[How To] Camping-The Basics - What do I need?

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Edit: I posted this originally on NT-Owners.org and thought I'd post here as well.

People are always asking me why I like camping so much and how I can camp on the bike, what are the tips and tricks to it?

Well, everyone is different and I can only provide the tricks that I've learned in the past few years that work for me.
Remember, these are only MY personal preferences and can be used as a starting point for you to get into camping on a motorcycle,
don't be afraid to change things that you feel will work for YOU.

My Background:
I only started riding since Dec 1999 and my camping experience on the bike only began in 2002 so roughly 10 years.

I've developed my camping techniques over these past 10 years and camped on Goldwings, ST1300s and now Dual Sports - Super Tenere/VStrom.

What is the bare minimum I need to camp?
This is the 1 million dollar question. Well here ya go:

1 - A tent
2 - A sleeping bag
3 - An air mattress
4 - Waterproof bag(s)
5 - Pillow - inflatable or compressible
6 - Flashlight and/or Headlamp - preferably LED for long life

That's it. Simple as that.

Now, I'll expand on the items listed above a bit then talk about some alternatives that some prefer.

The Tent:

Cost

If you're only planning on camping a few times a year you can probably get by with a low-cost tent in the range of $100 or less. But, if you plan
on doing a lot of camping then it may be beneficial to splurge for some name-brand equipment which may run in the $150+ range.

Type
Tents come in several types but we will only discuss a couple here.
Bivy - These are typically one-person tents that have one or more poles that require being staked out with tent stakes in order to
retain their shape/structure.

Dome - A dome tent is typically a stand-alone tent where, once the tent poles are installed, will stand up on it's own without needing
to be staked out. For me, THIS is the preferred type of tent for camping on a motorcycle.

Many dome tents are configured with a front entry
door or a side entry door. I find the side doors to be the easiest to crawl into/out of.

Some of these tents also provide the option of 1 or 2
vestibules - the area the rain fly covers that is not inside the tent. This allows for good additional storage space for those things you don't
want or need inside the tent.

Single or Double Walled?
A single-walled tent incorporates the tent and rain fly into one. While this seems like a great approach it can be the source of condensation inside
the tent. I prefer to stay away from this for motorcycle camping.

A double-walled tent is simply a tent which has a separate rain fly. The tent will have some mesh to allow for ventilation and the rain fly, once set up,
will not tough the inner tent. When it rains, the fly will divert the rain away from the tent.

Seasons

A 3-season tent is more than adequate for camping on a motorcycle. 4-Season tents are made for those thinking of camping in some
pretty harsh environments including deep snow. If the weather or camping conditions are going to be that bad, you probably decided
to stay home.

Accessories
Attic - An attic is some mesh material hanging from the top section of the inside of the tent. This is useful for placing lights, glasses, phones or whatever you find you want to keep off the floor of the tent. This is a very nice thing to have. Not all tents come with these and some will be
included at extra cost.

Footprint - Some believe a tent footprint are used to keep water out of a tent, however they are really only used to help protect the bottom
of a tent from punctures or abrasions which would compromise the waterproof 'bathtub' design of the tent. Some tents will include a footprint
and some are provided at extra cost but even a simple cheap tarp will provide as much protection.

Size
I always get a 2-person tent if there's only one person that will be camping the tent. This provides some extra space for gear, luggage or other
items. Two people camping = 3-person tent.

Packed Size
I also always pay attention to the packed size specification for the tent. The long dimensions typically tell you how long the tent pole sections
are. A tent stating a packed size of 24x7 usually means 2' tent pole sections and that makes it a bit tough to pack on a bike. A I personally try
to find packed sizes in the 18" range as I can then pack the tent poles just about anywhere on the bike.

A little tip here. If you look at backpacking or hiking equipment you'll find things that were designed to be smaller than the family-camping
equipment where weight and size are of little concern.

The Sleeping Bag
How Cold

This is a tough one. Some of this will be dictated by the air mattress you end up getting. If the mattress has little or no insulation properties
then you may need a better sleeping bag. For me, a 20-40 degree bag is good enough for just about every temperature range you'll see on
your typical motorcycle touring adventure.

