Inzane Trip Supplies - Opinions wanted!

[Bladedog]

I'm sure the opinions will vary greatly!

Ok, thinking of going to my first Inzane.  It's roughly 1100 miles one way, from Antelope valley area of CA to Frisco, going through Vegas then hanging a right on I-70 in Utah.  Checking the logistics and such, I'm calculating the budget, hoping to be approved by the CFO, a.k.a. Mrs. Bladedog. (She prefers "Tushkush", but that's another post for another time...)

Mojave Desert to Vegas and through Utah in July... whew.  Chances are about 80% I'll be coming alone, as it seems the rest of the SoCal VRCC-ers are going through Gallup, NM first (WAY out of the way for me).  I've got room to pack some stuff, with hardbags and a decent-sized trunk bag.  You veteran long-haulers should know: what are the real essentials I should be carrying?  I mean, other than the obvious personal items, what is a must-have?  Oil?  Water?  Gas can? Bribe money?

[f6gal]

Pick up a small portable air compressor and a tire patch kit.  Wal-mart has a decent compressor.

[Michael K (Az.)]

here's a link that will get you stoked and give you good info, too!


http://www.motorcyclecolorado.com/what_you_need.htm

[fudgie]

 Not sure about the gas station distance but maybe a little gas can, full! lol I'm talking Sturgis here, 1200 miles...We bring only clothes for 2 or 3 days. We wash them while we are there. Another thing we do is wear out old clothes, inners and outters, and through them away while there. You diposal may very.....   You can cut your jeans into shorts and hang the remanents off your bike! Sorry, inside joke there, right GiG?    Lightens the load and you will always buy a new t-shirt anyway. We take tide coldwater soap with us since we rarely had warm water. We take your basic bike parts. Wheel bearings, etc.

[bassman]

You might want to consider something like this for drivng in the desert heat or anywhere else it gets hot....many variations of this on the market and could probably pick one up for less than $10.....

http://www.gearwild.com/servlet/the-114/BCB-Neck-Cooling-Scarf/Detail

[Bladedog]

I've plotted out gas stops on googlemaps, and the farthest distance I have found is between Salina, UT (where I plan on spending a night on the road) and Green River, UT which is 106 miles.  Should be no problem even with my smallish Standard tank.  I thought about extra parts, like various bulbs, maybe a spark plug or two, and an oil filter. 

Bassman - I actually have one of those, I forgot about it.  Great idea.

[Steve K (IA)]

I have ridden across Utah on I-70...from CO. to I-15.  I'm not trying to offend anyone, but I kept thinking "what a God forsaken land".  The wind was furious and gas stops are 100 miles apart and NOTHING in between.  I was on my I/S and with the wind, mountains and pulling a trailer, I barely made it to the gas stops.  I was only getting between 20 and 25 miles per gallon.  I'm sure the elevation had a lot to do with it also.

So.....If I ever HAD to take that route again, I would take a bottle of gas just for piece of mind.

[BigMac (SoCal)]

We took that route home last time in Colorado. You will have no problem with gas just make sure you plan it. We almost didn't stop for gas at one point thinking there would be some coming up. One of us had a GPS and I asked him to check for the nearest gas. There was nothing up ahead of us for well over 100 miles but we just passed one. We made a uturn and filled up. That GPS saved us alot of grief. We I got home I bought one for myself and really like it. Wouldn't be without now.

Bladedog, we will talk when I see you for the Virginia City ride.

Dave   

[Strider]

When I travel, I carry the usual personal stuff - ya know clothes and stuff.  As far as extras, make sure you have a decent tool kit that also includes stuff like a few tie wraps and electrical tape.  I carry a small air compresser and tire plug kit.  Like someone posted, mine came from Walmart and holds up well.  Stop at welcome centers and get a good state map when you can.  Oh yeah, bring along a spare set of mini fuses.  You can get them at auto parts places, but you don't want to be in the middle of nowhere and need one - plus they don't take up any room.

I have never carried stuff like gas cans, bulbs or oil filters.  You can usually find them on the way (Walmart sells two that fit the Valk).

Roll your clothes will allow you to get more in there.  A few garbage bags help keep stuff dry in a rain and hold your dirty clothes.  Most hotels have shampoo and soap stuff, so I never carry those.  A clear pair of glasses (because I always wear sun glasses when I ride - but have been caught a bunch in the dark).  Sunscreen is a must.

