or expensive. You may not know that before you get there so some food is advisable. However you travel to experience things, including food, so eat what the local eat!

You'll find your trip much more enjoyable with less luggage.

Why do you think I have so much to carry ?
10L for water is the maximum capacity I can load in my luggage, not what I will carry all the time. I will need that much of water for part of my trip, yes.
I also need a second set of tires. Why would I buy tyres in turkey ?? It's a couple of days away from my home, and just the beginning of my trip.
I maybe could manage with one set of tire, but I could also get rid of my camping stuff, get a smaller bike, and go from a hotel room to an other, eat in restaurant 3 times a day. Oh yeah, I would travel lighter and that would be much easier. Next time.

I've made choices, according to previous riders experience on the same route, and what I like in travel. Let's focus on the best way to put all these useless things together ;)
About food.. "eat what the locals eat". So.. if I buy any food.. I will have to eat everything before i go ?? Wouldn't be better to have some room in my luggage to carry some local food with me and have a bite on the road, don't you think ?
Of course I will not take any home food for a year or more of travel... what the hell ???
I could give you thousand examples of riders with extra heavy bike, really happy every morning to pack up all that ! And they keep riding with a big smile, despite all critisms..

bier

packing- heaviest needs to be as low down as possible and as close to your footpegs- in the centre of the bike, away from the rear, all to aid your centre of gravity

I've found keeping a few tools that I use daily to hand helpful e.g in the tankbag, and the rest are packed down low.

Food and cooking equipment is usually in tank bag or topbox- easy to get to when you stop to refuel your belly, and good to have space in the topbox for when you pass a food shop, just chuck it in and go. Also, whatever is in the topbox and in your roll bag over the seat needs to be light, or else you may get a high speed wobble, or weaken your rear subframe.

I've usually had my clothes, bedding and washbag in the roll bag- easy just to take up into a guesthouse/couchsurfing house, and don't have to touch the spare parts, etc.

Tyres.. have you considered posting them forward to an address near where you might need them?

Also could you strap the front tyre to your crash bars at the front side of your bike?



To be fair, I've never seen a bike on the road with as many bags as you..

40+40+85+60+20+20,

Maybe you can list the things you are taking so we can help scrutinise as I'm sure there are plenty of things that are not necessary.

I took far to much, and ended up ditching a whole load of stuff in the desert in Iran..

How big is your tent?

:rofl: If they are "useless things" you'll get rid of them yourself given time.

Like you say in your first post .. heavy things low and towards the bikes center.

Turkey to India .. say 14,000km (includes touring around about .. and all of India) ... a rear tyre .. yes. A front tyre? Depends on you , the bike and the load. I'd think you'd be able to get tyres in India .. Turkey to India .. probably 9,000 km (no touring in India, do that after the new tyres).. and then get tyres there? I've carted one tyre around .. a major pain. I'd do my best not to do that again. :funmeterno: You'll get new tyres in Australia.

not going through India :smartass:

here's what my itinerary should be, more or less : part 1 + part 2 in south east asia (and shipping from mongolia to thailand by air)

I could get new tyre in thailand, probably, but my road tyres will end there and I will get a new set in Australia :thumbup1:
Anyway, after Mongolia, I should get lighter ! All my camping gear and other stuff will fly away with my sister (she will visit me in Mongolia).
Central asia is the hardest part, because of visas timing. When in south east asia, everything will just seems easy.. :Beach: I will also get get rid of my motorcycle for a fews months and travel very light with my small backpack. My tyres won't bother me for a long time.. :mchappy:

thank you fern for your advices !
Well, here is a good example. Same route, 3 years ago :
https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/16...0/194/cp03.jpg
2 hard panniers, 1 top case, 3 bags (40+40+60) on the back, 2 bags on the front (25+25), 2 tyres. He came back alive and would not change anything !:thumbup1:

I've plenty more pictures of huge bikes :innocent:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...04818950_n.jpg

https://scontent-b-fra.xx.fbcdn.net/...09411067_n.jpg

https://scontent-b-fra.xx.fbcdn.net/...17589872_n.jpg

I have 75 kg of additionnal weight, including tyres, panniers, pannier's rack, crashbar.
My 85L is definitly not full !!! The 60L either ! I just thing it's easier to have 2 small bag than one big heavy bag. I tried to put every thing in a 120L bag (not full either.. plenty of room!), but that's a bit too heavy.
One 20L bag is full, the other one is not.

