Possi's Extreme-Journey Equipment

The photo shows everything I brought on my 6-week trip to Australia for two people. It all fitted without problem in and on two aluminium panniers and an enduro tank bag. We then simply checked the panniers and tank bag in as regular luggage on the plane.

The most important tip: carry no ballast!

A maximum of 15 kilos is acceptable; 20 kilos is the absolute pain threshold. As obvious as it sounds, most riding problems are caused by luggage.

Here is how I handled it on my Morocco trip: I took just under 17 kilos of "essential luggage" — which was actually already quite comprehensive, organised so that I could manage technically on my own even without my travel companion. A full camping kit is included (without table and chairs, of course), so my partner could save weight there — coordinate in advance! This kit should be sufficient for anyone.

My luggage (Morocco trip example) consists mainly of:

Tent NorthFace Tadpole (1,991 g), incl. groundsheet (387 g), 4 plastic sand pegs (150 g): 2.5 kg
Sleeping bag NorthFace BlackKazoo (1,118 g): 1.1 kg
Sleeping mat RidgeRest in pouch (355 g): 0.3 kg
First aid, nail kit: 0.6 kg
Wire lock (2 m stainless-steel wire with 2 loops from a sailmaker, for securing jackets, helmets etc. against quick theft): 0.3 kg
Small towel: 0.1 kg
Roll of Hakle 1000 toilet paper in old tent pouch: 0.4 kg
3 maps, map case, 3 travel guides, green bag: 1.8 kg (you can save here if you read fewer guides)
2 water bottles (Markill 1 litre, empty): 0.3 kg
Russian petrol stove in pouch: 0.9 kg (lighter ones exist, but this has been the most reliable)
Spare visor: 0.1 kg
Petzl Mini headlamp, A6 notebook (for evening reading and notes): 0.2 kg
Document wallet with purse (normally in the camera bag): 0.5 kg
Food bag (incl. knife, fork, spoon, Swiss army knife, spices, lighter, tin mug, Micropur, bungee cord, velcro for pannier lid, valve rings, fire paste, Tadpole repair sleeve): 0.9 kg
Wash bag (wet razor, hairbrush, toothbrush, 200 ml shampoo, Tempo pocket tissues, deodorant (plastic), spare glasses, sunglasses, mini sewing kit, 2 small + 2 medium plastic straps): 1.1 kg
Underwear bag (2 silk undershirts, mesh undershirt, fleece shirt, 2 undershorts, 1 pair socks, long ski undergarments — in cold weather wear everything in layers): 0.7 kg
Cold-weather reserve: rain suit, Motodress split 0.8 kg; down waistcoat in pouch 0.4 kg; fleece jacket in pouch 0.6 kg
Other clothing: leather gloves second pair summer 0.2 kg; light thin foldable summer shoes 0.6 kg; jeans 0.9 kg
Spare-parts pouch for my BMW (stainless screws, nuts, washers in various sizes, drain plugs, drum brake sleeve, spark plug, mini jump leads, puncture repair kit, tyre sealant 200 ml, pump, photocopies of carburettor, electrics, dealer list, stainless endless strap, wire thick/thin, duct tape wide/narrow, insulating tape, Uhu, cyanoacrylate glue, Praktikus aluminium sealant, tyre valve, cap with integrated valve remover, universal nipple set, cable ties, wire, test leads, fuses, terminal blocks, spare bulbs, clutch/gear lever incl. mount, carb needle valve, 2 old fork seals, used clutch cable): 2.6 kg
Garmin GPS incl. batteries: 0.3 kg Carrying much food is not worth it: you can eat cheaply at any roadside stand, and visiting local markets is always an enjoyable part of the trip. I bring at most a few better-quality instant soups and pasta dishes.

Total luggage weight Morocco: 16.8 kg

In addition comes my photography equipment as a hobby (those who do not always haul this heavy stuff have it much easier!):

Tamrac camera bag approx. 20×15×15 cm, containing:
Three camera bodies, LX and Super A and ME super (up to 15-year-old Pentax gear)
Small system flash with GN 20
Fixed focal-length lenses: 15 mm fisheye, 20 mm, 35 mm, 50 mm, 85 mm, 200 mm
No zooms — they always break on rough track riding!
Polarising filter, close-up lens, spare button cells, 4 AA cells
Bag with extra films and batteries (26× 50 ASA, 16× 200 ASA, 12 AA)

(further info on my photography page). Photography equipment weight Morocco (incl. 42 numbered slide films): 6.6 kg

For many tours the stripped-down kit is also sufficient: 1 camera with 50 ASA slide film, lenses 20 mm, 40 mm, 135 mm, polarising filter, close-up lens, spare films.

