I appreciate to have good stuff and being satisfied of my purchases, and my researches led me to Happy-Trail.com for the KLR's accessories & Touratech for the rest, where I nearly completely equipped myself online.
I won't enter here in the details with respect to the pleasure to do online international purchases from Argentina and will just synthesize saying that I first heavily underwent importation restriction steps while buying the first Happy-Trail's pack (830 US$ including 240 of postal delivery for 10 elements) with an extra-cost of approximately 2.200 AR$ (≈ 280 US$) in argentinian customs + 2.250 AR$ (≈ 290 US$) to the bank in concept of additional tax aiming at reducing this kind of purchases (the famous RG.3550's 35% for locals aware of it). At least I managed to get back most of this last amount one year later, taking into account that the 40% annual inflation had in the same time reduced accordingly the real value of this amount...
Fortunately I then found an alternative way to proceed with Touratech's purchase thanks to compassionate friends whose anonymat will be preserved but that will recognize themselves, a great thanks to them ! :)
To give you an order of magnitude, the equipments pack ordered in Touratech represented around 1.500 euros of investment for around 50 items (actually about 30 different types with some repeated like 10 belts / 4 jerrikans / ...). And nearly none of those was available in Argentina, not even in the Touratech's local in BsAs that informed me being unable to order it due to importation limitations, without speaking of the astonishing price of the few items available on site...
Finally, the biggest items as the satellite phone or the MacBook were bought separately, the phone in France and delivered by my father during his holidays end of 2014, and the MacBook directly in BsAs, at the last moment after having tried to content myself with a ChromeBook (not convincing test in my opinion despite some clear advantages).
I won't enter here in the details with respect to the pleasure to do online international purchases from Argentina and will just synthesize saying that I first heavily underwent importation restriction steps while buying the first Happy-Trail's pack (830 US$ including 240 of postal delivery for 10 elements) with an extra-cost of approximately 2.200 AR$ (≈ 280 US$) in argentinian customs + 2.250 AR$ (≈ 290 US$) to the bank in concept of additional tax aiming at reducing this kind of purchases (the famous RG.3550's 35% for locals aware of it). At least I managed to get back most of this last amount one year later, taking into account that the 40% annual inflation had in the same time reduced accordingly the real value of this amount...
Fortunately I then found an alternative way to proceed with Touratech's purchase thanks to compassionate friends whose anonymat will be preserved but that will recognize themselves, a great thanks to them ! :)
To give you an order of magnitude, the equipments pack ordered in Touratech represented around 1.500 euros of investment for around 50 items (actually about 30 different types with some repeated like 10 belts / 4 jerrikans / ...). And nearly none of those was available in Argentina, not even in the Touratech's local in BsAs that informed me being unable to order it due to importation limitations, without speaking of the astonishing price of the few items available on site...
Finally, the biggest items as the satellite phone or the MacBook were bought separately, the phone in France and delivered by my father during his holidays end of 2014, and the MacBook directly in BsAs, at the last moment after having tried to content myself with a ChromeBook (not convincing test in my opinion despite some clear advantages).
Here are the main equipments I chose to carry in this getaway.
- First Aid Kit :
- First Aid Kit :
I went on a "Professional First Aid Kit" from Care Plus (via Touratech), which exhaustive content list is available on the net for curious ones, and that to make it short includes the necessary to practice some sutures apart from the classic dressings, bandages, and other sterile accessories.
I then added on my own some basic medicines against headache / diarrhea / constipation / dehydration / allergy, the chloroquine tablets, a wide spectrum antibiotic, and some muscular relaxants I still had in stock (Voltarène, Diclofenac, etc).
I then added on my own some basic medicines against headache / diarrhea / constipation / dehydration / allergy, the chloroquine tablets, a wide spectrum antibiotic, and some muscular relaxants I still had in stock (Voltarène, Diclofenac, etc).
I hope I won't need any of these, but still better having it if necessary.
- Water :
In Argentina / Uruguay / Brasil, I still allowed myself to drink tap water relying simply on the taste to discriminate between acceptable quality and suspicious one, and didn't have any intestinal disorder so far. Being about to enter Bolivia, I'll start to consume bottled water, and this until getting back down to Chile, but normal situations don't require any particular equipment.
On the contrary, in prevision of a possible motorbike breakdown or accident blocking me in a zone far from any urbanization, I carry the necessary to filter / treat / stock a minimum of a dozen liters of water. The idea is to be able to go recollecting from any stream or puddle for some wild camping days without taking the risk of getting the situation worst.
