Whether you’re about to ride from England to Africa, through the Alps in Europe, or just across your own country, getting ready for an adventure can be challenging. After many expeditions and trips, here are some tips we got that will get you started.
The main principle is Travel LIGHT
No one wants to be underprepared but you don’t want to be on a 400 kg adventure bike! Don't ever forget that you will be picking up your motorcycle with all your gear attached to it. Furthermore, the more you carry the heaviest your bike will be, so when the going gets tough ... it won't be fun for you!
Another usual question is "where do I pack my things?", so this gets translated into HARD or SOFT Luggage? You can get some great info in this link and make up your mind. We will also explain the reasons that made us use exclusively Soft Luggage for our off-road tours.
These are the essential gadgets you will need to make your navigation and trip documentation easy. Carefully plan your post-production needs and try to think what are the shots you want to take back home.
Since the clothes make the traveler, remember the cardinal rules of adventure travel clothes: 1) No cotton (in the wilderness, cotton kills, since if it gets wet, you get colder; synthetics rule; wool is great, too); 2) Clothes you can layer; 4) Lots of pockets; and 5) Very few. Clothes take up the most space in your luggage, so don’t pack many. Just get used to doing a bit of laundry every few nights in a hotel sink.
The basic rule here is to be Waterproof, Breathable and Safe. So, Gore-Tex is the king here. It will let you breathe but it will always keep you dry. The is no worse Adventure Rider than a wet one! Safe-wise, enduro protection gear is very safe when you are talking about "braces" and not just plastic protective that is, you will not be comfortable enough for a 2-3 or more days Adventure ride. We prefer riding suits with integrated D3O protection in them. So the bottom line is: Gore-Tex + D3O + as many air-vents as possible is the ideal riding suit for adventure. Read more about Rider Micro Climate in our Blog.
Don't ever forget your personal hygiene stuff and all the necessary medication you might require. Shops are always a long ride from the mountain top.
Camping is a nice option to get as close to nature as possible. In Greece free-camping in a National Forest isn't exactly legal, but it is a very common habit in the Greek Adventure community.
Better safe than sorry! Remember that all motorcycle maintenance gear is rather heavy, so it is better to have is packed separately than the rest of your gear and as lower positioned as possible.
Don't forget to pack all the little things that will make your life much easier.
Always bring something for the road. Mishaps are part of the Adventure, so you might get stuck in a place for much longer than you anticipated.
Remember: Carry only the Gear you need, but don't forget what is Important !
* Don’t forget to notify your bank that you will be traveling abroad so they don’t block your card. A load of extra hassle that can easily be avoided. Also, print off a copy of your documents to keep the original safe from harm whilst riding.