HU Travellers Meeting Canwest 2014

Zigy Kaluzny Iceland

Iceland: rainy and cold even in summer, small, expensive, and the language is impossible. Iceland: gorgeous when the sun comes out, sweetly friendly, and everyone speaks fluent, colloquial American English.

After three years of putting it off, I finally went to Iceland for three weeks at beginning of June, 2014, and what I found there made it a place to which I intend to return: landscapes ranging from volcanic desert – the country has 130 volcanoes – to snowy mountains, including the largest glacier in Europe. Small grassy valleys filled with sheep, sheep, and more sheep, and the small Icelandic horses (don't call them ponies!), a stark, rugged coastline of fjords and small towns, truly beautiful women, and a quiet, easy friendliness that was always available, but never intrusive. It's a country where the social contract is alive and well.

Brian and Sandra Smith, VStrom Adventures How the heck did we get here (Morocco)?

Combining great pics, video and a question and answer session covering a 15 day circumnavigation of Morocco from Tangiers, Chefchouan, Fes, Merzouga, Dades gorge, the High Altas mountains, Marrakech Essaouira, and the western coast of Morocco.

Brian is a 46+ year veteran of motorcycling and has adventure travel experiences spanning 14 years with wife/pillion Sandra. Their trips have covered 3 continents 25 countries, 65000 kms, and 180 world heritage sites. Their most recent trip in 2013 included previously unvisited Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania. They consider their travel strengths to be in trip planning and systems integration.

Sandra is the travel analyst in this pairing and makes most of the selections of where to stay, ethnic foods to experience, and sites to see. With training as a dietary technologist, food, is a central part of ensuring a meaningful cultural experience. Her batting average for the last 3 trips is very close to 1000, and the biggest gem ever experienced was as a result of her 'find' of the 'Convento de Cristo' in Tomar, Portugal , a World Heritage Site. As a passenger, she began riding with Brian when they started dating over 42 years ago, and, takes a very active role in all aspects of travelling by motorcycle.

Gaila Gutierrez and Tad Haas Leap and the net will appear, Couples travel not always a cake walk & The Scary parts of Take Off and Landing

Leap and the net will appear

The time is now: turn the life you dream of into reality. Gaila and Tad had always dreamed of living a life out of the ordinary but were uncertain which steps to take to make it happen. Burned out on corporate America and tired of routine and predictability, these two adventurers leaped into the unknown and turned their dreams into reality by embarking on a journey of a lifetime. They quit their jobs, rented the house, found a home for the cat and lived on their motorcycles for 14 months. Share the journey that has taken them over 40K astounding miles through 10 countries with countless escapades, adventures and unpredictable encounters.

Couples travel; not always a cake walk

Are you thinking of a long term journey with your significant other? Travel can challenge and test even the strongest of relationships and many couples simply don't make it. How do you maintain a healthy relationship with constant togetherness? After an incredible 411 days traveling/living on their motorcycles, Tad and Gaila share their story and tips on how to prevent your trip from becoming a solo trek. Sharing the joy is easy, but what isn't easy are the trials presented by road life and how it can impact your relationship. They provide information on how to deal with stress, disappointment and the outcomes of their roadside showdowns. Take away ideas on learning to adjust and carving out alone time in spite of constant togetherness. Their journey of a lifetime was both a smooth and bumpy ride. Join them and learn how to have the time of your life while keeping your relationship healthy and intact.

The Scary parts of Take Off & Landing

Planning to roam the globe is exciting & scary at the same time. You'll have the time of your life, but what can you expect when you return? What is the scariest and most dangerous part of flying? It's the take-off and landing; and oddly enough launching into a long term journey can have many similarities. Planning to leave your 'normal' life behind to roam the globe can be both exceptionally exciting and scary at the same time. While you're off adventuring you'll have the time of your life, but what can you expect when you return home? Having spent 14 months traveling/living on their motorcycles, Gaila Gutierrez and Tad Haas have learned a thing or two during their transcontinental travel. They will share tips on trip and bike preparation, planning, budget, volunteering and how having 'no reservations' really panned out. Learn what they will do differently next time and how 411 days of togetherness challenged their relationship. And most importantly they give you a glimpse into what every traveler should know about re-entry and landing.

