Provisioning Help - You can help

[LeBoutillier]

Hi All,
Can anyone offer their advice (or a link) on the "must have", "would be nice", and "spoil yourself" list of items to pack for a long tour? I am planning a trip from Ft. Myers, FL to Los Angeles, CA and will depart at some point within the next four months (anyone want to join me).

I just purchased my first motorcycle: 2006 R1200GS and I can't wait to set off on this great adventure. Perhaps there is a good book on provisioning and routes I should pick up.

Here is a list of gear I have ssembled thus far:

1. R1200GS
2. Helmet

Am I missing anything?

Update from Original Author: Wow, thanks for taking with time with your comments. Keep them coming as I read this thread on a daily basis. This forum is great!

[Dagley]

When you get out west, you are going to need some water since you will be traversing a lot of desert. There are plenty of places to stop of course but if the bike breaks down or something happnes...

Rain suit
Rain gloves (regular gloves hold about a gallon of water each when wet and get ice cold)

Boots

Communications: Sat phone preferrably. Cell phones crap out when you need them most.

A heated jacket will reduce the number of warm clothes you would have to pack substancially.

Throttle friction lock

Tire plugger and pump

The number for BMW roadside assist or AAA

GPS

Maps

ATM card

Cash

IPod

Lucky rabbit's foot.

If you take all that stuff, nothing will happen. Leave the tire plugger or rain suit at home and guess what!

Dagger

[RTRandy]

Camelbak with 70 oz. bladder. Long days with dehydrate you. Fill it up with plenty of ice in the morning or at convenience stores of gas stations. You can give yourself a sip of cold water all day to keep you running smooth. Simply feed the bite tube under the helmet when you need a drink.

[BradfordBenn]

Water
Ear Plugs
Camera
Maps
Sense of humour

[Bill Burke]

Ibuprofen - Butt and Hands.
Zantac - Stomach Acid.
Imodium - Scoots.

http://www.ironbutt.com/tech/aow.cfm

[PAULBACH]

Spare key
Roll of quarters for vending machines
Insurance card
Telephone credit card
List of meds with #s of home physician and pharmacy
Sewing kit & safety pins

Toilet paper :brow

I have an even more inclusive list once repared for overseas travel. Will email it (Word Format) to anyone who wants it. Free

[tessler]

Compact First Aid Kit (http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/products/KIT_t_tra_traveler.htm) (I use an Adventure Medical Traveler)
Tool kit for your bike
BMWMOA Anonymous Book
Waterproof matches
Water
And I second Paul's Spare Key advice ;)

[BradfordBenn]

Oh yeah, ID. I have a set of dog tags I wear when riding... just in case cause I often put my wallet in the tank bag while riding. Just in case I get seperated from the bike for any reason.

[amiles]

I hope that this does not sound sarcastic , but I would suggest that you learn to safely ride your machine before departing on your trip. The BRC and some road time would be wise before setting off.

[Bob_M]

Learn to fix a flat tire & have the necessary tools to do it.

Cell phone & anonymous book
credit card
enough cash

Take a trial mini-tour to get a sense of what you need and what you won't be using
Have fun!

[ChiTown]

Hi All,
Can anyone offer their advice (or a link) on the "must have", "would be nice", and "spoil yourself" list of items to pack for a long tour? I am planning a trip from Ft. Myers, FL to Los Angeles, CA and will depart at some point within the next four months (anyone want to join me).

I just purchased my first motorcycle: 2006 R1200GS and I can't wait to set off on this great adventure. Perhaps there is a good book on provisioning and routes I should pick up.

Here is a list of gear I have ssembled thus far:

1. R1200GS
2. Helmet

Am I missing anything?

You might want a few more things.:)

Are you camping or staying in hotels?

You will also need to plan out where you'll get your oil changed, and service done along the way.

Here's a list of stuff I use on my trip, not including tools.

It is good advice to take your time and have a few shorter trips under your belt before you take a longer journey.

Obvoiusly you might not need ALL of this stuff, but I don't leave home on a long trip without most things here.

Spares and stuff:

spare headlamp and turn lamp
oil
tire repair kit
duct tape
zip-ties
super glue
tent repair kit
stove repair kit
Coleman space saver bags
electical tape
manuals
anonymous book
kick stand plate (for parking in dirt and sand)
lens cleaner and cloth
spare key hidden somewhere
spare cell phone battery
spare camera battery
spare flashlight batteries

Camping Gear:

NORTH FACE Roadrunner 2 Tent
NORTH FACE Cat’s Meow Sleeping Bag
Fleece Bag liner
Therm-a-Rest Prolite 4 Pad
Therm-a-Rest campchair
MSR Dragonfly Multi-fuel Stove
MSR Blacklight Cookset
Coleman Micro Packer LED Lantern x2
Petzl Tikka LED Headlamp
SureFire Executive Flashlight
Gerber Lariat 3.5
Fishing Rod x2
Plano Micro Tackle Box
Filet Knife
Leatherman
Thermos soft cooler
3 Gallon collapsable water jug
Water/wind proof matches
can opener
50 ft tie-line
seasonings
cooking oil
freeze-dried gourmet backpacker meals (spaghetti is my favorite)
hot chocolate/tea



R1150R Stuff:

BMW System Cases
Sargent Seat
BMW Touring Screen
Pirate’s Lair Stealth Backrest
Alaska Leathers Sheepskin Pad
Throttlemiester
Michelin Pilot Roads
K1200RS Mirrors
Kisan Signalminder
BMW LED Brakelight
SW-MOTEC Tank Bag w/GPS Mount
Marsee 22L Tail Bag
Helen2Wheels Roll-Top Sack (m)
ROK Straps x4

Electronics:

Apple MacBook 13” Laptop
Apple iPod
Delphi MyFi XM Radio
Custom Audio Distribution
Garmin Quest GPS
Nikon CoolPix P2
Sure E3c in-ear Sound Isolating Monitors
Altec Lansing Portable Speakers
Powerlet 12v Adapter
12v 400 watt Power Inverter

Wearable Items:

Shoei RF-1000 Helmet
Shoei tinted mirror face shield
Shoei clear face shield
BMW Rallye II Pro jacket and pants
Gerbing heated jacket liner
BMW 1 Piece Rain Suit
Rev'it Celcius H2O Phase Changing Material (PCM) Winter Gloves
Olympia Riding Gloves (summer)
Aerostich Emergency Boot Raincovers
Patagonia Baselayer Capilene Underwear
Salt Optic Sunglasses
Merrell Water Shoes
CamelBak

Here's a link to a useful site for planning a trip:

http://www.micapeak.com/checklists/


Good luck, have fun, and take pictures!

[HankPfister]

LaBootiller,
In addition to all the great items listed, I would add and reiterate:
--Good lip balm, and skin moisturizer. Wind will really dry out your skin.
--Sun Screen
--Good squishy ear plugs, and wear them religously. Wind noise is accumilative. After all day riding you 'll notice a big difference with them, as opposed to without.
--Next time you have a new tire installed, first drill a small hole in it, then attempt to plug it. ITs good to practice this.
--Take the MSF rider course if you haven't already.
--Good riding gear with armour in knees, hips, arms, shoulders, back. "ATGATT" (All The Gear All The Time)
--well ventilated riding gear if you are riding in warm/hot months.
-- Even in the summer its good to have a heated vest or jacket liner along. If you get caught in the rain and soaked, you can be warm and wet.
Welcome to the forum, and BMW family!

[Mar]

Oh yeah, ID. I have a set of dog tags I wear when riding... just in case cause I often put my wallet in the tank bag while riding. Just in case I get seperated from the bike for any reason.

