Packing List: Survival

What does survival mean?  I'm sure it means differnt things to differnt people, Webster's II New College Dictionary says:

Survival n. a. The act or process of surviving, b. The state of having survived.
Surviving v. To remain alive or in existence.

So at the very least my packing list should help to keep me in existence.  I'm sure there are some in the world who can't imagine surviving without their iPhone and a double grande fat free mocha chino...something or another and others that would be content with a pointed stick and the occasional mud puddle.  Myself, I see someplace in the middle, probably leaning away from the pointed stick guy.  The following list is geared towards traveling alone on everything from the Interstate highway system to jeep trails / forest roads.

1. Membership card of Road side assistance/towing (My 650 is still under warranty which includes road side assistance/ towing, otherwise I'm not sure if I would have it or not).
2. Mobile phone to call for road side assistance (also see Packing list: Digital / Analog).
3. Spot personal tracker, for worst case situation.  extra battery's, and people set-up to receive "I need help" message.*
4. Basic first aid kit.  No chest-tubes, sutures, etc.
5. Tool Kit (see Packing list: Fix and Repair)**
6. 1 liter fuel bottle (with fuel in it...).
7. Shelter, such as a tent and sleeping bag or bivy sack.***
8. Food and water.  Including a Camelback with 1.5L plus 1L bottle, more if crossing Nevada.  Trailmix 1 lbs bag, and a handful of energy or granola bars (won't spoil and doesn't need cooking).  Bear bag if needed, not sure on that.
9. BMW MOA Anonymous book.****
10. Paperback book, to keep me occupied while I'm waiting for help to arrive.

There you have it.  Did I leave any gaping holes?  What would you add or leave at home?

*The Spot personal tracker has a couple of way it can help.  1. You can hit the help button and it will send a message to people of your choosing telling them you need assistance and your gps coordinates.  2.  You can hit the 911 button and they will send a search and rescue team to find you.  3.  If you subscribe to the tracking  feature and you use it, you family will have a good idea of where to search for you if you just don't show up.

**Tool kit,  being able to make temporary repairs and get to civilization is preferred over calling in SAR.

***I haven't yet decided if I will be camping along the way or not.  I'm not a gung-ho camper, but I might tent it every other day or so, if not I would probably throw in a bivy.

****If you're not a member of the BMW MOA you may not have heard of the Anonymous book.  It is a book of phone numbers listed by state, next to each number is a list of what that person is able or willing to do for a rider in distress.  It's a great thing to have.

Enough for now.  See you on the road.
GAW

Packing List: Digital / Analog

I present you the Digital / Analog packing list.  Keep in mind it's for a 6,000 mile trip over about 2 weeks time.  It sounds simple enough, but I assure you I will make it overly complex.

Navigation:

• GPS - powered by bike.  NUVI 500*.
• Paper Maps - 1 for each state to be traveled in plus, regional maps and printed detail maps of select areas.
• Cheaters - so that I will be able to read the paper maps.

Communication:

• Cell phone - with wall charger, 12v charger and 12v adapter for bike.
• Laptop - in protective case with power cord.**
• Postcard stamps - yes I buy and mail postcards during my journeys.

Data Recording:

• Laptop - also see Communication.
• Paper and pencil - doesn't get much more analog than that.  Small note book in tank-bag for taking notes during the day.

Image Recording:

• Small camera -  to be carried on person for impromptu riding photos.  Must be able to fit in gear pocket, and be able to operate with gloves on.  Canon G9.
• Infrared Camera - because I like to take IR photos.  Canon G6 or Canon S5IS
• DSLR - for better quality photos and more control.  requires at least 2 lens, 3 filters/holders and timer/remote.  Canon XTi, 50mm f1.8 mkI, Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-3.5.***
• Video - GoPro HD Hero, appropriate mounting bits and pieces, extra lens covers.
• Accessories - appropriate battery's, chargers and memory cards for all recording devices.  Gittos tripod, Manfrotto Magic arm with super clamp and camera mount.  QR plates, cleaning cloths, Small bag or backpack for hiking.
 

