Motorcycle Touring
Equipment
Tour Master Tank Bag This is by far the most
useful piece of equipment I own;
it's like the American Express card; I don't leave home without it. It holds a surprising amount of stuff,
and it's so convenient being able to pop on and off the bike. The clear map top is incredibly useful, as
well. It's not waterproof, but the included rain cover works very well and is easy to use. It fits nicely
on both of my bikes.
Tour Master Saddlebags for my Ninja.
They hold a lot of stuff and are fairly easy to work with. They are
not waterproof, and the rain covers that come with them are difficult to use and don't work all that well.
So what I do is pack stuff that I don't want getting wet in plastic garbage bags and Ziplock bags; that
works well. By the way, the round pack lying across the passenger seat in this photo is a $10 compression
sack that I sewed straps on to mate to the buckles on my saddlebags; my tent and sleeping bag are in it.
Photo of bags on my Ninja.
Givi E52 top box for my VFR. Givi products are a bit pricey, but you certainly get your money's worth. They're rock solid, lockable, and waterproof.
Garmin eTrex Legend GPS unit with a
RAM mounting system. Photos of unit on Ninja and
VFR.
Eureka Apex 2XT Tent This tent has been wonderful.
It hasn't let a single drop of water in, even in some nasty storms. It has also held up well to serious
wind. The vestibules are very handy for storing boots and luggage - stuff you don't want out in the open
but that doesn't necessarily need to be in the tent with you. It packs up pretty small, which is important
for motorcycling.
Polaris Quest Sleeping Bag. It's nothing terribly fancy; I picked
it up at Dick's Sporting Goods at half-price for $25. It's a mummy style and is rated down
to about 20° Fahrenheit. It is comfortable and warm (I have used it down to about 28°F). It's a bit
on the bulky side, but for $25 I think it's quite a bargain.
Sleeping pad
Even the best sleeping bag isn't all that great without some sort of sleeping pad.
Without one, you'll feel every rock and twig beneath you, and a pad also provides
nice insulation between you and the cold ground. A lot of folks
really like the Therm-a-rest self-inflating pads, but they're a bit pricey, so I opted to use
this $20 pad, and it works very well. The only negative I see is that it's a bit bulky to tote,
but it's very light and waterproof, so I can strap it anywhere on my bike.
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