Oh yeah - and get a cheap pair of Frog Toggs or something that doesn't take up much room but keeps the rain off.  When you get caught in rain - it's always in the middle of nowhere.  A couple of micro fibre rags to wipe de bugs off with.

That's about all the "all the time" stuff I carry.  I also usually carry a few bandanas in case it gets hot, you can soak them down and I also wear one around my neck to keep the sweat from going down my shirt.

Have a safe trip brother!!!!  You will have A BLAST AT INZANE!!!!  Oh yeah, better bring a jacket and chaps - you never know what you will find when you get up on some of those passes - best roads in the world up there - but it can get cold even then up in the passes.

[Gary]

The small air compressor, tire plug kit, basic bulbs for signals (although available at most WalMarts), maybe a headlight replacement bulb. I've had a set of bearings with me for the past 5 years and thank goodness have not had to crack into them. The small gas can might be an idea although I've never used one.

On the route, just a suggestion: I'm in northern New Mexico and just came through from Vegas from my daughters, went through Zion National Park (bought the year Natl Park Pass since entry would have been $25.00) came through Kanab, took hwy 89A which runs just above the north rim of the Grand Canyon (north rim park entrance was closed a couple weeks ago) and then made my way from Page AZ through to New Mexico. A few picks below of the run.

You can cut up through at Kayenta, AZ through Monument Valley (a recommended route if you've never been through it) and then on over into Colorado. Or cut up through the Four Corners area and then come up on part of the Million Dollar Highway through Cortez, Telluride, and on up to Montrose and then over on I-70 to Frisco. There is actually several nice hwy's up from Hwy 160 in southern CO that you could take north to get to Frisco.

If you want to make time then your original I-70 through Utah is probably the best bet.

Here's the pics from Zion and hwy 89A in Az. The weather was perfect by the way in late April. 

Zion area




Hwy 89A Lee's Ferry area


And of course the obligatory pic's of the primary reason for my run to Vegas...
Brand new grand daughter Emma

Grandson Jake


Hope you have a safe trip whichever route you take.

Gary

[Oss]

Hey Gary In your pic just above the caption Hwy 89A Lee's Ferry area  where in the road does the road go that is on the left part of the pic?

I loved colorado's southwest part from Montrose down   Seizures is a good word for what it was like but in a good way

Only thing I would add is to have a couple of water bottles in the saddle bags as you do get dehydrated real easy on a hot day at altitude.  I pack some little packets of electrolytes that I dump into the water bottle in the afternoons
which comes in handy on those 12 hour rides.

and I got one of those really light vests that you soak in water and keep you cool for almost all day,  I soak it in the am and stow it in a big ziplock  bag and wear it under my mesh jacket when the temp gets hot hot hot. If you dont wear it that day you just rinse it out when you get to the hotel so it dont get stinky

[Slvrvalk1]

First, I live in San Luis Obispo, CA.  I have been to four Inzane meets including I, V, VI, and VIII. I am going to Frisco in July.  For me to go anywhere east, I have to go through the central valley of California and either Arizona or Nevada.  It is usually over 100 F on my trips.  You will get very sick if you do not drink a lot of water.  Here is what I do.  I take a Camel Back bladder, fill it with ice and water and then place it in my tank bag.  You can then drink water frequently by pulling the hose out of the tank bag while you are riding.  It is easy to stuff the hose back into the tank bag between drinks.  I have a backrest on my bike, so the standad backpack arrangement for the Camel Back willl not work.

I also have a vest that you soak in water and wear.  It helps some, but it does not reduce the need to drink a lot of water.

All of the other suggestions mentioned earlier are good, but water is the most important.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Dave

[..]

Make 2 piles. One the stuff you want to take. The other the money you want to take.

Throw away half of the first pile and double the second.

Go ride.

[Kendall]

I always carry a small air compressor, a stop n go mushroom tire plug kit, a small cooler with water usually one bottle frozen , living in Arizona i always carry waterproof sunblock spf 50 or higher, one or two cooldana's (a bandana with gel crystals you soak in water and helps keep you cool) i always wear long sleeves and when it gets hot i wet them down. I also carry a lil tool kit with electrical tape and some wire ties and much to my wifes disapproval some Duct tape rolled tight.  oh and some spare fuses. Oh a rain suit and a lil flashlight. And going to colorado make sure you have some warm clothes also. Ill see ya there,,,,, Kendall

[Jess from VA]

Bladedog, others have covered most of the basics, but I thought I'd share my info on cooling vests.

