looks like i have too much stuff

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I haven't decided yet but I think I may tag along for the Ride Against Male Pattern Baldness this weekend. I just did a mock-up loading of my bike and it looks like it did when I rode to Spearfish, but the trip is only overnight! I have the REI 4 man tent, my sleeping bag in a waterproof compression bag, my REI low chair, and a bag of odds and ends all in a 110 liter waterproof duffel
It looks semi ridiculous but its bare bones unless I had a much smaller tent, a down sleeping bag and a micro chair
I don't even know why I am writing this...I guess because if I go I will be riding with folks I've never met and they may think I'm looney
Most likely its just my vanity always wanting to look cool while riding. But I guess when you are hauling your hotel room on the back seat you aren't going to look too cool
On the other hand, some poor schmuck who only wishes he had a bike might look on me with envy and think I am headed on an Epic Ride LOL
 
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I will be riding with folks I've never met and they may think I'm looney
Well, that's their problem, not yours. You'll be appreciating that big tent when yer peeing in yer empty Gatorade bottle in the middle of the night (don't forget your Gatorade bottle).
 

Phil Tarman

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On the other hand, some poor schmuck who only wishes he had a bike might look on me with envy and think I am headed on an Epic Ride LOL
That's the way to think! Because you are headed on an Epic Ride -- just a short one, but it's still EPIC!!

BTW, I'd suggest two Gatorade bottles. And that you be sure you're properly inserted into said containers before beginning to transfer fluids. DAMHIK. :shrug2:
 

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Most likely its just my vanity always wanting to look cool while riding.
Yup, they don't really care and if you're worried about what they think then you're wasting your energy.. There's thousands of ways to camp and thousands of configurations for packing stuff, there's no right answer, just the one that works for you. I've changed my packing habits many times, sometimes 2 bags or 1, sometimes a longer tent, taller tent, etc... but that has nothing to do with 'looking cool' and everything to do with how easy it is for me to pack stuff.
 
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Yup, they don't really care and if you're worried about what they think then you're wasting your energy.. There's thousands of ways to camp and thousands of configurations for packing stuff, there's no right answer, just the one that works for you. I've changed my packing habits many times, sometimes 2 bags or 1, sometimes a longer tent, taller tent, etc... but that has nothing to do with 'looking cool' and everything to do with how easy it is for me to pack stuff.

Another way to think about it..... Since it is a short trip, it will be easier to deal with a little extra stuff. Take what you want and enjoy the trip.

When I went on my 3 week epic-to-me tour on my DR650 I really tried to limit it down to the bare essentials. I think I did a good job and had a good balance between not leaving something behind I needed and not packing around something I didn't really need. I would be pretty happy to repeat the trip with minimal packing changes. Those that saw me in Colorado on the way out and Spearfish on the way back can attest it was a nice and tidy setup. In order to keep it that way, I had to leave the campstove, cooking stuff, and cooler at home.

However, If I was headed out on a weekender or closer trip, I might find more room for a small cooler or cooking equipment and food. Even if I was a bit more cramped it might be worth it to have a better camping experience.
 
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Yep, I look like one of those homeless people with a shopping cart piled high, even without anything extra. Just adding my ever present tank bag makes the bike loaded down when you have a big trunk and side cases. Add a small duffle on each side and......



or



I rarely take that chair with me anymore since most camping areas have picnic tables. And my sleeping bag and air mattress are smaller now as well. I also pack fewer clothes and just wash them every couple of days.
 
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The thing about camping is it does not matter if the trip is a day aor a week, most of what you need is fairly constant.
 

junglejim

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Some people take lots of stuff and some people just have stuff that takes lots of room. And then there are some who go with sub-minimal stuff. I've seen "road wariors" sleeping in the grass, wearing their "stich" next to their motorcycle who look like they have been doing that for quite a while. They don't need no stinkin tent. It looked like the Stich and the bike haven't been washed in years. Don't want to know about the rider.

