camping comments

Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
2,007
Location
Tijeras, NM
Bike
1984 Moto Guzzi T5
OK, so have camped a bit now (not very much by some standards) and have some comments. Also of interest is that my brother and I approached it from a bit different directions, his because he had a friend at REI so got discounted stuff.

I went the cheaper route and he started with a bit higher end stuff. I also started out with the idea that I could carry duffels so did not concentrate on packing smaller. I have since changed to where I like to have everything (or almost everything) in my hard cases so have started getting stuff that is smaller (and is a bit more expensive :( ).

My priority was the 4 person tent at least 40" high with a vestibule area. He has a 3 person that is a bit lower. He will be upgrading soon to a 4 person for the extra height and room. As others have noted, get a tent with a rain fly that goes all the way to the ground. Even under some pretty wet conditions our tents stayed dry. I will keep my tent as long as it lasts (Kelty, got it on sale for $70).

I also went a bit cheap with a blue plastic tarp instead of a commercial foot print. It worked really well, but, was also a bit bulky. I upgraded to a regular foot print and it works just as well and is a lot smaller.

I started with an air bed. It was great and very comfortable, but, big and heavy, especially since the air pump is a necessity. It was also cheap (you'll hear that a lot :) ). I changed for the old army surplus insulated air mattress. It is not as comfortable, but, I can still sleep on my side with it easily. Still a bit bulky but have not found another mattress as 'thick', especially at the price ($40). They are getting hard to find.

Brother went with a Big Agnes mattress of the thickest and largest size (still thinner than my surplus version). He likes it but it is noisy. He sleeps on his back so it works well for him.

I also tried out the exped "bag pump" for inflating the bag. It worked really well. I'd recommend it for anyone who has trouble blowing up their air mattress with their lungs. I only had to top off the mattress with my lungs.

Sleeping bags. I started with a cheap one. It worked really well, but, it was bulky. So I got a smaller one. Mine is a Teton and brother's is a Big Agnes, both rated for 40F. We both found out that they are marginal below 50F. Adding a liner helps, but, still needed to sleep in a few layers of clothes when the temp got down in the mid 40's. We are both considering second bags rated to the 20F range so we can stay comfortable. That will double the bulk of the bag but is worth it in comfort.

Chairs. My brother does not carry one for two reasons. His tent is too small for one to work inside and outside there has always been a picnic table to sit at. I had a Pico type that was really comfortable, but, was a bit big to fit in my tent and would not pack in any of my cases. So, I added the REI Flex-Lite to my load. Packs small and fits nicely in my bags. It is also just about perfect inside my tent. I use it for reading and just lounging, especially if it is raining outside. I still carry the Pico if I know I won't have a picnic table to use outside.

Stoves. We do cook our evening meals, usually the freeze dried stuff (also make coffee in the mornings). I went with the small MSR. It fits inside my coffee cup and works pretty well. I have not needed a wind shield with it, but, can see cases where you might want to have one. Brother has the Jetboil system (the aluminum version). It is really nice and boils water almost twice as fast. Also costs a lot more. I like my choice and he likes his.

Lights. Headlights. I have a cheap Coleman that has worked great. Even using it almost all evening the batteries have held up for about two weeks of camping.

That's about it.

So, you can go really cheap and it works, just takes up more room and is heavier.
 
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
235
Location
On the dry side of the Cascades
Bike
2) 2010 red NT's
I have found that as far as camping stuff goes, I like being comfy and warm. Big Agnes stuff isn't cheap, but we look for sales and close outs. My RoxyAnn bag is rated for 15F and I love it. It packs fairly small because it doesn't have insulation on the bottom. Instead, it has a sleeve that you slip your pad into. I upgraded the pad from a 12 year old Thermarest to a new BA Q core pad that has down insulation in it. Holy smokes. 31F night? No problem. I'm nice and toasty. The new BA tent we have, we got on close out and finally!! A tent I can stand up in. And its big enough to hold all our gear. The vestibule is fairly large as well. That was nice when it rained for most of a day, we set up the chairs in the vestibule.

