The Motorcycle Diaries - part II (Gearing Up)

For the last few weeks I've been (slowly) collecting the gear I'll need for my trip. Pellican waterproof case for the camera, check. Garmin Zūmo GPS receiver, check. Get them both mounted to my bike, check.

But then things started getting complicated. I knew I wanted my tripod. After all, collecting images with my camera is one of the big goals for this trip. I also knew finding a place for the unwieldy tripod was going to be a challenge.

Then I started mapping my route. On my way north I wanted to stick to the coastal route, at least to start. First stop the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Then up to the Lewes-Cape May ferry across the Delaware River. My goal was to try for about 300 miles per day. Henlopen State Park just before the ferry looked like a good place to stop over. That would mean camping gear and loading that on my bike isn't going to be easy. I do have camping gear but it isn't the best for hiking- ironically camping stuff gets more expensive the smaller and lighter it is. Adding camping gear to the mix meant finding a place for the tripod was going to be an even bigger challenge. Maybe I should get a new hiking specific model? Maybe a GorrilaPod which is a little easier to pack? I started watching the calendar and getting anxious, if I needed more gear I was going to need to order it now.

Then I came to realize I was loosing the point of the trip. So what if I don't have a tripod? I asked myself why I think I need it so badly. If I need a steady shot I'll improvise. If I want to get myself in a picture of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge I'll improvise or I won't get it, it won't matter. The Boy Scout Motto is "Be Prepared". I realized long ago (although I find I need to continually remind myself) that doesn't always mean what you might think. At first glance you might think that means you need to pack everything you would need for every possible scenario you might encounter on a trip... extra food, extra clothing, a backup for everything that might break. Being prepared is actually more of a state of mind. I'm not going into the backwoods of Alaska here, I'm going to be traveling one of the most heavily populated areas in the US. If I run low on food I'll stop for 10 minutes at a grocery store and reload. Heck, I can stop at any number of local restaurants on the way and let someone else cook me up a wonderfully filling meal for $10, who said that is against the rules? I make the rules and I make them as I go. I don't need to pack for every contingency, I need to Be Prepared for every situation. That is mostly a mental thing. Even if I wasn't traveling the asphalt trail I am confident that most of the things I need are available if I open my eyes to look. Have you ever seen what Bear Grylls packs for his wilderness adventures? Any doubt that he is prepared for anything with little more than a pocket knife and a flint?

I discarded the tripod to the side of the garage. It will be here when I get back. It turns out it just wasn't appropriate for this particular trip. If I get back in a couple weeks and decide I really missed it I'll figure out a way to bring it next time. Sometimes being prepared is having the patience to learn as you go. The protective case for the camera (which is what is going to allow me to bring the camera at all) and the GPS (which is going to make it possible to take the backroads and explore to my hearts delight) add to the trip. Most of the other things I have been worrying about won't. $10 says I wouldn't have bothered to break out the tripod even if I did go through the hassle to bring it.

So I'm getting back to the point- this is going to be an adventure. I have everything I need today, if I decided to go this afternoon (give me time to get some clothes and water packed) I can be on the road in an hour. That doesn't mean I'm being hasty, I just know the gear I need to rely on the most is already packed, I keep it between my ears.