Tad and Gaila currently reside in the Seattle area and are in the planning stages of their next big adventure.

Eduardo Holmes Making a 50 year old dream a reality.

When retirement looms or an extended timeframe opens up then it is 'put up or shut up' about your long held desire to do a trip. Ever since I was a youngster I'd planned a motorcycle trip to Tierra del Fuego. I was ready to do it after high school. It got side railed by life events. When retirement became a reality then the options opened up. Would I do it or let it go as a youthful fantasy? Was I too old, could I do it alone? You know you don't need to do everything you think of or fantasise about! or do you? I managed 7 months and a thrill of a lifetime. From Nukusp to Tierra del Fuego.

After 50 years of holding a dream to ride from Seattle to Tierra del Fuego, Eduardo left CanWest 2012 and headed toward Tierra del Fuego. 7 months on the road, a dream fulfilled and what next?

Seb and Kim Leeson, Belgium 110 days of off-road through the ex-USSR

4 months off the road with Suzuki DRZ's to central Asia... A story full of adventures that will take you from Siberia and the Russian bikers over the vast plains of Mongolia with the horse races, to a wedding in the steppes of Kazakhstan to end high up into the Pamir mountains of Tajikistan without food or water... A true epic adventure full of interesting people, places and stories off the beaten track!

Seb and Kim are experienced overlanders that have done several multiple months trips in the past all around Europe and Asia with their motorcycles. They have been presenting at several HU meetings and now they are on a RTW journey with a 4x4.

Michelle Eisele Sampling The Dominican Republic - An overweight Gringa, a failing Yamaha DT125, and 1600km's in 12 days around the Dominican Republic

What can you do if you only have two weeks of vacation time and the motorcycle travel bug is mercilessly chewing away at you?

Fly to the Dominican Republic, rent a cheap beat up dirt bike and explore a wonderful country with incredibly friendly people and landscapes ranging from tropical beaches; tobacco fields; cactus lined semi-deserts; to lofty cool mountains exceeding 10,000 feet, complete with motorcycle heaven roads and the scent of strawberries and onions filling the air.

Lifelong bicycle and motorcycle traveler. Traveling is in my blood. New smells, sounds and sights energize me and keep me lusting for more. I currently work in northern work camps to accumulate more travel cash to feed my habit.

Emily Roberts, Ontario to Alaska - my adventure across Canada and up to Alaska, and all the crazy people I've met along the way.

I've been riding motorcycle since I could balance on two wheels, I grew up with the passion on bikes in my blood. When I was 11 I started teaching dirt biking. I've always believed that trying something that scares you is essential in life to grow. I took three months to travel up to Alaska and back to Ontario when I was 18 and it's still been the best growing experience I've ever encountered.

Along the way I hit a deer, went mushroom picking and some how ended up with a fermented toe in my shot of whisky.

Ekke and Audrey Kok, Canada Four Months in S.E. Asia

In the summer of 2012 we set off from Germany to circumnavigate Asia. We rode our motorcycles north to Finland and then across Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. We then shipped the bikes to Japan and after touring Japan we shipped them to Singapore. We then spent four months riding in Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.

We rode north out of Singapore through Malaysia and on to Thailand in time for a Christmas holiday. Continuing north we met up with Dr. Gregory Frazier at the Horizons Unlimited meeting in Chang Mai. We were able to do a presentation on our Africa trip and also met a lot of other travellers, travellers whom we ran into again and again.

In Laos an incident occurred that changed our trip significantly, yet Laos was one of our favourite places to travel with its gentle people and laid back attitude. Vietnam was hectic and Cambodia amazed us with its extremes from the Killing Fields to Angkor Wat before we returned to Thailand in time to celebrate Songkran before flying out of Bangkok, ending a fantastic journey to a wonderful part of the world.

Nevil Stow, RTW 2013 Around the World on a DR650. 36,000 kms

London to Ukraine to Vladivostok and onward to Newfoundland! Preparation, paperwork and plenty of pictures.

The planning and execution of an albeit rapid RTW (wish I had more time). Border crossings, paperwork, corrupt police, motorcycle accidents and more are thrown into this mixed bag of goodies.