Just picked up a new stove (MSR Whisperlite Int'l) and some decent cookware. While the tent takes up a whole pannier (plus the poles) I think my cooking gear is whats going to take up a lot of room. I like to eat well while I'm traveling and I really don't like spending the $$ on restaurants.
My thoughts are much like Daboo's. I like lightweight because it packs small, but if the bike breaks down, I'm gonna have carry some of this stuff.

Return trip from Cambria:

Lots of extras, we bought new, smaller, chairs (BA Helinox), some clothes and trinkets, and I had packed the large blue and black MotoFizz bag with food and wine. I made a new bag to replace the Moto Fizz, its smaller and waterproof. And since we did this trip at the end of October. beginning of November, we had to bring extras like heated gear and two sets of Hippo Hands. That stuff came in handy, 'cause it got COLD riding along the coast.

 

Marker

Guest
Here is my approach.
A good 2 man tent as you just need room for your gear and yourself. You spend 99% of your time horizontal so I don't need a tall one. Mine is a 20 year old kelty.

A Thermarest matress. very comfortable given its thinness. They now have ones thicker, but space is an issue for me.

I have several sleeping bags and take the coldest rated one I may need. I still haven't figured this one out yet. I don't think there is a perfect sleeping bag for all occasions that is small and lightweight.

I take a small compactble pillow for comfort. Rolled up clothing doesn't do it for me.

I take a chair on long trips as those picnic tables get hard after awhile.

I no longer cook. Just too much trouble. We find a campground within 10 miles of a restaurant for supper, and look forward to a good 'mom & pop' restuarant where the locals eat breakfast. When bringing food even dry pack stuff, they attract bears and I HATE BEARS. On a side note, my handle Marker comes from my insistence of 'marking' my territory around my tent. While my buddies tease me about it, we have had bears in campgrounds but never come near my tent, so am sticking with it.:)

I take a thin nylon tarp for rainy weather with plenty of nylon string to keep us dry when sitting out. If the weather is too bad, then a motel is good too.

On the bike, the camping stuff goes in a duffel bag on the rear pilon seat. The stuff I need most and during the day goes into the top box, including rain gear.

Look forward to all the suggestions from other campers for convenience.
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
399
Location
Great Plains
Bike
2010 Silver NT700
Hope you didn't Mark your area at spearfish. :) Just kidding. I have a similar mentality about tents and cook stuff. I am good with a 2 person tent and don't bother with cooking gear and food unless I am camping out of the car. I usually don't have to worry about bears in Kansas though.

I really had to think about what I packed on 3 week trip last summer, and the camp stove and other cooking gear was the first thing to be dropped. I limited my clothes to save room and just did laundry when I could. This turned out to work well and only had to deal with a couple of smelly days. Even though I camped half the time I didn't have any trouble finding a laundry mat and when I did stay at a hotel they all had laundry facilities. A little expensive to do laundry at the hotels, but I packed so light it was only one load. I got everything down to One pannier full of camp gear, one pannier with riding gear and water tools/tubes, top box with clothes and stuff I wanted to be able to lock up, and the tent and camp chair went into the small twisted throttle dry-spec bag strapped to the topbox. I thank Mellow for showing me the exped mattress. I am still amazed at how small it packs down. I find it more comfortable than my luxury map thermarest too. Packed down it takes up less 1/3 the space. He has a review on here showing it if you are not familiar with them.

Thinking back, I can't think of anything I really missed while on the trip. It was the first time I didn't feel like I packed too much. I really enjoyed the bike that was light and most the weight down in the panniers. In the twisty mountain roads the bike did not feel any different. In contrast, my first big motorcycle trip was on my NT. I packed so much stuff that the bike felt and handled differently and was more top heavy. I ended up not using a lot of stuff and learned that 4 pairs of jeans is way too much.

I know everybody is different. Take what YOU need and have fun.

