Plans are nothing; planning is everything!
Among the many reasons people don’t undertake so-called adventurous travel is they don’t know how to plan their trip: what do I need to know, what if I go and something happens … then what?
After planning and executing ‘adventurous travel’ (aka military operations) over the last 35-years, for solo or multi-person groups, if I’ve learned nothing else it’s that nothing ever goes to plan … so why bother planning? I’ve also noticed how frequently I encounter the two extremes among Adventure Motorcyclists: from the devil-may-care-wind-in-my-hair view that plans are boring and not for real motorcyclists “… just grab a toothbrush, puncture repair kit, jump on your bike and go!”; to the check-the-list-stay-on-the-timetable view where not having a super detailed plan for every last hour is just reckless “… whaddya mean you didn’t bring the hydraulic winch, what if you end up in a ditch!?”
As ever, the answer probably lies somewhere in between the 2 extremes and, in my experience, is best summed up by a famous-dead-guy quote: “Plans are nothing; planning is everything”. In other words, it’s not about having a plan for everything, it’s about your preparation for the foreseeable: if you’ve thought about it before it happens the greater the chance you’ll know what to do when it does!
So, in the coming weeks, check back into this part of the VALR Journal and we’ll be preparing for a relatively simple adventurous travel plan for a small group of friends. As we go, we’ll be building a planning framework or template you can use for any trip, including points to ponder, things not to forget and how best to prepare.
Now, before we begin, a few ‘health warnings’: no 2 journeys are ever the same; put 10 people in a room and ask them how they plan, and you’ll get 15 answers; ask 5 of them to look at the other 5’s plan and they will rip shreds out of it because some incredibly minute but vital component was omitted … or just because it wasn’t invented here!
We are not trying to create a new religion or ‘planners’ sect here, we will just offer you a few sensible guidelines on how to get started and what not to forget; you’ll add your own thoughts and considerations around these basics for your own trip and together you’ll be much better prepared for whatever adventure throws in your path!
OK, let’s make a start …
Planning Framework
First, a planning framework – key topics not to overlook – and no, it’s not a checklist, more of a gentle reminder of planning factors to be considered … in a list-like format, which you might want to check before you set off on your journey!
End-Game
Be clear about what you are trying to achieve: “We want to go to Brighton for the weekend, camp, drink too much and get home for work on Monday” or “I’m raising money for the Red Cross and will be riding from London to Cape Town with minimum support and need to be in there by January 21st”. With the what often comes the why and the ‘why’ will be useful for a variety of things later, as you will see, ranging from helping you make decisions to motivating you when things don’t go as hoped!
Research
At the heart of any preparation is research and this will take many forms, have almost limitless sources and, if you are not careful become all-consuming if not a tad overwhelming. We’ll help guide you to reliable sources for most things and how to best verify what you’ve found in the absence of a creditable source.
Administrative
There will always be an amount of ‘red-tape’ and ‘paperwork’ with any trip. Research will help you find the necessary things to have completed in advance or what you might need to get done en route. Then there’s things like personal administration too, for health factors or medication to be taken with you. Again, we’ll highlight key aspects to be considered here.
Logistics
What kit do you need, how much support will be available and are you planning to use through the trip? Fuel planning, food availability, bike maintenance and repairs (if required) all need to be thought through sufficiently. Like all parts of this planning framework, it’s about ensuring you haven’t missed anything glaringly obvious and important by thinking things through sufficiently to be confident in your plan and competent in your readiness to meet the challenges of things you hadn’t expected.
Communications
Talking to each other while riding in a group or between rider and pillion can really enhance your journey, but what about reaching emergency services should you need them or being able to keep friends and family ‘in the loop’ on how things are going? Also, have you checked how to use the equipment you’ve got before the emergency strikes and you’re scrabbling around trying to find the ‘on/off/transmit’ button.
Training
We’ve probably all ‘bitten off more than we can chew’ at some time in our lives. The key here is recognising and acknowledging our experience and limitations. If the journey is going to present numerous ‘off-road’ days and you’re a through-and-through ‘on-road’ rider consider getting some training. Equally, don’t underestimate the physical challenges adventure motorcycling can present. Consider getting some light exercise training in before you set off?
Finances
Having a good grip on the necessary (and available!) funds is a key component for any preparation, of course, but what about en route diversions, changes to the plan, sources of income along the way? Having a budget is good, knowing too where you’ll find the emergency funds in the event you need them is better. We’ll show you some simple rules of thumb to follow in preparation and during the journey to help keep on top of the ‘kitty’.
Re-Planning
When the inevitable happens and you need a major or minor re-plan there are a few simple things to remember and consider that’ll help you make sensible decisions. Equally, knowing when you might need to do a replan is just as important and there a few simple things you can do to monitor progress that could help you spot the emerging problem before it becomes one!
So, enough for the first instalment?
In the coming weeks, we’ll start working through all the above preparation factors to build up our readiness for an adventurous journey to … well, let’s make that a surprise, shall we?