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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ucbvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-manana!dm_johnson
From: dm_johnson@manana.DEC
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: trips and saddle bags
Message-ID: <859@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 16-Oct-85 07:44:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.859
Posted: Wed Oct 16 07:44:50 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 18-Oct-85 00:13:13 EDT
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
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I don't think you will find much in the way of leather saddle bags. In 
weather they just aren't competitive with todays super fabrics... in
weather that is. Just finished a 3k trip into Canada and back and my 
Vetter soft bags were superb. No water in them (yes, a couple of bad 
rain days). Didn't have to worry about the zippers, the exterior, etc.

Leather would not be waterproof (buckles instead of zippers on the ones 
I have seen) and require saddle soap etc to keep looking nice. Plus if 
you go price leather items these days I believe you will find $150 very 
competitive with the price of leater bags.

Camping:

Forget the name of the company but every year they do an encyclopedia on 
campgrounds. Pretty much oriented around the car crew but I xeroxed the 
map for the states I was going through (It has a number on the map for 
each campground in the state) and crossed out the blatently unacceptable
campgrounds. That left state, local, and small campgrounds which are 
better for you. I only had one bad night using this technique.

Plus:

A plug for September camping. I did a Northeast tour starting in Sept 
and going into Canada. Gone a couple of weeks. Since most of the kids 
are in school the campgrounds were quiet (except weekends) and 
beautiful. I spent a lovely night outside of Sault St Marie on a bay
on Lake Huron. Pitched the tent on a white sand beach and was basically
by myself in a 180 person camp ground. Temp about 80. Just the loons and
me. I can handle.

Ride long
Denny Johnson