Camping Help

[Lapchik]

I want to start camping on motorcycle trips, but I don't have any of the right gear for it. I need suggestions for . . .

Tent [have one, but there are better ones, I'm sure]
Sleeping bag
Pillow
Sleeping pad

I have a cheap Eureka tent right now, and it packs sort of small. Since most of the camping will be on my CRF250L, packing size is my biggest concern. Also, the cheaper the better. Another thing is a dry bag or some sort of luggage. It will be on the back seat of the dirt bike. I'm building a custom rack so basically any bag can be made to fit.

[LSGiant]

REI tent on sale in the on line center.

Dry bag I got one that was used for rafting it opens on the top instead of the end.

Sleeping bag and pad. Again I got them from REI.

The smaller they pack the more they cost

[Lapchik]

(01-21-2015 11:08 PM)LSGiant Wrote:  The smaller they pack the more they cost

Yup, inversely proportional. That's why my big 20 degree cabela's bag is only $50, but won't fit in the saddlebag of the concours.

[Sleddog]

I have a two man tent you maybe interested in.

Luggage.....I wouldn't suggest piling everything on the rear luggage rack. It gets pretty top heavy. ....I remember moving my laptop from the luggage rack to a side case & it made a huge difference when on the CDR....ask STRich!

Soft luggage, like Wolfman or Ortlieb it's pretty lightweight & will hold more than you need & keep everything dry too. A small duffel on the luggage rack for light bulky items works good.

In my opinion, there is nothing better than Big Agnes sleeping bags & pads. Their pad slides into a pocket in the sleeping bag. You can toss & turn & never slide off the pad. They are lightweight & pack small.....so they're not cheap either. But, you'll save money in the long run by not buying all the others. I have a couple Thermarest pads if you're interested. BTW, my bag is rated for 15 degrees & is perfect for me.

I use a large Thermarest pillow. It takes up more room than I like but, I'm a side sleeper & I need the loft. Sleeping on a jacket or duffel of clothes doesn't work for me.

Most everything you can take with a grain of salt. You need to see what works best for you.

[Frump]

When I was young and stupid I didn't care. I bicycled and motorcycled a lot and would camp on the ground on top of a plastic drop cloth. It saved a ton of space and money. When it rained, I would find shelter somewhere else (picnic tables, shelters, barns, begging, etc). I often thought about all the money I was saving versus expensive equipment or sleeping in hotels.

Don't be like the young and stupid version of me, be like the older, smarter version and spend your hard earned money once on a Big Agnes or Exped mat and a decent ($100+) roomy sleeping bag and tent. Those mats will last the rest of your life or will be replaced for free. If you are riding long days, save your time and energy and sleep in a hotel. Yeah, bush camping is free but my experience is it gets kind of weird ... frequently. Get to where you are going, then camp.

Listen to Sleddog about soft luggage, he knows what he is talking about.

I'm selling my Exped Synmat 9 and moving up to the new SynMat 12. Someone has dibs on my 9 for $100, I paid $140 for it 2 years ago.

[paper]

Tent?? They still make those things??

[propforward]

No need to rough it too much.





All packs up nice and small.

For one motorcyclist, a 2 man tent is nice to give you room for your shit.

A tarp is an excellent addition as a sit under shelter (need to add that to my kit). The Kermit chair and table pack very small, and are durable. For people who are not large manly men, there are other, cheaper, made in china chair and table options.

My tent is by alps mountaineering or something. Packs small, and not ridiculous in price. Shop around for the tent that gives you the features you want, then go to amazon.com for a deal.

For sleeping, my kelty works in all the weathers I am prepared to camp in. A leopard slanket or fleece blanket adds a bit extra in cool weather. The leopard pattern is important, I should think.

For comfort, I have tried the hi tech cot from aerostich - packs small, expensive, but not wide enough for a manly man. I have tried the thermarest sleeping pads - not quite enough support for middle aged farts like me, and the thermarest neo air mattress, which packs fecking small, is expensive, and which actually works and is awesome.

As with most things, camping set ups tend to evolve, and one size does not fit all, but these are my experiences.

And I LOVE the comfort of my Kermit chair and table after a long day of riding.

A jetboil is a handy dandy do it all stove. I generally find a restaurant for food when camping, but for tea in the morning, and heating up soup etc in time of need the jet boil is awesome. Packs small.

For dry bags, I really like the Ortlieb dry duffels.

[Frump]

(01-28-2015 09:01 AM)propforward Wrote:  A jetboil is a handy dandy do it all stove. I generally find a restaurant for food when camping, but for tea in the morning, and heating up soup etc in time of need the jet boil is awesome. Packs small.

Propforward, do you also carry crumpets to eat with your tea? Do you stop in the middle of the day to make tea and eat them? Culturally curious minds...

I have a tiny stove which connects to propane can and a little coffee pot, but its kind of a pain in the butt. I like McDonald's coffee so I don't carry it much anymore.

