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Tips, Tricks & Advice
The following is a
suggested equipment list for a road based trip in
The first bit is an
easily modifiable check-list and the second section gives my thoughts on what
and why.
Under Construction
(this page is an ongoing collection of the tips and tricks i’ve picked up over several years and journeys.
it is by no means the be-all-and-end-all
definitive guide!)
Toiletries
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Toothpaste |
Toothbrush |
Hairbrush |
Deodorant |
Towel |
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Toilet Roll |
Tissues |
Condoms |
Shower gel |
Shampoo |
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conditioner |
Body puff |
razor |
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Medical
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Multivitamins |
Cod-liver oil |
Plasters |
Antiseptic cream |
First Aid bag |
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First Aid Book |
EHIC |
Hayfever
tablets |
Anti histamine |
Diarrhea
tablets |
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decongestant |
Paracetamol/asparin |
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Clothing
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Boots |
socks |
t-shirts |
trousers |
Underpants |
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thermals |
jumper |
waterproofs |
Bike jackets |
Bike trousers |
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Bike gloves |
Heated clothing |
hat |
Crash helmet |
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Tools
+ Maintenance
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Puncture repair
kit |
Foot pump |
spanners |
sockets |
Socket wrench |
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pliers |
screwdrivers |
Mole grips |
Allen keys |
Knife |
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multimeter |
Adjustable
spanner |
C spanner |
Feeler guages |
Spark plug
spanner |
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rag |
file |
Junior hacksaw |
Small funnel |
Ratchet spanner |
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Chain lube |
WD-40 |
Manual |
Cover |
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Spares
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Throttle cable |
Clutch cable |
Wheel bearings |
levers |
Igniter/ecu |
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Spark plug |
coil |
Ht lead/cap |
keys |
Speedo cable |
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Voltage regulator |
Nuts/bolts |
Zip ties |
Electrical wire |
Electrical
connector blocks |
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Indicator/main/brake
bulbs |
araldite |
Gaffer tape |
String/rope |
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Directions
+ Documents
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maps |
Print-outs |
Note-book |
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passport |
Driving licence+card |
V5 |
Mot |
Insurance docs |
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photocopies |
Address book |
Spares list |
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Luggage
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panniers |
Top box |
rack |
Tank bag |
Ruck sack |
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Bin bags |
bungees |
Bungee net |
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Security
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Chain + padlock |
cable |
cover |
Disc lock |
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Books/magazines |
Guide books |
Phrase books |
[first aid] |
[manual] |
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Camping
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tent |
Air bed |
Sleeping bag |
stove |
Pans |
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mug |
cutlery |
scrubber |
Washing liquid |
Sidestand thing |
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food
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flapjack |
Water bottle |
[multi vitamins] |
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Gifts
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Shiny coins |
sickers |
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Electrical
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Mobile phone |
Mains Phone
charger |
12v phone charger |
camera |
Camera
Batteries/charger |
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Mains Adapter
plug |
Mp3 player radio |
Usb
wire/card reader |
torch |
Torch
batteries/charger |
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What and Why
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Toiletries |
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Toothpaste |
Prevention of tooth rot and halitosis. |
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Toothbrush |
Electric ones can last over a week, but take a
normal one as a back up. |
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Hairbrush |
Unless you’ve got no hair! |
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Deodorant |
Roll-ons are smaller and last ages, antiperspirant works
better unless you have really hairy armpits. |
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Towel |
Dry this by bungeeing it
to the top of your pack. Apparently quick dry, non-stink camping towels
exist. |
http://www.nevisport.com/subcatlist-6-subcatlist1_id-77-subcatlist2_id-121-subcatlist3_id-50 |
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Toilet Roll |
In case you’re ever caught out. |
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Tissues |
Or just use the bog roll. |
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Condoms |
For emergency water carrying… apparently :o) |
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Shower gel |
For camp sites, though you can save a bottle and use
the shampoo. |
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Shampoo/ Conditioner |
For golden locks and maintaining presentability.
2 in 1 saves carrying another bottle that could leak in your pack |
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Body puff |
Ultimate body cleaning device, a soft plastic scourer. |
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Razor |
For stubble removal, some kind of cream may be
useful or just grow it. |
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Medical |
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Multivitamins |
Because you won’t be eating properly and the
beer keeps washing them away |
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Cod-liver oil |
As above |
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Plasters |
For cuts |
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Antiseptic cream |
For cuts |
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Surgical Spirit |
For cuts and athletes foot, etc. magical (if
painful) cure all. |
Also burns well as it’s mostly methylated spirit |
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First Aid bag |
For more mishaps, and to hold the above |
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First Aid Book |
Read before accident K |
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EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) |
Replacement for the E111 form, so the NHS will pay
your hospital fees in agreement countries. Comes credit card sized and is
free, allow a couple of weeks for delivery |
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthadvicefortravellers/index.htm |
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Hayfever tablets |
Because you’re travelling through the countryside
and they won’t be as easy to find in the local village. |
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Anti histamine |
For insect bites and allergic reactions you didn’t
know you had |
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Diarrhea
tablets |
For the squits |
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Decongestant |
For when the beer and traveling
wears you down and you fill with snot |
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Paracetamol/asparin |
Hangovers/Heart attacks |
Avoid dodgy pills where possible and seek to address
the cause not the symptoms. |
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Clothing |
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Boots |
Ideally waterproof, comfortable, strong, etc so you
can ride and walk in them – saves carrying extra shoes. |
German
Sidi Courier boots A semi motocross boot that you can actually walk in.
