1- Riding gear
Mihai and I both used Rev'it jacket and pants, and were pretty happy with the comfort, protection, durability and functionality of the outer shell. However, Rev'it's removable waterproof liner sucks and is not practical. Who wants to take off their pants by the side of the road to zip in the liner, if it starts raining? Also, if you don't want to use a rain suit, the jacket's outershell will become soaked with water and heavy. With the evaporation effect, it will no longer keep you warm. The point is, Rev'it is good, but you still need a good quality rain suit.
If I had to do it again, I'd spend the extra money and get the KLIM Overland jacket and pants. This stuff is made out of gore tex, is truly waterproof, and still vents reasonably well according to the reviews I have read online. Not having to carry a rain suit saves you the trouble of stopping to put it on (annoying if the weather changes all the time, like in the mountains of Peru), and also saves precious packing space on the bike.
I will not use again the Frogg Toggs rain suit. It works, but the paper-like material is not rugged enough for a long long-term overland expedition. Mine tore at a few places, the pants leaked at the crotch and bum, and I ended up throwing it in the trash as soon as I sold my bike in Chile.
The Fly Trekker helmet did fine considering its low price (140$), but I did wish that it had an internal sun visor. The only dual sport helmet that offers this feature seems to be the Suomy MX Tourer, but it is way more expensive (400+ USD).
The Garne G-Adventure boots were very comfortable, but their waterproofness didn't last very long. A big disappointment. I wouldn't buy this product again. I think I'll try the Alpinestars Scout dual sport boot next.
The KLIM MX socks are too thick and not durable enough. I picked up two pairs of thinner Merino wool ski sucks at the REI in San Diego, which worked out great and lasted for the entire trip.
The KLIM Baclava worked fine. Very happy with it.
The heated vest has been a precious accessory as well. Highly recommended.
The Hippo Hands handlebar muffs were great in cold temperatures, and even in rain. Highly recommended.
Ear plugs are a must. I really think you will damage your hearing if you ride for 35 000 km without them.
2- Luggage
I was disappointed with the Happy Trails racks. They have an obvious design flaw, and do not sustain vibrations well in the long run. Once back in Montreal, I contacted the manufacturer and emailed them a report with photos. Initially, they offered to replace the racks for free, but then gave me the silent treatment when I mentioned that the bike had been sold in Chile. I just picked up another DR 650 a few weeks ago. It has the same racks on it, which I will remove and sell. No more Happy Trails for me.
The Wolfman Expedition Large duffel bag has been fantastic. 100% waterproof, very tough and a lot of capacity. I will definetely keep using it.
The Seahorse SE 720 side cases get a 10/10 for functionality, but their plastic was too brittle and cracked in a few places. The keyed latches were a great feature to have. What is kind of weird is that Mihai used the same cases, but the plastic they are made off is definetely not the same; it is clearly more resilient and doesn't crack. Mihai's cases get 9/10, mine get 6/10. Considering how much abuse they withstood, I can still recommend them.The liner bags I got made for them also worked really well.
For my next trip, I will no longer use rigid side cases. I got my leg stuck underneath the Seahorse cases two or three times while off roading, and was lucky not to break anything. I'm planning on getting a set Wolfman's Expedition side bags. I was so impressed with Wolman's duffel bag, that I'm sold to their stuff. The soft bags do not offer the security of rigid cases, but it's rare anyway that the bike is left unattended with the luggage on it. Another benefit is that soft bags save a lot of weight.
The Giant Loop Fandago tank bag was a little disppointing, especially considering how expensive it is. It is tough and durable, but not 100% waterproof. Giant Loop does provide a tube of seam sealent with the bag, but the product looks like shit once you apply it. Come on, Giant loop, for this much money you should do better. The other problem is that the Fandago gets in the way when riding standing up off road, but this is more relatedto the bike and the shape of the gas tank.
3- Bike modifications:
I was happy with pretty much all of the upgrades I did to the DR. However, both Mihai and I had to shorten our Cee Bailey's Sport windscreens as soon as in San Diego, as they created too much helmet turbulence at highway speeds (both of us rode withear plugs).
I cannot give enough praise to the SeatConcepts seat, which is very comfy and great value at only 160$ for the foam and cover kit.
The Symtec heated grips were a little too weak, for some reason. I will install the Oxford kit on my new DR.
The suspension modifications (front: stiffer springs and Intiminator valves / rear: Racetech Gold Valve and stiffer spring) did a good job and were worth it.
The IMS 4.9 gal. gas tank had enough capacity for most situations, and it is durable. However, Acerbis just came out with their own 5.3 gal. gas tank, which sells for the same price as the IMS, yet looks better. Acerbis stuff is typicallyof good quality, so that's what I would buy.
4- First Aid Kit:
Gravol has been of great help while sailing on the Stahlratte between Panama and Colombia. Otherwise, Tylenol and Immodium are good to have as well. Other than a few band aids, I'd skip all the other pills and creams that I took with me. It would have saved space, and there are pharmacies in almost every town if you need something else.
Malaria pills: I had some, but did not use them. See my comments regarding that on the ''Planning a similar trip?'' page.
Malaria pills: I had some, but did not use them. See my comments regarding that on the ''Planning a similar trip?'' page.
