After much umming and ahhing and consulting the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook and talking to any number of people who have done this trip, a trip like it, and randoms who wanted to impart their opinions, we narrowed our gear down to the following. 

Clothing:

We are really excited that REV'IT believed in us an are supporting the trip and treated us so well.  Despite their generosity, we only approached them because they make some of the best adventure gear. Safety focused with plenty of good style thrown in.

REV'IT Cayenne Pro Jacket- We spent a lot of time flip flopping on whether to go with the Dominator GoreTex jacket or the cooler, mesh Cayenne Pro. I think anywhere else in the world (South America, Mongolia, Siberia) we might have gone for the Dominator, but Africa will be hot and when it's wet it will be wetter than any GoreTex can protect from so we went for the Cayenne. Great fit, serious body armour and so far, really rugged. 

REV'IT Cayenne Pro Pant- All the same reasons as above. Loving the cargo pockets and reinforced crotch.

REV'IT Cayenne Pro Glove- Simply a beautiful glove and I am a glove guy. Skiing or motorcycling, I love a good glove and this is a good one. Bomber protection, supple and dextrous with a really solid closer. I love riding my bike just so I can wear them.

REV'IT Climate Jacket- This is our warmest layer. Fits well and works in unison with the Cayenne jacket. Polartec insulation and breathes down the sides. Beyond that, it just looks really smart when off the bike.

REV'IT Oxygen Baselayer- We will see how long a solid black layer lasts under the African sun, but in the warmer temps of Spain it has been really comfortable. 

REV'IT Cooling Vest- To be tried in the field, but the concept is that you wet the vest and wear it against your body to help staying cool. We had lots of recommendations to do the same with a t-shirt and bandana etc, so in theory this should be a great addition and stay wetter longer than a t-shirt.

Luggage:

David at Enduristan was gracious enough to support our trip, but we wouldn't have accepted his kind offer if we didn't think their gear would be suitable.

Enduristan Monsoon 3 Panniers-  So far they have been great. Large enough with a roll top closure and built from bomber materials. We will find out just how bomber in the coming months. They mount to our 690s without the need for a luggage rack which has worked fine so far. Keeps the bike light and narrow. We use a half dozen or so of the divider bags, but haven't used the compartment spacers.

Enduristan Tornado 2 Duffel- Waterproof duffel. We went for size Medium. Could use more space, but the point is to keep it compact. 

Enduristan Sandstorm 3S Tankbag- Waterproof and expandable. We can still stand on the pegs with the bag. Easily detachable and solid. Has a removable valuables pouch that velcros inside the lid. Really stoked on this.

Enduristan Tool Kit- Really nice tool roll. Fits everything we need to fix the bike on the side of the road and keep things organized.

Boots:

Richard went for the Sidi Crossfire 2 boot, while I found and online deal on Alpinestar Tech 7 boot. We wanted beefy, solid boots to maybe just maybe stand up to the imminent abuse throughout Africa.

Helmet:

Richard went for the Arai XD-4 and Anthony went for the Shoei Hornet DS. Both are premium helmets. Hopefully we don't need to really use them. We are using a Sena 20s and SMH10 comms unit. 

Camping:

Nigor Parula 2 person tent- A popular footprint used by numerous companies. We each have our own vestibule along with the ability to open up the sides of the tent to let in a breeze or just enjoy the view. Lightweight and compact, we are pretty stoked.

Whisperlite Stove- Had it for years and it burns anything and everything. Its a bit larger, but with no knowledge of whether we can get butane canisters, we went for the safe option.

Thermarest Neolite sleeping pad- Light and comfy.

Sleeping bag- Anthony has a lightwieght Sea to Sky -4C down bag that unzips to make a blanket. Definitely on the warm side, but the thinking was the desert can get chilly. It's what he had so packed it. Richard skimped and brought a +17C synthetic bag he had kicking around the house. Time will tell. 

Alite Mayfly Camp Chair- Our one luxury. As compact as it it, it is still cumbersome but feels so good to kick back in at the end of the day.

Navigation:

Garmin Zumo- Richard has one of these for cities and apparently recently improved topo integration. 

Garmin inReach Emergency Beacon- Sends and receives text messages via satellite and has an emergency signal function if things go really sideways. The new version has a built in GPS that once off the grid Anthony expects to be sufficient in tandem with paper maps and offlined maps on the phone.

Camera Gear

As an adventure filmmaker and photographer,Anthony can't help himself so has brought the full artillery.

Sony A7sii with Sony 24-70mm f4 lens, Canon 16-35mm 2.8 and Canon 70-300mm f4 lens with a Rode Stereo Video Mic Pro for sound.

Sony RX100iv- Anthony's secret weapon. It is always at hand.

DJI Mavic drone- We will see how long this lasts before Anthony either crashes it, it is confiscated on suspicion of being a spy or it just stops working from 20,000kms of vibration on the back of the bike.

GoPro Hero 5, GoPro Hero3+ with Sena Bluetooth backpack.

HitCase iPhone 7 case- Bombproof iPhone protection with the ability to mount to a helmet, etc and utilized interchangeable wide angle lens'.