Be prepared. You hear it over and over again. If you are failing to plan , you’re planning to fail (Benjamin Franklinism). Motorcycle travels are no different. Given that we represent the midlife segment of riders, we are prone to medical issues. Medical issues, be it high blood pressure, thin skin, heart problems, knee damage, and even arthritis. Its a long list, things happen and that should not prevent you from riding and riding longer.
Resources are out there and being prepared will ensure you have one less panic moment when you are out on the road.
It starts with a bag or a box. Whatever you use, there’s room for some of the these basic safeguards inside:
GETTING STARTED
- A notebook: WHY? Having a notebook will help you keep tabs on things like medication management (when did i take that pill…) It also allows you to log how you feel day to day, aches and pains, etc. Finally, keeping your thoughts and ideas logged is just good for you.
- Baby Aspirin: Barring any allergies to the said little pill, keeping a small collection of baby aspirin may be the back up you need when that moment of chest pain hits 200 miles away from the closest city clinic. Pain relief , yes, but also for its lowers the risk of heart attack. It may save your life
- Sunscreen: lets face it, you’re exposed to the elements and all that sun is catching up with you. If you’re lucky you’ll end up looking like an old shoe at the end of the year, but if you’re unlucky you’ll end up having 10% of you ear cut off because of an aggressive melanoma (aka skin cancer).
- Bandages: you know it but you just dont want to admit it. You get cut picking up a dry leaf. Your skin is brittle and damages easy. Keep some Band-Aids tucked away..
That’s just a start, now that you’ve put some thought into it, you’ll be able to add more items that will keep you happy when things get uncomfortable. Have some ideas about what you can take, add them in the comments.
Keep riding and be prepared.
