Yukon Alaska Motorcycle Trip: May 2015

I've had a few requests from people to include a list of the gear we bring on our trips. Now that we've done a Cross Canada trip (18,000 kms) and our trip last year down through the Western United States (12,000 kms) which we didn't blog about (sorry!) as well as some shorter Western Canada trips, I think we've finally got it down to a bit of a science. Like most people, we started out packing WAY TOO MUCH STUFF - half of which we never used - so we've been gradually paring things down. Here is what we'll be taking on this next trip:

Full-Face Helmet - because we do a lot of highway riding and because we've taken rocks, debris and bumblebees to the face, torso and legs, a full-face helmet is our helmet of choice. We opt for the articulated helmets (where the front chin piece and visor flips up on a hinge) so you can get some space without taking your helmet right off. This year, we upgraded to the Shoei Neotec because we found that our old helmets were too loud.

Custom Earplugs - we invested a few dollars and went to a hearing clinic and got custom made earplugs that fit right into the ear canal. They come with a small filter so we can still hear our intercoms. The sound reduction is good because they're made to fit (they do an impression of your ear canal with foam) which also means that they're incredibly comfortable, especially if you need to wear them day after day for hours on end.

Leathers - we choose to ride in leathers rather than riding suits. A bit heavier but, at the end of the day, heavy-duty quality cowhide (not the cheap, thin fashion stuff) is still one of the best protective coverings plus, if we're being honest, we like the look. :) We have good leather jackets with removable fleece liners and chaps.

Good quality boots - my husband has a killer pair of hand-made Viberg leather boots that he's had for 25 years and will last another 100. He greases them up regularly and they're pretty much water proof. I like a lighter boot that wears like a running shoe so, when we stop to sight-see, I can walk a lot of miles comfortably. For me, my FAVORITE boots so far are tactical boots that RCMP, police, ambulance and other emergency responders wear. They're leather, waterproof and extremely well made for heavy use but they're light and are designed for all day walking. LOVE LOVE LOVE them...

Scala Intercom - we have the Scala Q10 intercom system which fits into our helmets but are removable so you can remount them onto different helmets. They're just OK. The range is line of sight and maybe 1 km if you're on the prairie but not as good as they say. The major irritation is that they're voice activated so when you talk to activate them, there is a lag of a few seconds before they connect which means they're annoying if you need to say something quickly. But, they work and, so far, we haven't found anything we like better so we're staying with them for now... You can also run music and your cel phone through them if you want but we don't bother.

Gloves - we have several pair - light weight leather ones for warm, dry weather and then some waterproof, insulated gloves for cold and wet weather. This is important for long haul trips because guaranteed, you'll run into all conditions at some point.

Electric Vests - we both have electric vests which really come in handy in very cold weather which you often find yourself in if you head over high altitude passes etc. In retrospect, we would rather have the electric jackets because it would be nice to have your arms heated but, for now, we'll keep using these until they die. You can also buy electric pants and socks but we haven't needed those...

Rain Gear - we have rain gear specific for motorcycling because they have heat resistant patches on the inside ankle area so they don't fry onto hot motors and pipes. They're also incredibly light weight and pack down into virtually nothing. Sometimes, when it's really cold, we'll wear them as a wind barrier over our jackets which really helps cut out the cold, even better than another warm and bulky layer.

Thermal Layers - we've got different thin thermal shirts and pants you can wear under jeans etc. which really help in cold weather. I particularly like my Columbia Omni-Heat set - not much heavier than silk long underwear but they have a reflective interior that holds heat in. Don't cheap out on these if you do cold weather riding. They make a huge difference. Get ones that also wick moisture away and are mildew/odor resistant...

Thermal socks - same goes as above. Wool is still one of the best - it continues to insulate if wet and they breathe.

Clothes - In general, we pack a lot lighter now. For a 4-6 week trip, we take 2-3 pairs of jeans, a couple t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, under bits, a couple pairs of shorts or I like skorts which are practical but a little dressier if you want to go to a nice restaurant. Also (and VERY important) a pair of rubber flip-flops for camp but especially for using in public showers! We've found that it's easier to do a bit of laundry here and there than to pack too much stuff. Our jacket fleece liners double as light jackets for evenings.

Toiletries - again, bare minimum. We buy travel size everything from toothpaste to shampoo and find that you can replace them without too much difficulty along the way. We also invested in some good quality, small, micro-fibre towels. They're highly absorbent, pack small and dry VERY fast so if you shower in the evening, they're dry by the time you have to pack up camp the next morning. This is important if you don't want musty smelling towels!!

Camper - we have a little pop-up Lees-ure Lite tent trailer that weighs less than 250 lbs without cargo. The tongue weight is about 22 lbs so it's easy to pull with a motorbike. It also comes with a great rain fly. The front cargo pod holds a lot of stuff. We also store our camp kitchen in a plastic bin inside the camper itself. We can't say enough about how brilliant this little camper is. They're hand built in Osoyoos, BC and are a bit of an investment but they're awesome if you plan on camping often.

