Advice for Women Motorcycle Travelers: Packing

Jayne shall eat now in Alwinton, England

Coyotebroad's Advice for Women Motorcycle Travelers
(especially those who camp):
Packing disclaimer

Whether you are packing for a one week trip or for a six month trip on a motorcycle, you pretty much pack the same things!

What you pack on your motorcycle has a lot to do with whether or not you will be tent camping, staying in yurts and primitive cabins, etc., as opposed to staying in motels and hotels. The former is cheaper, but you have to take more stuff (like your sleeping bag).

What you pack also has a lot to do with how often you will be eating food someone else prepares (eating in restaurants and roadside stands once a day? twice a day? every meal?) versus what you are going to prepare yourself at your campsite. The more you are going to eat at restaurants or convenience stores, the less you have to take.

In the vast majority of places you go, even most developing countries, you can buy what you absolutely need if you forgot to bring it. In the USA, a convenience store in really remote areas may, in fact, have a dusty old tent on a back shelf amid newer items.

I have a reason for every item I've listed below. When I try to do without one of these items on a trip, I end up regretting it. I reconsider this list only immediately after a trip, NEVER while packing.

Some general packing tips:

Budget space in your luggage for things you want to buy to use on the road (wine, beer, food, maps, brochures) or to have for after the trip (jewelry, a shirt, a wee knickknack, etc.).
Put identification in every bag or pannier on your bike, and every satchel or purse within such. Include your name, email address, phone number and city and state. You may want to put the address of somewhere you are staying.
For clothes, other than motorcycle gear, go for durability and practicality. I think loose-fitting clothes are best as well.
Don't take electronics, jewelry or other valuables that you would be heartbroken to lose or that are easily broken.
Regarding medicine: some things are easy to get anywhere, even other countries, like aspirin, but other things aren't, like prescription treatments for a yeast infection or any asthma medications/inhalers. If you take prescription meds, have documentation affirming you have a prescription for such medication, even if you are traveling domestically. If you are taking prescription pain killers and they are not in their original bottles with your name and official prescription on them, this is especially important.
My list is my list. It will be different than yours. Every person packs differently, both in what they bring and how they pack it, and you will discover what's best for you through trial and error. Don't let anyone shame you regarding what you bring ("I can't believe you brought THAT."). The only person who decides what you need is YOU.

Luggage / Where things will go

All space in your luggage and on your person (in your pockets, in a purse, etc.) is at a premium when traveling by motorcycle. You need to budget space and plan for where you will put each item EVERY time (this will help you find stuff).

In addition to packing things in the panniers or saddle bags, you may also have a bag that lays on the back of your back seat, secured to your panniers (where a passenger could sit on other occasions) and you may also have a top box. Some people also have a tank bag.

Some take a backpack and wear it while on the motorcycle, but I really caution you against that - you want to be super comfortable on your motorcycle. Instead, pack a small backpack or purse you can pack in your panniers or attach very securely to your luggage outside (and in that case, it needs to be waterproof), and remove that and carry it around when you need to carry things while shopping, touring a site as a pedestrian, hiking, etc.

How we do it when we were two-up on one motorcycle: one pannier on my husband's bike was filled with all of my personal items (clothes, toiletries), as well as our medicines. The other pannier was for all of his clothes and personal items. All food related items went on one long bag strapped to the back of a bike, all sleeping items and the tent (and the stools, if we bring them) and a jug of water went in ANOTHER long bag strapped to the first one. His top box was for bike maintenance tools and our rain gear. Water bottles were on either side of the gas tank, strapped to the crash bars. I also had my purse with items we needed easy access too (snacks, drinks, field glasses, etc.). He carried a camera on his handlebar bag. Here is what it all looked like packed when we are two-up on his bike, and unpacked when we camped:

Now that we both ride our own motorcycles, we distribute everything much more. We really don't take much more than we did previously. We both have panniers, top boxes, tank bags and handlebar bags. And we still carry our water bottles as we did before (on his bike). Below are photos of me, first on my Honda Night Hawk with cloth panniers and a bag strapped on the seat, and now on my KLR with aluminum panniers.

The list below is based on what I pack for a two-week or more trip on my own motorcycle.