I guess because I was raised on an island in MI, I have never been able to tolerate high heat. 

First, cooling vests are not very good just over a tshirt, they need to be over a tshrit and under a mesh jacket for optimal use.  So I got the cheapest full mesh I could find (not a more expensive convertible because I already have all kinds of gear). And I got the lightest colors I could find; buying a black jacket for cooling is not smart.  I found a Teknic pure mesh on NewEnough for like $50 in white and silver.  I took out all the armor, and it is like a heavy mesh shirt. (no longer available, I checked)

I got a standard motorcycle polymer cooling vest, like the Fieldshear Iceberg Vest.   And I got a couple big ziplock bags.  Soaked the vest completely, then let it drip a little, then rolled it up, put it in the ziplock and put it in the freezer.  Put it in the bags, and left at O'dark thirty, and when it got hot at 10AM, put it on under the mesh.  Not bad, but only lasts for 2-4 hours.
http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/sport/mesh+motorcycle+jackets/fieldsheer_iceberg+cooling+vest

Then I did some reading on the chemical crystal stuff, and ordered a Miracool crystal poncho vest (cheaper than the polymers).  It takes a while to completely soak up water, and this thing will stay wet for days, not hours (but can still be recharged overnight).  I have not had time to fully test this one, but have read that the bottom row of crystals is too low for medium sized people crouched on a bike seat (wet butt is not good), and some have cut off the bottom row of crystals  (or left them out of the water when charging).  I think this is a much better cooling vest than the polymers.  I am also informed these things work much better in the dry heat of the west, than in the swamp weather of VA. 
http://www.tuffrhino.com/MiraCool_Poncho_Vest_p/hs1045.htm.

Because they are so cheap, I also ordered a collection of crystal neck and head wraps, and a doorag with crystals in the forehead part that will work with a half helmet.  I will often wear a cold charged crystal neck wrap and doorag without the vest on shorter rides around my area.
http://www.tuffrhino.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=cooling&Search.x=32&Search.y=15

With a proper setup with access to water while you are riding, this will make the trip  more comfortable.

How many times have you had to fool with something on the bike and needed a flashlight, even in daylight let alone darkness, and ended up holding a mini light in your mouth.  I got one of these LED head lamps, and it stays in the bike with the tool kit.  Not bad in combination with a pistola in a motel rooms along the way either.  There are a zillion of these around.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat21404-cat21410-cat604317&id=0068948516564a&navCount=12&podId=0068948&parentId=cat604317&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=OG&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

Depending on where you will leave your bike, this combo lean angle sensor (loud) alarm - rotor lock is a nice product.  Running a padlock on my old Hog dresser front rotor (before Valks), I had occasion to forget, drive it up on the caliper, and almost dump the bike.....sooo, I always lock the forks too as a reminder (and not use one of those bright colored idiot cords to the handlebars)

http://www.bikebone.com/page/BBSC/PROD/xena-disc-lock/XZZ6

For the trip to Inzane last year, I got a small half cover from HDL.  This thing packs very small, is waterproof, and WAY easier on an off than ordinary covers.  I was glad I had it for overnight rains to protect Ultimate seats/radio controls, and good for prying eyes in motels to and from your destination.

http://www.hondadirectlineusa.com/stores/product.asp?pid=409&str=2&ID=372473960

Already had skin cancer cut off me, and in addition to sunblock, I always carry a crushable boonie hat for best shade for my bald head when off the bike.  I do not like the loopy bands on most of them and get desert camo which does not have them.  I also prefer them to an umbrella when on foot in the rain. 

http://www.armynavyshop.com/prods/rc5824.html

Finally, I like to have some cleaners on the bike, but don't need to carry big bottles which spray stuff all over and waste product.  I wear glasses and buy the small one oz plastic lens cleaners which put out a very fine mist.  When empty, I wash them out, and fill one with a Novus #1 plastic polish and another with a detailer (the plastic polish is all you need for the whole bike).  They take up no room, and last for weeks before needing refill.  Good with microfiber cloths.

That's all for now.   LOL