What have they got that I did not need ?:confused1::confused1::confused1:

It sounds to me like you've got all the answers already ... have you done this before? Or maybe you have traveled with other riders on overloaded bikes? ... and were there in the morning when they took two hours to get on the road? :innocent: I'm sure they were happy every morning! :clap:

If you've been on the road with the set up you have .... and know all the answers because you've "read" about other travelers who have done the same, then I don't think anyone here can really be of use to you.

Best to just get out there and find out what works for you. Give away things you don't need or use, or send it home. Add things you do need along the way. If you're lucky ... you'll find ALL the answers ... and then WE can ask YOU how it's done so perfectly.

The FACT is ... it's never perfect and packing and re-packing are ... and should be ... an evolving enterprise. It's never set in stone. We learn every day.

It takes me two weeks just to remember where I've packed things. And then, I'm always changing things up, eliminating and adding items to suit. Ends up being very personal ... and quite subjective.

You're set up looks NEAT and TIDY :thumbup1: ... and to me, when traveling on a bike, neatness counts. But others seem to make do carry a messy shedload full of crap ... and who's to say they are not happy? Just because it takes them two hours to set up camp in the evening and two hours to break camp in the morning ... hey! What's the hurry? All these riders were happy and thought they had the "Perfect" set up! :rofl: ... and for them ..
they did!

Question ... Can you pick up your bike solo without unloading all your luggage? :scooter:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B...20overload.jpg
Tires? I don need no stinkin tires! :rolleyes2:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-A..._tRXZG-L-1.jpg
Weight "low and forward"? But why? :smartass: Even "experts" started somewhere ...

First thing - don't believe anybody who says they are an expert. An Ex is a has been and a spurt is a drip under pressure !!

You don't HAVE to be light, If you plan loads of mud and long hardcore off road stuff then it would help to be lighter. If you are stuck with no spares, water and camping gear in the back country but a nice light bike - you still can't push it. Happy medium is always good for mixed roads, take what makes you happy and don't worry about anybody else.

No one will tell you how crap they load up !!

Heavy stuff low.

Stuff you need quick on top or just easy to get.

Stuff you don't want smashed or pinched in the hard bags.

Don't stress about it much, It will sort it's self out after a few weeks.

We camped 120 nights on our last trip, and got breakfast, packing up camp and moving on down to an hour - what is the rush ?

Hope you have a great trip, we might see you - we are heading to the UK from OZ.

Paul

No, no, no !! Sorry, I didn't made myself clear, I think :)
I don't have all answers of course, but
- I've been thinking about it as much as I can for the past 12 months
- I've asked many questions already, made my choices about what to take with me or not, helped by many more experienced travellers (than me). What I'm saying, is all that is well though (of course I know I can be wrong!!! but I will see that after I experience it ;) )
- Now, the chips are down.. it's just not time anymore to change my mind and say "oh, yeah, I should get a light bike, and start all over again..". Let's see how I can manage with all that :helpsmilie: :innocent:
- I'm not a "know it all", sorry if I seemed like that. But maybe I misunderstood what you said. My english is definitly not perfect, sorry :oops2:

You're very right ! But I would love to hear how everyone of you prefers to set up his bike, what are youre priorities etc.. bier
Then I could pick up what I think can suit me as well.. and pack accordingly. But like you all said, I will probably unpack and repack a dozen of times before finding what suits best for me !


Hi Paul ! I'm leaving first week end of May, how about you ?
What will be your route ?

PS : mollydog/ I don't know if I can pick up the bike solo, yet. I will try, but I'm pretty sure it's too heavy.

Make sure your medical kit is easy to access... for obvious reasons! :innocent:

We will be off in 3 weeks, from London... so probably see you on the road, as from Uzbekistan, our route seems to be fairly similar all the way to UB....