Detailing the visas/documentation needed to travel. Transnistria unraveled, good routes suggested and what to expect from corrupt police or getting "screeched in" in Nefoundland! 17 countries covered from England to Mongolia and onward through Siberia to Korea and ultimately Canada.

Nevil has lived and worked in the Cdn Rocky Mtns for 17 years and has extensive experience as a guide in the back country around the Canmore Banff area. He's been motorcycling for over 35 years and recently rode around the world in 2013.

Mike and Jo Hannan, Australia The Alps beyond Alpine roads. There is more to the European Alps than the pass roads.

If you only plan your trip to the Alps to ride the roads, you might miss the best part.

Every European summer, many thousands of riders converge on the Alps to ride some of the best motorcycle roads in the world. The roads do not disappoint.

There is, however, much more to the Alps that alpine roads. This part of Europe contains a unique mix of history, cultures and politics and any journey in the Alps can be made more interesting with a little understanding on the stories that lay along those alpine roads.

This presentation is a selection on short vignettes from areas along the length of the Alps that should capture the imagination of the most hard core mountain rider and provide incentive to explore and discover more Alpine stories of your own.

Mike and Jo Hannan went out for a short ride in late 2007 and stayed away for a year. Since then their lives have revolved around travel, travel writing and a widely dispersed family.

Jeremy Kroeker, Canada Through Dust and Darkness, Middle East

A motorcycle journey from Europe, through the Middle East and North Africa.

Jeremy Kroeker is a Mennonite with a motorcycle. When his seemingly unflinching faith in a Christian worldview begins to shift, Kroeker hops on his bike to seek answers from another perspective. After shipping his ride to Europe, Kroeker discovers that the machine wobbles back and forth worse than his own opinions about spirituality. Still, he caries on, oscillating through Europe—Germany, Austria, Croatia, Albania—and into the Middle East - Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and, ultimately, Iran.

Jeremy Kroeker is the author of two books, "Motorcycle Therapy" and "Through Dust and Darkness." With his motorcycle, he has traveled to nearly 30 countries while managing to do at least one outrageously stupid thing in every one. He has evaded police in Egypt, tasted teargas in Israel, scrambled through minefields in Bosnia and Lebanon, and wrangled a venomous snake in Austria. One time he got a sliver in El Salvador.

Mike Robertson, Canada The World a couple of weeks at a time.

"I like to travel and in many ways I need to travel. Traveling allows me to maintain my understanding and empathy with mankind. It enriches my relationships with family, nature and humanity. What has changed over time is my approach to travel. In younger days the limiting factor was money, currently it is time, and in the future it will likely be health.

Each year a trip is on the agenda; I will share my experience from a couple of styles of travel I am familiar with.

• On our own machines, loaded up with various amounts of planning
• On rental machines, in an organized group tour with lots of back up
• On rental machines, no planning, no organization, no equipment, no back up

I have found that each has merit; they all have challenges, rewards and disappointments, and that will be the focus of my presentation."

"I have traveled throughout my life in a variety of ways to a variety of places. Traveling can be done in a lot of different ways and a motorcycle is a favored mode of travel for some of adventures. I have been lucky to have found a partner, who shares my love of travel, and together we have seen a lot of the world - but there is always more to see and a lot of places to go back to."

Grant and Susan Johnson, Horizons Unlimited How it all began. The story of Grant and Susan's 11-year trip around the world, without a plan or a clue!

Way back in 1987, before the Internet, two young and naive Canadians set out from Vancouver to ride around the world on a motorcycle. The plan (and budget) was for 3 years, but it didn't quite work out that way!

Onno Kok, Canada Introduction to Lightroom - Understanding this powerful photo management and editing software

The great thing about digital cameras is that you can easily and cheaply take thousands of images. The awful thing about digital cameras is that you can easily take thousands of images.

Lightroom is comprehensive photo management software designed for people who need to manage thousands of images. It was developed with the professional in mind, but is accessible enough for the hobbyist. Learn how to import, backup, catalog, and rate your images. Processing is also an important part of the digital workflow and then learn how to easily export your images for web blogs and social media sites.

Photography Basics - A brief introduction to digital cameras and accessories.

Modern digital cameras can be complex, but most of the methods to use them are the same as in the early days of film. In this class we'll cover different types of cameras, the essential gear for your travels, and cover topics such as sensor size and do you need all those megapixels? Also covered will be understanding exposure, different shooting modes, and going beyond the automatic settings. Basic compositional concepts and how to achieve them will also be covered.

