Gear & Equipment Season 6

This season of adventures is all about finally reaching Alaska. I re-started my journey in Ecuador and crossed hot and humid Central America in my summer riding gear. Now that I'm almost crossing the border into Canada, it's time to change my gear for some winter gear. 

In this updated blog, I am adding the new gear that I'm wearing for the last stretch to Alaska! blog, I am adding the new gear that I'm wearing for the last stretch to Alaska! 

Clothing

I've been wearing Motorcycle gear for years and in 2020 I even became an official REV'IT! Ambassador. Previously, I was wearing their adventure line of clothing, but as I started to ride more (and more difficult) off-road terrain, I became interested in their new line: the DIRT series . This line caters to the off-road rider (perfect!) and the core of the concept is layering. You could consider it like a modular system! These motorcycle clothes of the DIRT Series are extremely lightweight, and comfortable. They give me much more flexibility to move in it while tackling hard terrain. They are also CE certified and therefore safe to use on tarmac as well! REV'IT! REV'IT!

I am wearing the Proteus protector body armor with a  Scram knee protector , and on top of that, there is a variety of jackets and pants you can choose from depending on the temperature and climate you ride in.

For Canada and Alaska, I am wearing the black Jacket Component H2O and the black  Component H2O pants . These pants go over my boots and are waterproof! They also have a thermal liner inside to keep me warm. The jacket is waterproof as well, and is nice and lightweight. It therefore also works perfectly as a normal jacket to wear when I'm not on the bike. 

To keep my hands warm, I am now using the . They have a Gore-Tex membrane to keep my hands dry during rainy days (which I'm surely will get plenty on my way to Alaska!).  Chevak GTX Ladies gloves

SummerGear

Back when I was riding in Ecuador and Central America , I was wearing the mesh Territory jacket , which gave me a nice airflow to cool me down while riding in hot and humid conditions. The light color of the jacket also helped to keep me cool!

In case of torrential downpour (or drizzle for that matter), I carried the Smock Barrier , which is an extremely lightweight, waterproof rain jacket that fitted over my Territory jacket. It has long zippers on the side and the front, so that I could put it on or off without even having to take my helmet off. Something I didn't know I would need in my life as a motorcycle traveler!  

For pants that went over my knee protectors, I wore the navy blue Peninsula pants that narrow down at the bottom so they fitted nicely in my boots. These were the most comfortable motorcycle pants I've ever tried, and what I liked about them is the soft leather panels that gave me extra grip when standing on the pegs of my bike.

As I always managed to get my gloves dirty very quickly, I opted for the black Caliber gloves . These gloves were well ventilated to use in warm weather but felt sturdy enough to properly protect your hands in case of a touch-down! 

Like in the previous season, I wear my Expedition H2O Boots. They are not available anymore, but are replaced by the ExpeditionGTX boots . I am a fan of the opening-closing system of the boot (works a little like snowboard boots), they are waterproof and so sturdy, I know for sure they've saved my foot and ankle on numerous occasions already. Compared to MX type boots, the Expedition boots give me enough flexibility to even walk with them like a normal person! They are definitely pricey motorcycle boots, but I am very happy to go around the world with them. 

The final piece of REV'IT! REV'IT! gear that I use is their Arid 9L H2O Backpack which is fitted with a 3.75L hydration pack. I can't imagine riding without a hydration pack anymore, and 3.75 liters a day will certainly keep me hydrated while crossing through the Central American countries.

Here is an overview of my REV'IT! REV'IT! gear for season 6:  

Helmet

In this season, I am still riding with the same type of helmet as the last 4 seasons: the Arai Tour X-4. In fact, I've never ridden with another helmet than Arai since I got my motorcycle license in 2015. The reason for always choosing Arai is that they will never compromise on safety. Safety is always more important to them than a cool design or a lower price tag. Motorcycling can be a dangerous sport and the helmet is ultimately the most important piece of personal safety equipment you will need.

That is why I recently became an Arai ambassador and to kick off my ambassadorship, Arai gave me a brand new Tour X-4, which was custom painted to fit my new motorcycle ánd journey to Alaska! 

I've again set up a Sena 3S headset on this new helmet, so I can listen to music while riding my motorcycle.

After riding with goggles during the Kalahari rally, I've now finally become a fan of goggles. So I've stuck a quick release set on my new helmet in order to easily put the goggles on or off. 

Luggage system

Ever since I switched from aluminum panniers to soft luggage, I have never looked back. I can't imagine riding with all the extra weight that goes with aluminum panniers and pannier racks, especially not off-road. For this season, I again put all my stuff in the rackless Mosko Moto bags. The only difference is that I opted for less bag space this time, it forces me to bring less stuff and keep the motorcycle as light as possible! 

The total volume that I carry in the Reckless 80L Revolver is 84 liters. It contains 2 Drybags of 25 liter each, 1 Stinger 22L mailbag, 2 removable 4 liter dry bags and 2 small 2L Molle pouches. This is, believe it or not, 12 liters less than my set up for season 5 with Savannah, my CRF250L. I can definitely feel the difference in weight!

Since I now carry a hydration pack in my backpack, and not in my tank bag, I am using the Hood tank bag (V1.2) again. Inside of it, I have a GIVI USB charging station which is connected to the motorcycle battery so I can charge small devices while riding. 

Navigation system

When I competed in the Kalahari Rally, I met several riders that were using the Garmin Montana 700i for navigation. Once I realized that this system has an integrated InReach, my interest was sparked. For several years, I have been riding with the Garmin mini InReach. A small and handy device, especially for solo riders like me. Using the mini InReach, you can send text messages via a satellite connection (so, means to communicate with the world when there is no cellphone reception) or even press the SOS button in case of an extreme emergency (a search and rescue party will then come to look for you). You can also activate tracking with this device, so that your family or friends can track your location every few minutes online (for free!). 

The downside of the mini device is that sending an actual message is not very easy and quick. The Garmin Montana 700i however, has a large screen and full touchscreen keyboard so besides a navigation system, you can easily and quickly send a message to a friend or ask for help when you find yourself somewhere remote and in need of help. 

Compared to the Garmin ZumoXT that I was using before, this device also has a lot more options for waypoint management and comes in a much sturdier format and in a stronger holder for your motorcycle. 

I've now been using the Montana 700i for a while now and I have gotten used to all the functions and things you can do with it. I have to say it's the most versatile navigation system I've used so far and it just gives me a peace of mind to know the InReach is always working when you ride somewhere remotely and alone! 

Tyre tools 

I've got quite an extensive toolkit with me (which I hopefully won't need very often!), and the most important tools have to do with tires. Depending on the terrain that I ride on, I regularly check my tyre pressure with a simple, old school, indestructible little gauge. If necessary, I put some air back in my tires with a small pump, which I can plug into a SAE connector which is directly connected to the motorcycle battery. 

Since I don't have a midstand on my motorcycle, and changing a flat tyre without one is quite a hassle (you must either find a big rock, or lay the bike flat on the ground - both are not ideal, as I found out the hard way), I've now brought a small motorcycle trail jack for the first time. Let’s hope I don’t have to use it. 

Here an overview of my tyre tools for season 6: 

Filming equipment

My filming equipment is quite solid these days. I use GoPro for filming while riding and for droning I use DJI drones. I mount one GoPro to my helmet, and have one attached to the handlebar. When I walk around I use the GoPro with an external microphone and a mediamod that connects the microphone to the GoPro. At the end of a riding day, I put the material on a SSD harddisk, and when I have time I edit my videos on my laptop with FinalCutPro.  

If you are curious about how I create my videos in more detail. Please check out my online course Motorcycle Vlogging 101. Once bought, you will receive all the information you need to film and edit your own vlogs. You will also have life long acces to the course which I will update about twice a year.

That's it - the most important pieces of gear and equipment that I am using this season. In case you missed it, in the first episode of season 6 I talk in more detail about my bike. In the second episode I talk in more detail about the gear and equipment for season 6. 

You may also like to read more about:

• who I am and how I became a full time motovlogger
• the routes I have ridden so far with each of my bikes
• the Itchy Boots community and my bi-monthly newsletter