Cheers,

Your English is just fine (way better than my French! bier )
You've made your choices ... that is good! Bon voyage!

Be careful of your back ... use proper lifting technique. (back into the bike, use your legs) Lots of videos on this, won't work in mud. :(

"Trends" in ADV travel show the bikes travelers use and the shifts in the way they travel are slowly changing. Over past 10 years we see a sharp turn away from big & heavy bikes, more interest in smaller bikes.

No one is saying sell off your Africa Twin (fantastic bike!) and buy a 250 Honda .. but "trends" show more riders are going smaller and lighter. Many former R1200GS, KTM 990, Vstrom, Africa Twin riders have traded in their big bikes for a smaller, lighter option.

Packing
Packing light is sort of an art form. IMO, requires several long trips for new travelers to learn this ... and learn what's truly needed (for them) and what can be left behind. :helpsmilie:

If you take a close look at what backpackers and bicyclists pack, you can get a few tips on light weight packing. Sure, motorbikes have more room and can easily carry the weight, but in rough conditions weight and bulk can create challenges.

The other thing no one has mentioned is that in some places you will not be able to camp ... or if you do Wild Camp, it may not be safe or may be crowded with people. This is true now for much of the world. When camped solo, you sort of become a prisoner of your camp. You can't leave it.

But soon all these realities will face you ... I hope you wake up happy everyday! (some days it is a challenge to smile!) :eek3: Bon chance!

Souds exciting!!
 

Hello Jean-Baptiste, sounds like a grand trip! :funmeteryes:
When packing for my trips. Heaviest stuff (pots, pans, kettle, tools, boots (if necessary) in a 49L dry-bag right behind me on the seat; I figure it's the same as having a small passenger.
Right hand, smaller, pannier for thermos of coffee, photographic equipment that is not in a tank bag, Katadyn Vario water purifier, dehydrated and freeze-dried food.
Left hand, larger pannier for medical kit and a small cooler-bag that holds six 20oz bottles of ice (I like COLD water). With the Katadyn filter I can get water from any source anywhere. I will also load up the rest of the left pannier with more food and munchies, almond M&Ms, chips, crackers, Clif Bars, Kates Bars, Quaker Oatmeal To Go squares (apple cinnamon is delicious!) I travel with a LOT of snacks.
Two 35L dry-bags packed with clothes, toilet kit, sleeping bag, pad, tent, tarp and generally everything else not previously mentioned, one on top of each pannier using ROK straps.
As for tires, when necessary to take them, which is fairly often, I strap them to the front upper crashbars using ROK straps.
I don't know if my input helps any, but it's a setup that really works well for me. I wish you exciting and safe travel!!
Vaya con Dios,
J.T.

The photos of the 'heavy bikes' .. I wonder how many of them were taken at the end of their trips? Think they would be lighter by then. And that is when you should take your examples from, the near end of trip photos, with the travel dirt and experience. jeiger

You will be unpacking those tyres each day ... think you will soon tire of that (pun). As you say, you will experience it and learn what suits you as you go. Most of us have posted stuff home that we did not need a month or two into the trip, so we all learn best on the road.

Picking the bike up? Once you have tripped your bike over on your front lawn .. then is the time to try taking stuff off .. any ropes that fasten on the bottom may be hard to get to. You should remove stuff that is on the 'top' of the bike - tank bag, tyres, top box/bags. However you manage it remember that this is a good surface, different in sand, mud and having the bike face down hill in a ditch! I've resorted to getting a small dead tree and using that as a leaver. doh

Good luck.

PS .. You'll learn that language is not something to worry over .. as long as you get your meaning across eventually it doesn't matter. And some of the misunderstanding is good fun. :thumbup1:

Jesus who sets up a bike like this? Just.... wow.

Ho Lee Chit, y'all carry a lot of stuff! You can get by with less. My tent, bag and pad weigh in at under 5 pounds. I'm going to Ushuaia in November using only 50l topcase in November.