What I pack or wear on a motorcycle trip where I will tent camp:

Motorcycle gear

helmet
either my winter or summer mesh motorcycle jacket. My winter jacket has lots of pockets, and removable lining - I rarely wear my lining, but if it's going to be especially cold on the trip, I have to budget room for it to pack when I'm not wearing it on a trip. My mesh jacket needs more pockets!
motorcycle pants. They came with removable lining but I never wear my lining because, quite frankly, I've been too fat, and I find a pair of long underwear under them is enough when it's cold, and I don't want to give up any more room in my cases for the lining.
summer gloves
winter gloves (yes, both. I've ridden in 100 plus weather in the day and it's been below freezing)
motorcycle rain jacket. It fit over my motorcycle jacket. Also great for wearing when we're taking a break from riding on a trip and walking around in the rain in regular clothes. I always have this in my top box.
motorcycle rain pants. They fit over my motorcycle pants; mine are way bigger than needed, but it makes them easier to get on and off. I always have this in my top box
boots I not only ride in, but I can also hike in. I do quite a bit of walking on motorcycle trips, sometimes hiking up to four miles in a day.
rain covers for the boots. I always have these in my top box. Boots do NOT dry overnight.

Clothes and cloth for personal use (as opposed to use by anyone else traveling with me)

camper's towel, the kind that's much smaller and thinner than a regular bath towel, but that is much more absorbent and dries more quickly.
a small regular towel (a bit bigger than a hand towel). You will be stunned at how often you need to use such on a trip -- because the hotel's towels are unusable, because you don't have a pillow, because you need to clean up something.. this is not a towel I would be broken-hearted about having to leave somewhere or throw away.
sink stopper, for washing things in a sink, maybe even taking a bath. Even most luxury hotels often have sinks or tubs that don't hold water well. The best sink stopper is just a flat piece of round, thick plastic that lays over any kind of drain. I bought mine at a grocery store.
a "wax," also known as a sarong or sarung. It's a large piece of thin, usually colorful, cloth that is often worn by women in developing countries as a wrap-around skirt or very large shawl. You can do the same, or use it for a top sheet when your sleeping bag or the European-style comforter is too much on a warm night, as a head scarf (often needed to tour a mosque or ultra-conservative Catholic church or an Eastern Orthodox Church), extra covering as a shawl or skirt in conservative countries, a picnic blanket... You can buy them at any hippy/dippy store, any import store and the like. They pack very small -- I can easily fit one into my purse pack WITH other stuff. If you're going to be taking a particularly long trip, take two (so you can use them both at the same time - skirt and shawl, skirt and headscarf, etc.). Wash them in cold water, to see if they shrink (you don't want to take one that shrinks!). An alternative: an airplane blanket (yes, the kind you get on an airplane - just fold yours in your purse before deplaning).
multi-functional scarf headband, one of those long, seamless tubular things you can wear in different ways (a headband, a bandana, a beanie, a pirate-style cap, a neck scarf, neck gaiter, etc.). It's also great for bad hair days (which, for most women motorcycle riders, is EVERY DAY - at least that's how I feel) and when you are in a religiously-conservative country where you must cover all of your hair (put on the headband so that it covers your hair all around your face, then put your wax over your head as a head scarf - voila, you're culturally sensitive!). I wear mine as a neck scarf while riding.
In this era of global pandemics, you need to bring a mask, one that has a nose piece that you can adjust to fit snugly over your nose and that fits relatively snugly against your cheek and under your chin. I use the Outdoor Research Face Mask. It comes with a removable inner filter, I can wash it, it's black (doesn't show dirt) and it folds well. You can use your headband around your mouth for more protection. A lot of travelers got stuck abroad when the novel coronavirus broke out without one (including me).