This kit includes a MiniWorks EX filter from MSR (active charcoal core ceramic cartridge, valid for up to 2.000L with some cleanings), a Steripen (UV sterilization), a chlore based liquid disinfectant to wash vegetables / prepare a meal, a 10L flexible bag, a 1.5L thermos for cafe/mate's hot water, and a 1L flask for fresh water.
On the contrary, in prevision of a possible motorbike breakdown or accident blocking me in a zone far from any urbanization, I carry the necessary to filter / treat / stock a minimum of a dozen liters of water. The idea is to be able to go recollecting from any stream or puddle for some wild camping days without taking the risk of getting the situation worst.
This kit includes a MiniWorks EX filter from MSR (active charcoal core ceramic cartridge, valid for up to 2.000L with some cleanings), a Steripen (UV sterilization), a chlore based liquid disinfectant to wash vegetables / prepare a meal, a 10L flexible bag, a 1.5L thermos for cafe/mate's hot water, and a 1L flask for fresh water.
- Shelter :
Nothing special to underline here, out of the fact that a great part of the initial selection was kicked away after the first bagage's lightening sessions. This initial pack included a 2 persons tent / isolated ground pad (one face alu) / light sleeping bag (ok until 15˚C) all from Décathlon that I already had, an inflatable mattress bought in Argentina, a mosquito net found on Touratech in prevision of some nights under the stars, and a handy hammock my friend Nico lent me (thanks to you). After a few weeks on the road and the first lightening sessions, I only have the tent and the sleeping bag left ! :D
- Cooking :
Out of the classic camping flatware set (alu frying pan & sauce pan / inox plate & mug / mug-sized coffee filter / salt&pepper / opinel(knife)-vegetable peeler-fourch-spoon), the only real investment about alimentation was a petrol-stove (Giga Power_SnowPeak) that avoids me to be often looking after a gas cartridge : I directly go to pick it up in the motorbike's tank (I added for this a little tap) ! Up to now (50 first days), I must admit I still feel a bit cold to go on camping and I instead use the hostel's cooking stuffs, but little meals in the corner of the tent will come soon.
- Communications :
A smartphone can allow some interesting options like GPS or some really useful applications (even more when available offline, as "iOverlander" & "Maps.me" that I recently discovered chatting with others travelers), but a basic phone will cover as well the essential communication's needs, and will probably have better chance to be compatible with the local chips. A new chip for each new country, to avoid receiving insane bills...
But to be sure of being able to make an emergency call in the middle of nowhere, there is nothing but the satellite phone ! My investigations led me to go for the Inmarsat net for the competitive price of its associated phone : IsatPhone2 in my case fo approximately 1.000 US$. You need then to add a chip and some communication credits, in the order of 300 euros valid 6 months for 250 "unities" (≈250mn of calls/datas).
I must admit that I'm relieved to know that in case of a crash, it could be sufficient to press the "emergency button" in the upper part of the phone (at the only previous conditions to have recorded the number to dial and to have enough battery) and wait for someone answering me "where should we come to pick you up ?" :)
But to be sure of being able to make an emergency call in the middle of nowhere, there is nothing but the satellite phone ! My investigations led me to go for the Inmarsat net for the competitive price of its associated phone : IsatPhone2 in my case fo approximately 1.000 US$. You need then to add a chip and some communication credits, in the order of 300 euros valid 6 months for 250 "unities" (≈250mn of calls/datas).
I must admit that I'm relieved to know that in case of a crash, it could be sufficient to press the "emergency button" in the upper part of the phone (at the only previous conditions to have recorded the number to dial and to have enough battery) and wait for someone answering me "where should we come to pick you up ?" :)
- Navigation :
First are the good old paper maps, that unlike GMaps give you information about the kind of road covering (and one must admit that there's an appreciable difference between 100kms of paved road and 100kms of dirt tracks...). I now have one of (nearly) each country, and some for specific zones (Argentinian's North-West, Patagonia, ...). I dedicate a fair amount of time searching for next day's route and daydreaming on the ones I won't have time to explore, and I consult it regularly on the road to check some details and position myself more accurately. I also have binoculars offered by my friends before departure and a compass which would be useful if I managed to make it readable at any time, sticked somewhere on the driving board, but the one I have is a trekking model and doesn't allow this. I will think it over when I'll find time for it (already contemplating one of these 2 cents compass floating in a sphere, maybe in a camping shop...).