Here is my approach.
A good 2 man tent as you just need room for your gear and yourself. You spend 99% of your time horizontal so I don't need a tall one. Mine is a 20 year old kelty.

A Thermarest matress. very comfortable given its thinness. They now have ones thicker, but space is an issue for me.

I have several sleeping bags and take the coldest rated one I may need. I still haven't figured this one out yet. I don't think there is a perfect sleeping bag for all occasions that is small and lightweight.

I take a small compactble pillow for comfort. Rolled up clothing doesn't do it for me.

I take a chair on long trips as those picnic tables get hard after awhile.

I no longer cook. Just too much trouble. We find a campground within 10 miles of a restaurant for supper, and look forward to a good 'mom & pop' restuarant where the locals eat breakfast. When bringing food even dry pack stuff, they attract bears and I HATE BEARS. On a side note, my handle Marker comes from my insistence of 'marking' my territory around my tent. While my buddies tease me about it, we have had bears in campgrounds but never come near my tent, so am sticking with it.:)

I take a thin nylon tarp for rainy weather with plenty of nylon string to keep us dry when sitting out. If the weather is too bad, then a motel is good too.

On the bike, the camping stuff goes in a duffel bag on the rear pilon seat. The stuff I need most and during the day goes into the top box, including rain gear.

Look forward to all the suggestions from other campers for convenience.
 

Mellow

Admin
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
1,881
Location
Carrollton, TX
2024 Mileage
000540
Bike
21 R1250RT
I got the Jetboil Sol last year for Christmas and really like it. I don't typically bring food that needs to be warmed/cooked, I usually bring some protein bars that will hold me over for dinner 'til the next day. However, it is nice to boil some water for coffee and this is a nice compact and efficient package. I'll bring some ramen noodles with me but even those are greasy and result in some extra cleaning but it is a good option to keep you 'til the next day's breakfast/lunch event.
 
OP
OP
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
2,007
Location
Tijeras, NM
Bike
1984 Moto Guzzi T5
Here is what the bike looks like when loaded, as well as empty (except for the tank bag). Everything fits in the cans and top box. The tube on the side holds the tent poles, chair and tent pegs.

Yes, only three days clothing, but, had to carry all the cold weather stuff. It was only 25deg when I left home so fleece liner for pants and jacket and heated gloves. That stuff is bulky and almost didn't fit. The tank bag is a large Nelso Rigg model and is big enough to hold a lot, extra helmet visor, first aid kit, air compressor, smaller tools, water bottle, extra gloves, etc, etc.

camping.jpg
 
OP
OP
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
2,007
Location
Tijeras, NM
Bike
1984 Moto Guzzi T5
PS my brother fits his gear in those boxes on his GS (yes it is a 2014 model) and still has a dry bag he straps on the passenger seat. I may resort to carrying another bag on mine as well just to make it easier to pack, especially when I go to a lower temp sleeping bag.

I also carry a pillow. Big Agnes air core plus a Cocoon Ultralight Air Core. The latter is wonderful and worth the small amount of space it takes up. I slide both into a standard pillow case so they don't slide around on me.

FYI, the left ammo can has the tent, footprint, ax (mainly used as a hammer), and air mattress. The right ammo can has cooking gear (stove, fuel, mug, pot, food) and sleeping gear (bag, pillows, bag liner). Top can has clothing and incidentals, tablet and extra powerpack for phone/tablet/helmet intercom charging (it holds a medium gym bag).
 

Phil Tarman

Site Supporter
Moderator
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
9,367
Age
81
Location
Greeley, CO
Bike
2010 Silver NT700VA (ABS)
I'm glad some of you guys can get by with a 2-man tent. With my knees, the 4-man tent has made a huge difference in comfort. It's an inch longer, an inch bigger diameter, and weighs a whole 1 pound more than the two-man tent I had. I love it.
 