We all have to find our own balance between hauling stuff and doing without. And balance between motels and camping too for that matter. It seems like I take less stuff each time I travel and I almost always have stuff I don't use (tools don't count). I've never used my emergency waterproof matches, but the Bic lighter has always worked. I'll admit to stopping along the way to buy some item of convenience that I didn't have with me like a pair of Tingley boots to cover my not-so-waterproof boots during a monsoon I encountered.
 

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The thing about camping is it does not matter if the trip is a day aor a week, most of what you need is fairly constant.
+1, my packing isn't much different if the trip is a weekender or a week-long. I don't bring a lot of clothes but may bring a couple more pairs of socks or t-shrts. I may bring the jet boil for a week-long trip and some ramen noodles for those times when I get to a site late and I'm too lazy to go into town for food or forgot to stop in town on my way in. Not like missing a meal would do me harm .. LOL!!!

The bottom line is you do what works for YOU. Many folks here have some great tips but you aren't going to use them all or you'd have so much stuff on your bike you wouldn't be able to see your bike. Camping is a process and it evolves as you gain experience.. I'm always trying different bags to pack stuff in or smaller flashlights or whatever if I think it will make my life easier camping.
 

junglejim

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Joe's post above is a good one. He is good at this. The more you do it the better you will get. Experience counts. But you have to keep up with the new stuff.

I used to take days to pack up for a trip. I'd make and revise lists. Now I can snatch stuff out of the closet and be packed up in an hour. Oh, I can;t wait for spring.
 

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Now I can snatch stuff out of the closet and be packed up in an hour. Oh, I can;t wait for spring.
Same here, I have a section in my closet that is pretty much all the stuff I would take that isn't wardrobe related. Probably takes me longer to put my gear on .. lol
 
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Same here. I keep all my stuff in a couple of bins. To get ready to go all I have to do is "stuff' all the bags (sleeping bag, tent, pillow, etc), load and go.

I also have a pretty fixed "load plan", eg, tent, footprint and hammer go in one can. Other can has air mattress, sleeping bag and pillow. Top case has clothes and cooking stuff. It also works out that if I do choose to use a motel room I just pull one bag out of the top case and the rest can stay packed. Or if we decide to stay in one of the KOA Cabins. Then just the top case and sleeping stuff is moved in.

Also, everything stays 'dry' that needs to until the tent is up. Then the rest is moved into the tent. Wet stuff stays with wet stuff. Dry stuff stays with dry stuff.

But......I am a gadget freak. I love trying new stuff, especially lights and cooking stuff. Probably have ten of different types lying around that I have tried, and now leave behind :) My go to light is the headlamp, any kind will do.
 

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Also, everything stays 'dry' that needs to until the tent is up. Then the rest is moved into the tent. Wet stuff stays with wet stuff. Dry stuff stays with dry stuff.

But......I am a gadget freak. I love trying new stuff, especially lights and cooking stuff. Probably have ten of different types lying around that I have tried, and now leave behind My go to light is the headlamp, any kind will do.
Same here, I've adopted a 2-bag approach - one bag with tent, sandals, mallet, ground clothe.. all the stuff that might get wet but will dry out when it's setup the next time. The other bag w/sleeping bag, air matterss, pillow and maybe a fleece liner or jacket.. the 2nd bag always get unloaded inside the tent or in dry conditions and it's the 1st thing I pack while still in the tent in the morning.

This is from last year's Big Bend trip, those are two older D28 twisted throttle dry spec bags which are tough and open at both ends so you can make them long or short depending on what you put in them. However, Firstgear has a Torrent bag that I'd like to try.
PB070005-X2.jpg
 
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Talk about down sizing - I'm going to try to do some bicycle camping/touring. At least Florida is known for being flat. I'm open to any suggestions from any who have tried doing that. At least I have the light equipment that I was going to use on my camp over at the bottom of the Grand Canyon (which never happened due to my little incident). Wendell
 

junglejim

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Hi, Wendell,
I've done some bicycle touring/camping and the short answer is (as always) "it depends". First, a comfortable bike is needed and that depends on the rider and the roads/trails being ridden. Lots of folks use touring bikes, but I used my mountain bike with 1.25" tires which are a little larger and heavier than most people use. But I stayed on the less good roads and often included some gravel roads that required larger tires. I carried my gear in a trailer. It was similar to a BOB trailer commercially available, but my home made version only weighed half as much. I liked that I could simply un-couple the trailer and do some nice day rides while touring or simply peddle to a restaurant for dinner. I had a small pannier rack on the bike too.