Type


Rectangle
- These are pretty much what most people think about when they think sleeping bags. These provide the most shoulder room and area to move around.

Mummy - These bags are great for cold weather as they allow you to tuck your head into the top section and they are tapered at the leg/feet
section. This allows your body heat to warm up a minimal amount of area while also keeping your head covered. When sleeping in one of these
you will have everything covered except for your nose/mouth area. Seems kinda strange at first but it works very well. You also don't want your
mouth covered as the vapors you exhale will collect in the bag and make it damp.

There are some bags on the market now that offer a rectangular shaped bag but a zip-off top shaped like a mummy.

Down or Synthetic
- the major advantage of a down bag is it will pack to a smaller size than a synthetic bag. The major advantage of a synthetic bag​
is it will dry out faster if it gets wet. Since packing size is my major concern I will typically go for a down sleeping bag.

The Air Mattress
Most don't think about air mattresses much when they think about camping, the tent and sleeping bag seem to get all the initial concern but the air
mattress can be the most important part of all the gear.

Remember, if you don't get a good night's sleep then you won't be 100% the next day when you get on the bike on public roads.

When you lay on an air mattress there are 2 things happening. One is your body is trying to warm the air inside the mattress and the other thing is the
ground is trying to cool the air in the mattress. If the mattress has low or no insulating properties then your body is fighting a loosing battle with the
ground.

Some purchase very thick air mattresses with no insulation because they think it will be more comfortable but anything above 4 inches thick is just about
impossible to warm with your body in cooler temps. Air mattresses in the 2 to 4 inch thick range but also with some type of internal insulation will provide
the best night's sleep.

The width of the air mattress is also an issue, many are 20 inches wide, seems wide enough but you want something at least 24 inches wide or you will
be rolling off the mattress.

With the thicker mattresses, I find it best to not inflate them 100% but more about 75%. That will mean less air to warm up but also you lay IN the
mattress and seems to make them more comfortable.

The Bags
I like to keep the things I use for sleeping in a waterproof bag and the tent in a separate waterproof bag. This works well for a couple reasons. First, it
keeps your wet tent away from the stuff you want dry and inside your tent. Second, it allows you to begin packing up your campsite while you're still
inside your tent. Wake up and pack your air mattress and sleeping bag into one waterproof bag while inside your tent and even if it's raining, you've
accomplished to keep your dry stuff dry and you're half done with packing.

There are many waterproof bags on the market from $40 to well into the $100 range. You pretty much just need to search for 'dry bags' and you'll
come up with many options. Try to find a bag that meets the min packed size of your tent unless you plan on storing the tent poles elsewhere.

What about cooking
I try to keep things simple. I have previously packed a backpacking stove and fuel so I can boil water for coffee/hot chocolate or warm up some food
however I find it's too much of a hassle. It's something you need to decide how important it is to you. The purpose of this thread is to show you
the bare minimum you need to camp on a motorcycle and be comfortable. There are many that will say what I bring is not the bare minimal and there
are those that will bring a lot more gear including stoves, fuel and food.

I feel that I'm almost always close enough to a town to eat before getting to a campground or head into town in the morning if I feel I want coffee and/or
breakfast. So for me packing the extras needed for cooking are not that important.

Useful Links:
Below I have some links to gear that I either have or have used and I feel meet the requirements of what I've posted above:

Tents

Sleeping Bags

Air Mattresses

Waterproof Bags

Pillow


Conclusion

I hope I've provided enough information based on my 10+ years of camping to make your choices for camping a little less painful. There are many out
there that have camped much longer than I have and in more extreme environments than I have so I am far from an expert. I can only add that the
techniques I describe above in picking my gear has worked very well for me and sometimes I feel more comfortable in my tent than I do at home in my
bed. The whole point is to try and take the pain out of picking gear as there are so many options it's overwhelming at times. This may not work for
everyone but does for me.

Please post any comments and I'll do my best to address them.
 

