Gear

Riders are nutty about their gear and we are no exception. We chose our gear by searching the internet for packing lists, reading other riders' blogs and ADV/HU ride reports. Adventure riders live in their gear and their lives literally depend on it — so this is a BIG decision. These are the choices we started with, updated along the way.

Sara — Riding Gear

  • Rev'it Defender GTX suit — AMAZING! Replaced after 3 years, love the new version even better
  • Rev'it Air jacket — sent home, not cooler than Defender
  • Ogio Highviz vest — sent home after a year
  • Rev'it Pacific H2O rain over suit — first set delaminated, replaced. Good for light rain only
  • BMW two-piece rain suit (replacement)
  • Daytona Ladystar GTX boots — will never ride without these. Added Vebram sole +1 inch
  • Custom moulded ear protection — replaced after 5-year suggested life
  • DB Blocker
  • Silver Sokz — never smell, same pair after 250,000 km
  • Cyclone Buff + UV 50+ Buff — Cyclone left home after 2 years
  • Kidney belt — velcro lasts ~1 year of daily use
  • Geiger pack 500 — sent home, never used both packs
  • ExOfficio men's boxers — 3 pairs, same ones after 250,000 km
  • Silk long underwear
  • Icebreaker quick-dry shirt (switched from Under Armour)
  • Sports bra
  • Rapidfire Heated Jacket (Powerlet) — left home at start of year 4
  • Rev'it Comet gloves — replaced year 4, 6, and Jan 2018
  • BMW Goretex ladies gloves — totally waterproof still 2018
  • Winter gloves — sent home after Inuvik to Ushuaia without using them
  • Schuberth C3 Pro Women's helmet — smaller, lighter, quieter, great fit
  • Schuberth Com system with voice activation

Sara — Clothing

  • 1 fleece hoodie — sent home 2017
  • 1 merino wool sweater
  • Waterproof shell jacket MEC — swapped for rain riding jacket
  • MEC puffy jacket
  • 1 ExOfficio zip-off pant — replaced with North Face
  • 1 ExOfficio long pant — replaced with North Face
  • 2 t-shirts (2 tanks not replaced)
  • 2 quick-dry shirts — Icebreaker 2018
  • 1 ExOfficio long sleeve shirt — sent home
  • 2 ExOfficio skirts — replaced with Mark's Work Warehouse shorts
  • 1 shorts
  • 2 Silver Sokz, 5 socks, 2 bras, 7 panties
  • 1 baseball hat, 1 toque — sent home 2017
  • Merrell hiking shoe — replaced April 2014, fall 2015
  • Crocs — sent home; flip flop, swim suit
  • Sunglasses, reading glasses
  • Jeans — added 2018

Daniel — Riding Gear

  • Rev'it Defender GTX suit — totally amazing suit!
  • Rev'it Air jacket — sent home
  • Rev'it Pacific H2O rain — see Sara's notes; Louis two-piece suit replacement
  • Daytona Transopen GTX boots — foot survived unbroken when run over by a fuel truck!
  • Custom moulded ear protection
  • Silver Sokz
  • Cyclone Buff
  • Kidney belt
  • Geiger pack 700 — sent home after year 2
  • Calvin Klein seamless microfiber boxers (replaced ExOfficio)
  • Silk long underwear
  • Quick-dry shirt
  • Rapidfire Heated Jacket — Dan doesn't get cold, took it home
  • Riding shorts for under gear — stopped using
  • HELD gloves (replaced Rev'it Comet)
  • Winter gloves — sent home
  • Schuberth C3 Pro helmet + com system

Daniel — Clothing

  • Merino wool top
  • Wind/water MEC resistant jacket — sent home 2017, replaced with rain shell
  • MEC puffy jacket
  • 2 shirts, 2 quick-dry shirts
  • 2 shorts, 1 zip-off pant, 1 long pant
  • 5 socks, 2 Silver Sokz, 2 long sleeve shirts
  • 1 jeans, 2 hats
  • Money belt, sunglasses
  • Merrell hiking shoe
  • Crocs — sent home; flip flop, swim suit

