Thursday, April 27, 2006
Planning Part II
I'm starting to gather things together according to the lists...
- 2 cameras: a Polaroid (didn't think they even made these things anymore...) and my Olympus digital. Polaroid is for the 4 Corners shots to send to the SCMA and Olympus is for everything else.
- iPod, charger and earphones (bagged up in plastic)
- Garmin MAP76 (for extreme corners documentation), PC to Garmin cables and charger (also bagged)
- water sample bottles for the 4 extreme corners, labelled
- cell phone charger - plugs into cigarette lighter on Tigress...
- 5 disc audio book (where's the Walkman?)
- 1Gb jump stick to be used as backup for map files, pictures, etc.
- minimalist case for Sony computer; accessory bag for cables and power brick. I think the computer is going to live on the top of the Moto Fizz bag in the waterproof compartment along with the Kanetsu electric liner.
- Backplate for Moto Fizz will be here next week. When I get that, I'll review how everthing packs on the bike and unload/reload it 3-4 times to make certain I know what I need to take and where it is stowed. Kinda like getting ready for a sailboat trip...
- Appointment for bike tuneup and general checkup set for Monday: new tires, brakes, fluid change, coolant change, fuel filter, cable lube, etc., etc.
- Wash and re-waterproofed the 'stich tonight. The Aerostich Darien jacket and pants combination is a wonderful outfit for this trip: well padded, waterproof, 3/4-season suit with the proper layering and very visible. It is almost impossible to take a picture of a 'stich without getting some flashback from the reflective panels. While putting the pads back in I noticed some wear spots around the padding, so I call Aerostich (they're in Duluth). They said to bring it in and they will seam tape the wear spots for me. I thought about this for awhile and if I go up there, I coulb probably get more stamps - Apostle Islands NL, a raft of them in Calumet, MI and maybe even Ft. Wilkins at the top of the Keewenaw Peninsula. And, ssince the bike will be back from tune-up and new tires, it would give me a chance to break them in...
- NPT stops are almost complete. I've gotten the 25 states, but now I'm short the 50 stamps, so I'll have to review the list again. I'm beginning to see that the limiting factor is the available times for the stamps, not the daily mileage. I'm going to review my route and post an overall route, a leg-by-leg file and a day-to-day file so I know exactly where I'm going from day to day as well as where I'm headed for that particular leg. I'll publish the routes as they are finalized.
- computer - reviewed camera photo capture software, Garmin Mapsource, MS S&T (Streets & Trips) and Delorme map programs. I usually do my route planning in S&T, transfer it the a GPS Utility program, save it as a GSX file, then over to Garmin Mapsource, then the the GPS Receiver. Sounds like a lot of work, but the GPS receiver only reads routes from Garmin software (Mapsource) and Mapsource simply sucks for route planning.
Time marches inevitably onward... 20 days to go.
Mike
- 2 cameras: a Polaroid (didn't think they even made these things anymore...) and my Olympus digital. Polaroid is for the 4 Corners shots to send to the SCMA and Olympus is for everything else.
- iPod, charger and earphones (bagged up in plastic)
- Garmin MAP76 (for extreme corners documentation), PC to Garmin cables and charger (also bagged)
- water sample bottles for the 4 extreme corners, labelled
- cell phone charger - plugs into cigarette lighter on Tigress...
- 5 disc audio book (where's the Walkman?)
- 1Gb jump stick to be used as backup for map files, pictures, etc.
- minimalist case for Sony computer; accessory bag for cables and power brick. I think the computer is going to live on the top of the Moto Fizz bag in the waterproof compartment along with the Kanetsu electric liner.
- Backplate for Moto Fizz will be here next week. When I get that, I'll review how everthing packs on the bike and unload/reload it 3-4 times to make certain I know what I need to take and where it is stowed. Kinda like getting ready for a sailboat trip...
- Appointment for bike tuneup and general checkup set for Monday: new tires, brakes, fluid change, coolant change, fuel filter, cable lube, etc., etc.
- Wash and re-waterproofed the 'stich tonight. The Aerostich Darien jacket and pants combination is a wonderful outfit for this trip: well padded, waterproof, 3/4-season suit with the proper layering and very visible. It is almost impossible to take a picture of a 'stich without getting some flashback from the reflective panels. While putting the pads back in I noticed some wear spots around the padding, so I call Aerostich (they're in Duluth). They said to bring it in and they will seam tape the wear spots for me. I thought about this for awhile and if I go up there, I coulb probably get more stamps - Apostle Islands NL, a raft of them in Calumet, MI and maybe even Ft. Wilkins at the top of the Keewenaw Peninsula. And, ssince the bike will be back from tune-up and new tires, it would give me a chance to break them in...
- NPT stops are almost complete. I've gotten the 25 states, but now I'm short the 50 stamps, so I'll have to review the list again. I'm beginning to see that the limiting factor is the available times for the stamps, not the daily mileage. I'm going to review my route and post an overall route, a leg-by-leg file and a day-to-day file so I know exactly where I'm going from day to day as well as where I'm headed for that particular leg. I'll publish the routes as they are finalized.
- computer - reviewed camera photo capture software, Garmin Mapsource, MS S&T (Streets & Trips) and Delorme map programs. I usually do my route planning in S&T, transfer it the a GPS Utility program, save it as a GSX file, then over to Garmin Mapsource, then the the GPS Receiver. Sounds like a lot of work, but the GPS receiver only reads routes from Garmin software (Mapsource) and Mapsource simply sucks for route planning.
Time marches inevitably onward... 20 days to go.
Mike
