One Man One Bike (Ian from Helensburgh) with some thoughts about the kit he takes with him on his trips...
Kitting out for a trip
- Thread starter Posh Pete
- Start date
Thank you for sharing the video. It’s not exactly my cup of brew, but….
I have the same AS Magadan soft bags on my Himalayan, having seen them recommended on the forum by Simon (King Rat). They really are very good. As the video says, they are pretty much water resistant. I do though use one decent sized waterproof inner bag inside each bag, to keep everything in. These inner bags I bought in a closing down sale of a branch of Blacks. Unlike some waterproof inner bags, they are pretty tear proof.
The fellow has a lot of electrical gubbins, to run all his video making kit and the very large battery pack thing. That is peculiar to his video making hobby. It’s not what I need but hey, each to their own. I’d substitute the space the electrical items take up for an extra pair of trousers and a couple more shirts; all lighter and take up less ‘rigid’ space.
I haven’t added any Lomo bags to the front crash bars, but I do have some Molly bags, attached to the Magadan bags. My soft roll bag is similar to the fellow’s one in the video. I don’t have a hard top box, preferring to use a soft tail pack. I have a selection of bags to go onto the seat or tail, using the ones that best suit my particular journey. I have seen several posts on the forum, recommending bags on the front crash bars, so I might well take up the suggestion. That said, I often find that the more space you create, the more stuff (shite) you cart about, 9/10’s of which you never use. I have leant that the hard way and am not going back.
I pack differently to the fellow, putting all my camping / cooking gear into the soft bag, across the pillion seat. I might though switch that, copying what the fellow has done, putting his clothes in there.
One thing he didn’t mention was shoulder straps on the bags. I find these so useful, no matter what. The trouble with motorcycling, is that you end up with several bits to carry and only two hands. Having shoulder straps makes things so much easier.
The last thing I have, which the bod in the video didn’t, is a set of gas canister converters. The gas canister he showed in the video is by no means universal. The converters allow you to use different gas canisters. They cost very little on e-bay / Amazon and weigh next to nothing.
I have the same AS Magadan soft bags on my Himalayan, having seen them recommended on the forum by Simon (King Rat). They really are very good. As the video says, they are pretty much water resistant. I do though use one decent sized waterproof inner bag inside each bag, to keep everything in. These inner bags I bought in a closing down sale of a branch of Blacks. Unlike some waterproof inner bags, they are pretty tear proof.
The fellow has a lot of electrical gubbins, to run all his video making kit and the very large battery pack thing. That is peculiar to his video making hobby. It’s not what I need but hey, each to their own. I’d substitute the space the electrical items take up for an extra pair of trousers and a couple more shirts; all lighter and take up less ‘rigid’ space.
I haven’t added any Lomo bags to the front crash bars, but I do have some Molly bags, attached to the Magadan bags. My soft roll bag is similar to the fellow’s one in the video. I don’t have a hard top box, preferring to use a soft tail pack. I have a selection of bags to go onto the seat or tail, using the ones that best suit my particular journey. I have seen several posts on the forum, recommending bags on the front crash bars, so I might well take up the suggestion. That said, I often find that the more space you create, the more stuff (shite) you cart about, 9/10’s of which you never use. I have leant that the hard way and am not going back.
I pack differently to the fellow, putting all my camping / cooking gear into the soft bag, across the pillion seat. I might though switch that, copying what the fellow has done, putting his clothes in there.
One thing he didn’t mention was shoulder straps on the bags. I find these so useful, no matter what. The trouble with motorcycling, is that you end up with several bits to carry and only two hands. Having shoulder straps makes things so much easier.
The last thing I have, which the bod in the video didn’t, is a set of gas canister converters. The gas canister he showed in the video is by no means universal. The converters allow you to use different gas canisters. They cost very little on e-bay / Amazon and weigh next to nothing.
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Take a car at that point. 
