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• Head
• Shoulders
• Knees
• Toes
• Hands
• For Rain
• For Cold
• Personal Items

HEAD

Since my old Fulmer Modular Helmet may have been seven sizes too big, I was then inspired by Marisa's Schuberth helmet to purchase the same - a Schuberth Modular Helmet (mine had KTM branding, which I like). It fit well, though I had to make some padding adjustments. And I agree with Marisa, it's a great helmet, but it could get hot. 

But that helmet took a lot of wear and tear over our many years of travel. So for our next set of adventures, I will be testing out a Klim TK1200 Karbon Modular Helmet. It's got great ventilation, and it super lightweight. I'll let you know how I like it.
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 wear a neck buff when I ride, mostly as a scarf to protect from the wind. And during these coronvirus days, the buff has also been useful when I pull up somewhere and take off my helmet, I can immediately cover my face with the cloth like a mask.

​We both decided early on to go with modular helmets because we had heard from experienced motorcycle travelers that having a flip-up helmet can make you more approachable when asking people on the street for directions. And that has turned out to be exactly right. It's also great when talking to the gas station attendant who is pumping your gas (it's all full service outside of the developed world). There's no need to take your helmet off for basic things.
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What's up with the numbers on the back of your helmet?

That's our license plate number, and we did this for Colombia. The law there is that in order to prevent motorcycle robberies, all riders must have their license plate number clearly marked on their helmet. Though this does not apply to foreigners, we didn't want to have to try explaining that to any Colombian officer we came across. So we just got it done anyway. If you're headed to Colombia, this is something to consider.
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SHOULDERS

My Spidi H2Out Motorcycle Jacket did its job taking the brunt of the dirt, dust, grime, and rain for over four years. But eventually, it was time for a new jacket.

Last summer, I was generously given a Rev'It! Poseidon 2 GTX Jacket, and not only did it do all the same stuff my old Spidi would do, it was waterproof too (it's called Poseidon for a reason)! The jacket was my first taste of gore-tex, which I decided was well worth the investment. The problem was, the jacket was thick and heavy (not the best for hot weather), so I needed something a bit more versatile.
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For our next set of adventures (to Alaska!), I will be wearing a Klim Carlsbad Men's Off-Road Motorcycle Jacket. It's got the waterproof gore-tex I've come to love, good abrasion resistance for all the off-road riding that we do,but it also has a great ventilation system for those hot days. I'm excited, and I'll be keeping you informed with how it holds up on all our future travels.
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KNEES

My Sedici Motorcycle Pants were great as just an abrasion-resisting outer layer. I had taken out the useless waterproof liner (there was a huge gap right at the crotch that would let the water pour in), and so I'd layer up for warmth and rain.

But I have recently gone through several other pants in the search for warmer, and most importantly, more waterproof pants. 
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Some of the pants I went through during my great motorcycle pants search was the HWK Motorcycle Cargo Pants, which worked well as non-waterproof pants with great ventilation and abrasion-resistance, and they go for a very reasonable price. But they were not waterproof.

I also tested out a pair of Alpinestars Gore-tex Touring-Tech Pants (because they were used, they weren't waterproof anymore). Though they were nice pants, I knew they wouldn't be the ones to take me to Alaska.
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Finally I have settled on the Klim Carlsbad Men's Off-Road Motorcycle Pants. They're the matching set that go with my new Klim jacket, they're gore-tex and waterproof, and they also have great ventilation. So I'm going to give them a try and update you on my thoughts about them after we journey through the States and Canada to Alaska.