Onno Kok has been a riding and photography enthusiast for over 30 years. Although he says most of the time his photography has been little more than snap shots, he's more recently worked on elevating his skills.

Tracey Martin Around the world in 6 kilos - How to pack light and take what you need!

Tracey Martin has been travelling the globe for 30 years, visiting 35+ countries by bike, car, truck, bus, train, and ship. Each time she leaves home, she enjoys the expressions of wonder as she walks away with everything needed for weeks or months in just one small bag strapped to her back. Each new trip brings new packing challenges, but the greatest challenge of all was presented by the most recent adventure – 6 months in an Ural sidecar rig through pouring rain and from 45°C at sea level to snowing and below 0°C at 5,000+m.

Tracey and her husband, Miles McEwing, managed to carry everything needed for one low maintenance man, one high maintenance woman and one trusty Russian steed in just under 12 kilos. When you're on a bike as heavy as the Ural, carrying two passengers who are no light-weights, every kilo you can leave behind makes a difference.

Join Tracey to learn from her experiences, both on and off of a bike: What do you bring? How do you pack it? What gear worked? What gear failed miserably? Then join in a round-table discussion where we'll learn from each other's experiences. If there is one lesson learned from many years of travel, it is that there is no right or wrong when it comes to packing. Learn from the experiences of others, then put together a packing plan that works for you.

Liz Jansen Apprenticeship of a Digital Nomad - Lessons on living and working from the road, learned during a 6 week ride through the northwestern US

Have you thought of traveling AND earning a living doing something you love, at the same time? Last year, I experimented it with it, not realizing I'd be launching into it in a big way this year. I'll explain what went well, describe the challenges and lay out how I plan to do it this time, during an undefined time in Pan-American travel.

Author, Writer, Speaker, Facilitator. Have traveled throughout the world but overland travel has been limited to North America. Until this year. On August 1st when I leave, I'll be headed for Central and South America, traveling and working from the road.

Mike & Shannon Mills Can't just chuck it all-how to go anyway... Learn how to fit motorcycle adventuring into a normal life of careers, mortgages, and student loans.

Mike and Shannon both work full-time jobs. But a strange thing happened. The odd escape weekend spent motorcycle camping in the mountains of Washington started to morph; some exotic parasite was eating the parts of our brain in charge of security and stability. The trips got longer, the distance farther...

Learn how they have fit motorcycle adventuring into their 9-5 life. Their recent motorcycle travels have witnessed them exploring the US, Canada, Southeast Asia and Mexico. Accommodations on the trips have ranged from mostly camping (Arctic Ocean and Baja) to all guesthouse/hotel (Southeast Asia). They have used their own bikes in North America and rented bikes when abroad. They will share how they plan, budget, decide the gear list, and more. They will also discuss traveling with their dog and how they plan for his health and safety.

At the time of Canada West we will be two weeks away from starting a 3-year RTW that includes our Chihuahua, named Ducati! He will be on hand to answer all your questions.

Brian and Sandra Smith, VStrom Adventures Trip planning /Systems Integration (GPS)

Want to take control of your trip and ensure you maximize your time, effort /money and not get lost? Here's how a 150 day epic adventure was hatched.

Workshop Objectives
1. Identify the benefits/ differences of pre-planning versus 'seat of the pants' travel as it applies to GPS and other systems including internet, tablets/phones and computers.
2. Recognize how this type of planning allows you to make great spontaneous decisions.
3. Introduction to structured trip planning where time, distance, routes and destinations are all considered. Works for any size trips.
4. Recognize the 3 major different types of GPS coordinates from various sources, like websites, Google Maps, and default GPS products and how to work with these to get to where you want to go.

Daan Stehouwer and Mirjam van Immerzeel, Netherlands RTW - changes your life - really?

What does the trip do to you; which decisions influence this outcome and do you really change? So, you read a book and find a website - and go around the world as a couple on two 'way-too-big-bikes'... What decisions we made, how that affected our trip and most of all: does it really change things? Besides lowering some numbers on your savings account; does it affect you as a person or you two as a couple? For sure we'll show our best slides and some cool movies of our trip, but we'll also focus on the 'people'-aspect of it all. And Mirjam will be there for comments too!

