are you a moto camper?

[user 100272]

Just curious as to how many of you like to moto-camp? The thought has always intrigued me....
Now that Im back in the saddle, it's more and more.
Curious what tents are good ones. Been looking on line, and not seeing anything that really grabs my eye.
I know it needs to be compact and light, but I don't have any desire to try and jamb myself into one of those little 2Wx6Lx2T straight jackets they call tents.
As well as not looking like something out of a Dr. Seus book, thinking of the rest of the load out....cooking, sleeping, food...etc...

 

[RossKean]

Quite a few people do. I manage anywhere between 5 and 25 days per year. In terms of equipment etc., depends on the object (cheap accommodations vs going mainly for the camping). This will affect everything.
Personally, it depends on the trip for me. If it is on a longer trip where camping just happens to be where I'm staying on a given night, I don't focus much on food other than what I can heat up over an MSR stove in a pot (beans, chili, soup etc.) Pick up a couple of beers at a local gas station before arrival. Coffee and maybe a bagel or protein bar for breakfast and pick up something more down the road. Camping takes me roughly an hour on each end of the day to set up upon arrival and pack up in the morning. Most of my gear is reasonably inexpensive.

3-man dome tent (just for me and stuff I want to keep out of the rain) I sleep diagonally because it isn't quite long enough. Replacing it this year, I think.
Sleeping bag
Air mattress. (Built-in pump). I have also used a self-inflating one.
Camping pot set
Utensils
MSR Whisperlite stove
Small LED lantern
Camp chair (sometimes)
Headlamp
Bug dope/bug garb
Combo insulated mug and French press to make coffee
Folding saw (sometimes)
Dish towel
Lots of other little stuff, but nothing major that comes to mind.
I DON'T bring a cooler unless I am camping with others and need to pick up perishable groceries (I have a small collapsible one). Solo, I don't usually bother.

Everything packs up in a Large dry duffel bag which gets ROK-strapped to the pillion seat.

Quite a few camping-related discussions on here over the years, but not a lot lately.
Quite an active thread at FJRiders.com https://www.fjriders.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=172831&hilit=camping#p172831

 

[Ignacio]

Just curious as to how many of you like to moto-camp?

Many. One example:
https://www.fjrforum.com/threads/who-has-gone-camping-on-an-fjr.141472/#post-905913

 

[user 100272]

GREAT link, thanks Ignacio.

 

[Whooshka]

Pictured is my camp gear for a week long trip. I don't put emphasis on light weight but on packable size and waterproof. My tent is Gonex 9X7. I like enough room to bring my gear in from the elements. And the poles are clip on not pushed thru sleeves in the fabric, 5 minute setup, literally. And it packs really small.

Sleeping bag is 40 degee bag. I previously used an air mattress from REI but this year I used an Exped open cell foam mattress. It self inflates except for the last few adjustments and it doesn't pack small. But it is BY FAR the most comfortable mattress I have ever slept on. A good night's sleep did wonders for the next days ride.

Cooking gear is all Sea To Summit collapsible stuff. For a shorter trip I leave a bunch of stuff home like cooking kit, clothes line and the "just in case" stuff. It all fits inside a 60 liter waterproof bag strapped to the passenger seat.

These are old pics, some stuff has changed. Bike wasn't properly loaded in the bottom pic, it was repacked for comfort.

 

[RedRiderMN]

Here's a photo of me and my "stuff" during a recent ride from Minneapolis to Oregon and back. We camped 5 nights out of the 17 days we were on the road. The mighty FJR can handle all the weight I care to strap on it and never complains about it!

YMMV

 

[RossKean]

Here's a photo of me and my "stuff" during a recent ride from Minneapolis to Oregon and back.

The bag and your suit even match the bike!
This is mine - with the dry duffel bag...

 

[Trailrider57]

What RossKean said at the top of the discussion. I don't do everything he said but most of it and then some. You have to find what works for you but I agree with RossKean in using a 3 man tent. I actually think it is a must.

 

[RedRiderMN]

I have been using a 3-person tent for years, with my preference being a tent with 2 vestibules. I like to use one vestibule for my entrance
and the other one for storing my boots and camp chair overnight (nothing worse than having a bunch of morning dew on your chair
to sit on in the COLD morning).

YMMV

 

[Coachpilot]

Pictured is my camp gear for a week long trip. I don't put emphasis on light weight but on packable size and waterproof. My tent is Gonex 9X7. I like enough room to bring my gear in from the elements. And the poles are clip on not pushed thru sleeves in the fabric, 5 minute setup, literally. And it packs really small.

Sleeping bag is 40 degee bag. I previously used an air mattress from REI but this year I used an Exped open cell foam mattress. It self inflates except for the last few adjustments and it doesn't pack small. But it is BY FAR the most comfortable mattress I have ever slept on. A good night's sleep did wonders for the next days ride.