5- Hygiene:
I carried a box of WetWipes, which were a good substitution for a shower at many occasions. A good item to have.
6- Electronics:
The Sena SMH10 Bluetooth helmet communicators were extremely useful. The only disappointment is that I wasn't able to listen to music. Not enough volume. Not sure if I should blame it on the system's speakers, or on the helmet.
I did not have time to use my Kindle much. Could have done without it.
The HP Notebook worked out well, minus the fact that I had to replace the keyboard. Still pretty good considering that it survided over 6 months of vibrations.
I wasn't impressed with the SPOT Connect. I had consistent problems with pairing it to my IPod Touch. Also, the fact that it doesn't have any external buttons is just dumb. I could no longer use it when my IPod disappeared in Valparaiso, Chile (probably stolen). I'd get the regular SPOT 2 if I was going to buy one again.
My Canon S95 camera was excellent, and also survived the trip without problems.
The Swann Freestyle 1080i video camera worked good, but taking pictures for the blog already took significant time, and I just didn't have time to mess with the camera on a daily basis.
The Garmin 60 CSX GPS worked great. My only complaint is that the screen could be a little bigger. Otherwise, it's a tough unit with a lot of features.
7- Clothing:
I was pretty happy with the items that were on my original packing list. Special mention for the ExOfficio boxers, which are pricey, but durable, dry quickly, are breatheable and comfortable (no seams at bottom) for long days in the saddle.
The only item I wished that I had with me was a light waterproof jacket. My rain suit top piece was too baggy and dirty to be worn in town without looking like a bum.
8- Camping Equipment:
A Leatherman multi-tool is definetely a must-have. It came handy on many occasions to fix stuff, and not even while campling.
I had a 2 person Eureka Apex 2XT tent, a Thermarest self-inflatable (yeah, right...) floor mat, and a Big Agnes Lone Ranger 30 deg. F sleeping bag.
No complaints about the tent, other than the fact that it was still too bulky. If carrying a tent at all (I used it less than 10 times), I'd take the smallest and lightest 1 person shelter I could find. It is mostly an emergency item, and the important thing is that it should pack very small. A good strategy would be to purchase a tent only once in South America. Argentina and Chile were the only places where I would have camped more if the temperature allowed it.
The Thermarest mat is great. I've been using mine for many years I have absolutely no complaints.
The Big Agnes sleeping bag came in handy whenever camping, and a few times when the hotel sheets and covers were just too sketchy looking. Good quality item, but not warm enough for when it's 5 deg. C or less.
I think skipping the camping equipment altogether is a good option too. You will travel lighter (very importantonce off road), have less stuff to pack, and the money saved (easily 500+$) will pay for a hotel room for the few times you could have camped.
The Sena SMH10 Bluetooth helmet communicators were extremely useful. The only disappointment is that I wasn't able to listen to music. Not enough volume. Not sure if I should blame it on the system's speakers, or on the helmet.
I did not have time to use my Kindle much. Could have done without it.
The HP Notebook worked out well, minus the fact that I had to replace the keyboard. Still pretty good considering that it survided over 6 months of vibrations.
I wasn't impressed with the SPOT Connect. I had consistent problems with pairing it to my IPod Touch. Also, the fact that it doesn't have any external buttons is just dumb. I could no longer use it when my IPod disappeared in Valparaiso, Chile (probably stolen). I'd get the regular SPOT 2 if I was going to buy one again.
My Canon S95 camera was excellent, and also survived the trip without problems.
The Swann Freestyle 1080i video camera worked good, but taking pictures for the blog already took significant time, and I just didn't have time to mess with the camera on a daily basis.
The Garmin 60 CSX GPS worked great. My only complaint is that the screen could be a little bigger. Otherwise, it's a tough unit with a lot of features.
7- Clothing:
I was pretty happy with the items that were on my original packing list. Special mention for the ExOfficio boxers, which are pricey, but durable, dry quickly, are breatheable and comfortable (no seams at bottom) for long days in the saddle.
The only item I wished that I had with me was a light waterproof jacket. My rain suit top piece was too baggy and dirty to be worn in town without looking like a bum.
8- Camping Equipment:
A Leatherman multi-tool is definetely a must-have. It came handy on many occasions to fix stuff, and not even while campling.
I had a 2 person Eureka Apex 2XT tent, a Thermarest self-inflatable (yeah, right...) floor mat, and a Big Agnes Lone Ranger 30 deg. F sleeping bag.
No complaints about the tent, other than the fact that it was still too bulky. If carrying a tent at all (I used it less than 10 times), I'd take the smallest and lightest 1 person shelter I could find. It is mostly an emergency item, and the important thing is that it should pack very small. A good strategy would be to purchase a tent only once in South America. Argentina and Chile were the only places where I would have camped more if the temperature allowed it.
The Thermarest mat is great. I've been using mine for many years I have absolutely no complaints.
The Big Agnes sleeping bag came in handy whenever camping, and a few times when the hotel sheets and covers were just too sketchy looking. Good quality item, but not warm enough for when it's 5 deg. C or less.
I think skipping the camping equipment altogether is a good option too. You will travel lighter (very importantonce off road), have less stuff to pack, and the money saved (easily 500+$) will pay for a hotel room for the few times you could have camped.
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