Expensive, not really suitable for hiking, sweaty, but look COOL!
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Socks |
One pair a day or you’ll end up with foot-rot
in hot sweaty countries. Synthetic ones dry much quicker than cotton ones. |
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t/shirts |
Or go bare chested. |
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trousers |
Leather/synthetic for the bike. Need to be comfy
enough to walk round in. Spare pare in case it gets just too damn hot, or for
evenings and time away form bike. Combats are handy and dry quicker than
jeans |
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Underpants |
One pair a day or you’ll end up with knob-rot
in hot sweaty countries. |
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Thermals |
Because it will be cold at some point. |
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Jumper |
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Waterproofs |
Because it will rain at some point. |
Almost all waterproofs leak at the groin in heavy
rain. Rubberised German army cast-offs (always dark green) work well but
smell a bit odd in hot weather. Screwfix
trousers are cheap (£10) and really waterproof (stitched and taped
seams), if garishly yellow. Will pull over para-boots,
but you need to take motocross boots off first L http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=26769&ts=65859
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Bike jacket |
Synthetic, waterproof with armour is the most
convenient choice |
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Bike gloves |
Lobster gloves are great in all condition except
when it’s really hot. Summer gloves for the hot hot
days |
My Held pair are great,
have kept their waterproofing for over 15000miles and have never turned my
hands black. Conversely my 3 pairs of Richa lobster
gloves soon lost their waterproofing and are quite flimsy looking. |
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Heated clothing |
If you’re going in winter or though the
mountains. Why not make your own… |
www.phillipjackson.co.uk\made\heatedjumper\heatedjumper.html |
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Hat |
To keep the sun off your head and out of your eyes |
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Crash helmet |
Full face to keep the rain out of your eyes and your
teeth in your mouth should you hit the floor. Pay your money and take your choice. More expensive
helmets have fancier designs and prints and are probably lighter weight. Do they offer any more protection? Hopefully there
will be an answer in spring ’08. |
From spring 2008 all helmets to be tested for safety
and a list printed by Nitro helmets offer the same features as the expensive
helmets but may be slightly heavier and many times cheaper.
http://www.nitro-helmets.com/product_category.php?category_id=5 |
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Tools + Maintenance |
||
|
Puncture repair kit |
|
|
|
Foot pump |
|
|
|
Spanners |
|
|
|
Sockets |
|
|
|
Socket wrench |
|
|
|
Pliers |
|
|
|
Screwdrivers |
|
|
|
Mole grips |
|
|
|
Allen keys |
|
|
|
Knife |
|
|
|
Multimeter |
|
|
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Adjustable spanner |
|
|
|
C spanner |
|
|
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Feeler gauges |
|
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Spark plug spanner |
|
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Rag |
|
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File |
|
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Junior hacksaw |
|
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Small funnel |
|
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Ratchet spanner |
|
|
|
Chain lube |
|
|
|
WD-40 |
|
|
|
Manual |
|
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Spares |
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Throttle cable |
|
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Clutch cable |
|
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Wheel bearings |
|
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Levers |
|
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Igniter/ecu |
|
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Spark plug |
|
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Coil |
|
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Ht lead/cap |
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keys Speedo
cable |
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Voltage regulator |
|
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Nuts/bolts |
|
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Zip ties |
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Electrical wire |
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Electrical connector blocks |
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Indicator/main/brake bulbs |
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Araldite |
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Gaffer tape |
|
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String/rope |
|
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Cover |
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Directions + Documents |
|
|
|
Maps |
|
|
|
Print-outs |
|
|
|
Note-book |
|
|
|
passport Driving
licence+card |
|
|
|
V5 |
|
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|
Mot |
|
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Insurance docs |
|
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Photocopies |
|
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Address book Spares
list |
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Luggage |
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Panniers |
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Top box |
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Rack |
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Tank bag |
|
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Ruck sack |
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Bin bags |
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Bungees |
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Bungee net |
|
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Security |
|
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Chain + padlock |
|
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Cable |
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Cover |
|
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Disc lock |
|
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Books/magazines |
|
|
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Guide books |
|
|
|
Phrase books |
|
|
|
[first aid] |
|
|
|
[manual] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Camping |
|
|
|
Tent |
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Air bed |
|
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Sleeping bag |
|
|
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Stove |
|
|
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Pans |
|
|
|
Mug |
|
|
|
Cutlery |
|
|
|
Scrubber |
|
|
|
Washing liquid |
|
|
|
Sidestand thing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
food |
|
|
|
flapjack |
|
|
|
Water bottle |
|
|
|
[multi vitamins] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gifts |
|
|
|
Shiny coins |
|
|
|
Sickers |
|
|
|
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Electrical |
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Mobile phone |
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Mains Phone charger |
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12v phone charger |
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camera |
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Camera Batteries/charger |
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Mains Adapter plug |
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Mp3 player radio |
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Usb wire/card reader |
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torch |
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Torch batteries/charger |
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