2wADV Gear Load Out for Motorcycle ADVenture Travel

Do you want to take your bike on an ADVenture but don't know want to take? 

Many people have asked us what gear we take on our multi-day to multi-week/month long motorcycle trips. We have found that most people take too much, or don't know what to take, or what can they fit on their motorcycle. We wanted to give you a base reference list so anyone could take this kit and go anywhere safe by motorcycle, either around the US or around the world. Whether you are a noob or weathered veteran I think this will help you out. It’s a bit long but detailed to help you in your decisions.

My background is lightweight to ultralight backpacking so I have been using most of the camping part of this kit for week to month long backpacking trips. As I am getting older I wanted more comfort so some items like the camp table and chair I would not take backpacking but I take motorcycle camping. I am constantly revising it and adding and taking away items all the time. This version of the kit was just used on a recent 46 day, 8,500 mile trip around the southern US where we camped 38 of the 46 days.

I didn't include my riding gear as I assume you already have a jacket, pants, boots, helmet, rain gear, and gloves. If not email me for my choices.

ADVenture Vest – My design:

Why an ADVenture vest? I really wanted something to carry my water bladder, an Individual First Aid Kit(IFAK), and some other small items. I don't like backpacks, always swinging around on my back and no easy quick access. Also in case you are pitched off the bike, it's best to have your basic blood loss/trauma kit(IFAK) on you, not on the bike. Ogio and KLIM (both over a hundred dollars...) make a vest, but I wanted something a bit more custom. So I made my own, and for less than fifty dollars!

SOG Mesh Utility ADVenture Vest with added MOLLE pouches to hold items listed below:

Sabre Red Police Strength Pepper Gel
Vipertek 17 Million Volt compact stun gun
Pen type flare gun. I have regular red flares, whistlers, and bear bangers. Use the pen type, they don’t look like a gun, I’ve been completely gone through at several military checkpoints in Mexico with no problems. Just learn this phrase. “Para una emergencia y necesito ayuda.”
Gerber Multi Tool
Karambit knife
Blow Out Kit/IFAK for major blood loss – tourniquet, quikclot, battle dressing, medic scissors, tape, etc
Black Diamond Locking carabiners (4) also used in my bike recovery system to create a 5 to 1 pulley system

I use Fig. 15 - 5 to 1 ratio

Platypus Big Zip 3 liter bladder in a Condor Hydration MOLLE pouch
Small basic survival kit w/Brunton ADV Compass
SPOT GEN 3 – Never put it on your bike! You are always pitched off the bike! See IFAK above too!
Visor defog & Rain-X
LED Flashlight small single AA style
Casio 14 MP point and shoot camera on Gear Keeper retractable scuba tether

In the Wolfman Timberwolf Tank bag:

Tire pressure gauge
12’ tow strap (side pocket)
Motorcycle jumper cable set (side pocket)
Baby Wipes as TP
Waterproof case with rechargeable AAA/AA/camera batteries - 8 each
12v accessory port with AA/AAA battery charger
Black Diamond Headlamp
Icon Patrol Waterproof riding gloves
Hydro Flask Insulated 40oz water bottle
Freezeout neck gaiter and skull cap
Damp microfiber towel to wipe helmet shield
Small AA LED flashlight
Ultrapod tripod
SOG Seal Pup knife

In my yellow SealLine Baja Dry Bag 30L - all sleeping gear:

My Honda XR650R

My VFR with this kit

I like to have all the gear needed to set up and sleep in one bag so I don’t have to tear things apart when it’s late at night and I’m tired. Just grab this bag and I’m in bed warm and cozy in 20 minutes. I have done this for thousands of miles and hundreds of nights in all weather and it works perfectly. I am known for not getting to my campsite until it’s dark. The tent and sleeping bag are in their own compression sacks that are waterproof in case the tent is still wet.
Kelty Dualist 30F long hybrid synthetic/down bag or Moonstone 10F 900 fill down bag depending on temps in a waterproof compression sack
Black Diamond Betamid 2 person 4 season tent w/bug enclosure or Eureka Apex 2XT 2 person 3 season tent again depending on temps and weather. If I take the BD tent I also bring along my BD hiking staffs as they are the tent poles plus with my knees great for hiking
MSR Cyclone tent stakes 8
Black Diamond Orbit LED Lantern
Klymit Static V Luxe XL air pad, like sleeping at home!
Thermarest Neo air inflator
Tyvek kite material ground cloth – extremely durable, waterproof-ish, and light
5X7 Sil-nylon tarp to make a dining fly or attach it to the bike and ground to make a lean-to for a quick shelter, usually when I’m stealth camping
Space blanket bivy bag, I use this if it is cold and put it on my air pad for extra insulation, if it’s going to be below 30 degrees constantly I’ll bring a 3/4 length closed cell Z Pad pad too and use that on top of the air pad.

Clothes-
Small SilNylon drybags with...

