THE TECHNOGEAR, THE GEAR
AND THE OTHER GEAR
THE TECHNOGEAR
Canon Power Shot A5 Zoom Digital Camera
We wanted to get a digital camera so that we could include all our great shots for you all to look at. 		The camera...
The Handheld PC... HP Jornada 820 Handheld PC
We bought a handheld PC rather than laptop because it gets about 10 hours of battery life and the price was a lot better. It's also much lighter at 2.5 lbs. You might be wondering how we're going to be getting connected to the Internet... we will be using an ISP that is part of the IPASS network. IPASS is an international network of ISP's that allows you to make a local connection from almost any country in the world. For more information on this, see the article I've written, Getting Connected to IPASS with Windows CE.






THE GEAR
MSR ISDE Goretex Jackets and Pants
We wanted waterproof jackets and pants that would also provide protection but we know the weather is going to be really hot so we wanted more of a shell. The jacket has lots of zippered and velcroed pockets, a good venting system and a built in carrying bag. The pants have a comfortable lining, cargo pocket, hip pads and should be lightweight enough for riding in hot weather. 		The Jackets and Pants...
The Centerstand... Dualstar Center Stand for KLR 650
Jeff wanted a center stand for easier maintenance. Haven't found one for Suzi yet.
Collett Communicators
After hours of comparison shopping, the Collett seemed to have the easiest setup, best price and best product reviews. They are H2O proof too! (helmet not included). After several test rides we found the ease of installation a great bonus but we're a little disappointed in the range. Approximately, 1/4 mile when in city mode and maybe a 1/2 mile or so on highway mode. The VOX (voice activated microphone) takes a little time to get used to though (Linda appears to have developed a special affinity to talk prior to opening her VOX which can be a double edged sword). 		The Communicators...
The Helmets... Bieffe 3-Sport Helmets
These helmets have both a sun visor and a wind shield. The windshield is removable, making it like an off-road helmet. You sorta get the best of both worlds.





Hepco&Becker Aluminum Panniers
These are the Hepco & Becker Aluminum panniers. Jeff's are on the left - called Standard 38L. Linda's are on the right - Exclusive 30. After numerous hours spent searching for panniers on the internet, Hepco&Becker came up time and again as the most reliable and bullet proof system on the market. It didn't hurt that my (Jeff's) brother Tom is stationed in Germany. 15 minutes away from the H&B manufacturing facility. After reviewing the product listing and catalog (All in German) we selected the mounting system specifically designed for the DR650 and KLR650. Linda's mounting system went on in about 30 minutes. The KLR was a bit more strenuous (see 'some assembly required' below).
Some Assembly Required: So much for the world renowned German engineering! Either the European model of the KLR650 is totally different from the model distributed in the USA or H&B has its parts numbers discombobulated. After disassembling my entire rear tail light assembly, it became clear that there was no way the H&B mounts were going to fit on my KLR. Fortunately, our friend Pat, who works at our favorite Micro Brewery - Portland Brewing Company, was able to custom weld the mounting system to fit The Green Hornet. Since I have a special affinity for German beers I'm going to give H&B the benefit of the doubt and assume they have their part numbers screwed up.





THE OTHER GEAR
EQ Swimsuits
EQ Swimwear is a company owned and operated by friends of ours, Ellen Ferguson and her husband Bob, who after years of swimming decided to take swimsuit design and manufacturing into their own hands. Now I can hear a lot of those 'Speedophobes' out there thinking, "Oh great, now he wants us to wear these things!" Well, aside from the functional and fashionable aspects of the EQ suits, I can personally vouch for the stability that the men's suits provide when mounted atop a single cylinder motorcycle. I know Linda loves her suit for the comfort and style (although I'm not sure how important that whole 'stability' thing is for her).
 
