Our Kit
The gear we trust
Balancing our lives in SF with backcountry moto camping trips means we can’t afford to pack dead weight. Every piece of equipment on this page has been rattled on washboard roads, rained on in the mountains, and earned its permanent spot in our panniers. Whether it’s the tent that keeps us dry or the lenses we use to shoot for JCOSPHOTO, this is exactly what we pack to get the job done.
Tools for the Long Haul
A note on our recommendations: WE LOVE ADV is a fully independent husband-and-wife passion project. We don't do paid reviews, we don't have affiliate deals, and we aren't sponsored by big brands... heck, not ANY brand. If we recommend a piece of gear, it’s because we paid for it ourselves, used it in the wild, and trust it with our lives.
Good gear shouldn’t have an expiration date. We believe in buying the right tool, learning it inside out, and caring for it so it lasts a lifetime. We choose these items not because they are the newest, but because they are the most reliable and fit our budget.
The Studio
Dirty bikes, clean glass. We still shoot heavy DSLRs in a mirrorless world. The battery life is extraordinary, the optical viewfinder keeps us present in the scene, and the images are still ridiculous. The glass gets treated like royalty.
The Resolution: Nikon D810. Our landscape beast and wedding photography workhorse. It captures the dynamic range of the high desert and holds the detail we need for fine art prints. This sensor has earned its keep.
The Action: Nikon D750. The trusty sidekick. While the D810 lives for grand vistas, the D750 is for the ride — split-second moments, raw texture, the feeling of forward motion. Built-in Wi-Fi lets us push shots to our phones instantly, which matters when the light is moving fast and you can't wait.
The Perspectives: DJI Mavic Air 2, GoPro Hero 10 & Hero 11. The Mavic Air 2 has earned a kind of mythological status around here. It recovered inches above the water after clipping a bridge railing, then survived a waypoint malfunction in the Iao Valley that sent it tearing through a jungle canopy before dropping into a ravine. Somehow it came back from both. The GoPros are our on-bike eyes — mounted to capture the motion and sensation of the road from the inside out.
The Support: Manfrotto 055 Carbon Fiber Tripod. When gale-force winds hit the Sierras, a flimsy travel tripod is just a liability. We strap full-size Manfrotto legs to the bike. Weight is stability.
Pro-Tip: A Manfrotto cantilevered out from a boulder and lashed down tight is also the only dignified way to hang a sun shower in Death Valley. After a long out-and-back from Texas Springs Campground to the Geologist's Cabin, that setup is the best way to get clean in the desert, full stop.
The Sound: RØDE VideoMic Pro+. Built-in camera audio doesn't survive wind tearing across the desert or the growl of engines on a canyon road. This shotgun mic cuts through all of it, so the video sounds the way it actually felt to be there.
The Ride
Reliability, please. When you're 50 miles from cell service, gear failure isn't an inconvenience; it's a situation. Everything on this list has been chosen because it hasn't failed us yet, and we've given it every opportunity to.
The Lighting: Clearwater Lights. The best protection on a motorcycle is seeing well and being seen. Whether we're threading through the dense coastal fog north of the city or riding into the absolute black of the high desert, these are our most vital active safety tools. We rock the Darlas — named, like all of Glenn's lights, after the most important women in his life. We're grateful for Glenn and his team out of Rancho Cordova for building something this good.
The Comms: Sena 20S EVO. We've run these specific units for over ten years. In a tech world that cycles through the next best thing every eighteen months, that kind of track record means something. They are the open line that keeps us connected, and connected is safe.
The Soft Side: Mosko Moto Reckless 80. We trust Mosko's roll-top design on the KTM 890 and the Triumph Tiger 800 because it has no moving parts to fail. No zippers. No latches. Nothing to seize up with trail grit. It holds up against abrasion better than hard panniers and doesn't care how bad the road gets. Plus, Mosko Pete is a super nice guy who actually takes the time to help fellow riders out.
The Hard Edge: BMW System Cases & Touratech Zega EVOs. For our aging supermodels, the 2006 BMW R1150GSA and the 2012 BMW R1200GS, we rely on the proven durability of BMW System cases and Zega Pros. These have absorbed a decade of travel. They lock, they're nearly indestructible, and they double as tables and bear boxes in the Sierras. Artifacts of some really good miles.
