As mentioned previously, it (possibly) is not always the best plan to rely solely on technology when travelling off the beaten track, as it may land you in a spot of bother, however it certainly has it's place and Kelvin does love his gadgets.
Below I have compiled a list of the various gadgets and 'apps' that we will be using. The ones I have previously discussed in other areas of the website I will link back to, however anything new, and potentially interesting, I will talk a little more about.
On our list so far:
Garmin sat nav - 'Navigation' blog
DeLorme InReach Explorer - 'Health' blog
Kindle - 'Route' blog
Sena bike-to-bike intercom system
Mapping Apps & Software:
iOverlander - app version
Maps.me - app version - I am addicted to this especially when used with iOverlander
Firstly, the Maps.me App. I love this app and I have spent ages looking up and pinning places that are in Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook (7th Ed.) - yes, I am very sad. Then, I discovered that the iOverlander App links into Maps.me! It was better than Christmas. I started looking at interesting places, wild camp spots, campsites and cheap hostels. We have no planned route, however if we are somewhere and looking for a place to stop, you never know when it may come in useful. Also, Maps.me works offline (so long as you download the maps for the areas you want beforehand), so no need for internet access.
The Garmin GPS is purely for navigation purposes and I am guessing that most people are familiar with GPS's. Also, there are plenty of downloadable maps that are able to be used with Garmin products (one reason why we have moved away from TomTom's). Some of these are listed above, however please contact us for more advice if needed and we will help as best we can.
Before meeting Kelvin I vowed I would NEVER have an intercom system again, as previously all it had done was take the enjoyment out of riding on the road, and make me annoyed because I kept getting told to overtake, do this, do that and so on.... not how I like to ride, so much so that I gave it to the other person when we parted company.
I ride for me and for 15 years on two wheels I'm not doing too badly. I appreciate useful, friendly advice, especially when I ask for it, and I also enjoy being coached as I am far from a perfect rider, but there is a line.
Until now, I have stuck by that vow, however in the interest of safety we have decided that it may be a good idea to have intercoms. Also, I think the main thing I will hear from Kelvin is him talking to himself, swearing if/when he falls off, or loudly marvelling at the landscape. I think I can cope with that. We did a bit of research and I have only tried the Scala headsets before, but quite a few people had mentioned the Sena intercoms and the reviews looked very good, so that's what we have gone for. We've not really tested them much as yet, but we will let you all know what they're like, and how we coped!
If you would like any further information on any of our kit above, please send us an email : Cyril@AvVida.co.uk
We will also be reviewing all of the above as we travel, once we've got to really test it all out properly.
