Motorcycle Camping Gear - Part I

My bike fully loaded with gear (including food) for a weekend, two cameras, and extra clothes for hanging around a campfire.

Motorcycle travel can mean doing day trips, weekends, or month and even year -long journeys.  On the road some people prefer to stay in motels or B&B’s.  Others prefer to only camp, and still others prefer to do a little of both.  I’m firmly in the category of mixing it up.  After a few days of hard riding and sleeping in a tent, I crave the luxury of a hot shower, soft blankets, and a real pillow.  That said there is still nothing more satisfying than eating dinner under the stars, visiting with friends around a campfire.

Comfortable motorcycle camping does not mean that the bike has to be so loaded down the ride becomes cramped.  Lots of options are available for everything from sleeping bags to tents to cook stoves.  REI http://www.rei.com/ in Spokane just sent out their fall sale flier.  REI is a great place to look for motorcycle camping equipment.  Backpacker’s tents are the best for motorcyclists with limited space.  They pack small and weigh very little.

A few tents to look at:

Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2  - My person choice, this tent has room for two sleeping bags, or one sleeping bag and riding gear.  Its packed weight is only slightly over 3 pounds, and it packs small enough to fit easily in a tail bag.  It is very easy and fast to set up alone.

The tent on the left is the Big Agnes Seedhouse 2 with the rainfly.

Mountain Hardware Helion 2  - This tent is roughly the same size and weight as the Big Agnes.

Black Diamond Firstlight - This tent also is roughly the same size and weight as the Big Agnes.

Jungle Hammock North - This tent is for people who know there will be trees near their campsite.  It is a four-season hammock that can support 300 pounds, yet weighs less than 3 pounds. 

REI is also a great place to get high quality sleeping bags.

Big Agnes Nugget - My personal choice, this sleeping bag compresses very small, but keeps me warm even in below freezing temperatures.  It weighs 2.4 pounds.  One of the unique features of this bag is its pocket that holds a sleeping pad so you can’t roll off it during the night.  I have the insulated air core pad  that adds 22 oz to my packed weight.

Western Mountaineering Ultralight - This three-season bag weighs only 1 lb, 13 oz.

Cabela’s XPG - This sleeping bag is rated to 15 degrees F, and weighs 2 lbs, 5oz.

Tomorrow we’ll look at camping accessories, cook systems, chairs, etc.

Ride safe and have fun!