Rob

Joined
Aug 15, 2011
Messages
562
Location
Portsmouth, NH
Bike
2010 Silver NT700V
i currently have two tents i camp with. my kelty salida 2 two-man packs down very small and it sets up in two minutes. i use this if i'm just doing a quick overnight somewhere because the setup and teardown is so quick and it weighs nothing and takes up very little space. 4 stakes for the tent, and two for the fly. easy peasy.

i also have an asolo velocity 3 man tent that i use if my wife happens to be with me (car camping) or if i'm somewhere on the bike where i'll be staying a bit longer than one night. the packed size is at least twice as much as the 2man. but this 3man has 4 poles - the two primary, and then two smaller ones that run across the top to "square it off" so there is a LOT more headroom inside. it also has doors and vestibules on both sides - very convenient for two people. i can fit all my gear in the 3man. in the 2man, i keep a bunch in the vestibule or locked on the bike. however, this tent has 8 stakes, and 6 for the fly so it takes significantly longer to set up and tear down.

i do not sit in my tent, though so i don't care about fitting a chair or anything like that like some others do. all i do in the tent is sleep. i have not been caught in rain on camping trips yet (somewhow) but i know it will happen eventually so i bought a kelty noah's tarp for that. i have not used it yet so i need to practice setting it up and such but bought it after reading favorable comments from ripshod about it. if it's really pouring i could fit the kermit chair in the 3 man if i really wanted to (sans leg extensions) but it wouldn't fit in the 2man kelty (well, the chair would, but not me in the chair!)

each has their strengths and weaknesses. i paid $140 for the kelty on amazon, and the aoslo i got at an REI closeout for i think $120.
 

junglejim

Site Supporter
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
2,119
Location
Northern WI
Bike
Tiger 800, NT sold
Well everybody has their own standards for "camping". For some people camping involves hard side campers with 400 hp, AC, and at least 8 wheels. On the other extreme I've seen riders sleeping in their Roadcrafter suit on a lawn next to their bike.

I actually have two standards. One is for camping while traveling and the other is for riding out from a central camp for several days. Camping while traveling involves a small tent, air matress, and sleeping bag and I'm usually alone. Setting up a camp to ride from for a few days would include a chair, cooking equipment, and more comfort items, but the burden is shared by others in a small group (not everyone needs to bring a stove).

One "trick" I've found useful is to bring a small fleece blanket along with my sleeping bag. With that combination I can sleep under the blanket when it is warm, in the sleeping bag when it is cool, and in the bag with the blanket on top when it is cold. And I have used all three combinations on the same trip several times. The blanket stuffs into the sack with the sleeping bag and takes up little room.

For the "new" campers - just keep trying it and you will gravitate to something you are happy with (or go to a motel).
 
OP
OP
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
2,007
Location
Tijeras, NM
Bike
1984 Moto Guzzi T5
The fleece blanket thing is a good idea. I used to carry a sheet that I had sewn together. An early version of a sleeping bag liner. Worked very well by itself on hot nights. The commercial sleeping bag liners can be used the same way and that's what I have now.

And, yes, my standard for camping with the wife and dog is a 3/4T diesel truck and 27ft fifth wheel trailer. :)

I never was comfortable just laying down without a tent. Growing up in the desert it wasn't "healthy" to sleep outside on the ground, or even sometimes on a cot. I knew three people who never woke up after a snake (sidewinder in one case) found their sleeping bag nice and warm. One was on a cot, the other two on the ground. Another got stung by a scorpion. A lot of critters look for warm things at night in the desert. So, I have to have something around me to keep out small critters and bugs.
 
OP
OP
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
2,007
Location
Tijeras, NM
Bike
1984 Moto Guzzi T5
Another update after our Yellowstone trip. Temps got down to almost freezing (33 deg one night).

I had looked longand hard at cold weather camping and prepared a bit.