Coyote Chris

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I just tested the Kelty Coromell 25 degree Long at Reno...unfortunately, it only got down to 43....even at that I was comfortable with the zipper half open.
It is duck down and I was so impressed with the room (38 inches across at the top) I ordered the Coromell 0 degree. I hate mummies but this is the biggest and
roomiest one I have seen. You can see it in these photos how small the 25 degree is, next to the 10x 8 tent, 70 inches high for old people to get dressed in ....

I have found after 45 years of bike touring that with only a few basic camping items weighing 110 lbs, like a 10 x 8 tent and an airbed, once can stay out for 9 nights and be completely comfortable.
(My buddy brings my cooler, chairs, and kitchen sink to the races for me.)


 

Warren

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Great info. Very helpful Mellow. I also find my ear plugs are essential. Noises at night can keep light sleepers up all night.
 

Coyote Chris

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Plus one on the ear plugs....especially at Reno....that and self medication...
Hey, when did I get old? It seems I didnt need an 8x10 tent in the 1970s!
 

Bear

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Mellow,
Great info! Thanks a million. Now I can do some informed shopping for my trip to Spearfish.
 

Phil Tarman

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I hadn't camped in close to 15 years when I got my Concours in '99. On my way to COG National Rallies, I carried a $50 REI tent, a sleeping bag, and a Thermarest. I camped maybe 3 nights in about 8 years.

When I started thinking about and planning my Epic Post-Retirement Ride for the summer and early fall of 2013, I realized that staying in motels for 6-12 weeks was going to run up a pretty good tab. So, I decided to invest in better and more compact camping gear. I ended up spending close to $1000! Yikes!!!

This is what I got:

1) a REI Half-Dome + 2 tent: The Half-Dome 2 looked pretty good but the + 2 adds about a foot to length and width and doesn't add that much to packed size or weight. It's big enough to stand up in (bent over at about 90-degrees at the waist);

2) a Luxury-Lite heavy-duty-cot that packs up small and gets me 6" off the ground (and with my knees, that 6" really helps when I get up);

3) a Big Alice Buffalo Park +40F sleeping bag. It's a wide-footed mummy bag with a synthetic filling. Big Alice bags are sold as a system with their sleeping pads. The bags don't have any insulation on the bottom, but have a sleeve that the 3 1/2 thick pad slides into and then the pad has insulation -- an R-5 insulation value -- inside. I slept in temps down into the lower 30s in Rocky Mountain National Park and was plenty comfortable. Since then I've also gotten a silk liner bag (packs about fist-sized) that allegedly extends the comfort range down 5-10 degrees below the bag rating.

4) two of the Exped air pillows that Mellow recommended -- one for my head, one for my top knee when I'm sleeping on my side)

5) a Kermit chair (http://www.kermitchair.com/store). The Kermit chair isn't cheap, but I think it'll be worth it. It packs small (maybe 4 1/2" X 22") and is very comfortable. Because of my decrepit knees, I got the leg extensions which make it easy to get out of, even for an old cripple. I also got the cup-holder, just because I could. :)

I was a little disappointed that, with the leg extensions on the chair, it's slightly too tall to use inside the tent. But in the event of rain, etc, I'll take the leg extensions off so I can sit and read in comfort. With my old, creaky body sitting on the ground just doesn't get it.

All of this stuff, plus a Ray-O-Vac LED lantern packs in my:

6) Dry-Spec bags from Twisted Throttle. The tent including the footprint, Kermit's leg extensions, and the lantern pack in the smaller Dry-Spec bag, so I can get the tent up, then put everything else inside the tent and finish getting ready for the night. And, come morning time, I can get all the stuff that I want to stay dry into the larger Dry-Spec bag, seal it against the elements and take the tent down for storage in the smaller bag, and be ready to go.

I've got a little camp stove, but nothing else, not even a fuel cannister, to use in cooking. I'm guessing that most mornings, I'll be willing to ride to the first cup of coffee and breakfast.

