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Here is a picture of what my trailer will look like for my bike tour. I have a nice solar panel on top of my trailer which will allow me to keep my main battery power packs fully charged. On the back of my trailer, I have attached my two On-Guard U-Locks that will be used when I am off of my trike. If you look closely, you will notice that I have two red tail lights attached to the sides of my trailer as well as a larger tail light that is attached to the bed of my trailer. I also have a triangular safety flag that is very reflective. My trailer has 20″ wheels and is capable of holding up to 180 pounds of supplies.

Inside my trailer, I have a blue folded ground mat that is really compact and light but gives me good cushion while laying on the ground.

The next picture is of my dry bag that contains all of my clothes. Inside that big bag is several smaller dry bags. Inside these bags, I have one that has 7 jerseys, one that has 7 pairs of shorts, one that has 7 pairs of compression shorts, one that has 10 pairs of socks, and one that has 7 face shields to protect me from the sun. Also inside that big dry bag is my rain coat, rain pants, and Sealz socks. I also have one pair of dress pants and a dress shirt for when I am attending church or site seeing. I also have a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. That’s a lot of clothing all inside this great dry bag.

The next picture is my brand new tablet that I will be using to post my blogs and upload and edit videos for my YouTube channel. This tablet is a Insignia with a 10.1″ screen. It is exactly the size I need and seems to do a pretty good job.

The next picture is my bike pump. This is a pump that has the option to pump up the various types of tires for both the Presta Valve and the Shrader Valve. It also has a large pressure gauge to help me get the exact pressure that I need.

The next picture of my three extra tires for my Trike. These are the Schwalbe Marathon tires. These tires last a very long time and should help me get around several miles for my trip.

The next picture is my Igloo soft sided backpack cooler. This cooler is small but is exactly what I needed to fit into the space of my trailer. It has an interior space that holds enough food and this thing stays cool for  a long time.

The next picture is my cookware. This is a nice set of items that is exactly the right size for just me. This set includes a fry pan, a pot for cooking my rice or potatoes, two foldable sporks, a wooden spoon, two small bowls, a pot gripper, and a small grill top for my Kelly Kettle. This all stacks together and packs into a small bag.

The next picture is my bike cables that will be used with my U-locks to secure my trike when I have to go into a store or while I may be site seeing. The longer cable is long enough to go through my trailer tires and lock around my bike frame. I also have 2 shorter cables that will go through each of my front tires and around my frame. I realize that no bike locking system is guaranteed against theft but at least they will have to put some work into it. LOL

The next picture is my tent. This is a camouflage colored tent which will help me stay concealed when I need to do some stealth camping. This is a two man tent which will give me some extra room but it has such a low profile so I can set it up by myself and take it down quickly when needed.

The next two pictures are of my Kelly Kettle cook system. This is the smallest option called the Trekker. It holds about 3 cups of water and will boil water in around 4 minutes. This is a rocket stove style cook system and I can use any type of material to burn so I don’t have to have any special fuels. All you have to do is start a fire in the base, set the filled Kelly Kettle on the flames and wait a few minutes for boiling water. Most of my meals are basically only going to require me to add boiling water so this system works best for me.

The last picture is all my extra gear. I have a fully stock First Aid Kit. Hopefully I will not have to use that much but I have it just incase. I have a package of fire starter sticks and a box of glow sticks. I have a small battery powered speaker system that I can just plug my phone into for a boost of sound. No ear buds should be used while biking for safety reasons. I also have a brand new cool towel that I may have to use during those hotter days. I have a bar of soap and a small flashlight. I also have 4 extra tubes for my trailer tires. These tires are the same size as the ones on my trike but a different type.

Everything shown above fits nicely in my trailer. The only extra items that I will be carrying that are not shown above are as follows: toilet paper, trash bags, zip lock bags, my personal hygiene items and my food. I will be carrying 2 gallons of extra water which will fit nicely inside my trailer. I have a small plastic drawer that also has a specific spot in my trailer that will hold enough food for several meals. I will be eating packaged foods like Idahoan Potatoes, Tuna Pouches, Knorr Rices and Sides, Pop Tarts, Granola Bars, and Peanut butter/Cheese Crackers.

