6 Weeks Camping Up and Down the East Coast from My FZ6

[Brackson]

This is not a typo, I really meant to type SIX WEEKS! I have already talked about it in other threads briefly, but I am leaving for the trip Thursday. I am going to update this as I go.

I have already setup the bike for the long ride, I talked about it in a number of different threads, most recently in a thread for a practice overnight.

http://www.600riders.com/forum/touring-and-traveling/53073-shenandoah-national-park-overnight.html

TLDR for the linked thread: Tent camping for most of the trip, bike also includes gourmet cooking gear(I should really do a whole thread just on my cooking setup, I love it!), and alot of the shared gear for camping for 2.

A quick pic of the bike in touring mode all ready to go!

Yesterday I brought the bike in for a full 4000 mile service (the bike is only 2,000 miles old!). Normally I do basic maintenance myself, but given how busy I am preparing for the trip, and the scope of it, I opted to bring it to my favorite Yamaha dealership for service.

The basic itinerary is as follows.

June 11th - Watch my Red Sox play the O's here at Camden Yards (technically this is before I leave, but really this is how I am starting my vacation).

June 12th (and maybe the 13th) - Riding from Baltimore, Maryland to Manchester, NH vaguely along this route.

June 13th-24th - Putting around northern New England visiting friends, family, and some beautiful places. For example, I was married on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, and have visited the park at least a half dozen times, but never on the bike. I mean to correct this gross oversight during this trip.

June 25th-July 15th - This is the core of the trip. Leaving Maine and meandering my way down the Appalachian Mountains with my best friend. Then meandering our way back to Maine. We have a list of places we would like to see, but we will only decide where we are going hours before we get there.

July 16th-July 23rd - Drop my friend back off in Maine and head home, hitting whatever I missed and regretted from earlier in the trip. If I am feeling froggy and don't have anything I want to hit I may do an Iron Butt SS1000 for the return trip (yes its only like 500 miles, the route would basically be one massive detour in order to make it 1000 miles).

I am setting this up now with the intent to update this at least every few days with what is going on. I hope to post a few photos after each worthwhile ride, and daily updates about where we are during the 3 week core of the trip.

 

[Brackson]

Preparations

This is a MotoCentric Roll Tail Bag, it has built in bungies to attach it to the passenger seat.

Everything is packed in gallon ziploc bags, it adds an additional layer of waterproofing and make its easy to access individual items.

Packed in this bag is:

Left Pocket :
-Nylon Rain Jacket (for when not riding)
-Survival Supplies (matches, paracord, compass)

Right Pocket :
-Fleece Jacket

Front Pocket :
-Extra Ziploc Bags
-Tail Bag Rain Cover
-Tail Bag Strap
-Extra Flashlight
-Extra Earplugs

Main Pocket :
-First Aid Kit (the 2 gallon ziploc bags on the left side)
-Swimsuit
-Nylon Zipoff Pants(2 packed, 1 worn)
-Polyester Shirts(2 short sleeve and 1 long sleeve packed, 1 short sleeve worn)
-Polyester/Spandex Boxer Briefs (3 packed, 1 worn)
-Sleepwear(polyester t shirt and nylon shorts)
-Expedition Wool Socks(2 packed, 1 worn)
-Rain/Cold riding gear(Balaclava, Joe Rocket Sub Zero Gloves, waterproof liner for normal riding jacket and pants)
-A Good Book(New Dan Brown Novel - Inferno)

Main Pocket Flap :
-Pencils (2)
-Sharpie
-Notebook
-AirHawk2 puncture repair kit

This is the same bag and all of that gear packed up.

The rain gear is laying flat on the bottom of the bag, everything else stands upright in its ziploc bags.

Left Side Shad SH43 Side Case

The equipment in here is intentionally things that only get used when in camp or at a gas station on the center stand. This was planned as such because it is the kickstand side and is therefore harder to access during normal parking.

Parked in this case is: (left to right top to bottom)
-Gallon Ziplock Bag Containing fluids with a scent that need to end up in a bear box(Sunscreen, Dish Soap, Chain Lube), and some other tools that I keep with the chain lube like pressure gauge, zip ties, electrical type, steel wire.
-Tent (REI Half Dome Plus 2)
-Bungee Cords
-Tevas (In grocer bag to contain future sand that will cover the Tevas)
-Camp Chair (REI Flexlite Chair)
-Pillow! (REI Relax Air Pillow)
-Collapsible Bucket
-Toiletries Kit (LL Bean, it hangs up and is easy and awesome, includes a small plastic mirror that is good enough for me to shave with)

Left case packed view.

