Adventure gear

What I'll put in my motorbike bags

Adventure gear

What I'll put in my motorbike bags

If in doubt about taking an item with you, don't take it!

Motorcycle

I use two bikes for travelling: Honda XR 650 L, a tractor for bad roads, and Honda XR 250 Baja for off-road adventures. I like their classic design. They are underpowered and not as fast as the more modern bikes, but they are reliable and easy to maintain.

If the journey starts far from home, to save time and money, I pack the bike and all the gear in a wooden crate with a capacity of about 1 cubic metre, weighing 250 kg, and send it by transport company. The size of the box is 150x60x100 cm.

Camping

I will not advise you on the best brands to use. It's not as important for motorbike trips as it is for extended trekking or climbing, for example. Be guided by your budget. Of course, the more expensive the tent, the more pleasant to use and more innovative it will be.

My choice is a three-season double layer tent with aluminum poles. I prefer not to be cramped by a small amount of space, so the tent needs to be a two-person tent. It is imperative that my tent has two vestibules. In one vestibule, I can leave my muddy boots and luggage bags, which I would rather have on hand at all times. The second vestibule I use for entering the tent and cooking with a gas burner.

I do not use the original tent covers, few manufacturers make them comfortable. Usually they are too tight. For packing the tent I buy a compression sack of about
10-15 litres. I have even stopped folding the tent neatly and just stuff it into the compression bag as much as possible to avoid wasting time, and then I tighten the straps. I put the aluminium poles separately in a motorbike bag. This way even a large tent becomes very compact.

Tent in a basic bag

Tent in a compression sack

2100g - tent weight Naturehike Star river 2

In August and September in Siberia, the nights are cool and the sleeping bag needs to keep warm even in light sub-zero temperatures. To save weight and bulk, the last sleeping bag I bought for travelling in the Far North East is the Aegismax G2L down sleeping bag with a comfort temperature of -5 degrees Celsius.

Inflatable sleeping mat

Pillow

Compact towel

Thermos flask 1L

Headlamp

Gas, mosquito repellent

Stove Fire maple x2

Freeze-dried foods

First aid kit

Tools and spare parts

Compressor

Spare wheel tubes

Repair kits for tubes and tyres

Wheel bearings

Pads, spark plug, cable repair kit, fuses, chain lock

Plastic welding, electrical tape, cable ties, wire, petrol hose

Air and oil filter

Engine oil

Inflatable boat

A specially designed packraft for my bike

Apparel

I don't use heavy motorbike clothing with integrated protection, but rather wear versatile membrane outdoor trousers and jacket over a separate layer of protection.