So, now, after spending $1000, I've camped five nights. One in RMNP, four at Spearfish. The second time I put the tent up, it went up way quicker than it did in RMNP, and came down reasonably rapidly. My guess is that I'll get setup/takedown time down a bit under 30 minutes fairly easily.

I slept great in Spearfish except for one night when I had my rainfly rolled back and it rained. I managed to get the fly back into position to keep me dry and the rain stopped.

The vestibules work well to keep somethings out of the tent.

I think camping will get better as I travel and get more used to it. Right now, it's a $200/night proposition, but another gets it down to $50/night. From there on, it gets cheaper and cheaper compared to motel-ing it.

If Rick and I camp 3 out of every 4 nights and if the Epic Ride takes two months, we'll camp 45 nights. Put that with the four nights we'll camp at Spearfish at the Rally before we start the actual trip, and I'll have 54 nights by the end of the trip. That gets it down to $18.50/night.

Sounds like pretty good rationalization to me! :)
 

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In all seriousness (hard for me) that was a good report, Joe. I camp out 25-30 days a year (not all of which are on a bike)
and I would add only a few things. The equipment you reccommend is very good and very expensive. Nothing wrong with that.
But there is lots of inexpensive equipment out there that works very well and I would reccommend to anyone thinking of camping
for the first time to go cheep after getting reccommendations from experienced folk...once they learn what they need to know, and they want to continue,
they can buy the better stuff if they wish. Two, camp in your back yard first with your equipment. Maybe a headlight is all you need. Maybe you like a small
led latern and a head light. If you are like me, you have a tiny LED latern, head light, and a flashlight that will project a spot on the moon. You will find out these
things in the back yard if you camp there first. My wife is happy with a thermorest....
there is no way I could use one and sleep. I gotta have an airbed. Its cheep, comfortable, inflates easily with an electric airpump, and if it gets
a slow leak, it will usually still last the night. I also have found a real pillow, a soft airbed, and a warm comfortable bag make camping way more
pleasant than a cold bag, air matress, and a pillow substitute. Lots of folk think they need a ground tarp. They are excellent for pooling water under the tent
which you dont want. Most camp sites arent full of rocks and thorns...(Reno big exception) . Personally, I like to camp away from towns. I have four different types
of camp stoves, but other than maybe scrambing eggs in a small modifyed teflon pan with a modified small spatula, I boil water and use freeze dried food and bars.
If you look in the pic above with all of my junk I take to Reno, look to the left of the can of Slime and you will see a small square box made of aluminum. It is really a
big pan with a small pan lid, a pan handle inside with a stove and a fuel bottle in there too. You can boil 16 oz. water in 1 minute at 5,000 ft and pour it into the freeze
dried food bag. Eat out of the bag with a plastic spoon and throw the bag and spoon away. No dishes. If I am camped in one spot for awhile, I scramble eggs in a small
teflon pan with the handle mostly cut off and a spatula with the handle mostly cut off and throw in some bacon bits and cheese. Add a big gooey sweet roll , an of juice and a bottle of
Starbucks coffee and I am off to the races with just a spatula and pan to clean up. Some folks like MREs...everyone should eat one to try it. The main thing is, if you think you would like
to try camping, do it....you just might find out you like it!
 

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Dang nab it...still cant edit posts....
Early on a race day at Reno, eating scrambled eggs, real bacon bits, cheese, starbucks coffee and juice with a gooey roll, watching the control tower.
My buddy brings my chairs and cooler so I am on easy street. Early in the week there is time to jump on the bike and go to a restaurant 3 miles away.
But it can be a cold dark ride with froast on the bike seat some years. Even so, the high desert heats up quickly.
 
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Thanks Mellow. I love camping. My wife and I did a lot of it on this summer's cross country. In addition to basics you outline, I like to have a stove- Jetboil. Coffee in morning and when I'm really being cheap, Dinty More, chef boyar dee or the high end freeze dried stuff for dinner. I like eating dinner at camp site.... And oh yeah, a 750 ml bottle of wine fits perfectly in the pass through.
 