The Bike (Protection & Tools)
Self-reliance in the wild. Every bike we own has its own specific set of armor and tools, because a generic multi-tool isn't going to save you when the wrong bolt strips at the wrong time. We don't care about shedding ounces. We care about keeping the bikes moving when things go wrong.
The Handguards: Barkbusters. The one item every dual-sport and adventure bike needs, full stop. We know this firsthand: a livery SUV doing 20+ mph hit our parked Triumph Tiger, knocking it six feet into a curb. The Barkbusters took the brunt of a hit that should have ended the trip. They protect your levers, shield your hands from brush, and sometimes they save the entire ride.
The Engine Protection: AltRider & Stock Crash Bars. When you run a boxer engine, those protruding cylinder heads need protection. We trust AltRider crash bars on the R1200GS and the proven stock system on the R1150GSA to take the hits so the engine doesn't have to.
The Armor: AltRider & Touratech Skid Plates. The underside of an adventure bike takes a relentless beating from kicked-up rocks. We run AltRider skid plates on the KTM and Triumph, and a Touratech plate on the R1200GS. Because out there, ground clearance always seems to run out.
The Mirrors: Doubletake Mirrors. We prefer components that fold on impact rather than snap off. Doubletakes keep the bike functional when the inevitable tip-over happens. And it will happen.
The Toolkits: Adventure Designs, Mosko Moto & Custom Rolls. Each machine gets its own curated toolkit — an Adventure Designs roll for the Triumph, a Mosko kit for the KTM, and custom-built rolls tailored to the specific quirks of each BMW. The goal is the same across all of them: never be stranded.
The Camp
Don't skimp on sleep. After a brutal day of riding, recovery isn't optional — it's tomorrow's ride.
The Shelter: North Face & Marmot Tents. Chosen for their durability-to-weight ratio and proven in high winds. These aren't gear we replace. They're gear we maintain.
The Foundation: A Basic Queen-Sized Air Mattress. We invest heavily in most of our gear. This is the one humble exception, and we're not embarrassed by it. Instead of wrestling two separate ultralight backpacking pads that inevitably slide apart at 2 AM, we strap a basic queen air mattress to the bike. It fills the entire tent floor and creates a shared sleep space that feels like a real bed. It is the ultimate intentional luxury for a husband-and-wife team. Never skimp on improving snuggle time.
Pro-Tip: The thicker the air mattress, the colder the sleep. We line ours with lightweight fleece ponchos for insulation. The ponchos also double as Jonathan's most iconic fireside fashion statement. Wrapped up by the flames, he looks every bit the Bavarian monk — hence "Brother Jonathan."
The Warmth: Nemo Disco 15 Sleeping Bags. Physical recovery after a brutal day of riding washboard roads is non-negotiable. These 15-degree bags handle the unpredictable temperature drops of the high desert and Sierras, but the real reason we chose them is the spoon shape: they let us sleep on our sides, which is a rare comfort in the backcountry.
The Lounge: Helinox Sunset Chairs. Essential gear doesn't have to be purely utilitarian. These were a wedding gift, and they've been on nearly every trip since. They pack small enough to carabiner directly to the frame, and after a day wrestling a heavy bike through deep sand, being able to lean your head back under the stars is not a luxury. It's essential recovery.
The Fire: Fiskars X25 Splitting Axe. Yes, we strap a full-size splitting axe to an adventure bike. A campfire marks the transition from riding to just being somewhere, and we gave up on tiny camping hatchets years ago. The X25 is practically indestructible and makes the fire we actually want, not the one we settle for.
The Kitchen: Snow Peak Camp Stove & 4-Piece Nesting Cookset. Jonathan found these at a yard sale thirty years ago and they're still going. Simple mechanics mean fewer things to break.
The Ritual: GSI Ultralight Java Drip or Starbucks VIAs. Everything else can wait. Coffee cannot. These weigh almost nothing, take up almost no space, and ensure that no matter how remote the camp, the morning starts right.
The Body
Stay sharp. We approach our own performance with the same rigor we apply to the machines. A perfectly maintained bike doesn't mean much if the rider is completely toasted.
The Hydration: CamelBak & Platypus Bladders. Dehydration degrades the judgment and reaction time you depend on out there. Strapping a bladder to your back makes drinking automatic — whether you're sitting in traffic or picking a line through technical terrain. It's one of the simplest habits that keeps a ride from going sideways.
