I just got back from a 2 week ride in Vietnam. Wow! What a great trip! If you haven’t seen it, be sure to check out the trip video here.
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I also made a video on how to pack for this trip that is linked below. This article is a follow up to that video complete with tips and product links for gear that I would suggest.
First off, like any motorcycle trip, remember to pack light! Only bring what you need. If you forgot something, or need something, chances are you can buy it on your trip. If you think something “might come in handy” it probably means you don’t need it. This is especially true for guided trips with a support vehicle. Also, it makes it much easier to bring back souvenirs if you have plenty of extra room in your luggage.
My trip was a 2 week guided trip about 75% on road and 25% off road with a support truck. I tacked on another week split before and after the trip to check out some tourist sites in Japan and Vietnam. I will leave a link below to my entire packing list if you would like to print it out.
Here are my tips and lessons learned from the trip…
Double check the weather before you leave home. I thought it would be much cooler on the trip than it was. April in Vietnam turned out to be pretty hot, but there were a few cool days, especially in the mountains. Even though it was hotter than I expected, I’m not sure that I would change my list, although I might have opted for some lighter motorcycle pants.
| Get a good roller duffle bag for your gear. A good, light roller duffle makes it easy to transport heavy, bulky motorcycle gear. Mine was less than 40 pounds fully packed and was the only bag I checked on the airline. I leave this bag at the hotel or tour office during the ride with anything else that I don’t need, and repack it after the ride. My roller bag was actually made for scuba gear, but works great for motorcycle travel too! |
| Get a good waterproof motorcycle bag. Whether you are carrying your clothes and gear or have a support truck to do it for you, I waterproof bag is a must have item for your travels. I have 2 that I use. The one I took on this trip was a Shad SW45 that I bought in Spain, but they are hard to come by in the US. I also have one like the one in the link below that can be strapped to the bike or used as a duffle bag. |
| Pack your helmet in a carry on bag. While I have packed my helmet in my checked luggage from time to time, I find it easy to just carry it on. I pack it in a small duffle bag along with a few other carry on items and put in the overhead bin of the plane. Be sure to use the space inside the helmet to pack some small items. You can use a normal small duffle bag, or get a specific helmet carrying bag like this one. |
| | Ballistic Jacket vs Touring Jacket. For this ride in Vietnam, I was planning on doing a lot of off road riding, so I brought my ballistic jacket and a motocross jersey to wear over it. That’s what I usually wear to go dirt bike riding. I also thought this would be cooler than a heavy jacket in Vietnam. However, I think a well-vented touring jacket might have been just as good, with the added benefit of pockets and vents. |
| Pants- Protection vs. Heat. For this ride, I wore my Klim Dakar pants. These pants are fairly heavy, but do have vents. They would have been perfect if the weather had been a little cooler. Light motocross pants would have been a good choice for this trip, but with the amount of road riding we did, the extra protection was probably not a terrible choice. |
| | Bring the GoPro. I was trying to decide before the trip if I should bring my GoPro. In the end, I’m glad I brought it. I did not run it all the time, but I did get some great trail footage with it. If you are trying to decide if you should bring it, I say go ahead…and post some great videos when you get back! I really like the mount shown here. |
| Wear a travel belt. One thing I started doing awhile back is wearing a belt with no metal parts when I travel so I don’t typically have to take it off at airport security. Just one more small thing that makes air travel easier! |
| | Get some good travel pants. Before this trip, I bought some travel pants with hidden pockets from Clothing Arts. I really like them. I also packed one pair of convertible pants that I could use as full pants or shorts. I ended up using these as shorts for most of the trip. Here are some pants similar to mine. I also packed a pair of convertible pants like these. |
| Get noise cancelling headphones for flights. This was a game changer for me. I don’t fly anywhere without my noise cancelling headphones. They were not expensive, but even if I’m not watching a movie or listening to anything on my flights, I will wear them to block out all the noise on the plane. You will be surprised how noisy the plane is when you wear these! Click here to see my headphones |
Don’t bother with an extra camera. Unless you are a serious photographer, your cell phone and GoPro will likely get all the great photos and videos you need. I did not use the extra camera I brought on this trip, and even though it was small, it takes up space/weight and I had to carry an extra charging cord for it.
| | Bring a power bar and/or converter. This is one of the most useful items I have been bringing on trips for the last several years. It makes charging cell phones, GPS, cameras, helmet communicators, etc. a piece of cake. If you are traveling internationally, you may also need a voltage converter. I used my voltage converter throughout Vietnam. Even though the voltage was often not an issue, I was able to plug it in just about anywhere and then plug my power bar into it. Newer converters often have extra USB charging ports built in, which may eliminate the need for a power bar. I would not leave home without these 2 items! Click here to see a good travel power bar Click here to see a good travel converter |
See my entire packing list here: Click here to see packing list
Hopefully this has been helpful. Here is a video I made showing everything I packed and how I packed it for this trip:
Also, you can check out past rides and blog articles by clicking HERE.