thin hiking pants, about one size too big for me. You are not going to wear your motorcycle riding pants ALL the time when not riding, especially when you have to get up in the night to go to the bathroom at a camp site or when it's really hot. I have two 100% nylon pairs that are water resistant (lots of wet picnic benches out there), very easy to wipe off dirt, easy to wash in a sink and quick-to-dry, super comfortable, lightweight for hot temps, easy to wear over long underwear for colder temps, easy to sleep in if needed, and can be converted into shorts. I take just one pair on a trip.
up to four t-shirts. I don't change t-shirts every day of a motorcycle trip. I prefer gray shirts, especially if they have logos on them - hides stains better & stays cool in hot weather. White shirts are THE WORST (they are filthy in 5 minutes). Black shirts and dark colors heat up in the sun. Don't take shirts that you will brokenhearted if they get stained or torn, or shirts that you aren't for sure if they shrink in a wash.
one long-sleeve t-shirt for a trip less than two weeks; two for a trip two weeks or more. I take shirts that are lightweight and big enough to be worn over long underwear or even together at the same time, if the weather calls for such. I sometimes also wear a short-sleeved t-shirt over a long-sleeve shirt.
one pairs of long-underwear, top and bottom. Wearing long-underwear, plus my pants and a long-sleeve shirt, are often all I need to keep warm around a camp site and in my sleeping bag for the night, as long as it's not going to get near or below freezing. Also, I rarely bring the lining in my motorcycle pants or jacket, because I find them too bulky; long-underwear packs smaller and is more comfortable to wear. I hate two pair of bottoms if I'm going to be gone longer than two weeks.
long sleeved, sheer, thin insulayer. I call it my "second skin". If I wear this under a regular long-sleeved shirt, it's like wearing a sweatshirt or sweater in terms of warmth. If I wear it underneath a sweatshirt or sweater, particularly along with a long sleeved shirt or long-underwear, it's like wearing a winter coat! Mine is 100% polyester, but if you have the money, try silk. Very easy to rinse out. One of the very best purchases I have ever made!
one sweatshirt/sweater/pull over if I know there's going to be below freezing temps. A long sleeve shirt, long-underwear and insulayer, all combined, keep me warm in freezing temps while riding, without my jacket liners. A sweatshirt/sweater/pull over is for while at the camp site or hiking rather than under my bike jacket while riding.
two bras. I prefer highly-durable athletic bras for motorcycle traveling that are easy to wash and dry. Dark colors only!
panties. How many? I used to take six-seven pair of cotton briefs - dark colors - and do my best to wash and dry, as needed, for a trip more than a week. I made the switch to ExOfficio briefs, because they dry much, much more quickly than cotton after washing (in one night), they are more durable than cotton, and they pack smaller. I take just three pair, and wash the one or two dirty pairs every other night (cold water only!). Buy one pair before a trip and wear it to make sure it's right for you. And dark colors only!
disposable panty liners. At least five, more if I have room. When you can't shower at least every two days, you will be really glad you brought these.
feminine hygiene products (thin underwear pads or tampons) for THAT time of the month (be sure to budget room for such if I'm going to buy such on the road instead of packing right from the get go)
at least one pair of thin socks or footies, one pair of light hiking socks, and one pair of thick winter socks. I take a second pair of one of these categories of socks as well, depending on the weather I expect on the trip.
Teva sandals. I only have these and my motorcycle boots on a trip. Sometimes I take super cheap, ultra thin flip flops for showers. I wear my sandals around the campsite, for going out to dinner at night, maybe even small hikes. If it's cold, I just wear thick socks with them and hope for the best.
Here's specific advice regarding footwear (shoes & socks) for women motorcycle travelers.
Bathing suit. Every time I don't take a bathing suit, I regret it. I think, oh, we're not going to be near water, I won't pack it - and we end up right at a lake. I think, oh, it's too cold to swim - and we end up at a motel one night with a heated pool. If you use such just once on a trip, it's worth the room it takes to pack!

