- First, he rode with some friends from Redmond up to Barrow, Alaska. And, yep, he went for a brief swim in Prudhoe Bay once he got there.
- And last year, he rode from Redmond to Rio de Janeiro. Check out his trip log on Facebook. Yeah, that's right: 13,000 on a 650 Suzuki V-Strom.
One of the many tips I've picked up from Pedro for long-haul rides is to make sure everything stays dry. Seems obvious, because it's what I preach to my kids when we go skiing (the Cascades are snowy and notoriously wet), and hiking/camping: stay warm and dry, but you can't be warm if you're not dry.
One way to keep everything dry on long rides is to invest in a dry bag system.
After researching the available options on the market, I settled on the DrySpec D66 Waterproof Dry Bag Modular Packing System.
In orange, of course.
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| The DrySpec D38 mounted on the back of my Triumph Tiger. |
The DrySpec D66 is actually a two-bag system comprised of the D28 and the D38 (the numbers refer to the liters carrying capacity).
I went with the two-bag system, rather than a one-size-fits-all single bag system to allow for better compartmentalism of gear on the road. This is important, because when you pull into a campsite in a downpour, you want to keep your clothes and sleeping bag nice and dry while you pull the tent out for set-up. Keeping gear in smaller waterproof bags is another thing I picked up from Pedro. It's best if the bags are see-through.
My first test run of the D66 system was for the trip to Vancouver Island. The summer weather on the Big Island (second biggest in the Pacific Ocean) is dry, so I wasn't testing for waterproof-ness. This test was for carrying capacity, easy of access, and attaching to the bike. For the record, I took just the D38 with me. Here are my initial thoughts:
- Attaching the D38 to my bike was pretty easy. Just loop each of the 4 straps to secure parts of the bike and slide the strap anchors through the bag loop. The Tiger lacks a symmetrical attaching configuration, but the straps will secure to anything you can loop around.
- The internal plastic frame of the D38 holds the bag shape pretty well and keeps the bag from sagging over the edge of the rear seat and into the bike's moving parts. It also prevents annoying wind flapping.
- The opening of the bag on top is like a mouth, rather than a 3-sided flap that unzips. This helps keep your stuff dry but it also can make it tough to dig around for gear. Best to have some sort of logical packing system so you know where to dig when you are in a hurry.
- The D66 comes in three colors; black, gray, and orange. You know I like to be seen on the road. Having the D38 strapped across the back of my bike gave me a little extra sense that drivers behind me would see the bike.
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| The D38 on the Tiger on the ferry from Sidney, BC to Anacortes, WA. |
The bike is going to need a few more trials before I head to the East Coast, but I'm confident that I made the right choice.
