Tag: travel

First Run on Packing

I started the serious packing for the Great Pan-American Adventure (GPA). Actually, I started the whole about a year ago when I determined I was going to make this trip. As with any trip, I begin with a spreadsheet (yes, I’m a geek in that way – too many years using spreadsheets for financial investigations to give them up).

Looking at my list, I have a LOT of stuff! According to my spreadsheet, it adds up to a total of 330 items (not including the stuff in my trauma kit). A lot of it is really little (or nitnoi as I like to say – the Thai word for little) stuff, like credit cards, motorcycle registration, etc. The amazing thing is, I’m able to fit it all in two panniers (saddlebags), a 40 liter duffle bag, two crash-bar bags, a tank bag, and a small backpack.

As I’ll be moto-camping a lot (my preferred method of lodging while Adventure Riding), I’ve got all the accoutrements for camping, which basically doubles the amount of weight I carry (total equipment weight is around 60 pounds).

One of the hardest things in planning (which also adds to the equipment list, and therefore the additional weight) for this trip is that I have to take into consideration a multitude of climates, from temperate to tropical to alpine. I’ll be camping from sea level (Baja California) up to 12,000 feet (Peru, Chile, and Argentina) and from the Equator (0 degrees latitude) to Ushuaia, Argentina (54 degrees South). That means I need various sleep systems. I’ve got two sleeping bags, one rated for zero degrees Fahrenheit (which I use during the summer here in Washington State), and the other rated for 50 degrees. I also carry two sleeping pads; one inflatable and one a smaller foam accordion style (I discovered on my Great American Adventure (GAA) back in 2022 that inflatable pads have a tendency to deflate at the most inopportune times, like, while sleeping in Montana).

My tent is a nice two-person tent. I used a one-person tent on the GAA, but discovered I couldn’t bring all my gear into the tent for securing it. I wasn’t to happy about that, so I upgraded to a two-person tent for the GPA. My trial run with it to the TouraTech Rally in June proved that it works for me. Added weight, but well worth it.

Clothing is also varied. My motorcycle gear (All The Gear All The Time) comes in at another 20 pounds (helmet, jacket, pants, boots, gloves). My jacket and pants also come with detachable insulated and rain layers.

I’ve got mostly Merino wool uppers (t-shirts, Polo shirt, hoodie) along with a quick-dry jersey and fishing shirt (for wearing under my riding jacket), a couple of pairs of quick-dry pants, a pair of riding shorts, a pair of quick-dry cargo shorts (for walking around in the tropics), and a swimsuit. I debated the swimsuit, but decided to bring it because I’ll be traveling the length of the Baja Peninsula and taking SCUBA lessons in La Paz. I also have a Tilley hat.

Cold weather attire includes a silk base layer, an additional long-sleeve Merino wool upper, wool fingerless gloves, a puffy jacket, and a Merino wool balaclava (helps under the helmet when cold).

Socks and underwear – well, let’s just say I don’t plan on doing laundry every day as I did on the GAA or when I walked the Camino de Santiago.

I’ll save the rest of the equipment list for a later post. I’ll also be posting about this on my forthcoming YouTube channel, Writer on the Road (to be linked soon).

Now, it’s time to walk the puppers (2.5 miles in a forest on our little mountain) then spend some time logging and salmon fishing (in the rain – ah, the joys of living in the PNW).

Rescue Me!

I know, you probably just starting singing the Fontalla Bass song from the movie Air America when you read that title. I know I did when I wrote it 🙂

Anyhow, just a heads up that Rescue has been through its first, second, and third iteration. It’s now in the hands of a beta reader. I hope to hear back from him soon, so I can wrap it up.

Rescue is shorter than my previous novels, clocking in at only 50,000 words. To give you an idea of normal book length, Surveyor was at 102,000 words. Most SciFi is over 100,000 words. But this is different. First, it’s really a Young Adult (YA) novel told from the perspective of a 15 year old, whose mom goes missing on a Primary Survey.

You’ve met the guy before, in Trekker. And Meri shows up as a 13-year-old (who gets in trouble).

I think you’ll enjoy.

Also, it’s the first novel in which I’ve been able to claim the Pink Flamingo Universe logo for a book. For those not in the know, to get a PFU logo, you have to write a scene (or several) in which pink flamingos are apex predators. You should see what my pink flamingos do to velociraptors!

I know, I know. When will it be available? First, I need to get the cover art done (and approved by me). Fortunately, my cover artist is really good, but unfortunately, he’s so good he’s busy. That means it’ll be over a week before he can get to me. We work well together, so it shouldn’t be more than a couple of weeks before the art is approved. Then I need to format the bloody thing and upload it to Amazon and IngramSpark (for bookstores).

As with all my other work, Rescue will be released in both paperback and e-book (Kindle). Those wanting a signed copy can purchase one here (I think – I’ll have to figure out the logistics). I haven’t decided as to how to release the audiobook – let Amazon do its AI magic or record it myself. TBD.