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The equipment you reccommend is very good and very expensive. Nothing wrong with that.
You are very correct. This was just my experience and the solutions that worked for me. It's simply a starting point for gear that, while not cheap, will have a fast return on investment when compared to staying in hotels.

Let's say you spend $800 on camping gear only. That is a lot of money but if you take just one trip or several trips equaling 5 hotel night stays you could get clost to 1/2 to 3/4 of that cost depending on the hotels. I remember before I started camping I split a hotel room in Hot Springs, AR with two other guys that must have been on the olympic snoring team. I got no sleep at all and my part of that bill was around $40... A now good friend of mine I met on that trip stayed at the nearby state park and spend $20/night w/clean showers and said he slept great.

For me, camping did start out as a way to save money so I could be out on the road for longer periods of time. BUT, it ended up turning my trips into two trips... A great road trip the 1st part of the day and a great camping trip the 2nd part.. Sorry, got a little off topic there.

Now I have to figure out if I really want to go camping as I haven't 'camped' in 30 years.

Terry
You know, I hear that all the time.. mostly from folks that have camped as part of their military training and THAT is what they remember. Or, all they remember were the bad stories related to gear failure, my tent leaked, it was too cold, it was too hot... etc.

I've met those that try camping again and due to cheap equipment failure, changed their mind.. If you put a cheap tire on your bike and it didn't perform, would you give up riding? This is one reason why I put some of the more quality stuff in the links above and it's more as a guideline for you to see what's available. You can always get a cheaper tent or even sleeping bag. I wouldn't skimp on the air mattress myself, for me that has been a life-saver. I've had the 8 inch thick walmart mattresses that are quite comfortable during the summer but I've also got up in the morning in Big Bend Nat'l Park on a cold ground due to one leaking - twice.

As far as if you WANT to go camping... not sure how to answer that.. I love sitting around a fire and looking up at the stars. Not that crazy about sitting around the TV and looking up at a ceiling fan... I can do that when I get home.

I'm not going to turn this into a hotel-hate thread, I don't hate them I just prefer the camping experience. Some will never get it or want to and there's nothing wrong with that at all. If you have any questions though I'll be glad to chime in if it helps.

Thanks Mellow. I love camping. My wife and I did a lot of it on this summer's cross country. In addition to basics you outline, I like to have a stove- Jetboil. Coffee in morning and when I'm really being cheap, Dinty More, chef boyar dee or the high end freeze dried stuff for dinner. I like eating dinner at camp site.... And oh yeah, a 750 ml bottle of wine fits perfectly in the pass through.
Just be careful with the food issue. In all my camping the only time I've heard of a bear nearby was in a residential looking campground in Lake Tahoe where a bear went through the trash containers about 100 ft away. I was sound asleep. I don't bring food mostly due to the hassle but some common sense has to be applied if you do. I was on Mt Magazine State Park in Arkansas back in 2005 when I picked up a new goldwing and the park was pretty empty - the park ranger stopped by to see how I was doing. I told him I just got back from town and dinner and he said 'you didn't bring any left overs did ya?' I said no. He told me a guy the weekend before brought back an half-eaten steak from town he was going to warm up in the morning - steak and eggs, sounds pretty good - well, he did leave it in his brand new Harley trunk... He awoke to the bear ripping his bike apart until he broke open the trunk and got the food. So, the bear didn't care about the guy so much.. .just the food.

Animals don't seem to care so much about breakfast bars or canned food items but if you do cook, be sure to clean your cooking gear and I would even leave it all out on the table. I'd rather an animal mess up some gear on a table than tear the bike up getting at it. Obviously, do not put it in your tent. Also, toiletries have a sent as well so keep those away from your tent. I've never used bear bags but many campgrounds where bears are prevalent will have containers for you to stash all your scented-items. I know this 'sounds' scary but I've never had any issues - it's just good to know the facts so you don't make a mistake you didn't know about. Heck, in Yellowstone they even tell you to not keep your chapstick with you in the tent as it has a scent... yeow... I wouldn't want to wake up to a kissing bear.
 