I keep my wallet and ID (and insurance card!) in my jacket pocket for the same reason. If I get separated from the bike, I want to have ID and insurance card on my person. When I hit the deer, it was all right there on me for the authorities. My bike was somewhere down the road.

[tor1150r]

I have a list of what we took on our cross-Country trip this past summer.
We used everything!

http://www.cyclebahn.com/motorcycle-overland/bike_gear.html

Cheers,

[Voni]

I keep my wallet and ID (and insurance card!) in my jacket pocket for the same reason. If I get separated from the bike, I want to have ID and insurance card on my person. When I hit the deer, it was all right there on me for the authorities. My bike was somewhere down the road.

And I've always kept some money and some extra credit cards in a different place on my bike just in case my wallet and ID are lost or stolen . . .

And an extra key though ever since I started carrying one I haven't needed it.

Voni
sMiling

[riderR1150GSAdv]

In addition to all the items listed above ,many of which you may or may not need/want, packing a healthy dose of common sense will help out the most.
It is a real good idea not to overestimate your abilities when touring. One of the mistakes people make is not relaxing enough when riding. You're on vacation, so doing 500 mile days when you are used to 'only' 200 miles is not smart. You have to build that up. Rest up, combine potty and gas breaks in a 20/30 minute stop and fuel up your body too. This will keep you alert and safe. No heavy greasy meals(burgers) as you will get sleepy afterward. I find that Quizno's or Subway offer healthier alternatives to the other major fast food chains.
A friend of mine is currently going to S America and was speeding along quite fast but was stopping a lot on the way. I told him to just go 5 over the speedlimit as he would be less tired. His average miles per day went UP, as he reduced the fuel stops by getting better MPG.
Speeding is NOT essential when going from A to B. If you can average, let's say 60 MPH over 1000 miles you get there faster than going 90MPH for 20 min,get pulled over, spend and hour with officer Bob, stop for gas more often, etc. YMMV Just my 0.02 cts
Enjoy your trip!!

[glwestcott]

Hi All,
Can anyone offer their advice (or a link) on the "must have", "would be nice", and "spoil yourself" list of items to pack for a long tour? I am planning a trip from Ft. Myers, FL to Los Angeles, CA and will depart at some point within the next four months (anyone want to join me).

I just purchased my first motorcycle: 2006 R1200GS and I can't wait to set off on this great adventure. Perhaps there is a good book on provisioning and routes I should pick up.

Here is a list of gear I have ssembled thus far:

1. R1200GS
2. Helmet

Am I missing anything?

Update from Original Author: Wow, thanks for taking with time with your comments. Keep them coming as I read this thread on a daily basis. This forum is great!

I like to travel light, extra clothing and a visa debit card. All that other stuff just weighs you down :lol

Ok, maybe some tools and a tire fixit kit and a few spare bulbs.

[JimKane]

Phil, your original list was good......helmet and bike. The rest you can buy along the way. If you take all the stuff listed by others, you will be better off to put the bike and associated junk on an 18 wheeler and take the bus.
Jim

[Dieselman]

Spare key
Roll of quarters for vending machines
Insurance card
Telephone credit card
List of meds with #s of home physician and pharmacy
Sewing kit & safety pins

Toilet paper :brow

I have an even more inclusive list once repared for overseas travel. Will email it (Word Format) to anyone who wants it.
Those dam keys cost $60 and takes a week to get from germany!! trust me I know

[Dieselman]

You might want a few more things.:)

Are you camping or staying in hotels?

You will also need to plan out where you'll get your oil changed, and service done along the way.

Here's a list of stuff I use on my trip, not including tools.

It is good advice to take your time and have a few shorter trips under your belt before you take a longer journey.

Obvoiusly you might not need ALL of this stuff, but I don't leave home on a long trip without most things here.

