► Hard luggage--panniers and topboxes

  • Thread starter Thread starter EmmettC
  • Start date Start date
Malcolm Leick said:
Alternatively, if anyone has has a lighter way of blogging, editing and uploading pics/video on the move, let me know.
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Ooh! Ooh! I do! I do! Just get yourself an iPhone 4 and use it instead of the MacBook Pro. I rode the length of the Continental Divide Ride along the spine of the Rocky Mtns. two summers ago and blogged the entire 2400 mile off-pavement trip using only an iPhone 3G and WordPress. The iPhone 4's better camera, and all of the much improved apps available today will more than suffice. There are even several FTP apps (I use FTP On The Go) that will allow you to remotely edit a proper web site if that's more your style. And if you need a full keyboard, there are several folding bluetooth keyboards available as well. Seriously, it'll work, and losing an iPhone will be much less trauma-inducing than a MacBook Pro.

Now, if you're going to want to import video and stills from an external source, then the iPhone won't cut it. There's no way, unless you jailbreak the phone, to do that right now. But if you can live with the video and photos from the iPhone's camera (which is pretty decent), then you're good to go. You can even edit the video on the phone using iMovie or Vimeo's new, free app.

BTW, I agree with those who have tried to discourage you from bringing a MacBook Pro along in your top box. Spare yourself the headache.
 
WoodWorks said:
Ooh! Ooh! I do! I do! Just get yourself an iPhone 4 and use it instead of the MacBook Pro. I rode the length of the Continental Divide Ride along the spine of the Rocky Mtns. two summers ago and blogged the entire 2400 mile off-pavement trip using only an iPhone 3G and WordPress. The iPhone 4's better camera, and all of the much improved apps available today will more than suffice. There are even several FTP apps (I use FTP On The Go) that will allow you to remotely edit a proper web site if that's more your style. And if you need a full keyboard, there are several folding bluetooth keyboards available as well. Seriously, it'll work, and losing an iPhone will be much less trauma-inducing than a MacBook Pro.

Now, if you're going to want to import video and stills from an external source, then the iPhone won't cut it. There's no way, unless you jailbreak the phone, to do that right now. But if you can live with the video and photos from the iPhone's camera (which is pretty decent), then you're good to go. You can even edit the video on the phone using iMovie or Vimeo's new, free app.

BTW, I agree with those who have tried to discourage you from bringing a MacBook Pro along in your top box. Spare yourself the headache.
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Now thats impressive :clap
 
Thanks for all your very helpful replies, especially the ones on not putting the mac in a top box - or abandoning the mac altogether.

I don't have an Iphone, but I do have an HTC Wildfire which has an 5mp camera in it. I guess I could email pics and reports to my son to upload. I'm not sure what the android apps are for Word Press but will check it out. I also have an old folding blue-tooth keyboard if I could get it to work.

I do carry the mac in my vario side panniers every day and its fine over speed bumps. With more padding it would probably survive the potholes, but it could be a consant worry and I would have to carry more of the camping stuff up top. I'm not doing the road of bones or anything, just trying to get to Novosibersk and back in the five weeks I have for the trip.

I'm going to try to get to Austin Vince's adventure filming workshop in June and try and find out more there.

Thanks again for the responses.
 
If you set yourself up with a Posterous account you can email single or bundles of photographs directly to them and it'll appear in your site, with the subject as the post title, the body + attachments are automatically figured out and displayed.

This way you could easily slim down your travel tech... as you won't have to manage so much of the site yourself.

If you're more tech minded and want your own site, use the Posterous RSS feed and drag it into your own site... win win.
 
Anyone who is considering taking an iphone 4 on such an expedition (and I probably would myself as I have one) should consider replacing the ridiculous glass back on it. As the saying goes ... ask me how I know this !

The problem is that while the back cover is just glass over plastic/rubber and you probably wont damage the phone or let moisture in if you crack the back it is glass. Therefore when you break it it turns into lovely little shards and is just a pain in the arse. The really annoying bit is that the glass back serves no purpose apart from costing more and looking sexy. (It is from Apple after all!)

My suggestions is get a new metal back or cover it in a screen protector that will at least keep the shards at bay. Best solution would be to take an android or windows phone if you ask me!
 
My Asus Netbook survived a decent stretch of offroad riding round Morocco in my givi topbox. The netbooks have solid state memory so can't really get damaged by being bounced around. I put it in the sleeve provided, then wrapped that in a 'tube' of 6mm neoprene.

Still good as new now. :)





Yes, the topbox looks pants...
 
Tim Cullis said:
If you carry a notebook PC of any kind, place a (clean!) hanky folded in half between the keyboard and the screen to prevent the keys rubbing and marking the screen.
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Or use the thing that came with the laptop... the thing you've probably thrown away. :augie
 
Dave Ett said:
My Asus Netbook survived a decent stretch of offroad riding round Morocco in my givi topbox. The netbooks have solid state memory so can't really get damaged by being bounced around. I put it in the sleeve provided, then wrapped that in a 'tube' of 6mm neoprene.

Still good as new now. :)
Click to expand...

Plus 1 for that. Sturdy little beasts and about £60 secondhand,
 
It depends on how you want to get to Novosibirsk. If you're riding through Poland, the Baltics and up to Moscow and east, slam it in your pannier or stick in a top box if you're inclined to fit one :eek:. I'm a mac user and took delivery of a new McBPro 3 weeks before I took off for Mongolia. I didn't want to take hard luggage on this trip (which was an inspired choice), so security was an issue. Rather than take it I got a new Samsung netbook which fitted into my tankbag with my SLR. I used the netbook every night for updating my blog and as much as I hate microsoft, I didn't mind for a couple of months. Incidentally, the netbook is surplus to requirements now, so if you want to buy it for your trip, I'd be happy to sell it.

My recommendation would be, don't bother with the mac, you'll be constantly worrying about it and the security of it if you're not near your bike (even though nothing is likely to happen it).
 
My F800GS and Plastic Cases

I posted on a Peli thread, but thought it might be worth posting a link here...
More pix here... http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2685477#poststop


IMG_0058.jpg
 
Just bought a Givi E55...

...and it's bloody huge! I was really tempted by the 44L Trekker, but it's square shape meant fitting even one Arai TX3 was difficult enough and I really wanted to stash all of my bike gear (not boots) in a box whilst at a race track.

I also tried the V46, whilst this did a bit better it was a struggle to get much in. So I took a bit of a risk and bought an E55 on eBay for £175 delivered from France, I paid a bit more for the black version.

The plate was £60 with free delivery.

I might post some photographs later, but in the meantime here's what it can store.

2x full face helmets w/ peaks + odds and sods in between.

-or-

1x full face helmet, HG textile jacket and trousers with winter lining... with some room to spare.

I haven't used the box in anger yet, neither have I riden with SWMBO on the back, but so far so good.

I'm still interested in the Trekkers as panniers, with the added benefit of being able to use either the 33L (exhaust side) or 44L (other side) box as a topbox... if I didn't want to carry round something as large as the E55.

I was a bit concerned about ordering from Europe, so a few words on that. Expect a small delay, lots of these items are cheap as they're sourced when you purchase them, you don't pay import duty tax (whatever it is) on items from the EU/EEC, and Google Translate is your friend :augie
 
Honestly puma... you could get a en suite in there ;-)

I think you can get a kit to convert those clear/silver bits into brake lights, but I haven't seen it yet.

Did a test ride with pillion yesterday, the missus said her riding position has changed but not too much, equally the box stops her from falling off the back during acceleration.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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