Prepping for trip

[DarthJ]

You have to love prepping for a trip. I have to take some furniture to my brother in law in Colorado in a couple weeks, so, I thought, since the one way for a Uhaul is the same price as taking it there and back, why not trailer the Wing up there and ride back? So, I did some much needed maintenance (oil and filter, air filter, and a new fuel filter) Tires were new last year, battery is an AGM only 2 years old. The fun comes when I decide to check the weather forecast for the return. Yeah, gonna be cold and my leather jacket has gone the way of the dodo (couldn't be fixed) so all I have is my vented textile jacket. I figure, well, ok, I'll just use the liner and wear an extra layer underneath, right? Wrong, I have no clue where the liner is, I looked all over where I thought I had it, including the closet. Luckily, I DO have a solution: I still have my old Goretex jacket from my Army time. It's big enough to go over my riding jacket (it's designed to be the top layer, so it is rather roomy) Between thermals under everything and the Goretex on top, I should be ok. Plus, it's better that I'm layering that way anyway as I can remove things as it gets warmer.

And yes, as it's camo (albeit the grayish type) I'll have a hi-vis vest over it for visibility. All I need now is to figure out clothes and toiletries and pack them.

[MikeB]

When I was younger, I'd pile on the clothes to keep warm. Long underwear, heavy military field jackets and or an inclement weather parka. Nothing compares to a heated jacket or jacket liner and gloves.

Nowadays, I never go anywhere without my electric heated jacket liner and gloves. They are either in my saddlebag or I am wearing them. Mine is made by Gerbing's. There are many manufacturers out there. Amazon has many many listings of heated gear. If there is a Cycle Gear https://www.cyclegear.com/heated-gear near you, check them out. You will not regret having the heated gear.

[DarthJ]

We finally got one here, and I shop there. For my body, I never seem to get cold when layering, so for now I'll stick to that. The goretwx adds waterproof wind blocking, and I have the over pants too. I may go to a heated liner down the road, but not right now. I'd probably just get glove liners though, and maybe socks.

[offcenter]

Just remember when packing for a trip.
You will inevitably take along several things that you don't need,
and forget to bring at least one thing that you really DO need!
LOL!!

[89 1500]

I always manage to have my H-D rain gear handy and it will not let any wind in period. I use them with either a hoodie at above 30 degrees or a mid weight jacket under 30. The two best things I have for me anyway are my heated socks and gloves because those are my trouble areas to keep warm. When my hands and feet go the ride gets miserable.

[DarthJ]

Just remember when packing for a trip.
You will inevitably take along several things that you don't need,
and forget to bring at least one thing that you really DO need!
LOL!!

Definitely true, lol. When I took my old truck, I never worried about bringing too much, since I had the room, but bike packing is a whole different animal. Since it's going to be maybe a 4-5 day trip max, I'm trying to think of the minimum i truly need. Mostly clothes, toiletries and gear. Chargers are a must, I do have a battery that will last quite a long time, so my GPS will be fine, as will the old iPhone 5 I'll use for music.

[DarthJ]

I always manage to have my H-D rain gear handy and it will not let any wind in period. I use them with either a hoodie at above 30 degrees or a mid weight jacket under 30. The two best things I have for me anyway are my heated socks and gloves because those are my trouble areas to keep warm. When my hands and feet go the ride gets miserable.

My feet don't really get too cold, thankfully, and for the hands, I got some new winter gloves. I'll have my liners and a few heat packs I can use that will fit in the glove. I've found if I have them on the backs of my hands, they stay warm enough.

[MikeB]

Let us know how it goes. I hear that the weather in Colorado has taken a turn and is now in a deep freeze.

[DarthJ]

Let us know how it goes. I hear that the weather in Colorado has taken a turn and is now in a deep freeze.

Thankfully it's not Denver, but south of Colorado Springs, and hopefully the weather goes like it's supposed to and warms to 60s and even 70s. It will be chilly in the morning, so that's why have layers for my gear. I'm not planning to make it all the way back to El Paso in one go anyway, stopping in Albuquerque for the night. Thankfully the road surface is relatively new and smooth, but if I have to slow down for whatever reason, then I will.