Camping Gear
  • MSR Dragonfly Multi-fuel Campstove and fuel
  • MightLite Stove Stand
  • Mess Kit in mesh stuff sack
  • Thermarest Standard 3/4 (2) in Therarest stuff sacks
  • Eureka Timberlite 3XT Backpacking Tent (one of the few that would fit in our panniers)
  • Marmot Black Magic Sleepsacks (2)
  • PacSafe Locking System for Backpacks (2)
  • REI New Star Backpack (Jeff)
  • REI waterproof backpack covers (2)
  • Lowe Alpine Sirocco 70+15 Backpack (Linda)
  • Lowe Alpine Contour Runner 30 Daypack
  • Jansport Crevasse Dayback
  • REI and Sierra Designs Rain Gear
  • Mombasa Spider Mosquito Net
  • PUR Water Filter
  • Petzl SAXO headlamp
  • Petzl ZOOM headlamp
  • Candle lantern
Specialty Wearables
  • Zamberlan Vibram Gortex boots (Linda)
  • Raichle Waterproof boots (Jeff)
  • Royal Robbins Shirt (Linda)
  • Ex Officio Pack Saddle Shirt (Linda)
  • Ex Officio Climate Control Shirt (Jeff)
  • Ex Officio Air Strip Shirt (Jeff)
  • Columbia International Conversions pants-shorts (Linda)
  • Gramici Warp Dry Mountain Pants (Linda)
  • Ex Officio Conversion pants (Jeff)
  • Sportif Outdoor Zip off pants (Jeff)
  • Eagle Creek Fanny Pack (Linda)
  • Nike Dri-Fit Long/Short sleeve shirts
  • Nike ACG Shorts (Linda)
  • Chaco Z/1 Atlas sandles (Linda)
  • Nike Air Deschutz sandles (Jeff)
  • Fleece jackets and pants
  • Nike lycra shorts
  • Thorlo Hiker/Light Hiker socks
  • Nike Air Ketchikan Trail Running shoes (Jeff)
  • Asics GT-2040 Running Shoes (Linda)
Riding Stuff
  • Camelbacks (2)
  • Fox Pawtector Gloves (2)
  • Leather gloves for cooler weather (2)
  • Smith Buzzsaw Sunglasses (2) (with interchangeable colored lenses)
  • Motoline Back/Kidney belts (2)
  • Motoport rain boot covers (2)
  • Motoport rain mits (2)
  • Ear plugs
  • TourMaster Tank Bags
  • BIG Kryptonite motorcycle locks
  • Motorcycle covers
  • Lots o' bungee cords, ratchet straps
  • Oakley Goggles (with interchangeable colored lenses)
  • 2 qt. Meyer Handlebar Spare gas tank
  • Wickers Lightweight polypropylene Balaclava
  • Marmot Bully Glove Gore-tex gloves with Outdoor Research Under Gloves (Jeff)
  • Manzella Z-Tech Summit/CS Gore-tex gloves with Outdoor Research Under Gloves (Linda)
Motorcycle Spare Parts:
  • Air Filters (2 each)
  • Air Filter lube
  • Air Filter cleaner
  • Spark Plugs (4 each)
  • Fuel Hose
  • Brake Pads (2 front & 2 rear)
  • Spare Rear Tire
  • Loc-tite
  • Chain lube
  • Tire repair kit
  • Bell Ray Waterproof grease
  • Tire guage and tire irons
  • Spare bolts/nuts/tubing
  • Seal-n-air
  • Spare tubes (front & rear)
  • Tire Irons (2)
  • Chain Breaker (2)
  • Duct tape
  • Took Kit
  • Clamps
  • Bailing wire
Health Care and Toiletries:
  • Disposable Contacts
  • Contact Solution
  • Glasses and cases (2)
  • Prescription drugs for allergies, dysentary
  • Asthma inhalers (7 mo's supply)
  • Tampons (1-2 mo's)
  • Birth Control
  • Malaria Pills (buying in Mexico)
  • Shampoo and Conditioner
  • Pack Towels - shamois (2)
  • Toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss
  • Lotion
  • Brush
  • Sunscreen
  • Lip balm with SPF 15
  • Insect Repellant
  • Permethrin - repellant for clothes
Other Clothes:
  • Running shorts
  • Jog bra (2)
  • Bathing suits (2)
  • Cap and goggles
  • Cycling Shorts
  • Running socks (1 pr.)
  • Underwear (7)
  • Bras (4)
  • Running tights
  • Short sleeve shirts
  • Tank tops
  • Skirts (1) (no, not Jeff)
  • Belt
  • Baseball caps
Books:
  • Let's Go: Mexico
  • Rough Guide - Central America
  • Let's Go - Central America
  • Lonely Planet - South America
  • Spanish Dictionary
  • Barron's Spanish Verbs Book
  • Lonely Planet Latin American Spanish Phrasebook
  • Pocket HTML book
  • Pleasure Reading books
  • Journals (2)
  • Maps of Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica
  • Maintenance manuals (KLR, DR)
Technology:
  • Extended Backup Battery for HP (15 hrs)
  • Kingston 96 MB ATA flash card for HP
  • Power Supply Kit for Camera
  • Travel Surge Protector
  • Multi-globe electrical adapter
  • 20FT. retractable phone cord
  • Notepad for WinCE (for HTML editing)
  • Sierra Imaging Photo Editing Software
  • IPASS ISP account
  • Dialup Master Software
  • Cambridge vxFTP Software
  • Extra AA Batteries
  • Extra Batteries for Communicators
  • Charger for Communicators

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