5 Days... Road (Movie) Warrior

There are going to be times on the road when I'll need to hunker down and just relax... sitting in a hotel room... after dinner at a campsite... or waiting out a rainstorm in the tent.

The iPad will be packed for just this kind of situation, and in addition to a custom iTunes playlist, it will be loaded up with several movies.

Choosing the right film to suit the mood is important, so sorry "Mad Max Road Warrior," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and "Easy Rider," you won't be in the line-up (not that they would anyway, but I'm making a point--stay with me). There won't be any films about roving gangs of marauders or psychopaths terrorizing lone travelers or bikers. Come to think of it, "Psycho," you're out too.

Instead, I'm going for dramas. I know, not exciting, but more... appropriate. A few recently... acquired... movies that will be coming on the trip include:

6 Days... Time to Start Packing

I've kept a list, I've checked it twice, and it's time to pull it all together for packing the Tiger for the trip. 

A rip I picked up from my buddy Pedro is to lay out all the items for the trip and snap a photo for reference. So here's my reference. 

Some of the highlights...

Batman duct tape. Every man should have a roll. If you want Superman duct tape I won't judge. 

Coffee. 

Coffee coffee coffee. 

Tabasco samples from my hotel stays. Thank you, Westin!

Printed directions for the trip. Most every planned stop is stuffed in the tank bag map window. 

7 Days and Counting...

Here's the list of supplies I've come up with--some changes may have to happen once it all starts getting stuffed into cases and bags.

Left Sidecase:

• Cooking Gear
• • Stove and Fuel (+Extra Fuel)
  • Cup
  • Bowl
  • Utensil/Spork
• Food 
• • Snacks
  • Freeze-dried Meals
  • Starbucks Via
• Water Bottle with Water (1/2 gallon)
• Chain Wax 
• Light Towel

Right Sidecase: 

• Sleeping Bag
• Air Mattress
• Camp Chair (Mounted on Top)
• Emergency Gear
• • Flashlight
  • First Aid Kit 
  • Air Inflation Kit / Air Gage
  • Tire Patch Kit
  • Duct Tape
  • 100' Parachute Cord
• Extra Waterproof/Resealable Bags
• 2 Rags for Light Cleaning
• Straps for Carrying Sidecases
• Toiletries
• • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Floss
  • Deodorant
  • Nasal Spray
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Travel Soap/Shampoo
  • Advil (Big Bottle)
  • Small Scissors
  • Tweezers
  • Roll of TP

Large Drybag: 

• Clothes
  
  • Casual Shirt
  • Baseball/Sun Hat
  • Long-sleeve Mock-neck Insulation Shirt
  • Insulation Leggings
  • 2 Pairs of Pants
  • • 1 Pair of Shorts (Hiking Zip-offs)
  • 4 Pairs of Underwear
  • 4 Pairs of Socks
  • Sneakers/Running Shoes
  • Raincoat
  • Swimsuit

Medium Drybag: 

• Tent
• Tent Mat

Tankbag/Pockets:

• Extra Keys (Motorcycle and Side Case)
• Leatherman and Utility Knife
• Helmet Lock and Cable
• Arlington Cemetery Driving Pass 
• Sunglasses (Case, Cleaning Cloth, Lens Cleaner)
• Emergency Glasses
• Printed Directions
• Earplugs and Case
• Stash of P2P Stickers
• Notebook and 2 Pens
• Helmet Shield Defogger
• Lip Balm
• Sun Lotion
• Matches/Lighter
• Cigars
• Wallet
• • Credit Cards
  • Cash
  • Driver's License
  • Medical Insurance Cards
  • AAA Card (Current Membership)
  • Progressive Card 
  • Motorcycle Registration
• Cameras and Communications
• • iPhone and Charging Cable
  • iPad and Charging Cable
  • HD Ghost/Remote and Charging Cable
  • Monopod and Tripod and Mounts

Pocket Rocket

I'm on-site with my current client in SoCal and spot this sweet little Triumph Speed Triple. Same cc as my Tiger (1050). 

It's not coveting...

...its appreciating. 

I saw this newer model Triumph Tiger 800 outside the Redmond REI this weekend. 

It's rider clearly likes the Tiger's off-road capabilities, but like all Tigers it's not meant for the rough stuff. There was an appropriate amount of mud caked to the bottom of it. 

Simultaneously, this guy has a little extra money to spend. Those side cases in back are Touratechs, and anything from that company costs more than everybody else. 

One last thing, the foot pegs are dual-sport rubber pad/metal grippers. I like that design and it seems as though it's now standard with all Tigers. 

Final Repair Work

The last pieces of maintenance needed for the bike were taken care of this weekend.

I-90 Motorsports of Issaquah put on a new front tire...

...and a new chain and sprocket. 

I'm feeling the pinch of all these expenses the past couple months but best to be in great shape for the 6,000 mile trip. 

Living on the Edge

So I'm sitting at John Wayne/Orange County Airport yesterday, grabbing a bite to eat before flying home to Seattle. The vendor du jour is Pei Wei, the McDonald's of Asian food. After gobbling up their version of Kung Pao Chicken (tasty, heavy on the salt), I crack open the fortune cookie and this is what I get:

That pretty much sums up my whole attitude to the P2P--take the chance and be glad about it.

Let's hope that I'm happy about my cuisine choices along the way, as well. Forthe trip, I'm packing enough food stuffs to eat on the road... at a campsite... in the middle of nowhere... for 5 days. It should be more than enough to keep me fed for most of the trip as I have a weakness for roadside diners. In pulling gear for the trip, I found some freeze-dried meals from 2001 when I was big into backpacking. The meals do not have expiration dates--only creation dates. I'll know within a few minutes whether the food is expired.