You will be much happier and the bike will be happier if is isn't overloaded.

Give or take a few things...

http://i.imgur.com/g5sYmmCl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/BYAwEnql.jpg

20 + 35 + 31 + 27lt

How much does it all weigh?

Austin Vince and company did the set up, far as I know. Austin and his guys did similar set ups on their own bikes when they did the Mondo Enduro and Terra Circa rides. (Suzuki DR350) Lois's bike is a Yamaha 225cc Serow. Muchas problemas con este moto!

It actually worked OK for them ... but probably not ideal handling. :innocent:

No idea, have no scales. Probably around 25k and certainly under 40 excluding water and extra fuel. My sleeping equipment (thermarest, fleece liner, thermarest pillow) are bulky but very light. Tools, spoons and innertubes are pretty heavy, but everything else is fairly light. This is my first overland trip that I intent to camp, etc, so will no doubt make some alternations in a few weeks (or days!). I could have certainly reduced that by using things like a 2/3 length mat, no liner, no pillow, small 1-man tent, etc, but wanted to try and achieve a balance between comfort and weight/bulk.

Will let you know how it works out :scooter:

The direct answer to your question has already been given. Low, forward and (often overlooked) as "tucked in" as possible.

Nothing wrong with your bike if you can handle it on the dirt. Mongolian dirt is vast and relatively easy. Until it gets wet, but everyone already knows that.

I would also reconsider all your gear though. As Molly said, there is always time to do this, and these days there are plenty of luggage options if you get to the point that you feel like you can change it. But you can still go ahead with your setup even with much less in it.

There seems to be a misconception that it's ok for an overland bike to feel like a beached whale. It's not. It "should" feel as close to riding it without luggage. That's the ultimate price. The soft adventure luggage industry is really young but working towards is really quickly.

My first trip was in 2005 and there was nowhere near as much available like there is now, so I had the same traditional setup as you have. That trip was still the best because everything was a novelty. But I always wished I had less stuff so I could ride it like a motorbike should be. Particularly in Mongolia.

I've moved back to my old rule. If I wouldn't take it hiking for 3 days, I won't take it on the motorbike. A similar rule applies to tools. If I don't use the tools on a standard service, or I could do a task with a tool I've used on another task but less convenient. I'd leave the dedicated tool behind. You can reduce you tool kit to fit in a litre milk carton.

Do you really need a self inflating mattress that's full of foam and thus bulky and heavy? Do you really need a 4 season sleeping bag, or could you sleep in a 3 season and on freezing nights wear your puff jacket and thermals. Do you really need a > 2.5kg tent or would a 1.5 kg trekking pole tent or shelter do. Do you really need a full kitchen kit for the few times you cook a 2 course meal, or would a 1 litre kettle or 1.5l pot do to cook a stew? do you really need jeans, 4 t-shirts and 10 undies?

These questions, IF the answer is not really, can help reduce your kit to a 50l setup + 10l water + tools. But it's all about what your expectations are. Nothing wrong with your current setup, it'll just be a hand full. Most people end up reducing their gear, so these forums can help bypass that for new comers so you don't have to think in a few year, "that would have been awesome on a lighter setup", or "I wish I could have done that route if I had a lighter setup".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igzj...vGbBnvmztnN6aQ

What he said. I have a 3 lb tent, 1 lb sleeping bag and a sleeping pad the weighs 8 oz and rolls to the size of a soda can. Weight is not the bugaboo it is in backpacking but sometimes weight and bulk go together. Water and fuel are very heavy so it pays not to carry it unless you really need it. I only carry extra fuel when I know I will need it, pick up discarded oil or antifreeze containers for the purpose and then discard them. I have a 1 l water bottle I use and a 2l Platypus container that get used for cooking but is usually carried empty.

Bulk is AS important as in backpacking/ hiking for the exact same reason. It makes everything much harden to maneuver.

Moment_of_inertia

The only difference is that is depends on how you intend to ride your bike. Highway, no problem. Single or double trail dirt, more so.

how little to pack?
 

If you enjoy riding a motorcycle that still handles like a motorcycle, then a shift in perspective is necessary.