[propforward]

(01-28-2015 11:28 AM)Frump Wrote:  

(01-28-2015 09:01 AM)propforward Wrote:  A jetboil is a handy dandy do it all stove. I generally find a restaurant for food when camping, but for tea in the morning, and heating up soup etc in time of need the jet boil is awesome. Packs small.

Propforward, do you also carry crumpets to eat with your tea? Do you stop in the middle of the day to make tea and eat them? Culturally curious minds...

Well, naturally I do. Not stopping for tea and crumpets is uncivilised.

I can't even comprehend such strange behaviour.

[paper]

Pinky out!!

[propforward]

Maybe you should fasten your fly?

[Sleddog]

^^^I'm sure glad my morning coffee has been consumed!

[Lapchik]

I'm not much of a coffee person, but Sleddog had some sort of magic coffee maker at the last Barn Bike I went to. Looked cool, but I think coffee is gross.

[Frump]

(01-28-2015 03:55 PM)Lapchik Wrote:  I'm not much of a coffee person, but Sleddog had some sort of magic coffee maker at the last Barn Bike I went to. Looked cool, but I think coffee is gross.

Lapchik - You could find a tea steeping device which you find cool, some crumpets, and then hang out with Propforward under his tarp, near Paper's hammock, and serve tea at Prop's table. Its all sounds very civilized.

[Scot229]

camping pics

I had a chick with me on this trip. Swiss Army sleeping bag on the forks with small bungee cords. This was the top blanket.

Left saddle bag had a 2 person cheap Walmart / Coleman air mattress, an air pump powered by four D batteries, and a fitted sheet. The cheap air mattresses do not last. I am done buying them. They also take up too much space.

Right saddlebag had clothes for both of us. This was a weekend camp one night trip to northern WI.

Smallest tent I could find was strapped to the backrest, also her leather jacket is strapped on in the picture. The chick is long gone but the bike is still in my garage. It was still a 883 in this pic.

Movin' on up!



You can fit more stuff in an Electraglide. Bigger tent and more clothes.

---

Kory now that you are getting married you might as well sell that Connie and get a Harley. Everyone knows girls like to be comfortable. You can fit two full face helmets in a tour pack. Have you seen the size of the backrest on the tour pack?

I have also seen youtube videos with ammo cans converted into little BBQ grills. I think it would be neat to use an ammo can as a small detatchable pannier on a dirt bike to hold minimal utensils, 10-15 match light briquettes, and a 6 pack of brats and buns.

Trail ride for a few hours, pull over and have a BBQ then ride home for supper.

[Lapchik]

(01-28-2015 08:16 PM)Scot229 Wrote:  Kory now that you are getting married you might as well sell that Connie and get a Harley. Everyone knows girls like to be comfortable. You can fit two full face helmets in a tour pack. Have you seen the size of the backrest on the tour pack?

Yeah, but Zoe likes to go fast. [yeah, yeah, I've seen that sportster of yours with the big tach, I know :-) ] I'm going to get a Russel day long saddle for the C14 soon, and I've got backrest covered . . .soon to be integrated into a fuel cell mounted on the rack.

[Cruzin]

(01-28-2015 11:07 PM)Lapchik Wrote:  

(01-28-2015 08:16 PM)Scot229 Wrote:  Kory now that you are getting married you might as well sell that Connie and get a Harley. Everyone knows girls like to be comfortable. You can fit two full face helmets in a tour pack. Have you seen the size of the backrest on the tour pack?

Yeah, but Zoe likes to go fast.

Ohh so your getting an FJR finally

[propforward]

(01-28-2015 08:00 PM)Frump Wrote:  

(01-28-2015 03:55 PM)Lapchik Wrote:  I'm not much of a coffee person, but Sleddog had some sort of magic coffee maker at the last Barn Bike I went to. Looked cool, but I think coffee is gross.

Lapchik - You could find a tea steeping device which you find cool, some crumpets, and then hang out with Propforward under his tarp, near Paper's hammock, and serve tea at Prop's table. Its all sounds very civilized.

It does all sound very civilised - except for hanging out with paper. That will lower the tone considerably. He's always hanging his pinkie out.

[Lapchik]

(01-29-2015 07:18 AM)Cruzin Wrote:  

(01-28-2015 11:07 PM)Lapchik Wrote:  

(01-28-2015 08:16 PM)Scot229 Wrote:  Kory now that you are getting married you might as well sell that Connie and get a Harley. Everyone knows girls like to be comfortable. You can fit two full face helmets in a tour pack. Have you seen the size of the backrest on the tour pack?

Yeah, but Zoe likes to go fast.

Ohh so your getting an FJR finally

She also likes riding the motorcycle, not pushing it, so no. One finicky Yamaha with 4 carburetors is enough for now.

[Scot229]

Harleys only need one carb.