For back roads and trails a fat tired bike works best and for highway travel the lighter wheel machines are preferred. On my motorcycle I use a 2-person tent weighing about 5#, but on the bike I used a 1-person tent weighing half that much. The clothing was much lighter too. My full face helmet, boots, and riding suit weigh almost as much as all the clothes I took on the bike.

Start easy. Don't set expectations too high initially. Just have fun and enjoy the trip. After a few days you will acclimate to the touring and your distances will increase easily. If you ride with someone compatibility is a big factor, more so than on a motorcycle. My hardest trip was when I went with my wife. Our riding styles weren't very compatible.

Here are some pictures of my rig.
 

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You can downsize, just some things are compromised.

Some of those things are why I will never backpack again :) I have a 4 person tent and largish air mattress that I won't give up, even though they take up a lot of space. And I use a sleeping bag with man made filler so it does not pack very small. I can probably live without my chair inside the tent, but, as long as I have space to carry it I will take it with me.

For bicycle/backpack a small, one or two person tent, really compact air mattresses, one change of clothes, smaller cook gear, etc. Look at the backpacking sites for all kinds of space and weight saving ideas. I ran into a guy who was on a bicycle camping from San Diego to Kansas. He had it down to a science.

If you travel in the east then a hammock shelter might be the way to go. Removes the need for mattress and tent. Out here there are too many places without trees ;)

I did see one guy at Death Valley with a hammock shelter who rigged his own supports. He had two cross stick bipods and ran the support line over them to some heavy duty ground stakes. No trees.

And purchase your stuff at REI a month or so before your first trip. That way if something doesn't work out you can take it back for something that will work for you. Would have saved me some money on a sleeping bag if I had bought it there.

If I wasn't such a gadget person I don't know if I'd camp much. I love all the 'stuff' :)
 

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My son has bicycle-camped with panniers and with a BOB trailer. I think he sues one of the one-man tents and I don't know what he uses for a sleeping bag.

I camped one year at Spearfish with an REI Halfdome2+ and decided that with my crappy knees, it didn't have enough headroom. So I called REI and said that there was nothing wrong with the tent, but it didn't quite work for me. The REI girl said, "We guarantee your satisfaction, not our product. Bring it back and we'll give you full credit." So I bought a Halfdome4 and when I returned the Halfdome2+, the REI guy said, "We've made two customers happy today -- you and the guy who'll buy your old tent at our garage sale."

The extra headroom is a tremendous improvement. Now my Kermit chair with its leg extensions works in the tent, and I can move around. The bigger tent cost me a pound and two inches more length. I'm a happy camper.

And I don't think it looks like I'm carrying too much stuff. :)
 

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My son has bicycle-camped with panniers and with a BOB trailer. I think he sues one of the one-man tents and I don't know what he uses for a sleeping bag.

I camped one year at Spearfish with an REI Halfdome2+ and decided that with my crappy knees, it didn't have enough headroom. So I called REI and said that there was nothing wrong with the tent, but it didn't quite work for me. The REI girl said, "We guarantee your satisfaction, not our product. Bring it back and we'll give you full credit." So I bought a Halfdome4 and when I returned the Halfdome2+, the REI guy said, "We've made two customers happy today -- you and the guy who'll buy your old tent at our garage sale."

The extra headroom is a tremendous improvement. Now my Kermit chair with its leg extensions works in the tent, and I can move around. The bigger tent cost me a pound and two inches more length. I'm a happy camper.

And I don't think it looks like I'm carrying too much stuff. :)
Another nice tent is the Moutainsmith Genesee 4 tent - 4 inches taller than the Halfdome4 and packs at 20x8 inches, just a tad more than most 2 person tents - also can be had for $140-$170 range.. :doh1:
 
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