Instead of the challenge being "how much can I possibly carry on my bike?", re-frame the challenge as "how little do I have to carry on my bike to be safe, reasonably comfortable and relatively self-sufficient?"

Which bike is going to be more fun to ride and less prone to mechanical issues related to overloading?

Here's Turkish filmmaker Tolga Basol on 'round-the-world adventure right now:
http://www.ridemustgoon.com/wp-conte...4970174711.jpg

Or this?:
http://images.thetruthaboutcars.com/...en-550x308.jpg

Both have the same inertia problems. Go rackless baby. :palm:

Great posts! How I love this website! :thumbup1:

tmotten - a very thoughtful and interesting post. I actually did some sort of overland travel on two wheels in India, but just threw my backpack over the back and off I went, finding cheap accommodation and food along the way - not at all difficult in India. All the camping stuff really stacks up.

I don´t understand people who accummulate so much stuff. Even with the stuff I have in the pictures - and I reckon it´s not too bad - but you´re right, compared to what I did before - i.e. just backpacking around with a 60lt rucksack half-empty, I find myself getting frustrated and kicking the nearest stuff sack across the garrage, thinking wtf is all this stuff for?

I guess in one week or so, if I ever manage to leave, I´ll come back and let you know what ended up in the nearest skip.

$18,000 KTM, 150 HP, est. 600 lbs. (fully loaded & fueled) 35" seat height.
No doubt a fast, fun bike and handles well even loaded ... to a point.
All bikes are affected by load and the rider must compensate.

Lets take that KTM and put it up against your Vietnamese guy on a 100cc, 8 HP step through on muddy Vietnamese mountain roads. Lets see who makes it through first :Beach: My money goes on the little guy on the step through.

"handles like a motorcycle ..." ? Kenny Roberts trained his GP team riders and many other Moto GP stars riding 150cc XR Hondas on oval dirt tracks. It's all about technique and skill ... the little 150cc bike just makes it easier to get your head round that ... and actually learn how to ride a motorcycle at speed. "Power is nothing without control" (Pirelli motto)

All that said, overloading a small bike is not ideal in any scenario ... but not the end of the world either. :palm:

The topic is packing - not bike choice. This is my point exactly: overloading a bike - any bike, large small, expensive, cheap - degrades the riding performance, fun, safety, reliability, etc.

With small bikes, packing becomes even more critical!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...32504856_n.jpg

Just a personal thing but all the KTM pic loose strap ends flapping around in the wind would drive me to distraction. Tucking them in every morning would bring the scissors out fairly quickly. At least the Vietnamese C90 rider has tidied everything up.

I can understand the consistant advice to travel light, that less weight equals better "riding" but what happens when you stop for the evening? The whole point of taking stuff with you is to make off the bike life acceptable. Leaving the camping stuff behind will save lots of weight but you are then dependent on finding a hotel or similar every evening. What do you do when you roll into a town and find there isn't a hotel there or every single one is full (and (the last time this happened to me) it's snowing outside). For me that's just swapping weight for stress.

You can cut everything down to close to zero, particularly if you're travelling in a warm climate but it just becomes an exercise in hair shirt living and you end up buying stuff as you go. I've done enough of that over the years and tend towards overpack (slightly) and dump rather than underpack and buy. If nothing else it's quicker to leave stuff you don't want rather than have to search out places to buy oddball items (usually in a country where you don't speak the language).

Take some tips from the ultralite backpacking crowd. You can be both light and comfortable. Downside is you are gonna spend some money. Upside is the stuff is quality and will last you a long time. Downside is that you will not find it in some village in Honduras or even Montana so you will have to go to some effort and research to find it. Ebay is a good source for high end gear from rich guys with a short attention span.

Examples of such gear:

MSR Hubba tent, weight under 3 lbs, free standing, full fly, quick set up.
Western Mounteering High Light sleeping bag 30 degree, 1 lb
MSR Thermaarest Neoaire pad 8 ozs
MSR Simmerlite stove, 1.3 l titanium pot, stove nests in pot (use a stove that uses the same fuel as the motorcycle)

Backofbeyond,

Good points. For a six to eight month trip, where it´s quite possible I´ll set up camp somewhere for a few days, it would be pretty miserable staying in a tent where you could not even sit up.

