Gear Choices

Any motorcycle tour requires some specialized gear, especially one that involves camping. Here's my particular selection. Your choices might be a bit different, but overall the selections have been made with a goal of high quality, dependability, and light weight. Comfort matters too, so I don't get obsessive about keeping the list short. When touring, just as in any vacation, you want to minimize the possibilities of undesirable modifications to your plans due to equipment malfunction, so my choices are made from over three decades (!) of backpacking, camping, and motorcycling.

My Motorcycle:

- 2011 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic  (the consummate touring bike)
 - HD touring mufflers and recalibrated ECM (extra power for heavy loads)

- HD Wind Splitter touring windshield (maximizes coverage and comfort)

 - HD Sundowner seat (firmer and more roomy than stock seat) - Garmin Zumo GPS system (I get lost easily)
- Tour-Pak luggage system w/rack (carries more gear)
- Saddlebag and Tour-Pak liners (ease of packing and carrying)
- Small tool kit and tire repair kit (never used, but just in case)

My Camping Gear:

- Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight tent (small, but very light; pitches fast)
- North Face Polarguard sleeping bag (very warm, very light)
- ThermaRest sleeping pad (2" thick inflatable insulated pad)
- Jet-Boil camp stove (butane, self-contained, small)
- French press coffemaker (everyone deserves a small indulgence!)
- Stainless steel thermos (keeps that 2nd cup warm in the saddlebag)
- REI LED flashlights (and extra batteries)
- Nalgene water bottle (doesn't leave a plastic taste to water)
- Insulated cup, plastic utensils
- Quick-dry camp and personal towel (one for the windshield, one for me)

My Riding Gear:
- Shoei X11 full-face helmet w/ clear & tinted visors
- Olympia AST weatherproof jacket (absolutely waterproof & windproof)
- Olympia AST insulated weatherproof overpants (removable insulated liner)
- Harley-Davidson Gore-Tex boots (wet feet make a trip miserable)
- Gerbing's electric gloves and jacket liner (makes 25* weather tolerable)
- North Face & Patagonia insulated undergarments (warm, comfortable)
- Earplugs (reduce fatigue from wind noise while riding)

Other Noteworthy Furnishings:

- Only one pair of trousers and light sweater for town
- A pair of light sneakers for around camp and town
- Plenty of books & movies on the tablet (gets dark early in the winter)
- Recharger for phone & tablet (plugs into power port on bike)
- Windshield and helmet visor cleaning fluid
- Emergency contact card in wallet and on bike

Traveling light means that I don't carry a lot of extra clothing since my goal is to ride most of the day. I wear the insulated undergarments under my riding clothes and carry a set for each day on the road. Just one pair of light trousers and a sweater will suffice for a trip into town at the end of the day. Since I'll be eating most of my meals in restaurants or carry-out, cooking tasks are minimal - just something to prepare coffee in the morning. I depend on my phone and tablet for entertainment in camp and to keep track of weather, email, etc.