Right Side Shad SH43 Side Case Exploded View

Right Side Shad SH43 Side Case Condensed View

Parked in this case is: (left to right top to bottom of exploded view)
-Pur water purifier
-Ziploc bag with
-Matches
-Fire Starters (cotton rounds and petroleum jelly, they work wonderfully)
-Plastic playing cards
-Mini silicon frisbee
-Alarm clock
-Cooking Utensils (MSR Alpine Utensil Set)
-Nalgene Bottle
-REI Camp Towel
-Sleeping Bag
-MSR DeepDish Bowl
-Stove Fuel (Isobutane)
-Fuel canister tools (stand and JetBoil CrunchIt recycling tool)
-Eating Utensils and can opener
-Cups
-Stove
-MSR Alpine Deluxe Cutting Board and a cheap fabreware kitchen knife from Wal-Mart that came with a sheath
-MSR Dish Brush/Scraper
-Texsport Cook Set

Right side case packed.

Lastly my tank bag

Parked in this bag is: (left to right top to bottom)
-Hydration Bladder (inside bag)
-Security cables
-Charging setup
-AGV Sport Dragon Gloves (Full Leather/Carbon Fiber poor airflow)
-Icon Twenty-Niner Gloves (Goatskin palms/finger, little other protection, great airflow)
-Hat (Go Red Sox!)
-Ziploc bag with personal care items commonly used while riding (Ear plugs, q-tips(often required after wearing earplugs for hours), hand sanitizer, chap stick)
-Flashlight
-Microfiber cloth
-Sunglasses
-Extra keys (these will be with my friend once we meet up)
-Duplicate copy of bike registration and insurance information
-Leatherman

The only items that do not fit in these 4 containers are
-Sleeping Pad (Exped Synmat 7)
-MSR 30oz fuel canister (extra fuel for bike)
-Spices/food

So as of right now these items are in the Shad SH40 top case. Also in the top case is some random items I am bringing to Maine for my friend (his half of the Sena bluetooth headset, exc). We will repack together and redistribute some gear once I reach Maine and go over this with my friend who will ride the main trip with me.

 

[Brackson]

Reserved for MORE PICTURES!??!!!!?

 

[Motogiro]

Matt, be safe and have a great adventure!

 

[tejkowskit]

Excellent! I'm excited to read this as you update! Be safe and HAVE FUN!

 

[lytehouse]

I've subscribed to your thread! Look forward to your updates and pics
Be Safe!

 

[motojoe122]

Matt, have a great trip! If you are going to add miles swing through south Jersey, I'll ride up with you for a bit:thumbup:

 

[Xlrrp]

Looking forward to reading more about your adventure and seeing the pics.

 

[iviyth0s]

Be safe and have fun, I look forward to seeing the pics

 

[mxgolf]

Awesome, Be safe and enjoy your adventure! :thumbup: Looking forward to reading about your trip,

 

[Brackson]

Matt, have a great trip! If you are going to add miles swing through south Jersey, I'll ride up with you for a bit:thumbup:

If I add miles it will probably be with the secondary objective of avoiding major cities, urban areas, and trucking routes in order to make the ride more tolerable since doing a SS1000 basically requires all highway riding for 15+ hours.

The route I sketched out just to see what 1000 miles all in the northeast would look like was actually pretty funny. I call it the "stay the hell away from NYC 1000". It wasn't directly intended to be that, but it ended up being nearly the furthest you can go away from NYC while traveling from Maryland to Maine inside the US.

I wouldn't mind detouring towards Southern NJ on Thursday if you want to ride with me for a bit, are you free at all this Thursday?

To everyone, Thanks for the support and encouragement. I am really looking forward to doing the final packing tomorrow. One last load of laundry before the trip, and then I pack all the bags and double check I have everything together. I will post the first set of photos tomorrow with what I have packed and how its organized for those who are interested in the cases and the camping aspects.

 

[motojoe122]

If I add miles it will probably be with the secondary objective of avoiding major cities, urban areas, and trucking routes in order to make the ride more tolerable since doing a SS1000 basically requires all highway riding for 15+ hours.

The route I sketched out just to see what 1000 miles all in the northeast would look like was actually pretty funny. I call it the "stay the hell away from NYC 1000". It wasn't directly intended to be that, but it ended up being nearly the furthest you can go away from NYC while traveling from Maryland to Maine inside the US.

I wouldn't mind detouring towards Southern NJ on Thursday if you want to ride with me for a bit, are you free at all this Thursday?

To everyone, Thanks for the support and encouragement. I am really looking forward to doing the final packing tomorrow. One last load of laundry before the trip, and then I pack all the bags and double check I have everything together. I will post the first set of photos tomorrow with what I have packed and how its organized for those who are interested in the cases and the camping aspects.

