Ötzi Adventure Gear Spark Flatpack Portable Grill Bringing the barbecue along on off-road adventures can present a bit of a dilemma if you have limited space. But with Otzi’s flatpack portable grill and 9- by 9-inch footprint (when packed flat), there’s no reason to leave it behind. The Spark is made of precision-cut pieces of…
Garmin inReach Explorer Satellite Communication
Product Review—Garmin inReach Satellite Communication First off, a disclaimer: my husband and I used Garmin inReach Explorer Satellite Communication during a round-the-world motorcycle trip that lasted 708 days. DeLorme inReach (bought out by Garmin in 2016) gave us two Explorer devices—one we received on loan; the other we paid for at a 50-percent discount. The company…
Sena’s New 3S Plus Boom and 3S Plus Universal Has Arrived
Digital communication for riders is vital. Nothing is worse than hearing “failure to connect” when your riding partner is going down the wrong side of the road in a left-side-drive country. Or when they can’t tell you to merge right in time for the next exit. I know—not everybody likes to fidget with gadgetry on…
Overland News of the Week
Kuju Single-serve Pour-over Coffee Finding the motivation to crawl out of your rooftop tent or campervan in the morning can be challenging. But I speak from experience when I say that Kuju Coffee’s single-serve pour-over coffee is a great motivator to get out of bed. They offer six different options: a traditional light, medium, or…
Aether Asks for Help Raising Money for LA Food Bank
From January 12 to February 11, Aether, an apparel company selling moto gear and accessories, along with Urban Partners, the nation’s largest walk-up food bank, are asking for help raising money for those in need. Urban Partners is a 23-year-old, volunteer-based organization. The number of families they see each week has increased significantly since March 2020,…
Triumph’s New Riding Essentials Line
Triumph Motorcycles has launched a new “Riding Essentials” line to keep riders safe and dry. Their new packable gear helps you be seen while riding during these darker, wetter months. The primary focus for the Riding Essentials line design was to have the gear accessible to the rider. Items can be stored within reach at…
Klim—New and Redesigned Women’s Motorcycle Jackets
The female rider is no stranger to the difficulties of finding woman-designed motorcycle apparel. I’m always excited to see the industry is realizing the need for gear tailored to the female form, and Klim is one such manufacturer recognizing that need (though the jackets still focus on street riders, and not the ADV/off-roading ladies, but,…
Overland News of the Week
GoSun Brew If you think there are too many coffee gadgets available to us caffeine-loving, shaky-handed, hot-drink enthusiasts, I hate to break it to you, but you’re wrong. There are never enough coffee gadgets (wink, wink). And if you are one of those folks who like to brew coffee on the go, then say hello…
Riding Solo Episodes by Sterling Noren
Sterling Noren, adventure travel filmmaker, set off in July of 2020 on a BMW GS, riding solo throughout the western US. His 6,000-mile, 30-day journey is available for viewing on the Motorcycle Travel Channel. The Riding Solo series captures the widespread, stark beauty still prevalent in the US, even while it seems these places are…
Ensure Valuable Items are Theftproof On Your Motorcycle
When my husband, Dave, and I were planning our round-the-world trip, one of our biggest conundrums was how to ensure our valuable items were theftproof on our motorcycles when we weren’t there. Helmets, riding jackets, tank bags—we didn’t want to walk around with that stuff all day. For solo travelers, it’s even harder; they don’t…
Be Seen In These Darker Months, Day And Night
Sometimes we have to—or even want to—ride in the dark or at other low-light times of the day, which makes it hard to be seen. What can we do about it? Light up that machine! Before we get into some tips for being seen better while riding, let’s first look at some free or low-cost…
Mystic Myanmar on Dirt Bikes
To live in South Africa as an adventure biker has many advantages. It is a great place to get your motorcycle fitted out with state-of-the-art equipment, as well as a great starting point for an expedition to some of the wildest and most beautiful countries in Africa, such as Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Tanzania, and Rwanda….
We Test the New V2 Bivy Stick Blue
Communication is one of the cornerstones of backcountry travel, as the ability to advise family and friends of our progress, call for assistance, or make an SOS during an emergency all helps provide us with confidence to travel further afield. During my travels in Southern Africa, it was helpful to know that the Bivy was…
New Gear and Firmware Updates from Sena
Sena Technologies has been in operation since 1998 and their communication devices are regarded as some of the best on the market for motorcycling (or any sport requiring a helmet with integrated communication). Perhaps it’s their approach to product design that has grown them such a loyal following. “We boldly lay our visions on the…
Rev’it Women’s Fullseason Riding Suit
One challenge I had as I prepped for a round-the-world motorcycle trip was deciding what riding suit to wear. Two suits—one for hot weather, one for cold—would have been ideal but was cost and space prohibitive. I liked the Rev’it options and bought the Sand jacket (the current model is called the Sand Urban jacket)…
Yakima Acquires Road Shower
As further evidence of the rapidly growing overland market, we are seeing larger (quality) camping and automotive brands acquire products that were niche just a few years ago. What better to pair with your roof tent and roof rack then a solar shower system? I have used the Road Showers in the field and they…
Classic Kit: The Motorcycle Jacket
From Lucky Lindy to James Dean, the motorcycle jacket is the hallmark of adventure.
Sena Momentum Bluetooth Helmet
The world’s first active noise control helmet.
The British Touring Jacket You’ve Always Wanted
I’ve wanted a Belstaff Tourist Trophy motorcycle jacket for a while. That classic, British, belt-waisted jacket made famous by just about every American actor who’s thrown a leg over a motorcycle. Most notably, Mr. McQueen (see: here). My good friend Andy has one, something he scored from a smelly thrift shop in the Pacific Northwest….
Field Tested: Klim Artemis
With an improving industry standard in women’s motorcycle apparel, I was excited when the senior product developer at Klim asked me to scrutinize a two-piece set of their latest offering for women, made by women, the Artemis. As a full-time location independent rider, I require a suit that employs excellent protection and day-long comfort in the saddle…