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On my motorcycle trips in the last 10 or so years I've done about 50% camping and 50% motels. I enjoy camping when I'm in a good location and the weather is good. I use the motel when the weather is bad or I'm trying to put on more miles. I can get on the road at daybreak and stay till dark if I use a motel. And I hate setting up and breaking camp in the dark. The tent is always wet and just ferments during the heat of the day. I get in about 200 more miles per day if I don't camp. My camping doesn't include much cooking. The problems with bear security, food storage, stoves, cleaning dishes, etc. just aren't worth it if you're trying to get somewhere. It is usually summer sausage, cheese, bread, and merlot for supper and fruit for breakfast. However if I'm just playing in the mountains for a few days camping is great.

I like to pack up my bike and do a road burn from home the first day to get a bunch of miles on right away. Then, when I'm in a new area, I'm happy to slow down and play tourist and enjoy camping. For me, camping and getting somewhere just aren't real compatible. Camping is better done at a leisurely pace.

Camping is easier when there are more than one person. One stove can serve several campers. Only one person needs to bring dishes and only one cooler is needed. Sharing the load is good. But sharing credit cards at the motel is good too.

Another plus for having camping gear along is I've been caught a couple times where no motel rooms are available and my camping gear is much better than sleeping on a picnic table in my riding gear. Been there.
 
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Camping in the rain is one of those things most folks are concerned about.

One thing I would suggest if someone does not camp a lot is to get used to setting up your tent. I can set mine up in just a couple minutes and once setup, the material is such that it will dry out pretty fast. I can setup my tent faster than it takes some folks to stop for gas, practice makes perfect.

When I plan my routes I use state or national parks as my starting/stopping points or even KOAs but I'm not a fan of them, too much like camping in someone's back yard.

I usually plan my routes using 600, 800 and 900 mile routes. That way I know if I have enough daylight left I know I can push a few more miles to the next stopping point.

Setting up in the dark is not preferred but once you setup your tent a few times, it's really no big deal. One of those headlight leds will do wonders. I setup in the dark all the time and I just don't give it a second thought, again, helps to setup your tent a few times and just get used to the procedure. Most basic tents aren't all that complicated so shouldn't be too bad.

I really enjoy camping in the rain. Falling asleep to the rain hitting the tent is like listening to ocean waves on the beach. One thing to remember, if you wake up and it's raining, the tent will magnify the sound so it may sound like a hurricane but if you poke your head out you may find it's just a light rain.. LOL

I do agree that camping in the rain multiple days in a row would get old, I've been lucky in that I've only hit a couple back to back days camping in the rain before a good day of weather. One thing I also do when I plan a trip is I plan 2 trips in opposite directions so if the weather is looking particularly ominous, I could just head the other direction.

It's all in what you're comfortable with. Everyone will have their different approaches and attitudes towards camping and as long as your having fun, that's all that really matters.
 

junglejim

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Joe, I know you ride faster than I do, but I'm thinking you must sleep faster too. I could never make 800-900 miles per day while camping. I usually don't take the interstates so my average speed (with going through towns) is only about 50 mph. Take some off that for gas stops and it is down to 45 mph. Riding for 12 hours per day only gets me about 550 miles. I quit using miles as a measure of motorcycling a couple years ago. I use quality now not quantity. Those long hard days on the interstate just wear out tires faster and use more gas, and interstate riding is all about the same. Staying on the interstate would easily add a few hundred miles to a day's ride.

As a Wisconsin resident I'm used to staying closer to the speed limit than some states allow. I know a few people who have been ticketed for doing 61 in a 55 mph zone by our State Bloopers. I know I got a paper award for 7 mph over. Most local officers won't write a ticket unless you are 15 mph over. A lot of riders who want to ride hard go on the County Highways where the State Patrol is rarely seen. Last weekend we just corssed the UP of MI and traffic there was all going about a gear over 55 all the way. It all slowed down when we got back to WI. After riding out west and returning to WI it seems like I'm jsut crawling along.

