For me the most important thing on a longer trip is to set the 'D Day' or departure date FIRST, based on the best month/season to visit the place I'm going/ my current job situation/renting out our place etc etc. Once that date is set then I find it much easier to work to the deadline - and its work that I actually like doing at that point, knowing Im going to be on the road again, tinkering on the bike or the truck and sorting admin out pre trip. The only thing I don't enjoy is sorting out visa's, but as long as you have left enough time its ok.

If you don't set a D Day and you just keep doing preparations until you are 'ready to go', it can drag on a lot longer as you will tend to over prepare every last detail and perhaps waste valuable travelling time.

As for how much route planning, its down to each persons style, I tend to 'cuff' things quite a bit, but I normally have had an end date to my trips, I miss a few interesting things to see that other people have planned, but see other things or stay a little longer in a place if I like it there.

Some people will plan a trip 2 weeks away, some people several years away, especially due to work/family commitments, it doesn't really matter how much planning you put into it, the important thing is that you GO!!!

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Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca

Pretty tough to know exactly, what it is gonna cost you, until you´ve done it. A quote is just a quote. (Especially if you send as seafreight.)

In a nutshell..

Have a vague idea of where I want to go.

Make a page in a folder for each 'potential' country

List visa requirements, time permitted to stay and where to get the visa etc.


Then it's just a case of trying to be prepared for what MIGHT happen. Because nothing EVER EVER goes to plan and that's the best part about travelling. You never know what's going to happen next...

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Well we 'were' happy just touring Europe from UK until we made the mistake (happily) of dropping in on the HU Germany meeting in 2011. Oh dear, the dreams started. In 2012 we toured Europe 4 times learning the art of 'camping' from a bike. Then in 2013 we attended HU UK. That did it. So we retired over 3 years earlier than planned to get on and do it - you never know what's round the corner (more so if you're nearer 60 than 50 as we are). We're off to S America in October, 2 up on our gs1200.

Planning. I think you just use the time you have. If you have a lot of time then use it but don't bogged down in it. We can't go until October and potentially we have the time to 'over plan' it so we're just taking it slow, getting the basics right like paperwork and 'do I have the slightest clue how to fix this bike if it breaks' type things.
As for route, depends on trip durations. Short trip, I think I would route plan quite a bit to make the most of it. Long trip, IMHO less important. We've got a year so we've started making a list of places we think we'd like to see mainly that other travellers and books have raved about. The 'route' is less important. Down to the bottom of SA (gotta be done) then Ar/Ch/Ar/Ch, Bolivia, Peru, Equador, Columbia. We may well start out from BA by going up to the Iguaza waterfalls in the northernmost bit and pop into Brazil and Uraguay whilst there. Planning to then travel into C America and N America but if we just end up spending so much time in S America that we run out of time then so be it - hopefully we would be able to come back and do the rest another day.
We'd like to think we will stay flexible and adapt (say's he bravely, having never gone farther afield on a bike than Europe!!!)

The HU community are both inspiring and an endless resource for overlanding!

And as for Grant and Susan Johnson - now look what you've gone and done to our lives

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If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right

I know exactly how you feel. Those darn Johnson's... We had been talking about an RTW for some time. Our first HUBB meeting Grant and Susan (and company) dumped a tanker full of gasoline all over our little hopes, dreams and aspirations and WHOOOOSH! Turned it into a bonfire.

I think this all depends on how much time one has and their preferred style of travel.

We leave on our RTW in 16 days.

Planning wise, I have to agree that there's no way we can plan for everything. As far as route, we have a general idea of where we are going but nothing specific as far as day to day stuff. Gear wise, obviously there are limits on what we can bring on a bike but I wonder if we are bringing too much like so many other travellers. Making lists, checking them twice (and many more times), packing, unpacking, re-packing. In some ways, you will never really be READY, just ready enough. I think by some standards we are under prepared. In fact I question what else we should be doing. The closer we get to D-day the more my mind races through every aspect. Paperwork...UGH! I just can't wait to get going.

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Life's 2 Short...Ride the World
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Hopefully you'll figure out if you've got too much stuff ... sooner rather than later. Traveling light is hard ... IMO, a sort of "fine art". What I've noticed is travelers hauling HUGE loads, including full camping and cooking gear ... and may not use it all that much! Some forget that in many regions ... camping is impossible or NOT good.

Case in point: Canadian rider Dave shown below on his DR650 somewhere in Argentina or Chile, IIRC? There is A LOT of gear on that bike. Turns out he hadn't used his camping gear .... SINCE ALASKA! Here he has two big Alu boxes, BIG top box, plus numerous dry bags. I wonder what the total weight of his luggage is including racks & hardware?


I see many overloaded bikes. Do riders really believe they can't buy anything at all once out on the road? Or too proud to jettison unneeded goods along the way?


How far have we really come since Ted's trip in 1971?


BFMB's (big fookin metal boxes)

You´re just kidding here, right..

haha.. I have to admit I did them a second take also.

However, you can see they're jacked up on wood so obviously just a joke. They look like storage boxes out of a big American Pick up..

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Yea, borrowed that pic from Olaf of Oregon (Giant Loop). Not sure where he got it ... at first I thought photo shop but realized the boxes are real ... obviously not for any bike we know ... they look sort of like Jesse Bags. Must be for a truck or ...?

L84toff
Bon Voyage! We shall follow your blog with interest. Maybe we'll meet up on the road somewhere
Ride safe.

__________________
If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right

Cheers guys. Meeting fellow travellers on the road is always exciting.

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Life's 2 Short...Ride the World
Join our adventure at our blog Lifes2Short
or on Facebook Google+ Our SPOT

Couldnt agre more. That was the best advice Ive ever been givin by a fellow rider Jeff Munn at an ADV Rider rally in WV. He said set the date and go. Money or no money, if you really want it you'll make it work. Twenty countries later, HE WAS RIGHT!!!

Wonderful.... Keep us posted, are you doing an RR?

Thats one of the funniest pics Ive ever seen!!!!

Sorry if I'm being dim but what's an RR and I'll tell you if we are or not :confused1: