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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 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.

Now I have the Rev'It! Poseidon 2 GTX Jacket, and not only does it do all the same stuff my old Spidi would do, it's waterproof too (it's called Poseidon for a reason)! The jacket is Goretex, and thick and heavy (not the best for super hot weather), but because our next journeys will be taking us to Alaska, Iceland, Europe, and Central Asia, I'm figuring that won't be too much of a problem. So for now, I am ecstatic.
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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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Unfortunately, I haven't found the perfect pair of pants yet that can be all the things I want it to be. I'm currently wearing a used pair of Alpinestars Goretex Touring-Tech Pants (because they're used, they aren't waterproof anymore). I also found that the HWK Motorcycle Cargo Pants worked well as non-waterproof pants that have great ventilation and abrasion-resistance, and they go for a very reasonable price.
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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'd 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.

​Now that I have the Poseidon, Marisa sometimes uses by KTM Rain Jacket when hers isn't enough. Even though it's huge on her, she actually likes it.
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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

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 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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