From HU to the World

It started with a DVD... and ended up with a RTW trip and an emigration! One rainy day some years ago. Daan calls Mirjam at work: 'there is a DVD to buy about this crazy plan we came up with in the pub last week!'

Lots of hours on the HUBB and a few HU-meetings @ Germany. Finally we did it, travelled The Americas and Africa. Yes: it had a massive impact on our lives. But looking back on it, it was the best thing we've ever done! We're hooked...

How it all started?

Zigy Kaluzny Packing Lite for Long Distance Tours - How to select and pack minimum -- yet adequate -- clothing for long distance touring

If you're like most of the riders I see, I bet you constantly ask yourself "why did I bring all this stuff?" Many of you probably don't use half of the clothes you've stuffed in your panniers.

Twenty years of long-distance motorcycle touring across the American West, up to Alaska, months in NZ and in Europe have taught me just how little clothing I need to travel and still not look or smell like the Mongol hordes pouring out of Central Asia.

I'm going to show you how little you really need in the way of clothes to tour (almost) anywhere. The benefits: Less stuff to dig through, and a lighter bike. Less IS more.

You'll get recommendations for specific brands of readily available travel clothing, where to find it, what to pack it in, and a customizable list of the 20 years of constantly-updated personal gear I carry.

Zigy assures me this is NOT him, but he will show you how to avoid carrying too much stuff!

Janet Wilson and Tom Feuchtwanger, Canada Making Interesting Travel Videos and Choosing the Right Trip!

Making Interesting Travel Videos - Will you still be watching your travel videos in 20 years or will they have been packed away?

With over 100 travel videos on Youtube or Vimeo I will share some tips on how and what makes an interesting and watchable video. We will watch some videos some of the best and some of the worst and review why and what makes a travel video interesting and entertaining. Learn how to create memorable and meaningful videos for you. Most cannot go not go back and do a reshoot while on the road so one has to shoot it right, but most important you have to start shooting. After your travels your videos will be an important part of the memories.

Africa or America What's Your Choice - If you had to choose only one trip which would best suit your personality style of travel?

Several continents with different challenges, opportunities, risks, costs and thrills. If you had to make one choice which overland trip, which continent, would best suit your overland travel personality. Are you the risk taker, the adventurists, the beginner eager to get your bum in the seat or the cautious. Do you prefer to go it alone or in a group or as a couple. Would you love to travel across the Sahara or the Andes, Whats your interests, what's your passions.

Asking the right questions will help you know where you next need to go. We will help you find your travel style and personality and remember the world is waiting to be explored.

Janet Wilson and Tom Feuchtwanger have a deep love of travelling the world, exploring it's wilderness, wildlife and peoples. During the early 70's they spent many years living in the African bush where Tom worked as an exploration geologist. Their first overland adventure in 1974 was in a Renault in which they traveled around Europe.

They completed 3 overland trips circumnavigating 80,000km across Africa. In 2010 they drove from Alaska to Argentina completing a 65,000km overland journey in 18 months.

"Nothing is more addictive than traveling off the beaten track across the globe. 87 countries and still on the move."

Mike and Jo Hannan, Australia Travel Writing for Non-Writers

Even a simple blog or Facebook page can be improved with by following a few simple rules. Many of us keep a blog or an extensive face book page while travelling. While not everyone has the ambition to tell their stories in a book most riders want to be able to communicate the excitement they feel on the road to others in some format.

This presentation provides a check list to assist you to:
1. Write compelling prose that keeps your readers reading regardless of the format you chose.
2. Organise your blog or page so that it grabs the attention of newcomers and keeps your old fans waiting for the next instalment.
3. Organise, edit and self-publish your writing.
4. Understand what a commercial publisher wants and how you can give it to them.

Mike has two travel books published: The Elephant's Tale (2009) and High Road Rider (2014) both published by New Holland Publishing.

Bike set-up - One team's solution

Every rider wants to improve their bike. This is what we did to ours and why we did it.

Over eight years and 150,000km, Mike and Jo Hannan have tried to keep their BMW GS (named Elephant) as standard as possible; except for all the bits they have changed. Like most teams, Team Elephant have tried lots of ideas to pack two lives into the limited space of a motorcycle. Some have worked, some haven't.

