Motorcycle Camping

[Jakeboy]

I enjoy motorcycle camping, but it is work to do it well, especially in inclement weather. Even with the lightest gear, carrying a full camping kit (tent, bag, pad, chair, kitchen, etc.) in addition to the usual spares/tools, etc. results in a bike with a lot of weight/bulk. But its all worth it when you and your buds are sitting around the fire after a good meal and the stars come out.

One key thing that I think first-time campers screw up is not allowing extra time for camp setup/teardown. They attempt to do the same daily mileage they do when hoteling and don't realize that 3-4 hours extra every day is missing. When I'm camping, I want to be hitting the grocery for food and working my way to the campground by 4PM or even earlier. A couple hundred daily miles for an backroads adventure tour with camping is PLENTY.

One problem that gets worse for me every year is sleeping comfortably. Thirty years ago I didn't even bother carrying a sleeping pad. If I did the same today, I'd have trouble walking in the morning. I don't scrimp on a good pad/bag these days.

This year, our group is going to do what we're calling "base camping" - trailer into a good riding area with the full camping kit in the car and then day-ride on lightweight bikes without the gear. But I'll miss the "cowboy" feeling where you pack up everything you have each day and hit the road for a new destination.

- Mark

Motorcycle camping takes more planning. Priorities for me are (comfort-wise): good tent (Marmot 3P Aeros), warm bag (Mountain Hardwear 15 degree down mummy), mattress (Exped 7) and a Kelty 12' Wing Tarp w/factory poles.

My back can't take any less than the Exped mat! Screwed it up at age 21, when a drunk rear-ended me on my GT 550 Suzuki at a red light light in Phoenix. That was in 1974. I digress, though.

markjenn, check into the Exped gear. The down fill keeps the cold off your body and makes it easier to get "straight", in the AM. I haven't tried the Big Agnes mat, so can't speak to that. If you're as prone to the effects of ground cold as I am, you might want to check it out. The Exped packs down small, too.

The Kelty Wing has saved many a trip. A dry shelter for cooking, card playing, hanging out while the weather sucks, etc. Mine is set up as a free standing shelter. It will always be a part of my kit.

The rest of the gear I pack is a personal choice. For me: JetBoil stove (tried all of them, this one is the best), ESEE (RAT) 6 knife w/para cord wrapped sheath, Becker Necker knife, s.s. coffee mug, coffee, small cutting board, spices for cooking, Swedish fire steel, dryer lint in a baggie, water bladder, E. German entrenching tool, LED headlamp and a Glock 19 (for misc. critters). I throw in a couple of Mountain House meals, a few bags of beef jerky and a small jar of JIF peanut butter (big caloric energy in a small package). All light weight stuff and compact, too.

We love to "base camp", and then explore on day loops in nice areas (this year will be AR around Russellville), but have run cross country, "quick camping" to lay down miles out West.

Even though I ride with a few other guys on X country runs (and we tend to duplicate each other on gear), I pack my gear for a solo trip.

 

[spklbuk]

@switchback - perfectly usable nylon starter hammocks can be had for cheap nowadays.

@toompine - I live, ride and camp in the Appalachians so I've never experienced a shortage of trees. Hammock/tarp rigs can be adapted to go to ground when necessary and hammock finatics have explored many alternative structures from which to hang.

@markjenn - gotta disagree about weather protection. I'll take a well rigged hammock/tarp over a tent in the rain anytime and I won't have to crawl in the mud to do so. Privacy, well that's another matter. But hell I ain't proud!


If interested, http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/ Hammock Forums is your friend. Very knowledgeable folks and many of them are mocycle campers too.

 

[Ollie]

Jeez, I turn around and new section of the forum pops up. Camp touring is my all time favorite way to travel. Funny, I've also be reevaluating my camping gear and need to replace a stove and tent. Camping is exactly how I am intending to use the Tenere, though I thought it would be sooner rather than later. I like my freestanding Kelty, which I've had for about 18 years and it has been to many a cool place. I'm thinking of replacing it with this....

http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/tents/essential-series/fast-stash/product

One thing I like about freestanding tents, though, is that you can unzip the door and pick the tent up by the frame and shake out all the debris through the door. Then, if it rained the night before, you can just leave it on the ground upside down to dry, before removing the frame. On a side note, I've converted my MTB into a touring bike (as much as I could), bought a cycle trainer, bench and weights and begun working out everyday. I'm at the early stages of preparing for a possible trip from Louisville to Yorktown, VA and back, in June. Don't know if it will happen, just taking it a little at a time. Sorry, a little off topic.

 

[Jakeboy]

Hammocks may offer a few advantages over a tent and mattress, but too many disadvantages to make them viable for me.

They're just not flexible enough in terms of their structural support requirements. The best, lightweight set up is either a foot print with a "fly-only" pitch or a ground cloth with a Kelty Noah's 9' tarp using trekking poles.

 

[Koinz]

Not cheap for something that's made taiwan ???

Jeez, I turn around and new section of the forum pops up. Camp touring is my all time favorite way to travel. Funny, I've also be reevaluating my camping gear and need to replace a stove and tent. Camping is exactly how I am intending to use the Tenere, though I thought it would be sooner rather than later. I like my freestanding Kelty, which I've had for about 18 years and it has been to many a cool place. I'm thinking of replacing it with this....

http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/tents/essential-series/fast-stash/product

One thing I like about freestanding tents, though, is that you can unzip the door and pick the tent up by the frame and shake out all the debris through the door. Then, if it rained the night before, you can just leave it on the ground upside down to dry, before removing the frame. On a side note, I've converted my MTB into a touring bike (as much as I could), bought a cycle trainer, bench and weights and begun working out everyday. I'm at the early stages of preparing for a possible trip from Louisville to Yorktown, VA and back, in June. Don't know if it will happen, just taking it a little at a time. Sorry, a little off topic.

 

[markjenn]

I agree that freestanding tents are the way to go. I used to travel with a Clip Flashlight CD tent that was extremely compact and lightweight, but the need to stake it out before it would go up was a pain and you couldn't reposition the tent. I'm now in a MSR Hubba Hubba which erects in a instant and you can move it whereever you like. I couldn't be happier in the summer, although the tent is a bit drafty when it gets cold as the non-fly portion of the tent is basically all netting.

- Mark

 

[keeponriding]

I've done a lot of camping, and used both a single tent and a hammock.

For the best all-around hammock, try the Hennessy: http://hennessyhammock.com/catalogue.html

Extremely comfortable, very easy to set up and much better in the rain than a tent. No privacy and sometimes, you just gotta let it all hang out. I use the Expedition Asym classic. Does require trees. I also use a solo tent, if I'm going someplace where trees may not be available (when I used to pack above the treeline). Altogether, bag, pad, tent/hammock, pillow (really a soft sack to stuff clothes in at night) and chair, I'm packing maybe 5 lbs, about half a side bag. Cook stove is a Jetboil and I make dehydrated food. Stove, food, coffee, oatmeal all fits in a tail bag. Maybe, another 5 pounds.

http://www.jetboil.com/products/cookingsystems/personalcookingsystem.

As someone else said, it does require planning. This is the stuff I used to carry fastpacking so weight and space were definitely an issue. This is not car camping: BTW...I don't use dishes; I eat everything out of the container (oatmeal) or out of a steel cup. I only use the stove to boil water..which cuts down on detergent, soap and extras.

I'm pretty minimalist when it comes to that...but I'm not dragging it on my back anymore, which is a strong plus.

 

[tubebender]

+1 on Exped sleeping pads. They are worth it!

I've been using a Mountain Hardware synthetic bag the last 3 years. It's been OK to mid 30's as long as I keep the long underwear on.

Love my Jetboil!

 

[Ollie]

I had a canister style stove and it was very convenient and clean, but I never knew how much fuel was left and then canisters started piling up around the house because I couldn't bring myself to throw them out, nor could I take them on a trip because I didn't know how much fuel was left. Do the new ones have fuel gauges?

 

[Venture]

I had a canister style stove and it was very convenient and clean, but I never knew how much fuel was left and then canisters started piling up around the house because I couldn't bring myself to throw them out, nor could I take them on a trip because I didn't know how much fuel was left. Do the new ones have fuel gauges?

Nah, no gauges. Unless it's a brand new canister I'll usually bring a backup. I do make use of the full canisters though because I'll burn them completely out using the Micron lantern, so no waste for me. They do lose pressure though near the end and even the lantern barely operates when they're 80% or so used up.

 

[keeponriding]

I also carry two to three cannisters...I write hours used on the can to help estimate what fuel remains.

I end up with a lot of half-used cans in the garage...but prefer to carrying bottles of white gas...especially with gas only $3 a can and it being available at sporting goods stores.

 

[toompine]

I agree that freestanding tents are the way to go. I used to travel with a Clip Flashlight CD tent that was extremely compact and lightweight, but the need to stake it out before it would go up was a pain and you couldn't reposition the tent. I'm now in a MSR Hubba Hubba which erects in a instant and you can move it whereever you like. I couldn't be happier in the summer, although the tent is a bit drafty when it gets cold as the non-fly portion of the tent is basically all netting.

- Mark

+1 on the MSR Hubba Hubba/Hubba. I have the smaller of the two (Hubba) just because I am kind of obsessive about small and light and it is only for me anyway. I love that the "poles" really a frame are all shock corded together so no seperate poles to deal with and the tent clips to the frame. Totally eliminates that threading of poles through sleeves which makes set up and take-down faster especially if the tent is wet.

 

[spklbuk]

Leftover canister syndrome is why I go w/ an alcohol stove. Well that and a jetboil just ain't got no soul nor fiddle factor. Where's the fun in that?



And keeponriding, I admire your agility...using that belly-mount Hennessey.

 

[markjenn]

Totally eliminates that threading of poles through sleeves which makes set up and take-down faster especially if the tent is wet.

You can say that again. I had a hexagon dome tent a few years back with sleeves. It would take 15-minutes of tedious and frustrating work to thread three VERY long poles through the sleeves, with the pole ferrules constantly catching on the sleeve fabric. A total PITA. I'll never buy/use another tent with sleeves.

- Mark

 

[Venture]

You can say that again. I had a hexagon dome tent a few years back with sleeves. It would take 15-minutes of tedious and frustrating work to thread three VERY long poles through the sleeves, with the pole ferrules constantly catching on the sleeve fabric. A total PITA. I'll never buy/use another tent with sleeves.

I'll add to the sleeveless-tent lovefest as well. My current tent is a rectangular 3-man that uses clips not sleeves. What a difference. Set up time is so much quicker than the older style sleeve tents.

 

[Jakeboy]

Agreed! The sleeveless tents are the way to go. Set up is as quick as it can get.

After using a 3P tent for a few years now, I'd never go back to a 2P. This is a Marmot Aeros 3P. 46 sq. ft. of floor area.

My wife says it looks like a squashed pumpkin!

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i118/Stromdog/2951_117.jpg[/IMG]]

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i118/Stromdog/2951_117__fly.jpg[/IMG]]

 

[Bill310]

I started camping again last year. I lived in a tent for summers as a guide so I was really enjoying hotels but, it wasn't the same.

When I set my self up With new kit I had some requirements

1. My tent had to be instant up, waterproof and roomy

I bought one of these

http://www.catomaoutdoor.com/Catalog/ProductInfo.aspx?id=154&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

2. New sleeping system Big Agnes sleeping bag and mat.

3. I tried a jet boil too fancy and dug out my tried ad true optimus stove -runs on gas

4. Kermit Chair

5. LED reading light

6. Good thermos so morning coffee is made before bed

7. A roll of quarters to use the showers

8. a KOA membership - they are quite nice actually

Bill Watt

 

[spklbuk]

3. I tried a jet boil too fancy and dug out my tried ad true optimus stove -runs on gas
6. Good thermos so morning coffee is made before bed

Agreed on JetBoil. Used to use an Optimus until I went to alcohol...easier to haul.

Thermos is an excellent idea for on the roll camping. So simple it plumb evaded me. Thank you.

 

[toompine]

Jakpak..Jacket, sleeping bag and tent....all in one really

http://jakpak.com

 

[ptfjjj]

Jakpak..Jacket, sleeping bag and tent....all in one really

http://jakpak.com

Now that is actually pretty cool.