How do YOU camp with the bike?

[JP50515]

Hey guys, Looking to get into some camping excursions now that i've got the xs all squared away. However I'm curious to hear other peoples experiences as I've never camped with the bike before.

Wondering about:

Essential items

Good lightweight yet durable 1-2 person tents that will fit on the bike

"Wish I woulda broughts"

General experiences


I am working on an "adventure bike" at the moment and once it's done I would like to do some exploring with it, so any places of opportunity would be welcome as well.

Thanks guys.

 

[Furious D]

Might be a little farther than you want to go but here is my setup. Used it a few times last year camping with my son. I carried a tent, sleeping bags and enough food for a couple days. Not shown in the pic is a big Pelican case that bolts the the sidecar rack and I made a small luggage rack behind the bikes seat.

 

[80brat]

Come send the week with us hillbillys have FUN that's what it is all about robe hammock get off the ground

 

[79Standard]

this was my setup a few weeks ago, ended up being rock solid with the stock grab bar. carried all my supplies and snacks, had a friend in a truck so met at a grocery store on the way stock up on ice, firewood etc.

 

[Sparky]

I havnt done it yet, but have a trip planned next month. Saddlebags, sissy bar bag, and sleeping roll tied to the handlebars/forks. looks like it can hold it all.

 

[FLEA]

easy..oilskin swag, compact sleeping bag (depending on how cold) couple of saddle bags with stove/pot/plate/tucker etc/ light tent for wet weather/and a few odds and ends for comfort.did it for a lot of years traveling around working (harvest) living off my bikes.keep it compact and you will be amazed how little you need to live off the back of your bike and still be comftible

 

[FLEA]

easy..oilskin swag, compact sleeping bag (depending on how cold) couple of saddle bags with stove/pot/plate/tucker etc/ light tent for wet weather/and a few odds and ends for comfort.did it for a lot of years traveling around working (harvest) living off my bikes.keep it compact and you will be amazed how little you need to live off the back of your bike and still be comftible.think anything you would carry on your back if you went bush walking and add a couple of extra you couldn't do without (some tools for eg)

 

[Tomterrific]

DO NOT put a sleeping bag on the front fender. It looks like a good spot But you will be blocking cooling air to the engine. Just another dumb way for a dumba$$ to overheat an engine.

Don't ask how I found that out,
Tom

 

[JP50515]

^ hahaha Tom

Noted.

Alright. Anyone got any brands they recommend for tents and or hammocks? I like the hammock idea, but finding a place off the ground may not always be possible. specially if I end up somewhere like Iowa for a night ha jk folks. But for real, if anyone has any input on tents that are small enough to fit on the bike, and perform well, I'm interested in hearing.

 

[Tomterrific]

Any one/two man backpacking tent will be good and fit on the bike. Any thing made to be carried on your back will be good fit for bike camping. I carry a sheet with my cheap lightweight bag. Most summer nights I end up on the bag with only the sheet over me. I crawl into the bag if I get cold toward morning. My old roommate, when I was 18, used a wool surplus blanket and a sheet of plastic. He would buy a sub, roll it in the blanket with the plastic outside and tie the ends with rope. He'd sling this over his shoulder and hit the trail. Half the sub for dinner and the other half for breakfast. The plastic went on the ground and if it rained he'd pull it on top. I would say that was minimum camping.

I have a heavy canvas duffle with a rope tie at the top. I stuff this full like a sausage and place it sideways over the back of the bike. Easy way to pack, holds lots of stuff. I also have 70's style Krauser luggage but I don't like it very much. I'd rather build some. Simple 1\4 " plywood boxes. The ultimate camping box would be built like an upside down U over the back of the bike. The lid would extend clear over from side to side like a huge trunk.

Air the rear tire about two psi more than normal and go up a click on the shocks for the weight of the gear.

 

[weaselbeak]

1st, let me say I am old. The world's best excuse. I take my grandson and his bike, and I put a carrier on his. Now HE can hold a good deal of the equipment. I take a 6 man tent that I can stand up in, as HE can set up and pack it away when done. I take an inflatable mattress, queen size, and HE gets to use his single. I have a tail trunk and touring cases, so I can carry quite a bit. I'm even considering a small trailer to pull. I do almost all my camping at Moto Guzzi rallies, because it's a safe crowd, not much for drugs or alcohol, and I never have to babysit the campsite if I want to go running. They always have their rallies where there are nice facilities so I don't have to endure actually roughing it. Age changes everything. When I was young it was a pup tent and a sleeping bag, which was optional.

 

[jamesgs4]

extra gas container, duffel bag strapped to removable sissybar with tent, air mattress, sleeping bag, and clothes. I also had a backpack lightly packed with raingear, and tool roll on the bars. this was for a 4 day trip to sturgis last year. overnight trips are the same but fewer clothes and no tools or spare gas.

 

[501Spanky]

Short Hijack!

James, can you give me a supplier on the solo bag on the rigid bike in the pic? Trying to find a reasonably priced one.

Hijack over...

To answer the initial question: Anything you want to stay dry, put it in garbage bags inside your luggage. I have an army surplus backpack with a bunch of exterior pockets that I bungee behind me. Stuff saddle bags with canned beer, don't drink & ride ;-)

 

[wrenchjohns]

Don't cheap out on the tent. Make certain the fly covers very well, not like a tent with a hat. If it rains, you'll understand. My tent is an old Kelty 2man 4.5 lbs.

 

[jayel]

^ hahaha Tom

Noted.

Alright. Anyone got any brands they recommend for tents and or hammocks? I like the hammock idea, but finding a place off the ground may not always be possible. specially if I end up somewhere like Iowa for a night ha jk folks. But for real, if anyone has any input on tents that are small enough to fit on the bike, and perform well, I'm interested in hearing.

hey we got trees in Iowa, there's one in Ottumwa an I'm pretty sure there is another one in Creston and maybe one over by Mt. Pleasant...

 

[pekka]

I was thinking of a big tarp that would fit the bike and the biker. Little creativity with the pitching of the tarp and you have a heated tarp tent to keep you and your gear (and bike) dry.

I was visiting Iowa once and I spotted at least one tree! I thought we had lots of fields in Finland but I was wrong... The National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa was cool!

Pekka

 

[weaselbeak]

You guys are not giving Iowa enough respect. We have lots of trees, just not everywhere. Feeding the world required the clearing of a good bit of ground, but we saved a considerable amount.

 

[ridgerunner1965]

i dont know about iowa but if you get anywhere near missouri you had better have a can of tick and chigger spray handy or likely you will be dead by morning!

 

[scabber]

Small trees hidden in the corn.