But it's also a GPS, that I nearly didn't carry before leaving considering that with argentinian's electronic stuff insane prices I would have better wait to reach an other country to think about it. And my friend & colleague Jose Luis saved my ass by exchanging me his GPS for a power-washer I was selling. I must admit that I had seriously underestimated the comfort brought by being always able to check how far on the day's route I am, which type of road is coming on the next tenths of kms (mountain curves or land straights), without mentioning the arrival in a new city - with or without address - where I instantly find the downtown's green square, where is generally located the touristic information's office that will provide me with hostels/restaurants informations !
But it's also a GPS, that I nearly didn't carry before leaving considering that with argentinian's electronic stuff insane prices I would have better wait to reach an other country to think about it. And my friend & colleague Jose Luis saved my ass by exchanging me his GPS for a power-washer I was selling. I must admit that I had seriously underestimated the comfort brought by being always able to check how far on the day's route I am, which type of road is coming on the next tenths of kms (mountain curves or land straights), without mentioning the arrival in a new city - with or without address - where I instantly find the downtown's green square, where is generally located the touristic information's office that will provide me with hostels/restaurants informations !
- Computing & electronic miscellaneous :
Having a good reliable and resistant netbook is not only of a great help for many basic information searches and communications, but also of quite a comfort for all about music / reading / pictures / videos, even if others options exist for each separately (and better avoiding carry various devices when one can do it all).
Considering the important vibrations inevitably induced by motorbike traveling on AMZ tracks, the basic criteria to choose the computer is that it should have a SSD hard disk (Solid State Drive, like pendrives) that are shock-resistant. If it can in addition be quite cheap, considering the fairly high risk of destruction in an accident or robbery, it clearly helps.
Considering the important vibrations inevitably induced by motorbike traveling on AMZ tracks, the basic criteria to choose the computer is that it should have a SSD hard disk (Solid State Drive, like pendrives) that are shock-resistant. If it can in addition be quite cheap, considering the fairly high risk of destruction in an accident or robbery, it clearly helps.
I first though I would manage to deal with both criteria by purchasing a ChromeBook (Acer C720p, Celeron-2955U / HD-SSD-32G / Ram-DDR3-2G / 270 euros new), furthermore as I had found a program named "Crouton" that made run Ubuntu within Chrome's navigator and this way compensated the ChromeOS limitations that nearly systematically requires an internet connexion for its programs/applications. Unfortunately, another ChromeBook limitation come to handicap the Ubuntu, this last one actually being running behind the ChromeOS : there is still no drivers for most of external peripherals, as for example with the 500Go SSD external hard disk I had just bought (the 32Go of the ChromeBook's internal hard disk being quickly overflowed under the quantity of datas)...
This last point put an end to the ChromeBook experience, and I purchased at the last moment in BsAs a MacBook Air 11" (Core i5 / HD-SSD-250G / Ram-DDR3-4G) that delights me every day despite the heavy investment it represents (17.300 AR$ / ≈ 1.200 US$), ruining thus my second criterion of "losable" equipment !
I had in addition previously bought a GoPro video camera to film my speed circuit's initiation and others getaways, that allows me to record about 3h in HD-1080p (from the helmet or the handlebar) before battery withdraws. No problem on the SD card defining its memory capacity, this maximum recording time being still short to reach half of the 32Go I gave it.
Add to this a compact still camera (Nikon CoolPix), adapters & chargers, a 12V_DC - 220V_AC converter to feed all this crowd on a camping site, and a set of lights for nocturnal manipulations, and you'll be ready to open your beach's office ! :)
This last point put an end to the ChromeBook experience, and I purchased at the last moment in BsAs a MacBook Air 11" (Core i5 / HD-SSD-250G / Ram-DDR3-4G) that delights me every day despite the heavy investment it represents (17.300 AR$ / ≈ 1.200 US$), ruining thus my second criterion of "losable" equipment !
I had in addition previously bought a GoPro video camera to film my speed circuit's initiation and others getaways, that allows me to record about 3h in HD-1080p (from the helmet or the handlebar) before battery withdraws. No problem on the SD card defining its memory capacity, this maximum recording time being still short to reach half of the 32Go I gave it.
Add to this a compact still camera (Nikon CoolPix), adapters & chargers, a 12V_DC - 220V_AC converter to feed all this crowd on a camping site, and a set of lights for nocturnal manipulations, and you'll be ready to open your beach's office ! :)
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