Tools

I do not count the on-board toolkit as luggage, since it is included as standard with the BMW (slightly improved by me) and calculated in the "vehicle-certificate weight". It sits in a favourable centre-of-gravity position under the seat (Japanese bikes have different spanner sizes!):

Open-ended spanners: 7–8, 10–11, 12–14, 13–17, 19–22
Ring spanner 10–12
Sockets 13–19, 21–22 with bar
Allen keys 3, 4, 5, 6, 8
Phillips and flat screwdrivers in medium and small, interchangeable
Needle-nose pliers medium
Grip pliers small
Round file small, flat file small
Special valve gauge (remove unnecessary leaves)
2 BMW tyre levers (actually too short, only usable with extension tube and grip pliers as emergency)
Small carpet knife
Pocket multimeter (credit-card size, Conrad catalogue)
Tyre pressure gauge
12 V mini soldering iron (with a little solder)

Total: 1.7 kg

What you wear at the warmest temperatures you can expect obviously does not count as luggage (here for Morocco): undershorts, socks, shirt, Gasgas long-sleeve shirt, Stilmotor cross armour, Dainese cross jacket with hard elbow protectors (since I wear cross armour underneath, shoulder protectors removed), Sinisalo cross trousers with hard knee protectors, Alpinstars trial boots, Sinisalo cross gloves, Uvex Quattro silver helmet (all items and brands are of course just examples; my gear has proven itself and can be recommended).

On the subject of luggage storage

I have a separate page about this: Luggage systems.

For more extreme journeys (self-sufficient desert stages)

you must cut weight elsewhere to carry fuel reserves (e.g. photography equipment, leave the tent at home, etc.). Water is actually the lesser problem, as you only ride these sections in the (relative) winter. 1–2 litres per day is sufficient; 2 litres in reserve is wise. Reasonably clean wells are usually found once a day. Coffee filters for clearing and Micropur tablets for sterilising are all that is needed. I consider the expensive pocket filters completely unnecessary. The self-sufficient stages are not that long: even the sandy gravel track (Algeria, approx. 600 km) I managed in 3 days — even with a pillion on the back (there is a good well halfway). The Tanezrouft piste is almost twice as long, but since you can ride at a relatively safe 80–100 km/h on the firm reg surface, you can possibly do it in 2 days. An extra-large fuel tank (50 litres) and a 20-litre spare can (exchange it for fuel at the next petrol station after use!) are unavoidable, unless you ride a 350 cc — which is also worth considering. Two of my long-distance journeys were done on an XL350R (it used only 3.5–4 l/100 km; with the 35-litre tank fitted, a range of 1,000 km without a can was not uncommon). Unfortunately many of these "challenges" are no longer feasible. Every year new crises in Africa make cross-border travel on that continent more difficult. And in Australia a range of 600 km is normally sufficient even for more remote tracks.

The knobby tyres

should be fitted before the first off-road day (Michelin Desert — see photo —, Pirelli Rallycross or Metzeler Safari). This preserves the tread. The old road-enduro tyres you arrived on can be thrown away or stored if you want to fit them again for the return trip. Riding with spare tyres strapped on looks impressively adventurous in photos but is, in my opinion, nonsense. Modern rally tyres last long enough for several weeks of holiday. Riders on longer trips must regularly visit larger towns anyway, where they can buy replacements or have material sent ahead as a post-restante parcel. On journeys where off-road riding is less central (e.g. my Asia tours), normal long-lasting enduro tyres are better and more comfortable. It is important to order desert tyres in good time. Especially in 1994–1996, delivery times for these tyres were sometimes six months or more. Photo: my TT in the "wall" of a tall dune in Erg Bouharet, Algeria. The tyre, a Michelin Desert, is still relatively new.