I'm supposed to go back to work Thursday, I can see if I can extend my leave another day. What's the latest I can let you know?

 

[Brackson]

I'm supposed to go back to work Thursday, I can see if I can extend my leave another day. What's the latest I can let you know?

Thursday morning! :thumbup:

 

[motojoe122]

Thursday morning! :thumbup:

Haha, fair enough:thumbup:

09Jun2014:
Checked with the boss, I'm good to go for Thursday. Shoot me a PM of when and where you want to meet up, Matt.

 

[Brackson]

Preparations

This is a MotoCentric Roll Tail Bag, it has built in bungies to attach it to the passenger seat.

Everything is packed in gallon ziploc bags, it adds an additional layer of waterproofing and make its easy to access individual items.

Packed in this bag is:

Left Pocket :
-Nylon Rain Jacket (for when not riding)
-Survival Supplies (matches, paracord, compass)

Right Pocket :
-Fleece Jacket

Front Pocket :
-Extra Ziploc Bags
-Tail Bag Rain Cover
-Tail Bag Strap
-Extra Flashlight
-Extra Earplugs

Main Pocket :
-First Aid Kit (the 2 gallon ziploc bags on the left side)
-Swimsuit
-Nylon Zipoff Pants(2 packed, 1 worn)
-Polyester Shirts(2 short sleeve and 1 long sleeve packed, 1 short sleeve worn)
-Polyester/Spandex Boxer Briefs (3 packed, 1 worn)
-Sleepwear(polyester t shirt and nylon shorts)
-Expedition Wool Socks(2 packed, 1 worn)
-Rain/Cold riding gear(Balaclava, Joe Rocket Sub Zero Gloves, waterproof liner for normal riding jacket and pants)
-A Good Book(New Dan Brown Novel - Inferno)

Main Pocket Flap :
-Pencils (2)
-Sharpie
-Notebook
-AirHawk2 puncture repair kit

This is the same bag and all of that gear packed up.

The rain gear is laying flat on the bottom of the bag, everything else stands upright in its ziploc bags.

Left Side Shad SH43 Side Case

The equipment in here is intentionally things that only get used when in camp or at a gas station on the center stand. This was planned as such because it is the kickstand side and is therefore harder to access during normal parking.

Parked in this case is: (left to right top to bottom)
-Gallon Ziplock Bag Containing fluids with a scent that need to end up in a bear box(Sunscreen, Dish Soap, Chain Lube), and some other tools that I keep with the chain lube like pressure gauge, zip ties, electrical type, steel wire.
-Tent (REI Half Dome Plus 2)
-Bungee Cords
-Tevas (In grocer bag to contain future sand that will cover the Tevas)
-Camp Chair (REI Flexlite Chair)
-Pillow! (REI Relax Air Pillow)
-Collapsible Bucket
-Toiletries Kit (LL Bean, it hangs up and is easy and awesome, includes a small plastic mirror that is good enough for me to shave with)

Left case packed view.

Right Side Shad SH43 Side Case Exploded View

Right Side Shad SH43 Side Case Condensed View

Parked in this case is: (left to right top to bottom of exploded view)
-Pur water purifier
-Ziploc bag with
-Matches
-Fire Starters (cotton rounds and petroleum jelly, they work wonderfully)
-Plastic playing cards
-Mini silicon frisbee
-Alarm clock
-Cooking Utensils (MSR Alpine Utensil Set)
-Nalgene Bottle
-REI Camp Towel
-Sleeping Bag
-MSR DeepDish Bowl
-Stove Fuel (Isobutane)
-Fuel canister tools (stand and JetBoil CrunchIt recycling tool)
-Eating Utensils and can opener
-Cups
-Stove
-MSR Alpine Deluxe Cutting Board and a cheap fabreware kitchen knife from Wal-Mart that came with a sheath
-MSR Dish Brush/Scraper
-Texsport Cook Set

Right side case packed.

Lastly my tank bag

Parked in this bag is: (left to right top to bottom)
-Hydration Bladder (inside bag)
-Security cables
-Charging setup
-AGV Sport Dragon Gloves (Full Leather/Carbon Fiber poor airflow)
-Icon Twenty-Niner Gloves (Goatskin palms/finger, little other protection, great airflow)
-Hat (Go Red Sox!)
-Ziploc bag with personal care items commonly used while riding (Ear plugs, q-tips(often required after wearing earplugs for hours), hand sanitizer, chap stick)
-Flashlight
-Microfiber cloth
-Sunglasses
-Extra keys (these will be with my friend once we meet up)
-Duplicate copy of bike registration and insurance information
-Leatherman

The only items that do not fit in these 4 containers are
-Sleeping Pad (Exped Synmat 7)
-MSR 30oz fuel canister (extra fuel for bike)
-Spices/food

So as of right now these items are in the Shad SH40 top case. Also in the top case is some random items I am bringing to Maine for my friend (his half of the Sena bluetooth headset, exc). We will repack together and redistribute some gear once I reach Maine and go over this with my friend who will ride the main trip with me.