I am not sure how much this trailer weighs but it is well under 100 pounds, probably closer to 75 pounds. This trailer pulls very nicely behind my trike and is very easy to load and unload. Stayed tuned for some videos within the next few weeks. Thank you.

I Ride For Those Who Can No Longer Ride

Hello everyone. This week I am going to explain to you the different items that I will be carrying with me on my trike. This is what I call my Go Bag. This bag is clipped on the back of my seat rack and will go with me every time that I am off my bike. This bag is very important to the success of my bike tour.

Starting on the right side outer pocket: I have a chain repair tool and kit, set of Allen keys, tire levers, 2 multi-tools, tire patch kit, and Terra Trike mini tool kit.

The next pocket: 1 pad lock and extra keys for my bike U-Locks.

The middle pocket: an extra head light and tail light and 2 pens.

The next pocket: my Ion Air Pro Lite Action camera with built in WIFI, my bike computer that will keep track of my speed, distance, and total mileage, and 2 mini USB micro charging cables.

The left end pocket: bike chain lube, 2 extra chain idlers, hand sanitizer, carabiner, and small tape measure.

Inside the bag: medium and small zip ties, roll of yellow duct tape, roll of black electrical tape, lighter, 2 extra power banks, 6 extra tire tubes, Christian Warrior Retreat brochures, 2 small books, and my business/information cards.

As you can see, I have received 500 business/information cards to hand out to those I meet along my routes to explain who I am and why I am trying to raise awareness for PTSD and raise money for the Christian Warriors Retreat.

On the outside of my Go Bag, I will have three different solar power charging devices to help keep my power banks powered. These solar banks and the power banks will help keep my phone, camera, and tablet charged to keep everyone updated on my tour.

Finally, you will noticed that I have my sunglasses case attached to the outside of my Go Bag. This case contains several extra lenses that I will be using depending on the weather conditions. It is very important to always wear eye protection to protect your eyes from wind, dust, bugs, and anything else that may cause harm.

As you can see, this is just a simple storage bag that I believe is essential for my success. I continue to prepare for my bike tour and am getting very excited. Continue reading my blogs and follow me on Facebook. Stay tuned for next week as I write a blog covering all the items that I will be taking on my tour that are contained in my trailer. If you would like to donate, please go to my Facebook page at Gregory Hook and click on my GoFundMe Account or donate directly at christianwarriorsretreat.org. Thank you.

I Ride For Those Who Can No Longer Ride.

Continue reading “Getting my Trike ready.” →

Hello,
My name is Gregory Hook and I am a disabled Navy Veteran. I am attempting to ride my recumbent trike around the United States (that’s right, 12,000 miles) to raise awareness for other veteran’s that are struggling with the effects of PTSD. I have set a goal of raising $25,000 to be dedicated to the Christian Warrior’s Retreat Center in Victoria, Texas.
CHRISTIAN WARRIORS RETREAT IS THE NATION’S FIRST FOR VETERANS, BY VETERANS MINISTRY COMMITTED TO HONOR OUR NATION’S VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. WE ARE DEDICATED TO UNITE ALL BRANCHES AND ERAS OF THE U.S. MILITARY USING CHRISTIAN AND MILITARY VALUES AS OUR CORE FOUNDATION. OUR MISSION IS FOR OUR VETERANS TO FIND TRUE HEALING AND REGAIN PURPOSE IN LIFE, RELATIONSHIPS, AND SELF THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
My son, William David Hook, was an Army veteran that served a tour in Iraq. When he came home from the war, he suffered severely with PTSD everyday. There were not many programs or treatment plans available for him and he was never able to fully adapt back to the way of life in the United States. He passed away on May 10, 2013.
I feel that there is way more that needs to be done to help our current veterans. By doing this ride around the United States, I want to share my son’s story and raise money to help sponsor veterans to be able to come to the Retreat Center for healing.
If you would like to make a donation, visit my Facebook page at Gregory Hook or go directly to christianwarriorsretreat.org and click on the Donate link. Together we can make a difference for a struggling veteran. Thank you.

via Texas Triker