The Gear
I am usually a very light packer – when the BOSS and I went to Europe the first time, we each had only one small pannier for our clothes. This time I am struggling to get all the gear into two panniers, a topbox and a back seat bag. Albeit, this time I am carrying a tent, sleeping bag, air bed etc This is what I am taking:
Protective gear: Matador Cinco jacket, Neds kevlar jeans, Shark Evoline helmet, MotoNational AirMesh gloves, RJays Speed II boots.
Glovebox: tyre gauge, Pacsafe helmet tie, spare keys, visor cleaning kit (including RainCoat and FogTech – both of which should be in every motorcyclist's kit)
Under the seat: wet weather gear consisting of extra gloves, overgloves, jacket liner and Naxsax pants. The Naxsax have been quite good up to now. My theory on ww pants is that they are good for about 6 months and then the lining deteriorates and your first clue that you need to buy another pair is that uncomfortable feeling in the crotch. The Naxsax pants are designed for the lame and crippled who can't lift their feet off the ground and balance on one leg whilst doing the "dance" on the side of the road holding on in vain to the bike whilst trying to shove a booted leg into the narrow opening of wwpants. The Naxsax have zippers down the side and lots and lots of Velcro. Hence they are also 3 times the size of other pants and take up 50% of the underseat storage – the space I used to use for my sneakers.
Thermal gear – wool long sleeve top, silk pants, wool socks, silk balaclava.
Also under the seat is the First Aid kit containing all the usual bandaids and bandages and rubber gloves and tape – and here’s hoping I never have to use it. I also keep the sewing kit in there.
In the seat bag: tent, airbed, airbed pump which doubles as a pillow, tarp, sleeping bag (in waterproof compression bag), sneakers, thongs, tiny foldup umbrella, extra bungy rope, Velcro straps.
I don’t carry a tyre plug kit or any more tools than came with the bike coz I wouldn’t know what to do with them anyway. I figure if some Knight in Shining Armour is going to turn up and rescue me, then he will have his own kit and know what he is doing. I simply trust I am not going to break down and if I do, I have a phone and so far this strategy is working.
The back seat bag is way too heavy and I have already repacked it twice trying to shift some weight down into the panniers.
The panniers: clothes – 4 x tshirts, knickers, socks, bras. 1 each of long pants, 3/4 pants, shorts. Swimmers and sarong and rash vest. Mid jumper, one super warm jumper. Jammies. (pyjamas for the non-Aussies)
Cosmetic bags: all the usuals + some good drugs. The legacy of a bung leg and a brain stent is the necessity to carry with you a decent amount of medication.
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