New sleeping bag. North Face Aleutian 20. Rated to be comfortable down to 27F. It is. At 33 deg I had to unzip it a bit cause it got too warm. Also only wore my base layer underwear. Didn't even need the sleeping bag liner. And did without gloves. I did wear a hat to keep my bald head warm :) Downside is that the bag takes up 4 times as much room as my 40deg bag. Well worth it. Woke up in the morning and did not want to get out of my 'cocoon'. :)

One thing I tried that worked really well. The little chemical hand warmers. Use to keep feet warm. Tried them two ways. Two layers of socks with the hand warmers in between. Worked well, but, was a bit "irritating" to have something 'foreign' on my feet. Then tried just putting the warmers at the foot of the sleeping bag and only wore one pair of socks. This worked really well. Even down to 37F.

The 4 person size tent proved its worth again. It was raining when it was time to pack up. I could sit inside the tent and pack up everything except the tent without going outside, comfortably. My brother, in his 3 person tent, has now decided the larger tent is worth it. Especially now that he has the large cases on his Beemer GS (Tourtech). And only the tent is wet. It is packed in it's own side case so nothing else gets wet from contact with the tent.

Cooking. I will reduce my cooking load. I'd rather go get something to eat than fix something in the evening. Mornings I don't mind stopping someplace for a cup of coffee. So, despite me liking to have more gadgets when camping, I will leave the stove, fuel and such behind unless I will be in an area with no stores.

Clothes. 3-4 days worth is fine. Laundry services are available at many campgrounds. Uses up 2 hours of a day, but, is simple.

Hard part is still packing cold weather clothes conveniently. Have to wear some in the morning and shed layers as the day goes on. I use my tank bag for that. In the morning it is nearly empty. At the end of the day it is stuffed full :)

So, my system is about the way I want it now. Only thing I may add is compression bags for my tent. Will help me stuff a bit more into the cases.
 
OP
OP
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
2,007
Location
Tijeras, NM
Bike
1984 Moto Guzzi T5
Unless it is raining outside, or there is a 'heavy' layer of morning dew. :) Yep,this last trip I woke up to find my stuff was wetter than when I put it up. Then there is humidity. Stuff does not dry well in the tent overnight either when weather is not dry.

Moab, UT. Stuff dried in an hour. Vernal, UT. Everything was wet in the morning.

On those days/nights when it will be less humid I have been known to wash my clothes in the shower.

The synthetic clothes are great. I have started to buy Dickies brand. Inexpensive and they have that no smell treatment.
 

GBlox

Guest
Great tips from everyone!

I did my first bike camping trip back in July and was out for four days, three nights. I packed my camping gear (40 degree sleeping bag and self-inflating mattress, and 2-man tent) in my top box. Extra clothing went in one saddlebag liner, and food and Jetboil in the other saddlebag liner. The Jetboil worked well for morning coffee and instant oatmeal (throw in some cranberries and pecans) and then I used it for freeze-dried meals at night. I didn't go in with big expectations for the flavor of the instant meals and was pleasantly surprised at how good they tasted. I ate out for lunches. With what little experience I have doing this so far, I have learned that light-weight gear is a must, and also that cotton-anything doesn't work well for clothing. The next thing I want is a tankbag for a larger camera and extra easy-to-access stuff like phone and wallet and snacks. Something like this is on my list: http://www.twistedthrottle.com/bags-connection-engage-evo-quick-lock-tankbag-for-sw-motech-gascap-mounting-system
 
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Messages
1,231
Location
oregon
Bike
2011 NT, 01 Ultra, 04 VLX
The fleece blanket thing is a good idea. I used to carry a sheet that I had sewn together. An early version of a sleeping bag liner. Worked very well by itself on hot nights. The commercial sleeping bag liners can be used the same way and that's what I have now.

And, yes, my standard for camping with the wife and dog is a 3/4T diesel truck and 27ft fifth wheel trailer. :)

I never was comfortable just laying down without a tent. Growing up in the desert it wasn't "healthy" to sleep outside on the ground, or even sometimes on a cot. I knew three people who never woke up after a snake (sidewinder in one case) found their sleeping bag nice and warm. One was on a cot, the other two on the ground. Another got stung by a scorpion. A lot of critters look for warm things at night in the desert. So, I have to have something around me to keep out small critters and bugs.[/QUOT

The Fleece blanket mentioned by Jungle jim is a real good idea !

