by WorldCrosser Admin | Sep 8, 2015 | ADV Camping Gear, ADV Gear, Food
So you are looking for the perfect water filter for you overlanding or adventure motorcycle riding exploration. There are many filters out there ranging in price from very cheap to very expensive. If you are doing couple day or week long adventures you may be in the market for a personal small water filter. You have a couple choices here but the two to that most gravitate towards:
The Sawyer Mini Filter or the LifeStraw Personal
The Sawyer Mini Filter
This unit is rated very high by many users all over the internet. In short, people just love it, it can filter over 100,000 gallons and come with a plunger for backwashing it. It is small, light and compact, it costs around $20 and you can even pick it up at Walmart. The package contains 16-oz squeeze pouch, drinking straw and cleaning plunger. Comes is number of cool colors and only weighs in at 2oz, but after you use it for the first time, it will have water in it increasing the actual weight. Packaging states it can filter 100,000 gallons of water. More details on the Sawyer Mini Filter.
The Lifestraw Personal
Lifestraw personal was the original, small, chemical free water filter. Lifestraw donates clean water to developing countries through a program they call “Follow the Liters”. It also weighs in at 2 oz dry and filters up to 1000 liters
The Lifestraw is the original but it is larger and the specs seem to give the Sawyer Mini Filter a leg up on the Lifestraw. But this could be just marketing, as it should be duly noted that there are claims that are considered over the top marketing, and at one point Sawyer changed their marketing from claiming the device is good for 1,000,000 uses to 100,000 — but either is plenty for a $25 product. More details about Lifestraw Personal.
Most of the time when I am traveling on my bike, I can get fresh water from a gas station, store, campground where ever, but I have run out of water or didn’t 100% trust the source. So I always keep a water filter as part of my travel kit. I personally use a filter on all my primitive camping outing which is real camping in my opinion. LOL!
In conclusion, both are great affordable products and take away the need for chemical and the need to carry large purifying systems. You won’t go wrong with either one, but I think the Sawyer has a leg up due to it’s size and ability to connect to any standard water bottle. It is simple to use and convenient.
Let us know which water filter you use and if you are not already remember to sign up for our newsletter, it will keep you up to date with great content and helpful info that will keep your overlanding the best it can be.
by WorldCrosser Admin | Aug 31, 2015 | Destinations, Explore, Other Adventures, Roads, Routes
The Trans-America Trail, or TAT for short, is a American dual sport dream ADV ride across the US of A! It is a mix of dirt roads, farm roads, back roads, trails, and forest roads that go from southeast Tennessee and ends in southwest Oregon. And just like the TCAT, Trans-Canada Highway or many other long routes it can be broken down into sections or parts for shorter expeditions. As many of us don’t have a month or so to explore all that is offered on the TAT trail.
TAT or Trans-America Trail – An Adventure Motorcycle Ride Across the back roads and trails of the USA!
The TAT was originally mapped out by Sam Correro and he runs the website – http://www.transamtrail.com/ where you can get maps/gps files of the Trans-America Trail. Now Sam Correro, is respected as the father of the TAT trail, but many other passionate Adventure riders have extended the TAT and have improved the trail system even further by offering routes for different class adventure bikes. See ADV bike classes. And have also mapped out a complete coast to coast route as Sam’s route didn’t quite reach the east coast. So it is safe to say the TAT is a living growing trail system that many are now involved in making an amazing trans American route.
If you are interested in riding the TAT, another site that offers the maps and gps files for the TAT is gpsKEvin, see here. There is some controversy as to the ethics of gpsKevin’s offering these routes, many if not all gps files, after Sam has done so much of the leg work. gpsKevin’s initial take was “open-source” view where the trail and gps route is free to ride, but many feel it is a slight to the father of the TAT– now I believe the gps files are no longer free but he is charging for a MicroSD card for your GPS which obviously include his tracks. There is some concern that gpsKevin’s route may take riders across private land, where the land owner’s are not happy about the trespassing.
Another source for TAT route is TATtracks which takes Kevin’s route, but rerouted around all the private property, blocked roads, and closed gas stations. and best of all it’s free.
I’ll let you do your own due diligence and decide your own viewpoint on this one, but it is safe to say riding across America on an adventure bike will give you a taste of America from a real roots level.
And also check out the Big Dog who has rode many parts of the TAT and has a lot of great stuff on his site. http://www.bigdogadventures.com/
So get out there and Ride the TAT and explore the true America the ultimate way– on a motorcycle!
WorldCrosser has uniquely USA themed Trans-America Trail (TAT) stickers in stock.
Show off with a cool USA themed TAT sticker today.
as well as TAT vinyl decals too . . .