Optional:

I have some vanity clothes. I might take a long-sleeve button down shirt, one that I can hike in, that is big enough that I could wear long underwear underneath, that is easy to wash, and that might look halfway decent when worn with my hiking pants or my wax as a skirt, that might make me feel presentable in, say, a really nice restaurant. Lately, I've been taking a light weight dress I bought from the UNICEF market place. It's multi-colored (handles stains well) and is easy to hand wash. I wear it most often when we stay in a hotel instead of camping. It's also great to wear over a bathing suit.
I sometimes take a sock cap/tuque/touque - but only if I know it will be really, really cold. I particularly need this for sleeping on a really cold night, but it also is nice to wear while cooking or around camp on a cold night or morning (in addition to keeping me warm, it also hides my hair).
Shower sandals. Just a cheap, small, durable pair of flip flops, if I think I will be showering in grimy camp site showers.
Maybe a second pair of hiking pants - really only if a trip is going to be longer than a month and I think I might not be able to replace or repair a pair that rips during a trip. Same rules as the others: super light weight, can be converted into shorts.
Non-riding gloves for warmth, if I will be in freezing temps at night while camping. I sleep in these if it's freezing or below.

Sleeping:

tent. If it's just you and no one else, get a two-person tent, so you have plenty of room for your luggage and motorcycle gear, and plenty of room to read, sew or whatever on a rainy day. If you are going to share the tent with one other person, get a three-person tent, so you have plenty of room for gear. Get a tent with a large vestibule, so you can store stinky boots outside of the tent but not without some cover, for items you want off the bike but not in the tent, etc. If you are traveling with someone else that isn't your romantic partner, you each might want to take your own two-person tent, so you can each have privacy at night. Be sure you put up your tent in your back yard at least once, and get inside it, and get in and out of it, before you pack it up and take it on a trip. It's hard to find tents that have a separate rain fly (which you will not want on hot nights) and that provide privacy when the rain fly isn't on (everything is sheer now), but if you find such, buy it!
sleeping bag. Get one that can handle below-freezing temps. If you end up in a climate that's too hot for such a bag, use your wax/sarong or bring an airplane blanket to use as a top sheet and then you lay on top of the bag. My sleeping bag is more than 25 years old (from REI) - and I love it... but it's lost its ability to handle below-freezing temps, so I also take a sleeping bag liner - a sleep sack - that makes me warmer in the bag. The sleep sack packs very small and I've been really pleased with it.
a Therma-rest, or similar, highly-durable air mattress. Go ahead, call me a wimp. Say it: Wasted space! I don't care. My Therma-rest keeps me off the cold, hard ground. Mine is more than 25 years ago, and is slightly longer than my body. I'm comfortable all through the night and oh-so-happy each morning, ready to enjoy the day because I've had plenty of sleep. I think you should do whatever it takes to have a great sleep - that's essential to enjoying yours trip and being well rested so you can be sharp during your ride. After you buy your air mattress, test it at least once: blow it up and make sure it holds its air overnight, and when you lay on it for a while. Between trips, air mattresses are best stored blown up, actually.
high quality inflatable pillow. Go ahead, again, call me a wimp again. Say it: Wasted space! Use your clothes as a pillow! Shut up! I need a real pillow! I love being happy throughout the day because of my oh-so-comfortable night's sleep. Plus, before I started taking Prilosec, I suffered from severe acid reflux/heartburn, and even with medication, I need to sleep with my upper body well-elevated, so I stack up my bike pants, I blow up my pillow and put it on top, and I am a happy girl all through the night (and then the following day as well!).
earplugs. Two pairs. Don't wear them in bear country or if you are scared of other campers! I actually hate wearing these, because I want to be able to hear something approaching the tent. But people that camp are getting worse and worse about noise at night - playing music, talking loudly, etc. I never wear them rough camping but usually do in a full camp ground if everyone seems relatively cool.
eye cover. You get these free on international airplane rides. Great if you need to take a power nap in the day time (and if you need a power nap, TAKE IT - stay sharp on your motorcycle!). Packs so small, you will forget you have it.

Toiletries for just myself

shampoo. Enough not just for my hair, but to wash my underwear as well, as needed
conditioner. Because of the nature of my hair, it's essential
body soap. I still prefer hard soap (this will need a hard container) to liquid soap.
tooth paste
tooth brush (and something to keep the brush clean while packed)
tooth floss (you may need it for more than teeth - it's a great thing to tie things with. I've used it to hang clothes before!)
any special moisturizer you, personally, need, as opposed to the moisturizer listed elsewhere that is going to be shared among everyone on the trip
small box or small bag of laundry detergent for a washing machine, if the trip will be longer than two weeks and I need to wash t-shirts and hiking pants (although most laundry mats and gas station convenience stores are going to have small boxes you can buy, with coins)
comb or brush
lip balm (with sunscreen) or lip stick
baby powder (no, it does NOT cause cancer - stupid juries)
a container/bag for all toiletries to take to the bathroom (I not only have a little mesh bag I bought at REI for toiletries, I put that little bag, along with my towel and whatever else I think I need, like shower flip flops, in a large, tough plastic bag or nylon that's easy to schlep to and from the bathroom at a camp site or hostel)
small loofa pad to scrub the face daily (maybe even take another for the body, or one just for your feet)

Practical items I will share with those I'm traveling with
(meaning these are taken, but may be on someone else's bike, or I may pack enough for more than just me)

tweezers
fingernail clippers (or small scissors)
small packet of tissue (put this in your motorcycle jacket or pants, for use in bathrooms with no toilet paper)
a first aid kit
candle lantern
small tarp (you may need this to create a shelter to cook under, or you may need it if your sleeping bag floor rips and can't be repaired or turns out not to be water proof)
four clothes pins
rope, long enough and strong enough for hanging clothes (we've dried clothes with a line tied between the handlebars of our two bikes)
matches (keep in something waterproof)
heartburn prevention pills
anti-acid tabs
Advil
aspirin
Tylenol (yes, I take all three kinds of pain relievers)
hand sanitizer
Neosporin (or anything similar)
modium
hand wipes
moisturizer
sunscreen
mosquito repellent
allergy medicine
prescription meds (inhaler for asthma, for instance. Antibiotics for water-borne or air-born illnesses and antibiotics for urinary tract infections are especially important on really, really long trips.)
bandaids/bandages
moleskin (for blisters)
a tiny bottle of glass cleaner (for cleaning everyone's visors)
some paper towels (for cleaning everyone's visors, for cleaning things that cannot be cleaned by cloth, etc.)
some duct tape
repair kit for air mattress and tent
sewing kit
one-two plastic document sleeves, for essential documents that should not ever get wet

Other essential items

Brake disk wheel lock. I have such with me for ALL motorcycle trips, and use it any time I am going to park my motorcycle out of my site for longer than 15 minutes. I'm not kidding - I live in the Portland, Oregon area and the entire Pacific Northwest is the WORST when it comes to motorcycle theft. Viking Bags regularly has clearance sales and these often include bike locks.
Field glasses - binoculars (I regret it every time I don't take these)
Cell phone or smart phone and charger for such (a charger that works from your bike is terrific)
Camera and case (you want to pack the camera in such a way that it's super-quickly accessible during a ride)
Head lamp (one that has different settings is best - this will be your flashlight as well)
Batteries for all electronics
Swiss army knife (have your own personal one - don't keep asking to borrow someone else's)
Two writing pens
Journal. I like a Moleskine calendar book, because it's thicker than any journal I can find, it has an elastic band to keep the book closed, and the pages are lined. I keep it in a clear, plastic bag used for veggies at a grocery store.
A book to read. Not just for bed time, but for when you are stuck somewhere because of weather or a break down.
One cloth or nylon bag, with straps, that folds down quite small. Good for grocery shopping, as these are easy to strap on your back, even while wearing another back pack.
Small, clear plastic bags (the kind of flimsy things used for veggies at grocery stores). I use one to wrap my journal in, one to wrap whatever book or magazine I'm reading in, one for essential documents (copies of health insurance, motorcycle insurance, etc.), one for maps not currently in use), one for brochures I may gather as the trip goes on... in short, I wrap anything individually I'm putting in my backpack or in any non-rainproof luggage that could be ruined by getting wet. I take a few extra as well (and almost always end up using every one of them, for garbage bags if nothing else).
Four-five, semi-durable, not-clear plastic bags. The thick ones you get in clothing stores and bookstores are best. I use one for my Teva sandals, one for my shower sandals (if they are wet), one for my mesh bags that hold my bathroom necessities, one for dirty laundry, and an extra or two for other needs that arise on the road.
Small plastic grocery bags. I put our on-the-road/day food in one, use another, or others, for foods that should be kept dry (even if food will be in panniers, you will be so glad you put such in a plastic bag), use another to carry our recyclables from tent to bin (a growing number of camp sites recycle), and use whatever is extra for trash or needs that arise on the road. You will get these on the road as you buy food at groceries, but remember that you will start accumulating trash almost immediately on a trip, and may not have a place to throw away something if you don't take an extra plastic bag.
my own, personal water bottle (packed or carried in such a way for immediate access during breaks from riding)
birth control (condoms may not be readily available everywhere - and in some countries, it wouldn't be appropriate for you, a woman, to buy such)
backpack, to wear while riding, hiking, etc. Great place for items you need immediate access to during the day (medicine, water bottle, etc.)
paper copies of health insurance and motorcycle insurance information (also have copies on your phone and somewhere on the Internet you can download from)