I sure do agree with Charlie regarding the wiggly critters ETC, I prefer not to camp even in tent in snake country be it desert or otherwise. I have done so in Texas from Del Rio to San Angelo area in tents with cots and never had a problem, Also in the wooded areas east of Muskoggie OK,Also in Wenaha & Hells Canyon Wilderness areas these last two were in late Oct to mid Nov when the critters are denned up in the higher elevations All prime snake and other critter country. I was younger and dummer then! In todays world I want my tent with good zippers, and critter prof flooring, If I have to camp and upon breaking down tent you can bet I am very careful to insure no critters are hiding under it as I start to break it down! I think the best camping in bug and , or snake country is to rough it in Motel 6; or better!! As far as snakes are concerned the only good one is a dead one and I normally have a means to make that happen , but there are some places that would disturb others, and maybe not politically correct, so is better not to be in harms way when possible!

Eldon
 
Joined
Jun 25, 2013
Messages
133
Location
Northern Virginia
Camping and a motorcycle. My favorite combination. So here are some of my personal favorites for gear:

First, concur with fleece blanket: adds a lot of comfort and versatility, and easy to clean.

Second: an Esbit pocket stove and some extra fuel tabs. An updated version of the old GI/Boy Scout "heat tab." The smallest and easiest way to boil water, and low cost to start with. Great auxiliary stove/picnic stove, or could be your main stove if all you need is boiled water. Helps to have a windscreen and to use a covered pan to catch as much of the heat as possible. For me, each tab burns for about eight minutes total; six at fairly robust flame. I boil two cups of water in about four minutes.

Third: Alite Monarch Butterfly chair. We've just had great reviews of camping chairs on this site, but the Butterfly is another option: packs small enough to fit into the NT passthrough space. You balance this "two legged" chair with your feet; a bit awkward to get into but actually quite comfortable.

Fourth is a new purchase I have not tried out yet: Big Agnes Wyoming SL2 tent: enclosed bug proof sleeping area with good space for one person, tight for two, but main feature is a huge vestibule. Really, its as if the vestibule ate the tent. Its big enough to sit under if its raining, to change clothes in, and to store your gear out of the weather and out of view, without having to constantly zip into and out of the sleeping area. The SL is lighter than the standard Wyoming by a few pounds, but the standard Wyoming has an additional side vestibule and door; pay attention to the differences and be sure you are looking at the model that would work for you. REI has been discounting the SL version. I suspect various online retailers may be discounting both the SL and the standard, and it may be worth watching over the coming months for a good deal if you are interested. I plan to take my new Wyoming out for a first camping trip in a week or so and I'll report the results.
 
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
265
Location
Sanford, FL, USA
Like others I started cheap and large and quickly went to expensive and small. However, it's amazing how expensive can get much cheaper using ebay, sales and closeouts. I really enjoy cooking and love my small group size Jet Boil system (everything fits in a 1.5L pot). I have three tents - a small and light one for backpacking, a small and light 3 man for base camp but I love my larger and heavier 30 second tent specifically for motorcycles. At night, after a hard day of riding I can have it up in 27 sec. To me that is worth the extra size to carry - especially with most all my other camping gear being very compact. I tried a bunch of different sleeping systems but finally went Mellow's route with a Goose down sleeping bag and exped air mattress and pillow and they are all winners. Very compact, very comfortable and somewhat expensive. I also tend to camp in state and national parks and not in commercial campgrounds. The advantage of small and light is that all my camping stuff also fits very easily in my kayak so I have gotten double duty out of it. Wendell

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/jetboil-zip-15l-gcs-bundle~p~2427f/?utm_source=GooglePLAs&utm_medium=PaidShopping&utm_term=Jetboil_Zip_15L_GCS_Bundle&utm_campaign=PCGOOGLEP4&currency=USD&codes-processed=true

http://www.catomaoutdoor.com/Catalog/ProductInfo.aspx?id=170
 
Top Bottom