Camping

  • Marmot Pinnacle Ladies sleeping bag — AWESOME
  • Marmot Plasma Men's Long sleeping bag — Ditto
  • Exped Comfort foam pillow
  • Silk sleep sacs — a must for camping and sketchy hostels
  • Exped air pillow
  • Exped 7 pump deluxe (Sara)
  • Exped Synmat 9 (Dan) — replaced twice after baffle failure
  • Coupler kit — took home
  • Exped Venus 2 Delux tent — downsized to Exped Orion after 3 years
  • Ticket to the Moon hammock — sent home after year 3
  • Helinox chairs (replaced Kermit chairs for the Stans)
  • Mosquito head nets and bug jacket — sent home after Alaska
  • MSR Quick Kitchen set
  • MSR Dragonfly multifuel stove (replaced Coleman)
  • Wind screen, MSR scraper
  • 2 titanium sporks
  • Sharpening stone — ditched
  • Wilderness wash soap
  • Seattlesports folding pack sink
  • Pristine water system — finally ditched 2017
  • Dromedary 10L water bag — replaced with Sea to Summit pocket shower
  • Cooler bag, zip lock bags
  • Cooking oil, spices, coffee/tea/sugar

Electronics

  • Sony NEX-7 camera
  • Sony RX100M3 (replaced DSC-HX9V after 3 years)
  • Contour Roam 3 action cam (two died)
  • Memory cards — replaced after 3 and 5 years
  • 2 Garmin GPS units
  • Chargers and leads, universal adapters
  • MacBook with solid state drive
  • iPad mini
  • Mini wireless mouse
  • 2 Kindles
  • 2 noise-cancelling headphones
  • La Cie 1TB rugged all-terrain HD
  • iPod / Nano / iPhone
  • Universal charger/adapter/USB charger
  • External drive for photos (replaced 2017)
  • Petzl Core XP headlamps + rechargeable packs

Ten Months In — Equipment Reviews

After 50,000+ kms in almost every riding condition, some items became indispensable while others fell short. Here's the straight goods.

Shark Helmets & Sharktooth Com Systems

Overall these were a great choice for the type of travelling we do. The comfort, quality and function were superb. The modular design convinced us that unless you're on a dedicated motocross bike, this is the only style of helmet we would buy going forward — flip the lid in heat, at border crossings, or in bad weather. The Sharktooth com has great range, easy operation and excellent battery life.

Year 3 update: Sharks didn't last after daily use for 2 years. Switched to Schuberth C3 Pro — smaller, better fit, lighter, quieter. Voice activation works great.

DB Blocker Custom Ear Protection

Hearing protection is essential and these are an excellent choice. Yes, you can buy a lifetime of foamy plugs for what these cost, but once you ride with custom plugs you'll wonder why foamys still exist. The vented type cuts out wind noise but still lets you hear the intercom clearly. We won't ride without them.

Replaced after suggested 5-year lifespan.

Rev-it Defender GTX Suits

We love these suits and they performed well, but there is a major design problem with the three-layer liner system. For comfort, durability and function they've been great — light colour suits keep you cooler in 34°C heat and clean up very well. However, the liner system is a hassle on the road. We didn't wear the goretex liners after Alaska; instead we wore the over-suits in rain. The solution that works: put the over-suit bottoms on if it looks like rain, tied at the waist for easy access without stopping. The outer GTX shells handle mild rain; the over-suits cover severe rain.

Year 3 update: Bulletproof except severe sun fading and velcro wear. Were very lucky to receive new Defender Pro suits from Revitt. Thank you!

Daytona Boots

What the Daytonas bring versus motocross boots is walking comfort. Not once has a day ended with sore, wet or cold feet — even after 7 hours in pouring rain. These boots are absolutely first rate. Sara's Ladystar has an internal lift adding 2.5 inches plus a Vebram sole for another inch.

Update: Sara fractured and dislocated her big toe when the bike fell on her foot — the boot saved her from a far worse injury. Dan's foot was run over by a fully loaded fuel truck — these boots saved him from more than severe bruising. We will NEVER ride without Daytonas.

Powerlet Rapidfire Heated Jackets

Some riders consider heated gear a luxury for the soft. Call us soft — because this is another item we wouldn't leave on a long journey without. Being able to ride through amazing landscapes comfortably when temperatures approach negative range is so much more enjoyable.

Year 3 update: Awesome! Sara used hers a lot in Iceland and northern Europe.

Exped Camping Gear

Exped rocks. The Venus 2 Delux tent is very roomy for two with a huge vestibule. The integrated pump system on the mats is brilliant — Dan sleeps better on the Synmat 9 than most conventional beds. The Marmot sleeping bags are comfy and pack small. Silk sleep sacs add 5°C of warmth and keep bags clean — also great in sketchy hotels.

Year 3 update: Sleeping bags terrific! Exped mats SO awesome — nothing else as comfortable. Tent still watertight after 3 years and very heavy rain testing.