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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 inspired by Marisa's helmet to purchase the same - a Schuberth Modular Helmet (mine has KTM branding, which I like). It fits well, though I had to make some padding adjustments. And I agree with Marisa, it's a great helmet, but it can get hot. 

​I 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.
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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 does its job taking the brunt of the dirt, dust, grime, and rain. But the original waterproof liner was not 100%, and the thermal layer attached awkwardly. It does have nice basic shoulder and elbow protection, but we scrapped the thermal and waterproof layers for a down jacket and rain jacket that could be worn separately. ​Also, we found that having the rain layer on the outside of the jacket helps keep in the heat and cut through the wind, as opposed to having a heavy wet jacket sitting on top of an inside rain layer.
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KNEES

My Sedici Motorcycle Pants are great, and I still use them after years of abuse, but the waterproof zip-in liner was a joke. It had a wide “V" where the material separated at the crotch, right in the spot where most of the water funnels down while riding through a rain storm. So I threw out that inner rain layer and we have since purchased heavy-duty rain pants, but I still use the outer layer of my Sedici pants. 
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The pants are nice and airy due to its mesh fabric, but it doesn't have a lot of zippered air vents. It comes with knee protection but not hip protection. Another problem I have with these pants is that the bottom inside part that goes around my boots rubs up against the bike, and for some reason they made this part out of soft, delicate suede. I have since had to use my seamster skills and sew tough denim over it to stop it from fraying.
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TOES

Originally, I wore Alpinestar Toucan Motorcycle Boots and I loved those boots. I especially liked the fact that they had great ankle protection and came up high on the leg so I could walk through streams without getting wet, Plus, I could 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 was able to get 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 have come to like these boots a lot. And they are seriously waterproof! If any water does get in (or I just sweat a lot in them), the front flap comes completely unzipped which makes it easy to dry out the insides of the boots in the sun.

These boots are also a bit lighter and not as rigid as my Alpinestars, though they're also not not as rugged and tough. But best of all, the bottom sole hasn't worn off yet! I'd never heard of Daytona before, but after more than a year of use, it has turned out to be a great brand.
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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

Marisa and I decided early on that we weren't going to invest in top-of-the-line Gore Tex gear, and instead went with cheaper rain gear that we could layer on over our other garments. It's been a lot of trial and error since then, but we've finally gotten to a setup we like.

I wear 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.
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Marisa and I previously 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

My Mountain Hardwear Down Jacket packs down small, is light, and most importantly, it's warm. Only problem is it's hard to wash because of the delicate down (and even harder to dry), but besides that, the jacket is great.

Marisa has the same one, and we use our down jackets for pillows when we're camping. It's nice when you have things that can serve a double purpose.
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PERSONAL ITEMS

I don't need too many things to get by, certainly less than Marisa does. For clothing, I carry three 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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