This is where I complicate things.

* On previous trips I have taken a small hand held GPS (Garmin eTrex Legend Cx), It's a nice back-up to have, but is it really needed?  It runs on AA battery's, so if I brought it I would need another charger and even more extra battery's, unless my IR camera is a S5IS, it also uses AA battery's.  So if I bring a Canon S5IS, then I can bring the eTrex, right?  I really want to bring the eTrex, as I like that the display can be set to show data fields of your choosing, for example; altitude, time of day, speed, heading etc.  My new Nuvi shows only what it deems necessary.

** Laptops are HEAVY and do I really need one?  Will the world stop turning if I don't have a computer with me?  Will any body miss me If I don't answer emails for 2 weeks?  Laptops carry a lot of personal information, that if ending up in the wrong hands can do much damage or worse it can be destroyed in an accident.  I really like my laptop, it has lots of memories stored in it, so I think I will lock it up while I'm gone.  But I would really like to have a computer with me to update friends and family of my journey and to back-up my so maybe I will look for a netbook, that will let me keep up with friends and family when in a hotspot and back-up images, videos and words.  I doubt it will handle Photoshop or video editing, which is good as I won't spend all night trying to get the perfect cut on  that crashing video...

*** Photography,  I just feel that I need to bring it all, but on the bike I would have to leave all my clothes and tooth brush at home in order to do so.  I have been struggling with whether I should bring my DSLR, I hope to find my self in situations that no other camera suffice to get the shot.  On my last journey I used it only a couple of times over a two week period, but no other camera  would have gotten the shot's.  If I don't take the DSLR and I find my self in that one situation where only it will do, it will haunt me forever.  So in the end the DSLR will be along for the ride.  Maybe I can leave the G9 at home, but I will need to find a small camera that can be operated with gloves on and that takes great photos.  The G9 and the DSLR share a battery charger/battery's so anything new will introduce another battery charger and battery's.  Ideally I will find a Canon G7 or G9 to convert to IR then I will have only one battery charger for the three still cameras, Compact Flash for the DSLR and SD for the rest.  Simple enough, right?

Well is that overly complex enough for you?

See you on the road, if I get my sh*t together.

GAW

Kitting out the 650 part 1.

May I present the long awaited video...



I just get tired watching it. Sorry for the LONG video, in the future I will do my best to keep them shorter. Here is a list of all the modifcations done to the bike in the video.

• Wunderlich windscreen.
• TourTech 20mm bar risers.
• Ground clearance increased 1 inch, every little bit helps.
• Garmin Nuvi 500 with Ram Mount and hardwired for power.
• Spot personal tracker with Ram Mount.
• Tooltube and home made tool rolls.

The Wunderlich windscreen went on quite easily, but then I did have some virtual help from those who have already installed one (link).

The Tourtech bar risers were another matter altogether.  The Tourtech risers were about $40 cheaper, about half the cost of the next compatible set of risers, but it turns out they were exponentially more difficult to install. If I had to do it over I would probably go with the more expensive, easier to install bar risers.  There is a bracket (handle bar lock?) on the right side of the headset that will not allow the new longer bolt to be inserted, or at least not with out copious amounts of foul language and bleeding knuckles.  In the end I won only to have to remove them because I forgot to put Blue Loctite on the threads...

Raising the ride height was fairly quick and simple, especially the front, loosen the Allen head bolts and slide the fork tubes down.  But raising the rear did require that I purchase a new Allen head socket and a 27mm open end wrench.  I had the proper size Allen head socket, but the socket part was to big and would get stuck before it reached the bolt.

The Ram Mount for the GPS  is on a long arm (leverage) and it likes to move a lot , so it may get moved to the handlebar/hand guard if it looks like it's making contact with the windscreen.  The Ram Mount for the spot was the easiest of all, it can also do double duty as a camera mount.

