I picked up some new stuff this trip and carried some old standbys, most of which worked quite well. My Eureka tent performed fine, as always. I purchased a 2" thick, 72" long Thermarest from Campmor, from their "Special Savings" section in the rear of their catalog. Half price due to some blemish I couldn't find and didn't care about anyway. Worked great, though I wish they'd cover those things in something that grips a nylon sleeping bag.

Also from Campmor was a fleece-covered inflatable pillow, which was very cool. $11.99, it has a vinyl sack inside, covered in foam, with fleece on the outside. Blow up and relax, it's very comfy and a nice size.

Again from Campmor, a set of Coolmax tights (pants) and briefs. These worked well to wick moisture away, though I was rarely anywhere truly hot (other than Denver). Butt burn was a very minor issue on this trip as a result. The tights were considerably more comfortable than my usual loose cottom pants.

From Riderwearhouse: the largest waterproof Dri-bag. VERY nice, but expensive ($79.00). You pay a lot more for one that opens on the side, but it's very worth it, as you don't have to unpack everything to get anything with this design. And of course it was watertight.

My Sidi On-road Sympatex boots remain waterproof and totally comfortable to walk in to this day.

The ST I brought back had a Vista Cruise throttle lock, and I liked it, a lot. In the plains states, it works well as a cruise control, and I used it constantly, so I could hunch into the wind. It's easier to set and release than a Throttlemeister, but looks kinda ugly. Worked like a charm, though.

Carrying a tape recorder was a very good idea, and I'll be doing so on long trips from now on. Much of the depth of this trip report can be attributed to that, which kept track of little details I would've probably forgotten about by the time I sat down to write.

My V1 radar detector performed PERFECTLY, saving me from at least two dozen encounters, any one of which would have cost more than the entire budget of this trip. If you don't own one yet, why the hell not? *I* made it across most of the country without a single ticket...what higher praise do you need?

My Aerostich Roadcrafter. See comment above about the V1. There's three kind of touring riders: those who own a Stich, those who don't but want to, and those who are in denial. Don't be that guy.

The ST itself, with the exception of a fuse and some strange handling, performed flawlessly. I discovered later (from the previous owner) that he knew the steering bearings were overtightened, but never got around to readjusting them, and just lived with it. Neither of these conditions can be attributed to the design of the bike itself. Sorry, Phil.

Things I didn't like:

This ST has barrel-shaped foam handgrips. I don't like 'em. Yes, they provide a more natural shape for your hand, but that means ALL of your palm is in contact with the grip ALL of the time, and I found that annoying. I like having some air space in there, especially when it's hot.

This ST also came with the Bagster tankbag setup, which is a large leather tank bra that completely covers the "tank", with buckles for the tank bag to snap into. I liked the utility of the setup, and I used it a lot, but when it rains, the water saturates the tank bra and then just lays there. That can't be good, IMO. Mildew and gack must grow in there, since it stays wet for a long time. There's a rain cover for the tankbag itself, of course.