Here’s a summary page about some of the outdoor gear I’ve accumulated over the years.  Generally I have a ’ one in, one out’ policy, so I don’t have much ’ stuff’ at any given time. I really don’t have the space for it.  The goal is to buy good, value for money kit and even better if it lasts for a long time.

Motorcycling Hardware

I’ve been a keen motorcyclist for quite a few years now and currently have two machines.

Yamaha MT-09 Tracer

• A 2016 Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (since evolved into the Tracer 9). It’s an 847cc sports touring bike which is great for getting out and about in Japan, seeing stuff and meeting people.
• Added an ETC unit.
• For tyres, I have the excellent Michelin Road 5 s. They have great handling, and are really confidence inspiring in corners, especially in wet conditions.
• When the chain came due for a change, I went for a DID 525-VX 3 with some ISA sprockets.
• I added a RAM mount, Quick Grip and Tough Claw for holding a smartphone as a navigation aid on to the handlebars, and use the 12V socket and a USB adapter for charging.
• In June 2020, I bolted a solid Givi TRK46N top-box on for the first time for me on a bike, which I’ve come to really appreciate, even if it looks like an organ donor transportation box (apparently).

Honda CT 125

• A 2024 Honda Hunter Cub CT-125 for running errands and getting around town, and minor off-roading.
• It’s a 123cc single cylinder machine, with a 5.3l tank which takes ‘regular’ petrol.
• Added a USB charging socket and some fog lights from Kitaco.
• It’s turmeric yellow!

Motorcycle Clothing

In the Summer I use an RS Taichi Explorer Air  For footwear, I have a pair of TCX Mood 2 riding shoes which are light and also waterproof (February 2024).

For Winter, I have some more RS Taichi gloves, this time the RST626 Sonics (October 2018) and some RST639 s which are part of their heated ’e-Heat’ range (December 2020), a FirstGear Kathmandu jacket and 37.5 Kilimanjaro trousers (January 2018). Finally, a pair of Forma ADV Tourer boots - nice and warm, and again, waterproof (February 2020).

I added a ForceField CE2 Isolator back protector to the already impressive Kathmandu jacket - it comes with CE1 D30 on shoulders and elbows on the elbows but nothing on the back. I also bought a separate ForceField Elite CE1 chest protector. I find the ForceField kit to be really well made.

In May 2018 in invested in a pair of Cardo Freecom4 Bluetooth intercoms to talk to my passenger, get some navigation reminders and such. In mid 2025 I replaced them with some Freecom2X - better speakers, more resilient Bluetooth and USB C charging!

Cycling

I’ve always owned a simple bicycle for as long as I can remember, from cheap folding cycles which didn’t fold well, to your classic Japanese mama-chari, to just normal, basic bicycles.

In December 2022 I picked up a basic Trek Dual Sports 2 bike, which I love to get out on on the asphalt and some hard gravel trails. It was a ‘COVID bike’ meaning some parts maybe weren’t what Trek envisioned in the design, due to the supply chain issues.

Over 3 years, I’ve swapped a few bits out: for tyres, I swapped out the Bontrager gravel oriented tyres for Schwalbe Marathon Green touring tyres. They’re very nice on the roads, and not too bad on other stuff too. I swapped out the pedals - the originals fell apart - for some Rockbros non-slip aluminium pedals which haven’t fallen apart yet. I also swapped out the ‘Power hydraulic brake system’ for a Shimano MT-200 set. The Powers would lose braking power every few months and weren’t user serviceable at all, whereas at least on the Shimano’s I can bleed them.

Many years ago (Dec. 2014) I bought some Ortleib waterproof rear panniers which have been so useful when out with family, doing some shopping and all of that. They don’t seem to wear out! I was quite impressed and now have a 23L Ortleib Velocity non PVC backpack.

The bike is easily enough for the kind of places I get to which is mainly asphalt, but with the odd track and beach path. Those panniers are rugged and versatile.

Snow

I have a 2015/16 Flow Blackout all-mountain style snowboard and some 2015/16  Union Contact Pro bindings for the days on the mountain. I also have some Burton Concord boots I got cheap in a sale in late 2016 as they were last year’s model (shock, horror). For many years I ran on a Nitro Atlas board and Flow bindings, both of which were great. That board is now mounted on my living room wall as a bit of a memento, and looks quite cool actually.

After many years I also replaced my jacket and trousers for the 2022/23 season, going for a Burton Swash jacket and Reserve bib trousers. I get a bit of off mountain mileage out of the jacket, and tend to prefer looser ones.

I sometimes ski on some cheap Head Cube 10 ski boots I picked up in a sale years back, and usually rented skis. It’s very much a second place to snowboarding for me, but still fun.

We often drive up to the mountains in our 1.5 litre family car, so I should mention we use Carmate Biathlon Quick Easy rubber ‘chains’. I’ve never really needed an SUV or 4 wheel drive car to get to most places we go.

Camping / Hiking

I have an assortment of cheap camping gear, mainly sized to fit in the car (or on the back of a motorbike) for family camps, and we sometimes rent gear depending on location. I am careful to buy backpacker friendly camping gear when I can - like my tiny stove - because it doubles up as earthquake/natural disaster emergency kit.

Cameras

Including these here since I mainly use them outside! I cannot count the number of ‘scenic view + motorcycle’ photos I have, for it is many.

Currently I have a FujiFilm X-T30 iii (November 2025) with a 23mm prime, a 16-80mm f4 weather sealed travel lens which is my main lens these days, and a manual focus 7Artisans 60mm macro lens too.

After over 11 years with the 2, 5 and 7 GoPro action cameras, in Autumn 2023 I switched to the DJI Osmo Action 4. I like action cams for what they do, and still get a lot of value out of them.