Javier,
So true! I bought a lot of my stuff from eBay before I left. It´s a buyers market out there, great website.

Exactly. There are even smaller and lighter options from lesser known and available places too.

No one is suggesting taking things out. Just put more thought and research into what you do decide to take. "Is there a better option here?" The comfort level is a different assessment for everyone. It comes down to where you want to put the emphasis on the compromise on. The ultra light crowd put the emphasis on the time spent on the pegs. Because that's what you spend most of the time doing.

Like was said. It doesn't have to cost a lot (which is a different concept for everyone too). The lesser known brands don't cost that much more if any more. Some of my gear is over 10 years old and still looks like new. It's not daily use stuff in normal life so it tends to be like this. It'll be around when you next want to use it. And with the ultralight market pretty much being at its peak of innovation there aren't many wholesale improvements into the future to concern yourself with neither.

Yep, strap trimming would be in order. I'd be more concerned about being pinned down under that beast in the mud, not able to wriggle out. Been there, seen it in person. (Loaded KTM 950)

Fair point for sure .. and a sort of conundrum. Traveling without cooking/camping gear requires better day to day route planning, bit of luck and ability to think on your feet and improvise.
I don't ride in Snow (not on purpose anyway! doh )

Meals need be taken when you can, snacks carried for when nothing around. All this dependent WHERE you are, how remote and off beaten track you may be and your own personal style and requirements.

I've come into small villages ... no hostels. We asked locals, several families stepped up to take us in ... and fed us too! (we bought the Beer!). But every situation is different and YOU CAN end up laying in the dirt, freezing in a Goat pasture.

As you move through a continent things change, and so do your requirements. When a problem or need arises most times you can buy something to fill that gap, sometimes not. You may also find you're carrying stuff you no longer need. So you adapt and improvise as you go. bier

Some things are REALLY hard to find.

I love giving stuff away, I never just "leave it". Kids love T-Shirts and stickers, studious girls love English guide books or novels. Other riders LOVE that extra tube you no longer need and the local mechanic loves the tools you give him that you no longer need.

Traveling light is an art and everyone approaches it differently ...many "experts" out there ... and you can learn something from everyone of them.
bier

Velcro meant for tidying cables works well on strap ends and lets you keep the length for the odd extra bit you acquire.


There is BTW no way I'm drinking out of plastic or giving up the option to buy fresh food to cook later in the name of lightness.


Andy

ThreewheelCaravan then? :smartass:

I hear echos of that Monty Python bit: "oui, they don't do proper Tea here, not like at home!!" :rofl:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-u...8/P1020354.JPG


I'm having a bit of an Italian phase right now. Might be something they put in the Guzzi paint. Contents:


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D...8/P1020355.JPG


So while the sawn off toothbrush chaps are having NATO-With* I shall be drinking the real thing.


Andy


* For those not familiar NATO-With is a beverage designed to keep soldiers awake (by worrying about having to drink the stuff). If you don't have access to the genuine powder make your own. You need:


1 part coffee flavouring
1 part benzadrine
12 parts sugar
12 parts powdered milk
8 parts Creosote
11 parts extra sugar
7 parts burnt nappy
93 parts additional sugar
1 part unknown


Mixed correctly it can be used to waterproof your shed.

I cut my toothbrush off but insist on real coffee. I prefer cowboy coffee on the road.

Cowboy coffee:

To a snack size Ziploc bag add 1/4 c of coffee and 1/4 c sugar. Any kind of sugar will do. Brown sugar give is a nice touch.