BBQ and Camp Stove - We bought a $25 teeny BBQ from Canadian Tire 3 years ago and it's ugly but it still works well after a LOT of miles. It uses the small, recyclable fuel canisters which last a long time because the BBQ is so small. We also have a small 2 burner camp stove although we don't use it much. Probably a single burner one would do just as well...

Car Heater - my husband has an old car heater about the size of an old 8-Track cassette and it sure comes in handy if you happen to have a serviced campsite and it's cold. It heats up our tent in about 5 minutes and REALLY helps to dry out gear on rainy days. We have a 15' extension cord as well.

Technology - we travel with our cel phones as well as our iPad with a bluetooth keyboard for emailing, blogging etc. I still bring my big Cannon T2i camera but honestly, the majority of my photos are from my iPhone and they're really good. We also have a GoPro camera which is really fun if you want to do some video and the GoPro editing software is VERY easy to use. We take along a couple USB power storage sticks so if you camp off the grid, you can still charge your cel phone or intercoms. In both our bikes, we have cigarette outlets which you can use (with the adapter) to charge USB devices as you travel which is really handy.

Camp Kitchen - I've REALLY pared this down a lot. I've now got it all fitting into a small 12"x6"x20" tub and it's just the basics - some cutlery, a couple plates and coffee cups, one pot, one small fry pan, a can opener and a cutting knife. Mostly, we've cut down on big cooking and keep meals very simple. We got rid of all the coffee making paraphernalia and (horrors!) stock up on the Starbucks Via instant coffee sticks which, surprisingly, are really good.

Cooler - we fiddled around with several coolers and hated them all. In the end, believe it or not, the best option so far has been a TINY $5 styrofoam cooler we picked up at some remote gas station and we use a small, waterproof storage bag for ice that we fill for free at gas stations or 7-11s using ice from their pop machines because it's so small. We don't pack a lot of food - we tend to buy more frequently and in small amounts.

Storage Box - my husband built an aluminum storage box that mounts on the top of the trailer. It's about 18"x18"x36" and it's great for our motorcycle covers, gear or things you accumulate along the way...

First Aid Kit - We invested in a decent First Aid Kit from our local First Aid supplier. It has enough stuff to actually be useful if you really need one. I also include an epi-pen which I buy once a year. Our doc gives us a prescription for one even though neither of us has any known allergies that would produce anaphylactic shock but you never know, especially when you're in the wilds and there are lots of bugs that bite or sting. Just a good thing to have...

Tire Puncture Repair - this is a little canister that looks like a can of spray paint which, in an emergency, you spray into your tire valve and will seal small punctures. It can save the day if you're hundreds of miles from anywhere. We don't travel with a spare tire, partly because we have different tires on our bikes so who knows which one would blow and further, if it's a back tire, we wouldn't be able to change it on the side of the road anyway. We DO make sure we have new or very lightly used tires at the start of the trip and keep an eye on them as we go...

SPOT Messenger - the SPOT is a little satellite transmitter and has a few settings. You program it to send messages to some pre-determined email addresses. Ours is an older model so it has 3 message options - the first is a check-in message that just gives our GPS coordinates and says we're fine, just checking in. The second is a Send Help message that says, "It's not an emergency but please send help" and gives the GPS location. The third is the 911 message which bypasses the email addresses and sends a rescue message directly to emergency authorities along with your GPS location. Very handy little thing to have, especially given that we tend to head out on fairly isolated roads with no or dodgy cel service (like northern Ontario, Labrador and this year, parts of Yukon and Alaska.)

Flashlights - We have a couple small pocket-sized Mag-Lights which are impact resistant and really bright. We also pack some Petzls - head lamps that allow you to see and keep your hands free. We also picked up a small, pop-up backpacking lantern that, when open, is about the size of a pop can and very energy efficient which is great inside the tent. We also keep extra batteries on hand.

Guitulele - I play guitar and have always wanted to have my guitar with us but it's just too big to pack. This year, I had the big idea to buy a ukulele but when we went to look at them, we discovered the Guitulele - it's the same size as a ukulele but it's a guitar (it has 6 strings instead of 4). SO EXCITED to have it this year!

Other Stuff:
Small ax
Small jerry can
Icecream bucket for packing water etc.
Rags
Rope
WD-40
Bungees
Bug Spray
Sunscreen
Medication
Sunglasses
Binoculars
Bike manuals
Maps
Zumo GPS unit (although my new bike now has a built in GPS and mapping unit)
Personal Documents (Medical Insurance, Emergency Contact Info, Passports etc.)
Notebook and Pens
Duct Tape
Lighters/Waterproof matches
2 Camp Chairs
Tool kit and Small Jack

Well - I think that about covers it. Of course, there will be some things I've forgotten but it's a pretty good start. We keep our packing lists from one year to the next so we don't have to reinvent the wheel every time we plan another trip. Because we hit a wide range of conditions in every trip, it seems the list stays remarkably the same whether we head up north to Alaska or head down south to Arizona (FYI, last year, we hit 120 F weather in Nevada and a few days later, we were snowed out in the North Rim of Grand Canyon for 2 days so you really have to plan for all eventualities no matter where you go...)

Yukon Alaska Motorcycle Trip

Wednesday, 20 May 2015

Gear List

Monday, 11 May 2015

The Ballpark Itinerary