Spares and stuff:

spare headlamp and turn lamp
oil
tire repair kit
duct tape
zip-ties
super glue
tent repair kit
stove repair kit
Coleman space saver bags
electical tape
manuals
anonymous book
kick stand plate (for parking in dirt and sand)
lens cleaner and cloth
spare key hidden somewhere
spare cell phone battery
spare camera battery
spare flashlight batteries

Camping Gear:

NORTH FACE Roadrunner 2 Tent
NORTH FACE Cat’s Meow Sleeping Bag
Fleece Bag liner
Therm-a-Rest Prolite 4 Pad
Therm-a-Rest campchair
MSR Dragonfly Multi-fuel Stove
MSR Blacklight Cookset
Coleman Micro Packer LED Lantern x2
Petzl Tikka LED Headlamp
SureFire Executive Flashlight
Gerber Lariat 3.5
Fishing Rod x2
Plano Micro Tackle Box
Filet Knife
Leatherman
Thermos soft cooler
3 Gallon collapsable water jug
Water/wind proof matches
can opener
50 ft tie-line
seasonings
cooking oil
freeze-dried gourmet backpacker meals (spaghetti is my favorite)
hot chocolate/tea



R1150R Stuff:

BMW System Cases
Sargent Seat
BMW Touring Screen
Pirate’s Lair Stealth Backrest
Alaska Leathers Sheepskin Pad
Throttlemiester
Michelin Pilot Roads
K1200RS Mirrors
Kisan Signalminder
BMW LED Brakelight
SW-MOTEC Tank Bag w/GPS Mount
Marsee 22L Tail Bag
Helen2Wheels Roll-Top Sack (m)
ROK Straps x4

Electronics:

Apple MacBook 13” Laptop
Apple iPod
Delphi MyFi XM Radio
Custom Audio Distribution
Garmin Quest GPS
Nikon CoolPix P2
Sure E3c in-ear Sound Isolating Monitors
Altec Lansing Portable Speakers
Powerlet 12v Adapter
12v 400 watt Power Inverter

Wearable Items:

Shoei RF-1000 Helmet
Shoei tinted mirror face shield
Shoei clear face shield
BMW Rallye II Pro jacket and pants
Gerbing heated jacket liner
BMW 1 Piece Rain Suit
Rev'it Celcius H2O Phase Changing Material (PCM) Winter Gloves
Olympia Riding Gloves (summer)
Aerostich Emergency Boot Raincovers
Patagonia Baselayer Capilene Underwear
Salt Optic Sunglasses
Merrell Water Shoes
CamelBak

Here's a link to a useful site for planning a trip:

http://www.micapeak.com/checklists/


Good luck, have fun, and take pictures!
If you take all that stuff just forget the motorcycle and take the motorhome that way youll have the kitchen sink + fridge

[shoeman]

Carry your cell phone ( or Satphone) on your person. If in an accident and you are thrown from the bike its nice to have the phone on you to call for help if unable to crawl back to the bike.

[HankPfister]

Carry your cell phone ( or Satphone) on your person. If in an accident and you are thrown from the bike its nice to have the phone on you to call for help if unable to crawl back to the bike.

I've debated with my self about whether to carry my phone on my person, or put it in the tank bag. My problem carrying it on me, is in an accident the phone can be a cause of injury, or at least be destroyed. I had a low side crash and slid on my right side once, and the pocket knife in my pocket made a really nice bruise on my right hip where I slid on it. A cell phone in my chest pocket on my riding suit could easily break ribs. Just something to consider. :wave

[ChiTown]

If you take all that stuff just forget the motorcycle and take the motorhome that way youll have the kitchen sink + fridge

I already have the sink and fridge, the Thermos soft cooler and 3 gal collapsable water jug, thank you.

Even with all of the gear needed to do 10,000 miles, like I did this fall, camping the entire way, I assure you my R doesn't feel like a RV. All of my gear weighs around 75 pounds total, and on a 480 pound bike........


Maybe someday I'll pass you when you're on the side of the road, without what you need, out of cell phone coverage, so I can give you one of these and laugh.





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