Cooking gear is all Sea To Summit collapsible stuff. For a shorter trip I leave a bunch of stuff home like cooking kit, clothes line and the "just in case" stuff. It all fits inside a 60 liter waterproof bag strapped to the passenger seat.

These are old pics, some stuff has changed. Bike wasn't properly loaded in the bottom pic, it was repacked for comfort.

View attachment 7473View attachment 7474
View attachment 7475View attachment 7476

Do you which Exped mattress you have. SO many to pick on their website. Thanks!

 

[Rocnsanman]

I have used the RedVerz Moto Camping tent, specially designed for moto camping. Very compact and lightweight, the tent offers a "garage" for the bike and a seperate sleeping area. I used this tent on a Alaska Moto Expedition and it performed flawlessly. Check out the Redverz, made in Colorado. If there is interest, mine might just be for sale.
Dan

 

[Bionicpork]

I haven't moto-camped yet, but I've been thinking about it. I imagine I'll use the same gear I use for backpacking: Rather than a tent I pack a hammock and tarp. Much lighter and more compact than tent, no need for a mattress, and extremely comfortable. Might not be feasible if you're not camping in wooded areas.

 

[Whooshka]

Do you which Exped mattress you have. SO many to pick on their website. Thanks!

It's the Extra long/extra wide. I originally bought the smaller one but after a couple of practice runs on the living room floor, I didn't like being close to the edges. I found my hand hanging off the side or my pillow (Nemo) sometimes drooping off the side. The extra 4 inches wide was worth the extra packing space to me. Can't put a price on a good night's sleep.

The valves on it work great. It will not fully inflate on it's own but it will get you 80-90% there. I have a little rechargeable air pump the size of a pack of cigarettes to top it off. Also comes in handy for feeding the camp fire.

 

[Bionicpork]

The bag and your suit even match the bike!
This is mine - with the dry duffel bag...
View attachment 7478

What are you using as anchor points / strapping to hold the duffel on?

 

[RossKean]

What are you using as anchor points / strapping to hold the duffel on?

I use ROK-straps. The non-elastic side attaches to the upper part of the "arm" of my Givi rack and the elastic side attaches to the lower part of the arm. I put the duffel in place and pull the back strap over the top and stretch the lower part up to the buckle. Trick is to get the right amount of tension on the strap and the bag won't move. ROK-straps are vastly better than bungee cords or non-elasticized straps. Easy to put on, easy to tension properly, wide so they don't damage bags, no sharp hooks etc. I have used small ratchet straps in the past and while fairly versatile, they don't maintain tension and will loosen up after a while. Bungee cord hooks can damage stuff and the narrow cords dig into bags. Also difficult to get the "right" tension and are potentially dangerous to handle. Note: I thread the non-elasticized strap through the handle on the duffle so the bag can't slip to one side or the other but not an issue if the tension is right. I have had this set maybe 10 years and they are still like new.

 

[Bumlinger]

Here's my arrangement. I have a Pirates' Lair stealth backrest. That bag in back has an open bottom pocket that slides over the backrest pad to hold it in place. Works relatively well, but has no structure and is not waterproof. That's a 35 liter SW Motech Dry Bag on the pillion seat.

 

[Jiří Šimůnek]

Ahoj, moje žena a já jsme navštěvovali kenpas již mnoho let. Přivezeme stan pro 3 osoby, stůl, 2 židle, plynový vařič (ať jedete kamkoli, plyn máte vždy ), náčiní na vaření, nafukovací karimatku a 3 sezónní spacáky a tenkou vložku do nich. pak pár osobních věcí a vždy nouzové jídlo na jeden den pro dva. Takto jsme cestovali po celé Evropě. nejdéle jsme byli na cestě měsíc a nepotřebovali jsme vtip. Kromě toho děláme horskou turistiku, takže věci na chození po kopcích.

 

[user 100272]

Jiri is tryin to give his 2nd up the whole cush arm rest set up!

 

[Bobo993]

Just curious as to how many of you like to moto-camp? The thought has always intrigued me....
Now that Im back in the saddle, it's more and more.
Curious what tents are good ones. Been looking on line, and not seeing anything that really grabs my eye.
I know it needs to be compact and light, but I don't have any desire to try and jamb myself into one of those little 2Wx6Lx2T straight jackets they call tents.
As well as not looking like something out of a Dr. Seus book, thinking of the rest of the load out....cooking, sleeping, food...etc...

It's awesome.
I did 2 weeks last year all over California and Oregon on my vfr. The fjr will carry much more.
Took the coast home back to BC.
The best part is fellow campers feed you. And other camping bikers always get together to swap stories

 

[RedRiderMN]

A better photo of all my STUFF that I carried on a recent cross country ride: