Utah Trip, Synopsis

At the end of a trip, I like to evaluate the gear I packed and how useful it was. There are always things you should take, even if you do not expect to need them; such as severe weather clothes, tools, tire repair equipment, first aid kit, and emergency lighting. There are other things that you anticipate needing but never use; such as fishing equipment, camping supplies, and food.

This was a short trip so packing was not as critical as on a two or three week journey but there was the added complication of carrying camping gear. I enjoyed the camping aspect of this trip but I now realize that camping needs to be the primary reason for a trip to justify carrying all of the gear. The tent, sleeping bag, and related equipment is bulky and heavy and is difficult to pack in a way that does not adversely affect the handling of the motorcycle.

I wore a full set of leathers for the first time this trip. Normally I wear Firstgear mesh pants and jacket under a Firstgear parka and overpants. This combination is versatile and easy to pack. I put CE armor in the mesh clothing and remove it from the parka, which makes the cold gear easy to roll up and stuff under the cargo net on the back seat. I like wearing leather while riding due to its protection level and flat-out coolness but it is not as versatile and a lot more difficult to deal with when not on the bike. It is easy to keep warm in the leather gear when in the mountains but it was difficult to keep cool when riding through the desert. I was also disturbed to discover that my camelback hydration pack marred the back of my leather jacket.

I packed a small duffle bag of food and wound up hauling most of it home. I tried freeze-dried food for the first time and found it convenient and filling. The eggs and bacon was very good and easy for breakfast, though fixing instant oatmeal was as quick and filling. The instant coffee I took was great with breakfast but I packed far more than I needed. Freeze-dried food would be great if I were to spend more time in the campground but since I spent so much time on the bike, it was not really worth carrying.

Washing my cookware was troublesome because the campground had no running water and I had to use my limited supply of drinking water. As it turns out, this was not an issue due to the short amount of time I spent in camp but I can see it being a problem when spending less time on the road.

I used this trip as a shake-down run for my up-coming Alaska trip and it gave me important information that I will use to my the three week journey smoother. I now look forward to hitting the road again for the trip of my lifetime.

Things I packed and used:
· Two fleece pullovers
· Two pair boot sox
· Two pair shoe sox
· Three underwear shorts
· Two coolmax under shirts
· One button front fishing shirt
· One pair angler pants with zip-off legs
· Swimsuit
· Water shoes
· Tilley hat
· Turtle fur neck fleece
· Buff headwear
· Tent
· Sleeping bag
· Thermarest
· Ground cloth
· Camp stove
· Titanium cook set
· Camelback hydration pack
· Plastic mallet
· Eagle Creek Pack-It vacuum bags (for sleeping bag and tent)
· Brinkman LED lantern
· UV light
· Digital camera
· Tripod

Things I packed and did not use:
· Rain jacket
· Cold weather gloves
· Fishing gear
· First-aid kit
· Two hand warmers
· Plastic trowel
· Tools (luckily)
· Hand-held GPS

Things I did not pack and wished I had:
· Lawn chair