Gear Riding the Pan American Highway? You’ll Wanna Pack This GearJames Barkman and friends rode 38,000 miles from Alaska to Patagonia. This is the gear that saved their lives. Literally.

Words Iron & Air Staff
Images James Barkman

The Pan-American Highway is the longest, arguably the most epic, system of roads on Earth. It begins in the Arctic Circle near Deadhorse, Alaska, and terminates at the very bottom of South America in Ushuaia, Argentina. James Barkman and friends Allen and Jeremy took the 38,000 mile trek from Alaska to Patagonia. Along the way they suffered breakdowns, robberies, sickness, avalanches, unpredictable weather, and more than one brush with death. But they avoided the number one rookie mistake when embarking on a road trip of this magnitude; they were prepared for just about anything. James shared a few of his favorite pieces of kit that made the journey more comfortable and less-deadly.

@jamesbarkman

EXPLORE THE GEARJames Barkman's Pan American Road Trip Gear List

"A literal suit of armor, an indestructible feat of human engineering. We took bets that it would withstand a grizzly attack. I never got to find out, but my money is still on the Dominator." -James Barkman
Shop REV'IT Dominator Gear
"If you can’t afford moto panniers, make your own. We designed our own leather saddle bags and panniers (approximately 110L total) and worked with a local leather company to build them. Our panniers survived 40,000 miles and countless wrecks, high-sides, rain, snow, mud, hail, and hellfire." -James Barkman
"Believe it or not, a sheep skin works wonders to soften up a stock DR650 seat. Keep an eye out while riding through the Andean highlands, you’ll likely stumble across piles of sheep hides drying over fence posts and clothes lines." -James Barkman
"Not only lightweight, but an amazingly versatile sleeping bag system for hot and cold weather. The Vesper 20F quilt is great for warmer temps and paired with the Hyperion 20F bag, together they can withstand dramatically low temperatures." -James Barkman
$400-500 | Buy on Thermarest.com
"In addition to setting up a hammock for your lounging and sleeping needs, hammock straps function as tow straps for towing another bike when it either A) runs out of gas or B), breaks down. My personal towing record is 40 miles." -James Barkman
$20-40 | Buy on REI.com
"Great for climbing; great for propping up your bike for routine maintenance and tire changes." -James Barkman
$80-120 | Buy on REI.com
"Save yourself a lot of grief and get the beefiest tubes money can buy." -James Barkman
Shop Tire Tubes on Revzilla.com