Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

What is self sufficient? Self sufficiency is your ability to cope with life’s frustrations without being stranded (hungry and lost) on a gravel road by a smallish mechanical or medical problem, that better preparation could have avoided. Self sufficiency is a team effort, given that you never venture off the tar on your own. Advance preparation of sustenance, shelter, tools, knowledge will make you self sufficient. Pool your resources and within reason remove some of the duplications. The GS’ers guide to being self sufficient: (use as a guide –alter to your taste/circumstance) - a hand pump (favoured over electric due to space n mass) - puncture repair, spare valve caps, spare valves (ever tried to find one in the gravel?) - tool kit (more than your BMW supplied kit for sure) - Allen keys handy in my tank bag (adjust mirrors/handle bars or torque loose bolts on the fly) - 2 x 2.2m long webbing recovery straps per bike - Pratley's steel twin-pack - Pratley's putty twin-pack - small roll duct tape - cell phone charger and adaptor sockets - GPS - road maps of area I'm in. - 500ml soapy water (clean visor n screen over a weekend ride) - 500ml clear water (nil per mouth. For rinsing visor, screen, hands, clean injuries. etc) - your medication with instructions on administration. - personal medical kit (includes latex gloves, lense solution, spare lenses, heliograph signal mirror) - leatherman or similar multi-tool - Torch (Petzel LED Headlamp is best for me) - various assorted soft rags in zip lock bags for wiping dust, hands, bike parts, mirrors, etc. - ±20 cable ties x three diff sizes. - a few zip-lock bags to hold bike parts if you need to do running repairs. - Ground sheet (shelter under, spread parts out on, signal aircraft etc) - Camel back with water only (juice breeds goggas [pathogens] very fast in heat) - Firefly II strobe light x 2 (personal choice) - Two-way radios (I carry 2 x Motorola GP300 VHF radios with a charger). - grub to nibble on. Energy bars, etc, etc. - Lightweight day pack in case you need to walk far. - Toilet paper in zip-lock bag and a garden trowel. All the above does not exceed 3,5 kg and does not take up much space. Never leave home without your self sufficiency pack. We have used the radios when splitting up to look for a chicken run or alternative path round an obstacle. Use your own discretion when packing in and compare with your fellow riders. You may find yourselves discarding some duplicated items in favour of other gear. Ensure the above is amongst the gear carries in your group. If you have any suggestions, please add them to the list. The whiskey is medicinal, I assure you. Andyman