I had intended to have the tool tube be in the time lapse video also, but before I new what happened my visualizing things turned into a completed and mounted tool tube.  I still need to paint it, make a tether for the cap and make a wrench to open it that can be stowed under the seat or in the tank bag.  The cap can be much harder to remove than you might think.  I conned my mother into making the tool rolls for me and they turned out very well.  I told her I could make some money if she would make some more, but she declined.  The rolls are made of heavy cotton canvas, we went through a whole box of needles sewing them

When I bought the 650 last September I also had the dealer install several items to make the bike more long distance and off pavement worthy.  Those mod's include:

• Hepco & Becker Pannier Racks.
• Hepco & Becker Engine Guards.
• Barkbuster hand Guards.

I also installed the following items right after I purchased the bike:

• SW Motech rear rack.
• National Cycle F-15 Tour windscreen.

The SW Motech rack allows quick change of several adaptor plates, currently I have the adaptor to mount a Givi Monokey top case.  Although the Givi is not suited to off-pavement riding (way to big), it is great for the daily commute.  The National Cycle F-15 Tour Windscreen looked good on the bike, but it had 3 flaws.  First it was terribly noisy, no matter how it was adjusted it put the wind right at my neck knocking my head around.  Second it projected out in front of the head light and even during the day it had distracting reflections, and third it crack later the same day it was installed.  So it when back to where it came.

Thats enough for now,  I need to get busy

In the future look for the following topics:

• Packing list - Digital / Analog.
• Packing list - survivel.
• Where am I going to put all the crap I think I need to carry with me?
• Last but not least I might actually ride the motorcycle.

Packing list: Fix and Repair

Updated 3/3/10.  While reading a Ride Report on ADVrider.com I came across this post (link), go about halfway down to see the photo off them fixing a tire, and it hit me Ground Cloth that's what I forgot, or at least one of the things I forgot.

Once I start down the path of planning a trip my brain just won't shut down.  Just to give you an idea of how fast the clock is spinning in my head I present to you the following list that spewed out of my head moments after routing a 3000 mile westward trip (Link) and a 2000 mile eastward trip (Link), more on that mileage in a later post.

Packing List:  Fix and Repair

Spares / Misc:

• Fuse's.
• Head light bulb.
• Throttle cable (because I have one).
• Clutch cable.
• Tubes, front and rear.
• Master link (for chain).
• Key's, bike and any locks concealed on bike, accessible without tools or at most tank bag tools (see below).
• Small spool of wire.
• Duct tape, electrical tape.
• Rags, towels.
• Nylon straps.
• Quart of oil.
• JB Weld.
• Zip ties, zip ties, zip ties, zip ties, zip ties, zip ties etc.
• Ground cloth, X 2.  To keep from loosing those little bits and pieces your bike won't run without.

 Tire Repair:

• Tubes see above.
• Patch kit - patches, glue, cleaner.
• Valve core.
• Valve stem fish/tool.
• Tire irons 2-3.
• Axel wrench.
• Support stand (bike has no center stand).
• Air - compressor, CO2 or hand pump.

Tool Kit:

• Mostly useless factory tool kit.
• Metric wrenches.
• Metric allen wrenches.
• Pliers - needle nose, channel lock (med), locking and wire cutters.
• Screw driver - phillips and sloted bits.
• Metric adjustable wrench.
• Volt meter & test light.
• Flash light with extra battery's.
• Chain breaker.
• BFH, just in case...

Also in the Tank bag:

• Multi-tool
• Locking knife.
• Flash light.
• Cheaters, so I can see the tiny bits and pieces.

The worst part about this list is that I'm sure it is not complete.  I know that I won't need or use any of the items listed above during my 12 day 5000 mile adventure,  but I will most likely be in desperate need of the one thing not on the list, if only I knew what it was.