At night when you get ready to hit the sack pour the contents of the Ziploc into a pot with about 20 oz of water and let it set overnight. In the morning light your stove and bring it to a boil and set aside for 5 minutes. Pour it into you cup. The grounds will sink to the bottom. I have my stove and such all set up so that I am packing up while the coffee is brewing.

how much stuff left
 

just woudering hove much gear you still carry i had about half that much and still got rid of more after a month or so, Dave:

you're absolutely right.
I've been on the road for the past 4/5 months now, with my setup. What I can say is I've realized quite early my mistakes, but still couldn't figure out what to keep, what to change, and what to dump. Then the dirt roads came, and more and more nights out for camping.
There was many stuff I just never used at all, and were sitting at the bottom of my bags for nothing. Even if they would have make my life easier, I just couldn't bother to get them out of the bag, and always found a solution to do without, or replace them by something more handy.

I also learnt by talking with other riders on the road how to reduce my toolkit, or optimize it.
I had a lot's of paper guidebooks. It now seems a strange idea, but.. i only got a smartphone in kazakhstan, never used one before, neither a tablet. And I realize now how handy it is, I have all my maps, guide books, and more in it. Battery life doesn't matter as I can plug it on my bike (usb).. whereas my laptop was useless after 2 or 3 days (battery).

I wanted a "big" bike, because I have this image of travellers who where ready to overload their bike to go further than anyone else could with smallers luggages. Nowdays, there are so many options to lighten the bike, that is image is no longer what an adventure bike should be.

I'm now trying a new option, with soft luggage, and all together, maximum 30-35 kg. Very few changes with my gear, but lot's of adjustments make a huge difference.

I will do a report with my organisation a bit later, as it was the first question of this topic :)

New riders feel the pressure of the advertisers. It's an easy sell: Buy our new laser etched stainless unobtanium combined bash plate/heliograph/bird bath/ BBQ and avoid the risks of a leaking sump, loss of sunny day emergency communication with boy scouts, ability to wash your feathered (special) friend and lack of charred-raw gristle burger.


Empty space has no such comfort factor and as it's free must be worth every penny.


Read the Hubb and build up your kit rather than buying loads and getting rid as you go, leaves more cash for petrol.


Andy

We all start the same, with big bikes and way too much luggage.
Few years down the line, wether we travel for two weeks of several months, we take the same.

That is our ultimate set up for riding from Uk to Mongolia and back.

See pictures below if i can load some....

Bike one: yellow 50 litres roll bag containing all the camping gear ( tent, two sleeping bags and mattresses, fuel stove, plates, cups etc.... And fuel bladder.
Top box waterproof and thermals, plus spare parts.
Tools on a mini side box

Bike two ( mine):
Soft panniers with shoes ( trainers mine and hubby) and all our clothes ( including my water proofs and thermals, pharmacy and toiletries and occasional tins of sardines)- 6 kg each soft pannier
Tank bag contains food like nuts, bottle of water, toilet paper, maps, ipad and russian phrase book.

We Both had backpacks for extra food and water and to carry documents like insurance, bikes docs etc...

We also had an extra empty roll bag to carry further water and food used in Mongolia .

I don't seem able to upload more than one photo per post!

Bikes' size was perfect... But too slow. My ultimate travel bike ( for trail riding) would still be about 120kg, but 250cc... A bit more speed would have been better.....

Hi,

Looking through your pictures reminds me that I have started with a heavy loadet bike too. I carryed tires all the way through Africa and had to take them down every day, but the Mitas E07 lasted all the way down to Southafrica, were I could buy a new pair anyway: http://adventure-travel-experience.d...=en_westkueste


http://adventure-travel-experience.d...kueste_013.jpg

Later on I realized that I did not need so many things. I did not even need a big bike, so to visit Southamerica and Asia I endet up buying a 125cc bike just carrying this:

http://adventure-travel-experience.d...angkok_001.jpg

After 4 years of traveling, my perfect packing list looks like:

http://reisemotorrad.eu/?report=en_ausruestung

Enjoy your trip!!!

To fill up the wallet & the fuel tank.......everything else can be bought along the way :thumbup1:

I don't have that storage capacity in my house :rofl:

Don't forget the shovel, just in case :p

Me either mollydog :scared:


Bwahahahahahaha..............dammit, I just ordered all that & now ya telling me there's another way :unsure::eek3: