Jeff asked for a review of the gear I took and what I would have done differently. Following Lincoln's example, here it is:
Bike: 2003 BMW F650CS @38,xxx miles when the trip began. Single cylinder Rotax engine, belt driven, dry sump transmission.
Maxima Extra 4 high performance synthetic oil 15w50.
Avon Storms were my choice for longevity. I can't say enough good stuff about these tires. Here they are with 5400 miles on them:
For the trip I added a repaired Cee Baileys touring windscreen and an adjustable rear shock.
Luggage: BMW OEM rear seat, tail rack and tank bag. I checked the parts catalog. Total is just under 48L of storage. The bags are canvas with an inner waterproof liner that is seam sealed. Plenty of extra pockets for quick access items and easy to mount and dismount. Other than failure of the seams(something I should have checked due to the age) and limited space, I have no complaints. Side bags were not an option due to access to the fuel port. My tank is under the seat. Cost for bags and supports that fit an out of date BMW was price prohibitive
Riding gear:
Tourmaster Trinity 3 jacket - I love this jacket. It's a true 3 season jacket with good air flow when vents are open. There is a rain proof lining sewn between the inner and outer layers and vent zippers have a Velcro flap to make them water tight. I had a small amount of seepage around the collar, but that was most likely run off from my helmet. My only complaint is the Velcro closure at the neck. The edge of the Velcro is not well covered and it would scratch my neck and it roughed up the chin strap on my helmet. I will probably sew a strip of neoprene over this edge.
Fieldsheer mesh pants with liner that I bought 6-7 years ago. They keep on doing the job. For our mild winters they are plenty warm enough. Without the liner, they are a good summer pant with great airflow. I took a pair of snowmobile pants, hoping for cold and wet weather protection. They worked great for cold, but failed for wet weather after hours of rain. They do compress nicely so they weren't much of a burden after I abandoned them for a pair of cheap, rain overpants at Walmart. For $20 I'll keep using these.
Helmet - I bought an Arai Signet Q a little over a year ago. Lightweight and good vent function. The fact that I never think about my helmet when riding says it all to me. It does its job and doesn't cause me any problems. Ever.
Gloves- 4 pair...I love my Cortech mesh gloves that are falling apart. I knew they wouldn't last the trip but they are my glove of choice, so they had to go with me. The holes in the thumb and index finger proved to be irritating on the longs days, so they were stuffed in my bag and used when everything else got too wet.
I bought a new pair of Klim Savanna gloves. The Velcro wrist closure tab pulled off the second time I put them on. I didn't wear them again.
Fieldsheer winter gloves - warm and toasty but they didn't do well with the rain. I begged a couple pairs of latex gloves from the deli at a gas station and wore those under my gloves which helped keep my hands dry and warm.
My go to glove for the trip was a pair of Fox off road mesh glove. Good in rain when coupled with the latex gloves and they dry fast. They also fit nicely under a pair of neoprene ice fishing gloves I bought in Fairbanks. Those ice fishers know how to make a warm, waterproof glove!
Boots: I made a mistake here. Last minute, I put on my favorite pair of boots. BMW road touring boots that are 6 years old. They were originally waterproof but at their age and due to a compromise of the waterproof flap inside the zipper, they no longer deflected the rain. I have a pair of Daytona GTX Ladystar boots I got off eBay, but I chose my BMW boots for off the bike comfort. Big mistake.
Camping gear:
Tent- Alps Mountaineering Lynx1. I have the 2 man tent and love it, but I had to save space, so I got the one man tent and footprint on close out. It was easy to set up with a two pole cross over construction and a vestibule that kept my boots and camp shoes dry and dirt out of my tent. It packs down to 4"x12". Keep in mind I am 5'1", but there was plenty of room beside my sleep pad and at the foot for all the other gear I didn't want to leave out in the rain at night: riding jacket, pants, helmet, and shower bag. (Speaking of shower bag, I did take makeup which I never used. That would have saved me about a cup of space. Hey! I am a girl. Don't judge me
).
Sleeping bag - Northface 20degree Kilo mummy bag and Thermorest compressible pillow. I have neck problems and a good size supportive pillow is a necessity. The bag and pillow fit nicely into a Sea to Summit eVent waterproof compression bag. They compressed to about the size of one and a half soccer balls.
Big Agnes Qcore insulated sleeping pad - man, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this thing. Pack size 3"x8" and is 4" thick when inflated. It is 24" wide and 6ft long. The insulated layer kept me from getting cold when many air mattresses transfer your body heat to the ground. I have never had good luck with the vinyl air mattresses. I always get the defective ones that spring a leak and leave me sleeping on the ground. Plus they can't compare with the pack down size of the Qcore. You can inflate it by blowing it up by mouth or using a 12v pump. I didn't want to blow it up because I was afraid it would leave moisture inside the pad, and it would take too long. I used a large plastic bag fit over the valve with a rubber tube. Fill the bag with air, gather the open end to seal it, and roll toward the pad. It pushes the air into the valve. The first attempt took me 12 cycles of air, but by the 3rd or 4th night I was down to 2 1/2 bags full. Much quieter when you're setting up late and the plastic bag took up much less space than a pump.
Helinox camp chair: love my chair. I just didn't use it. Wasted space, but had we been somewhere without a picnic table or chairs, it would have been worth the space it took.
Camp stove: Optimus Crux Lite cook system. I prefer the performance of my JetBoil, but at less than half the space, I chose the Optimus. Fuel, coffee cup and stove burner pack down to about 3"x5". It doesn't work well when it's windy and uses more fuel than the JetBoil because it takes longer to boil water. I only used it for water to make coffee and oatmeal so it performed just fine for that. Had I been trying to cook meals at camp, I would have been less satisfied.
Miscellaneous:
Blue Fuel charging system - priceless. I charged it before I left and 2-3 times while I was gone, but only from completely dead once. It has a USB charge port and a flashlight. I kept my phone, SENA headset and GoPro charged. It also served as a jump pack had anyone suffered a dead battery. Measures 1.5"x4"x8", (approx)
I joked that we were looking to send unused gear home and my inventory included a cork screw, bottle opener and a pillow case, but it was actually a little more then that....list of actual unused gear as follows:
Cork screw/bottle opener
Pillow case
Shovel
Helinox camp chair(it was out for 10minutes, one time)
Fuel bottle(which I wouldn't leave home anyway)
3 small cans of DEET(I only used one)
Mosquito head net
Total it would have saved me about 1-2L of space.
What I wish I had taken:
Real rain gear
My GTX boots
Better gloves
More LS shirts(I had one and a sweatshirt)
Fewer short sleeved shirts
Heated vest
All in all I am pleased with my luggage, how it performed and how easy it was to pack my necessities. I bought a few extras along the way(gloves and rain pants) but most of my gear problems were down to poor planning, last minute changes and lack of testing before the ride.
It took me over a week after I got home to feel "normal" again. I would go sit on my bike in the garage. That had been my norm. My first trip out on the bike after I got home was a 100mile trip to warm the oil so I could check it. Don't ask. It's the procedure. It really only takes a 20 minute ride, but I lost track of time. The hundred miles seemed like a trip around the block. I'm so spoiled now.
To be truthful, I have regrets. Not making it to the Arctic Circle Sign. Not making the whole trip. Letting my fear get the better of me. I learned a lot about my bike, what gear works, the gear I need(and what I don't), my abilities as a rider and me as a person. Next trip I will expect more. You guys were a great inspiration and support for what I did accomplish. Your advice and encouragement were the most important things I took with me.
