Well I figure if nothing else, the title will have caught your attention!


From early April I will be driving (just bear with me for a few minutes....) around Africa, starting in Sudan and heading down the East coast then up the West - my ultimate destination is the UK via Morocco - Spain ferry by around Christmas 2018. Many of the people who have inspired me to take this trip made the same, or the reverse journey, but on bikes, and during my many years of planning, I got to wondering....

I'll be traveling solo in a 6 wheel drive Oberaigner (modified Sprinter) with a living cabin on the back. Details here www.timstraveltruck.rocks . I realise these large overland trucks / gin palaces are probably your idea of hell on wheels, but I happen to like mine :-) and if there's one thing I do have it's relatively large amounts of storage.


So just imagine if I was to carry a box of 'universal' spares for bikes with me - stuff that is hard to come by in Africa, and basically impossible or impractical for a biker to carry but could make the world of difference to a two wheeled traveler's journey if I just happened to have one / some in my spares kit, what would be on your wish list?

Remember, parts needs to be as generic / universally adaptable as possible - just 'cos you're riding round Africa on a Brough Superior with Whitworth left hand thread bolts doesn't mean everyone else is!

I also realise this is a can of worms I'm opening here and is could possibly to trigger endless debate, so please let me have YOUR wish list and don't stress if others disagree. I know the feeling - since I'll probably have the only Oberaigner LWB 6x6 in Africa, I doubt the spares I'm carrying for my truck will be much use to LC or LR owners either! I'm imagining fitting all this in a box something like 50cm x 25cm x 25cm, but that's open to debate too.


Why would I do this? Because I've done a lot of rallying in the desert and have helped / been helped out by fellow competitors time and time again. Why wouldn't I do it if I can? My friend Allan Roberts, who helped inspire me to travel, never would have completed his maiden Dakar ride if another competitor had not asked him why he was stopped, and after Allan explained he's lost his rear axle nut and his race was over, the guy reached into his jacket pocket, passed Allan the exact nut he needed and said "I always carry three spares". A miracle, in the middle of no-where, on Day 12 of the Dakar.