Bump for edited post.

I finally finished updating the second post of the thread with detailed breakdown of my packing job and setup.

 

[Brackson]

Ok first update of the trip. I am now in Maine. I arrived yesterday. I made it up to NH on the first day. Odometer pictures.

Day one :
(South of Baltimore, Maryland to near Manchester, New Hampshire)
Just barely shy of 600 miles on Thursday. All together I was on the road 13 hours 30 minutes. Of that time about 8 hours of it was rain. Fog and mist was a constant problem also, most of the day visibility was under a half mile at times as low as 50 ft. A lot of light misty rain, but there was some good heavy rain also. Gear held up well during light rain and intermittent hard showers. Once I reached the green mountains the rain got really cold and viability crashed also. At that point I was only about 2 hours from my mom's house so I pushed through and made it, I lucked out in NH. No rain for the last half hour so the wind dried my gear. There were some nice scenic areas with the route I took, but the fog would have left them as really boring pictures so I didn't bother. When I leave for the 3 weeks all camping part of the trip ill have a DSLR and 2 GoPro black editions with me so expect some fun pictures once I can upload it all to my PC.

Day two :
(Near Manchester, NH to Brunswick, Maine)
This was supposed to be a short easy ride of about 2 hours to visit some friends. We were then going to go striper fishing. It did not turn out as planned. Friday had a constant driving rain, unlike the day before, this was Forrest Gump rain for the entire day. My gear kept me dry but the gear was drenched. In fact most of it is still drying now more than 12 hours after I hung it next to a fan. The heavy rain kept relative humidity near 100 percent making it impossible to keep my visor from fogging, luckily the vast majority of the ride was interstates so the foggy visor was less of a disadvantage than on B roads. Shad cases really are waterproof unless you accidentally close a strap in the clamshell (doh!). So a few item in one case were damp but im actually impressed it wasn't worse. On the other hand my tank bag and roll bag, they each came with a rain fly which kept them dry while riding. Once I stopped I was at my friend's new home which he was in the middle of laying new floors so I didnt have anywhere to bring the bags in so I left them on the bike. Huge mistake it turns out. The rain fly kept them dry while moving but couldn't stop them from soaking up every drop that sheered past the bags. So the bottom of both bags was drenched along with most of the contents.

I talked it over with my friend who im am doing this trip with and we agreed that if we encounter another day of driving rain we will find something else to do. Go for a hike, visit a nearby museum, cook and read all day, anything else. But riding isnt worth the hassle when the rain is that intense, especially when we will be camping so drying things out will be alot harder. Light rain amd intermittent rain is no problem we are well prepared for that.

A small sample of the rainy weather when I stop at Timmy hohos (Tim Norton's for those of you not from the northern US or Canada, the greatest coffee/donut chain on earth).

More updates will come as I have more to tell.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[tejkowskit]

Great. Thanks for the update. I mis read striper fishing with stripper fishing.. Then i made the connection haha

Rain can be very tough mentally when it's pouring that hard and you're riding so many miles in it. It'll clear up, though! :thumbup: keep it up!

 

[Brackson]

Stripper fishing sounds awesome. I'd like to learn more about it, like what type of lures you use and is 50lbs test line strong enough?

And ya the rain can be tough, I know what you mean, but I'm pretty good at pushing through the mental hardships. It was only the second day of it when it was soaking through my gloves, even when I stopped I was still drenched, plus the realization that it would take forever to dry out, that's what really made it tough. I learned I am well prepared for light or intermittent heavy rain but not constant heavy rain.

We are going to take some measures to be better prepared though, like buying a lightweight tarp so we can hang gear up outside of our tents if we end a day in rain while camping. Overall it was a great learning experience. This is the easy part I still have a roof over my head most nights for the next couple weeks, when we start camping is when we will really be tested.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[motojoe122]

Sorry I couldn't meet up with you Matt. Still dealing with the house AC Maybe on your way back we can meet, give me a heads up:thumbup:

 

[LERecords]

Awesome trip so far (besides the rain).. have fun and be safe.. more pictures definitely!!