So am I obsessing,  right on par or crazy for traveling unprepared?  Do keep in mind that I will be traveling alone on the lesser traveled roads where people may be few and far between.

Now for something completely unrelated.

See you on the road.
GAW

Where to go?

One of the things I do to pass the mid-west winter is think about where I would like to go in the coming spring and summer.  Usually I start getting out my planning supply's in January.  Those planning supply's consist of a atlas, maps, yellow highlighters, motorcycle magazines, a list of BMW rallys, travel books (National Geographic's scenic drives, Road Trip, etc) and Roadfood (the essential guide to eating your way across the US, everybody has a copy right?).

I Start by looking a the Rally list and old magazines to get an idea of where I might want to go and when.  Once I get an idea then I start to figure the mileage and time it would take to get there and back.  If it falls into the amount of time-off I can get in one block I will load the yellow highlighter and start sketching out a route.  Next I go through Roadfood to see if I need to deviate my course in order to eat something really good.  Finely I look for places to stay and other oddity's I might like to see.  You would think that at this point I would be requesting my time-off from work, but actually I often just start all over.  For example last year I was going to go to Nova Scotia, Canada and ride the Cabot trail, eat some bugs (lobsters) and maybe some pizza on the way out and back.  I even had my time-off scheduled.  Then a week before I was going to leave I scraped the whole plan and decided to go to the mountains in New Mexico and Colorado.  I had a really good trip eating green chile's and getting rained on at 10,000 feet (it rained...stormed everyday).  Last year was an extreme example, normally I will have it nailed down if I can even take a trip and where I'm going by March or April.  This year things are different, my work situation is new and I had to request vacation time for this summer in January.  I really don't like to be nailed down so early in the year, July just seems so far away, how can I possibly know what life will bring between now and then.  I had about one week to do what I typically do in 3-4 months.

I have picked a destination and a date for a summer road trip, but before the big reveal, the photos above. The top photo is of dinner prior to being steamed alive at the 2002 Down East BMW Rally at Hermit Island, ME.  The second photo is of Split Rock Lighthouse near Two Harbors, MN taken on my way to the 2002 BMW MOA rally in Trenton, ON Canada (the last MOA rally I attended).  The third photo was taken near Ophir, CO on my wanderings last summer.  The fourth photo was of the Oregon coast taken on my way to the 2001 MOA rally in Redmond, OR.

It turns out that the BMW MOA Rally will be in the same location it was 9 years ago, Redmond, OR (the photo above was taken in the Deschutes Nat. Forest with the sisters filling the background).  It also turns out that the available vaction time corresponds with the rally, so it looks like I will be heading to the west coast this summer with the MOA Rally being the pulling force.  Of course things can always change, well not my time off, but everything else.  Now that I have two dots on the map it's time to get the yellow highlighter out and try to connect the dots.

I also have a new decision to make that I have never had to face in the past, I have to decide what bike to take.  In the past I have dreamed of this problem for many years, but in 1998 after becoming a family man, I pretty much wrote it off. Because I have a loving wife I'm now faced with this delima.  It would seem like a no brainer to take the G650 X Country (the new bike), but it's untested in long distance riding, where as my 1996 R850R has been there and back.  The 850 is set up for the long haul with a Russel Seat, Aeroflow screen and BMW system cases.  I know that I can literally ride all day, really ALL day with the seat and wind screen, and I can pack way more junk than anybody should need in the hard cases.  The 650 on the other hand is in desperate need of some kit, it has a stock seat, an untested Wunderlich windscreen (still in the box, at least for 2 more days) and no luggage.  I have a master list of the mod's and parts needed to get the 650 ready for the long haul and I have 4 1/2 months to get it done.  Worst case I have to take the 14 year old tried and true 850, how bad can that be.

I will try to update the kitting of the G650 X-Country.  Man I got a lot of work to do...

See you on the Road.

GAW