Joe, could you expaned on how to find campgrouns on the fly. The public ones are on some web site, but the good private ones are often better and harder to find. I don't have a smart phone yet so I have stopped at a library to search. It seems most campground with showers are $20-$25. I get a rustic one on federal land for $7 (Senior Pass). Do you reserve a site ahead? or just take pot luck.

Sometimes I've set up a camp early in the day and then just rode around the secnic roads for the rest of the day and played tourist. That takes away the pressure of finding a site and makes the day more enjoyable. And on those days I usually stumble upon a better campground than the one I camped in earlier.
 
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Jim, yeah I probably ride faster than I should but I also only eat maybe once a day and my gas stops are 5 mins or so. I suppose the key is to figure out what your 'days worth' of mileage is and use that as a ruler. I only use mileage as a ruler as it's worked for me in the past. I know I can put 200 miles on 1st thing in the morning before considering breakfast and many times will just fill up and keep going another 200 before it's lunch time... 200 miles is between 3-4 hours for me just about most places I ride. None of that matters as it's just how I do my planning, everyone might use a higher or lower number if mileage is the ruler being used.

I don't ever reserve a campground because I rarely travel on a holiday. Holidays are when you'll find the most people at campgrounds vacationing.

It's too bad you don't have a smartphone (well, sorta LOL) there's a great app called AllStays Camp & Tent and lists a ton of camp and rv campgrounds and you can filter it to just tent. It's not perfect as some have found a campground that is no longer in service but I've used it and found one where my gps was not finding anything so it's better than nothing.

If you have a gps, the instinctive thing to search for is National Park or State Park or Campground however you can find campgrounds by searching for Lakes as well.

Some states have tons of campgrounds w/signs everywhere and some just don't have an many. KOAs are always a last resort for me because they are always next to Planes, Trains or Automobies (hwy) LOL but, they are convenient.
 

junglejim

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Ya, I don't like KOA's either, but I've used them when necessary. l'm looking at a smartphone, but the best cell service provider doesn't work where I live. The service that does work where I live doesn't work well in the rest of the US. And my GPS is a generation 1 I think. It sucks! The TomTom has earned the name DumbDumb. I must have bad luck with campgrounds. After leaving Spearfish I went to the Big Horns and finally found a campsite at the 5th or 6th USFS campground I tried. The rest were full. Another frustration is there are so few sites with a good tent pad. Seems like camping in mostly in trailers and motorhomes now. Tent campers aren't very well provided for. I'm definately looking to improve my electronics before next year. New GPS for sure and maybe a smartphone or I-pad. I'm due for a new tent too because the zipper only works on one of the two doors. It sounds like I'm bumming, but I had great riding this summer and the NT's comfort was part of that. The campground at Spearfish was among the best I've been to, (so were the campers) although I did have to kill one mosquito there. Planning for next summer already.
 
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It is tougher in some parts of the country, I know a few that don't mind stealth camping which is camping in public areas like the side of a side-road but I'm just not that brave. I passed the last forest campground at night in Montana after Beartooth Pass and couldn't find a good place, ended up going 40 more miles into Wyoming to Greybull at a KOA.

US forest campgrounds are usually pretty primitive and sometimes you do want a dusl sport bike for some, good thing the NT is lighter than many touring bikes.
 

Coyote Chris

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ref: Just be careful with the food issue. In all my camping the only time I've heard of a bear nearby was in a residential looking campground in Lake Tahoe where a bear went through the trash containers about 100 ft away.
Very good point. I have never been to a south west lake Tahoe campground where the bears DIDNT roam around at night looking for food. Many campgounds with bear issues, like the exquisit Colter Bay campground on Jackson lake in the Tetons (where there is a camping section for bicyclists and motorcyclists) have steel food containers. Dont leave anything that smells good in or on the bike....
this raven got my gooey roll at Old Faithful!
 

Phil Tarman

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Phil,
You are correct that camping is less expensive than staying in hotels, however I think you have to include the cost of the campsites in your equation that shows 54 nights at a cost of $18.50. Unless of course you stay in primitive or free campsites.
Paul
Good point, Paul. I'm guessing that we'll use a lot of primitive campsites.
 
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