3 Boxer briefs synthetic
3 Moto socks synthetic
3 Hiking socks synthetic
3 synthetic T-shirts - see a pattern here? Synthetic all the way!
Base layer thermal tops and bottoms Cycle Gear Freezeout, love these!
Heated jacket and gloves
If I expect temps below 50F most of the time I bring my pants and shoe inserts too
Nylon hiking pants Bear Grylls
Swim trunks/hiking shorts North Face
Fingerless Fleece camp gloves
Golite light 900 fill down jacket and stuff sack
McNett Tactical Micro Fiber towels XL(bath size) and small(hand/dish size)
Small bottle of liquid Tide to wash your clothes on the road. Most times I just wash them in a sink rather than go to a laundromat


Cooking/Kitchen items:

In Silnylon dry bags and a nylon zipper bag
Optimus Ti long spoon
Light My Fire Ti spork
Taco Bell sporks (6)
Bamboo chopsticks 

Benihana soup spoon
Lava soap and container – takes off grease and oil

Scotchbrite pad

Butane lighter

Hurricane matches
1oz bottle Dawn dish soap
Primus 1.5 liter Ti tea kettle
Snow Peak Trek Ti bowl and plate, the plate acts as a lid for the bowl
Coughlan’s aluminum pot grabber

Small plastic measuring cup
Optimus Heat Pouch for re-hydrating food

Hand can opener

Hand sanitizer
Gas station insulated mug 16 oz w/lid
Coleman Exponent Apollo/Pulstar dual fuel stove and windscreen – best one I have found to run on 87-94 unleaded gas. I only use this stove when traveling by motorcycle as gas canister type stove cartridges can be very hard to find outside the US. I do carry as a backup, or if I need 2 stoves going, a small canister stove.
Coleman gas bottle for the stove that doubles as a spare gas container.

Sawyer Mini Water Filter and Katadyn Micropur tablets
Seattle Sports collapsible camp bucket - for washing clothes and carry water from a stream
Nalgene 96 oz collapsible canteen

Small collapsible dog bowl - to use as a sink

Camp Gear:
GSI Outdoors Micro Table
Helinox Chair One Camp Chair

Gerber Sierra Saw

SOG Tacital Tomahawk 

Food:

Condiments, salt, pepper, spices, sugar, etc. in their own Ziploc pouch
Snacks:
Tropical Trail mix
Cliff/energy Bars
Fruit rolls

Breakfast:
Energy bar, fruit roll, some trail mix, hot chocolate, sometimes instant oatmeal. I don't like to cook in the morning so usually energy bars.

Lunch:
Eat on the road if possible, if not I make my own Moose Goo.
What is Moose Goo?? It’s an awesome paste that I have used backpacking for years. I got it from an ultralight backpacker named Ultralight Joe. It doesn't need to be refrigerated either.
Here’s the recipe: 2 parts honey, 2 parts rice flour or corn flour, I like rice flour, 1 part peanut butter, mix thoroughly and put it in one of those backpacker's squeeze tubes. Then squeeze it into a large tortilla or pita bread. Sometimes I add some grape jelly from a fast food place. Honestly, you guys will love it! You can find Ultralight Joe at www.ultralightbackpacker.com

Dinner:
I take dehydrated food usually for trips of 3-5 days, I have my own dehydrator. Typically Spaghetti, chili, etc… My last trip was 46 days on the road and just bought food as needed and strapped it under the cargo net to eat that night.


Personal Gear:

ADVenture medical kit, my design, an add-on to the IFAK on my ADV vest
Shaving/personal kit, spare reading glasses/personal medications/vitamins
Travel Meds - Motrin 800 & 200, Cipro, Keflex, Erythromycin, Zithromax, Flagyl, Imodium, some cold and flu caplets, Visine Allergy, etc.

Electronics:
In a dry bag
Anker 4 port 2.4 amp USB wall charger w/6’ ext. cord
10,000 & 9,000 MAH battery backups
Samsung Tab 3 8” tablet w/128gb card, sometimes I take my laptop to edit and post photos
Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker, because sometimes I like to watch a movie or some camp music...
USB cables for all
I'll stop somewhere to have lunch and use their power to charge up stuff, if not or I'm at a camp for a few days...
Anker PowerPort 21 watt folding solar panel, can charge my dead phone or tablet to full in 3-5 hours of sunlight.

Possibles Kit:
These are my spares for possible breakdowns and repairs, hence Possibles Kit…

Iridium spark plugs in plastic plug holders
Gorilla tape wrapped around the spark plug holders
Small bag of rags and disposable gloves
JB Weld/Rad Stop leak/Metal Epoxy putty/Gorilla glue
2/4 amp motorcycle battery charger
Zip ties and safety wire
1 qt oil and small funnel
Multimeter tester
Slime 12v tire inflator
Buell specific items ECM, ECMspy cable, TPS, fuel pump (spares I've had for a while)
Tire patch kit with tire irons in a Wolfman Enduro Fender bag
Wolfman Luggage Tool Roll with all necessary tools for the bike short of a complete rebuild
Golite Chrome Dome backpacking umbrella

50 ft. climbing rope (part of my recovery system), camp/hiking shoes, and SOG Tactical Tomahawk usually attached to the outside under the cargo/bungee net


Here is all the gear before packing, and on the bikes at Area 51.

My wallet and Gerber folding knife goes in my riding pants on one side and a notebook/journal with pen in the other

On the bike:
Airhawk air seat pad - A must for your bum!!
GPS, iCobra radar detector, phone on Ram Mounts hooked up to my accessory ports.

We use this same load out on our Buell XB12Xs but we have panniers on those bikes. On our Honda XR650Rs and my Honda VFR, I use a Wolfman Beta Plus bag and the SealLine Baja dry bag on those bikes. Whatever bike you have, if you prepare and pack minimalist, this kit will take you on any ADVenture. This kit has developed over years of trial and error. I will update this blog as items change and we find something we can leave behind or replace. If you have any questions, please email me and I will help you out.

Please follow us on social media – FB, IG, Twitter - @2wadv
email – 2wheeledadventurers@gmail.com