I've decided to put my packing list for food/meals, cooking, snacking and cleanup while on a motorcycle camping trip on a separate page.

Optional

a collapsible sitting stool/camping chair; not needed if you are going to camp in established campgrounds in the USA and Canada, where there are always picnic tables at camp sites (and, therefore, plenty of places to sit) or if you aren't going to camp rough. Also not needed by my husband and me anymore, because our panniers, together, can form a small table and two very low seats. He sells these panniers, by the way. And here's how fabulous they look as a table and chairs.
a small lunch bag from a camping store designed to keep cold items cold, without ice, for a few hours (lunch meat, eggs, maybe even three or four beers!)
as mentioned earlier, my husband has managed to strap a small hard-sided cooler bag to the top of his panniers for some trips, and it has been a heavenly thing to have - we buy ice each evening before we stop to camp for the night and any other groceries we need, and then in the morning, I have milk, we have eggs, the lunch meat isn't spoiled... it's awesome!
some aluminum foil (for cooking potatoes on a fire)
business cards
selfie stick
playing cards (good for rainy days when you can't do anything or if your motorcycle ends up in a shop)
portable backgammon board (it rolls up to the size of a selfie stick in fully collapsed form - again, great for rainy days when you can't do anything or if your motorcycle ends up in a shop)
address list (to send postcards and for emergencies; have it printed out and on your phone)
tiny speakers (and charger for such) and enough music on your phone to enjoy on a trip (and not listen to exactly the same songs every night); but please do NOT play music in camp sites during quiet hours!
guidebook, or a series of pages you've put together based on your pre-trip planning and research (hotel names, directions to obscure places, etc.); keep it in something semi-waterproof, and have a version on your phone
foreign phrase book
Something like Point it: Traveller's Language Kit - The Original Picture Dictionary, a no-words book. We have the Langenscheidt OhneWörterBuch. 500 Zeigebilder für Weltenbummler - without words book - published by Langenscheidt, but it's not available in the USA.
GPS
Spot Tracker or similar device (we like to mark ourselves safe at every camp site and every vista point, then we get home, we have a series of satellite marks for where we've been on our trip, emailed to us each time)
If there is any chance we'll stay in a hotel or motel, I take a portable smoke and carbon monoxide detector and I also take a door stopper.

And, of course, for the motorcycle itself:

some motor oil
extra gas (we have highly durable gas containers attached to the back of our panniers; these containers are for sale from coyotetrips)
tools for the bike (beyond what may be in the bike's maintenance kit)
spray-on chain oil

See my husband's pack list and gear review, which has much more about essentials related to motorcycle maintenance.

Below is a pack list from Eric and Gail Laws, legendary motorcycle travelers who lived in Westfir, Oregon. Eric and Gail road two-up on their motorcycles on every continent, including across Russia in 1992, which earned them a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the first people to cross Russia by motorcycle, a 6,998 mile trip from Magadan to Moscow. Talk to enough motorcycle world travelers and, eventually, you meet people who knew Eric and Gail - including Stefan, who met them in a small town near the Meteora Monasteries in Greece in 2006. Many of those motorcycle travelers eventually found themselves at Eric and Gail's hidden homestead in Oregon to stay a night or two on their way from Canada to Mexico, or midway through a grand tour of the USA. In addition, every summer, Eric and Gail opened their river-side estate to international motorcyclists and those interested in such, for a small, low-key gathering, more camping soirée than rally... except for the burning of the motorcyclist effigy. They called it Burning Moto Man, and no other motorcycle event has been as good, IMO - it was warm, friendly and fun, without all the posing and macho crap of other rallies. Eric passed away on May 4, 2013 due to cancer. Eric and Gail started a web site to help adventure motorcycle travelers, named for their beloved, and now deceased, dog, Tynda. It was a hot mess in terms of design... and it's long gone from the Interwebs. But in writing an article about them, I pulled off this sage advice:

IF YOU THOUGHT RIDING YOUR MOTORCYCLE IN SOME OF THE COUNTRIES MENTIONED HEREIN IS DANGEROUS, WAIT UNTIL YOU GET OFF.

Yeah, that's Eric - loved his sense of humor. Here are Eric's recommendations regarding some items to take on long trips:

#1 Snap lock for keys.
Ever get on your motorcycle and realize that your keys were still in your pocket. Especially, under the rain gear. How many times does it take. Use a snap lock and snap them to your jacket zipper. Keeps you from feeling foolish..

#2 Small knife.
Place it on your key chain and snap lock.

#3 Ear Plugs.
If you don't know why you should use ear plugs, it is too late. But often in foreign countries they play loud music all night in the campgrounds or there may be a bar/disco close by.

#4 Small Flashlight
In your pocket or on your key chain for emergency or tent use.

#5 Surgical gloves
Even if the foreign doctor has them, they come in handy for those dirty jobs you do, such as when sewing up wounds.

#6 Face mask & mud flaps
Some riders have complained to us of the dust in South America, Russia and other countries. Helpful if dust bothers you while riding alone or behind others.

#7 Candle
Helpful to take moisture out of tents or for those hotels that have limited electrical hours. Scented candles help in the unventilated rooms.

#8 Bungle cords
The very small kind have many uses, especially to strap on items at the last minute.

#9 needles (syringes)
The doctor may not have fresh ones and may want to reuse old ones.

#10 Business cards
Convey info quickly on that rainy, windy road when you meet a traveller coming from the other way. Use email and have it on your card. This is the year 2000, after all.

A little larger items are:

#1 Photo album
Can't speak the language, even so, it shows where you live and your family, pets, etc.

#2 Motorcycle cover
Hides your motorcycle, and can be used as your ground cover, raincover, etc.

#3 Small dictionary
After you use it give it away as a gift. English/Spanish or whatever.

#4 Hand soap & handiwipes
You are not as clean as you think and do you think they have soap in that toilet or kitchen.

#5 Sheep skin
Can be used on your seat for those long journeys and if big enough underneath your sleeping bag. Remove the sheep before using, unless going to a cold climate.

#6 Water pump
Water is the liquid of germs. Beer and bottled water are not always available.

#7 Siphon Hose
Has many uses especially when you run out of gas.

And now this word from my husband:

Adventure Motorcycle Luggage & Accessories
www.coyotetrips.com

Tough, Durable Motorcycle Fuel Containers in two different sizes,
Top Case Adapter Plates,
Facet Fuel Pump with & without holder (for Honda XRV750 Africa Twin, holder fits RD07 & RD07A only),
& Much More (check coyotetrips.com frequently for latest offerings - they change!).

Designed or Curated by an experienced adventure motorcycle world traveler
Based in Oregon. The designer & curator doesn't just sell these items - they are what he uses himself (& me, his wife). Nothing here hasn't been FULLY tested by the designer himself.

You won't find these exact products anywhere else;
these are available only from Coyotetrips.

Disclaimer
Any activity incurs risk. The author assumes no responsibility for the use of information contained within this document.

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Comments are welcomed, and motivate me to keep writing -- without comments, I start to think I'm talking to cyberair.

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Getting Started as a Motorcycle Rider: My Journey (Tips for Women Who Want To Ride)

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Coyotebroad in Germany | in Afghanistan | in Ukraine

Coyotebroad adventures in Europe, Africa, as well as road trips in the USA

women travelers: general information and advice (especially for women novice travelers, NOT geared towards just motorcycle riders)

transire benefaciendo: "to travel along while doing good." advice for those wanting to make their travel more than sight-seeing and shopping.

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