TOES

I have been wearing Alpinestar Toucan Motorcycle Boots for a long time ad I love these boots. I especially like the fact that they have great ankle protection and come up high on the leg so I can walk through streams without getting wet, Plus, I can still hike around in them for short periods of time. I climbed some Mayan ruins in them in Mexico, and I don't suggest that, they were way too hot. But for cold-weather hiking they can do the job for a short while. Great all-around boots!​
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Eventually though, the soles started wearing away. This is to be expected from the hell I put these boots through, and I was able to get new soles shipped to me in Colombia and have them sewn on. Of course, the boots weren't waterproof after that.
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When I was in Chile I got a new pair of boots, the Daytona M-Star Motorcycle Boots. They were not my first choice since they don't have very solid ankle support, but besides that one problem, I came to like these boots a lot. And they were seriously waterproof! If any water did get in (or I just sweat a lot in them), the front flap came completely unzipped which made it easy to dry out the insides of the boots in the sun.

These boots were also a bit lighter and not as rigid as my Alpinestars, though they were also not not as rugged and tough. But best of all, the bottom sole never wore off! I'd never heard of Daytona before, but after more than a year of use, it turned out to be a great brand.
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Since coming back to the US, I've gone back to the Alpinestars, mostly because I wanted the good ankle support. And I've been thrilled with them ever since.
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For non-motorcycle shoes, I have a pair of Chaco Outcross Shoes, and despite the laces breaking immediately, I was able to fix that and wore the shoes every day for over two years. At last, the sole started cracking, so a bought a new pair, and immediately the laces snapped again. But besides that, they're good.
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HANDS

Every type of glove that was ever made I have bought, and none of them are waterproof. I may have a problem with buying gloves.

The perfect glove would be waterproof, be able to cut out the wind and cold, but also allow the breeze through on a hot day. I understand no glove like that exists, but at least I would like a perfectly waterproof pair that's also warm just for cold, rainy weather, and I have yet to find it.
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FOR RAIN

Before I upgraded to the insanely waterproof Rev'It! Poseidon 2 GTX Jacket, I wore the KTM OEM Rain Jacket and Pants. And after riding through hours in the pouring rain in Canada, South Africa, and the tropical thunderstorms of Malawi, I can officially say it's pretty good. I still get bits of wetness coming through, but not much.

​But to be truly waterproof, the Poseidon had no match. Unfortunately, it was also pretty heavy, thick, and sweltering. So I am now going to rely on the gore-tex waterproofing of my new Klim Carlsbad Jacket and Pants.
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Marisa and I first had Ascend rain jackets and pants from Bass Pro Shops, but these were terrible. At first I thought they would be a great replacement for the not-so-functional waterproof sections of the touring jacket and pants. But Marisa started complaining about getting wet with her Ascend jacket, and then she actually got pneumonia in Colombia. After that, in Ecuador, we got into such a horrible storm, that I was cold and wet for hours afterwards and seriously worried about getting pneumonia myself. We have both since ditched our Ascend rain gear.
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FOR COLD

Throughout four years of travel, my Mountain Hardwear Down Jacket worked wonderfully. It packed down small, was light, and most importantly, it was warm. Only problem was it was hard to wash because of the delicate down (and even harder to dry), and eventually the down feathers all smushed and became useless.

So now I am going with the Klim Maverick Down Jacket. It packs down small as well, and if 800-fill-power-down doesn't keep me warm, then I'm not sure what will.
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I'll be taking this new down jacket with me up to the Arctic Ocean at the top of Alaska in a few months. I think that will be the ultimate test, so after that, I'll let you know if it did its job.

PERSONAL ITEMS

I don't need too many things to get by, certainly less than Marisa does. For clothing, I carry four shirts, two pants besides my motorcycle pants, some underwear, and lots of socks. And when it comes to toiletries, I seriously only need some deodorant and a bar of soap, and I'm good.

But I will say, besides the tiny bottle of cologne I keep with me just to smell good once in a while, I also decided to bring a little bluetooth speaker with me.
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Bluetooth Speaker

This EnerPlex Bluetooth Speaker has been awesome. Amazingly, it has survived every bump and fall for more than three years on the road, and it still works flawlessly. The sound is definitely good enough for both indoors and outdoors, as there's nothing better than setting up camp, or sitting next to the fire listening to a good tune.
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