This presentation is a chance to look at one team's well sorted and cost effective solutions and, maybe, take away some ideas for your own travel set-up. At the least you may see some things that you should avoid at all costs!

Nevil Stow, RTW 2013 Bears, Bodgers & Bushcraft

Bushcraft and Motorcycling - Primitive crafts that can help you out in today's hi tech world

When all else fails, you have to rely on technology that has been around for centuries. How do you fashion a tire bead breaker from wood or build your own saw? I will teach you the basics on what to carry, why and how to apply it to your surroundings. The more you know, the less you carry!

Bears & Moto camping, the do's & dont's

A humorous insight into what to do and not do in bear country from an ex-mountain guide.

A simple slide show coupled with demonstrations and audience participation. Presented by Nevil Stow and quite possibly Trent Schumann. Lots of props and growling noises made here!

Beware of bear sign in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

Best of Bodger Fixes

Can WD-40 fix everything? No, but you would be surprised what you can do with a bar of soap other than wash your hands!

Nevil is standing in for Kevan Ibbotson for this popular talk on "Bodging your bike repairs in order to get it home"... or at least to a mechanic. This is an interactive session where we will review some of the tools and repair material to carry... and how to use them to get yourself back on the road. The presentation is interspersed with photos and videos from HU members from the past few years to showcase some of their very imaginative "Get Home" ideas.

Zigy Kaluzny Making - Not Taking - Photographs - How to make personal and memorable photos on the road

You come back from a great motorcycle trip and as gorgeous and interesting as the places were, your photos consist of "Here's my bike in front of some famous local monument... Here's my bike with some (not-as-beautiful-as-I-remembered-and-too-far-away-to really-appreciate) mountains... Those (ant-sized) people in the distance? They were really cool... "

Disappointed that your images aren't like the ones in National Geographic? Your photos from the road don't have to put everyone -- including you -- to sleep. I'm going to show you how to MAKE -- NOT TAKE -- photos on the road that can be intriguing, funny, and definitely memorable, no matter what camera you carry. Secret: you don't need a "pro" camera and six lenses that fill your top case and are a pain to get out.

Zigy Kaluzny was a photojournalist for 20 years, completing assignments for publications including TIME, NEWSWEEK, THE NEW YORK TIMES, FORBES, PEOPLE, and European magazines like Germany's GEO and STERN. His work is currently represented by GettyImages, the world's largest stock photo agency.

Grant Johnson, Horizons Unlimited Fix that flat! How to change a tire anytime, anywhere!

Grant's tire changing seminars are always well attended and appreciated. This seminar covers: how to prevent flats in the first place, and fix them when you get one; the best tools and how to use them for tube and tubeless tires; hands-on practical for beginners to experts, optional tire changing contest.

Grant's tire changing seminar at HU California meeting.

Grant and Susan Johnson, Horizons Unlimited 4 Easy Steps to Overland Travel! You can do it - we can help! Finding your way around Horizons Unlimited, other resources. Lots of great pics and video clips.

"Grant and Susan Johnson are icons in the round-the-world (RTW) motorcycling community. The Johnsons host - or more appropriately write, edit, produce, manage and coordinate Horizons Unlimited - a global network of motorcycle travelers... and a bona fide adventure motorcycling phenomenon." Dan Hilton, Rider Magazine

This seminar will be an overview of various 'How To' topics. Includes 'How to' content from the Achievable Dream series and great pics from HU Photo Contest winners!

Grant Johnson, Horizons Unlimited Bike mods and ergonomics!

Grant will host a bike 'Show and Tell' - bring your bike and show us your favorite travel mods. Critique and discussion.

When you picked up your new bike, did they take the time to make it fit you? You'll learn the amazing difference a properly setup bike makes to your riding fun.

Ergonomics demonstration at HU Canada West meeting.

LOTS of presentations to come! As people register to present we'll list them here.

How about you? We're all here to learn, and there's LOTS to learn! We want to do more presentations and seminars - but we need volunteers to give them! Any topic you can contribute having to do with motorcycle travel, maintenance, planning etc, lasting 20 minutes or more, would be great. Please contact us here to volunteer.