For what it’s worth, these are the gas canister adaptors. I have used several of them, including in my motorhome.
Last but not least:
Last but not least:
To be Fair I've never buggered off for more than three weeks at a time but I never carry anything like that amount of "stuff". If I do camp its all strapped to the pillion seat in one Ortlieb dry bag. I don't use a top-box unless two up and try to avoid a tank bag if at all possible.Take a car at that point.
Camping? I thought you were a van lifer with the comfort of central heating.
Loads of questions in the comments on the guys video, some even from two weeks ago and he hasn’t had the courtesy to answer them. That really pisses me off. YouTube people want you to watch their video so they can earn revenue from your interaction but then can’t be arsed to respond to comments and questions. It’s a two way process, bloody rude not to answer people’s questions in my opinion.
Neither. I have to admit I am not a big fan of camping, I've done it rarely.
I've been away on my GS for a couple of months before, but that was over summer and staying in hotels and B&B and (in part of the trip) at my place down in Italy.
I did have to bring my work laptop + a few extras because I would work remotely over the 2 months stay abroad, and also brought over an extra helmet and jacket for a pillion I was picking up on the way. But, of course, no camping gear means a lot less items and accessories.
It all fits in 2 alu panniers and a Givi 32L roll bag.
Anyway, everyone does as they please. My sarcastic comment was on the amount of tactical-looking tat on the bike.
I've experienced people losing their goddamn water bottles while hogging down the road on the alps or similar areas.
Use a bloody camelback if you have to drink a lot (I do use one).
You're on a motorbike. It's not a minivan with bottle holders on the center armrest. This is some sort of retardation we are inheriting from the US.
Go have fun on the reddit motorbike sections and you'd see a fair amount of people riding bikes with coffee cups attached to the bars. WTAF.
If I have to swerve to avoid the shit you lose from your fancy attached bags, I'd go tactical on you
When you strip the video down, a lot of the ‘stuff’ was irrelevant. Not least it was a mobile film studio.
Here’s a very abreviated sample…..
A collapsible bucket….. Just take a travel sink plug.
A fire extinguisher…. Really?
A five litre fuel can…. Empty for the vast majority of jaunts.
A litre bottle of oil….. On a bike he tells us doesn’t use more than 200 ml, if any.
A litre bottle of tomato sauce stuff, apparently unobtainable in the UK…..
But hey, it’s his bike and his load. A’wa ye go……
In fairness to his nibs, he's done a fair amount of travelling in the past year, getting as far as the Gambia. His videos are worth a look. 
Had my GS catch fire once.
I stopped on the hard shoulder immediately, and briskly walked away from it.
No extinguisher needed really.
Large, and a very messy accident waiting to happen. Ketchup , mustard sachets accumulated at Costa visits are surely the way forward.
The other half and I find his videos very good..
Yes,he does carry allot of stuff he doesn't use..or need too carry..
Yes,he does carry allot of stuff he doesn't use..or need too carry..
Crikey - how much stuff does this bod carry??
It obviously works for him but there's so much "just in case" stuff and so many items that could be down-sized or had in travel/packable versions.
I dread to think what all that weight (especially so high hand so far back) must do to the handling of that bike too...
It obviously works for him but there's so much "just in case" stuff and so many items that could be down-sized or had in travel/packable versions.
I dread to think what all that weight (especially so high hand so far back) must do to the handling of that bike too...
Maybe he should compare notes with RTW Paul...
Best comment there ... " There's shops everywhere!".
In fairness, 9 years on the road means you're going to be pretty well practiced in minimal packing. He also seems to have a lot of top end stuff which may have come from sponsors? OMOB Ian is maybe a little more of an amateur? Useful video though. Ta for posting.
However much you carry, and I prefer to have less rather than more, you need a system so you know what goes where. Less time to find stuff, less faffing to pack up, stuff that’s used together in the same area, stuff you might need in a hurry easy to get to and valuables somewhere secure.
I concur Captain...
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