tent, sleeping bags, air mattresses

[spudmanz]

I am planning a long trip and I need recommendations on the best bang for the buck on tent, sleeping bag, air mattresse. I want to put it in a bag behind me on the FJR. Please put your two cents into this post. Include links to great deals if you have one. I am without a clue on what to buy. I want to keep the weight down as much as possible and still keep the confort level high. I have a bad back so I need something that will not hurt my back. This will be a one man trip so I don't need a six man tent.

 

[Silent]

I just picked up a cheap $20 7x7 tent at Big 5 last night. I figgure I can leave it behind if need be and not worry about it at all. I wouldn't go any smaller tho. My air matress fits perfect in a 7 x ? tent. As far as build quality, I'm not concerned about rough weather, or multi day camp overs. I've got a better tent for that, and if the weather turns south, I'm looking for a hotel rather than a camp site.

You want a thick airmatress, not one of those cheap pool toys. Buy cheap, and you'll be kicking yourself later there. Mine is in a waterproof ruck sack with my sleeping bag and a pillow. It will be tied to the rear seat with the tent.

Go cold weather on the sleeping bag. You can always unzip it if you're to hot. It's harder to stay warm at night than to cool off.

My 2 cents B)

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Tent: After a frustrating experience many years ago at a campground in the Green Mts. of VT (nr. Hwy 100) -- in the rain -- (dark, too) trying to slide poles through sleeves of a tent that I didn't pay enuff attention to, research-wise; I now look for: free-standing, back-packer-type tents that have quick clip-type devices over external alu poles (ex.: Sierra Designs -- there are others, tho).

Works for me....

 

[spklbuk]

Eureka Timberline tent. Comes in various sizes & weights. Proven design going on a gazillion years now. Check em out @ Campmor

 

[boardsNbikes]

Tents (I like 3 season ultralight 2 person tents for the extra room)

- Mountain Hardwear Helion 2

- MSR Hubba Hubba

Bags (synthetic mummy)

- Mountain Hardware Lamina 45

 

[0Face]

My .02:

Clip to pole tents, Way Easier.

Sleeping Bag - Down packs smaller than synthetic but loses it'a warmth when wet. I use a synthetic. The temp. ratings are essentially for survival, not toasty warm. Go with a slightly colder rating.

And be careful with the ghost stories around the campfire.

 

[twowheelnut]

Screw the air mat and try this: https://www.luxurylite.com/cotindex.html

 

[James]

Well, it depends. If I'm just sleeping, no chance I'm spending more than the night (and I mean NO CHANCE), I take a cheap bivi tent from Sportsman's Guide. It'll fit a bag & my 2" thermo-rest pad & not much else. Takes up about as much space as a shoe when packed. If I might spend a day or wait out a rain, ect I use a basic 7x7 four man tent, free standing, but cheap. Tall enough to change clothes in kinda standing up. Can bring in all your bags & sort things w/out being eaten by bugs. For a bag I have several depending on expected & or range of possibility. As said, if I want real comfort, I'll take a bag far warmer than I think I'll need, and a sheet for warm nights. I'm too old to camp w/out the thermo-rest, though. Also, always set it up in the back yard, once in the day & once in the dark before the trip. Make sure you've got all the parts, ect. & don't have a child's tent your wife thought would save space on the bike (like a friend of mine who now camps in a Holiday Inn). I'm not too proud to camp in the back yard to try out a new set-up & see if it really fits what I want it to do. Neighbors sometimes stare, but I'm that weird biker dude anyway. Sportsman's Guide has a wide selection of camping stuff at reasonable prices, but usually not the high-end stuff. Good luck,

 

[Old Michael]

Screw the air mat and try this: https://www.luxurylite.com/cotindex.html

I believe Flying Junior has one. He's enthusiastic about his. ............

................There's even room under it to keep your - - - PURSE!

Us men sleep on the cold, hard, lumpy ground.

Two words. Ibu-profen.

 

[drc32-0]

I just returned from a four week trip where I camped 75% of the time.An air mattresse really made the trip more comfortable,I just have one of those mattresses you can buy at communist china mart.I have a Kelty 45 degree bag and a Eureka Apex 2 tent.I bought the tent mainly because it fits in the Yamaha topcase.

I don't know how much you camp or motorcycle/camp so I'll offer a couple other suggestions that you might already know about.Those strap headlamps come in real handy and they take up almost no space.The Jetboil cooking system is pretty handy for soup and coffee,packs small.If you want a chair that packs small the Kermit chair is the ticket-at a price.Frogg Toggs in their storage bag doubles as a nice pillow.If you don't already have a bag for the back of your bike the Ortleib dry duffel is tough and you don't have to worry about rain.

If you're going to a lot of national parks the 'America the Beautiful' pass is a money saver.

Two good places to look for equipment are;Aerostitch and campmor

 

[drc32-0]

it posted twice...sorry

 

[flying junior]

Screw the air mat and try this: https://www.luxurylite.com/cotindex.html

I believe Flying Junior has one. He's enthusiastic about his. ............

................There's even room under it to keep your - - - PURSE!

Us men sleep on the cold, hard, lumpy ground.

Two words. Ibu-profen.

There's also room for a canopy, er, can o' pee, alongside it.

Old Michael's such a silly.

Actually, that luxury lite is like sleeping on your bed at home. And if you can find an REI store, go in and shop for backpacker gear.Their stuff is cheap and compact. Luxury lite, thermarest pad and sleeping bag all stow in one side bag with room for lotsa other stuff.

 

[colin]

Tents (I like 3 season ultralight 2 person tents for the extra room)- Mountain Hardwear Helion 2

- MSR Hubba Hubba

Bags (synthetic mummy)

- Mountain Hardware Lamina 45

how do you like the hubba hubba? I've got the Hubba solo. Have a 2-man Sierra Designs, but browsing a bit for another one....

 

[escapefjrtist]

Check out the Soundrider Store for good tips on MC camping and gear recommendations.

--G

 

[twowheelnut]

Screw the air mat and try this: https://www.luxurylite.com/cotindex.html

I believe Flying Junior has one. He's enthusiastic about his. ............

................There's even room under it to keep your - - - PURSE!

Us men sleep on the cold, hard, lumpy ground.

Two words. Ibu-profen.

You just like the ground squirrels nipping at your nethers. Pervert.

 

[TinMan]

One thing I have learned about tents over the years is.....

Your tent cannot be too SMALL!

Get a single man tent. Someone mentioned the eureka timberline from campmor. Get the one man version. Carry a lightwieght tarp, a few stakes, and some parachute cord. You can fix up a lean to shelter using your bike as a support. stow all your stuff there. It wont get wet if you watch where you park. Good Luck.

 

[twistedcricket]

I am planning a long trip and I need recommendations on the best bang for the buck on tent, sleeping bag, air mattresse. I want to put it in a bag behind me on the FJR. Please put your two cents into this post. Include links to great deals if you have one. I am without a clue on what to buy. I want to keep the weight down as much as possible and still keep the confort level high. I have a bad back so I need something that will not hurt my back. This will be a one man trip so I don't need a six man tent.

How many trips similar to this do you plan to make? Are you planning your stays at KOA-type campgrounds or in National Parks? What is your budget for gear? How many nights is this trip?

If you're just doing this once or twice and not looking to spend a lot, then you can get 'decent' gear almost anywhere. Your local sports store or even the bigbox stores carry gear that will work.

I have a North Face Tadpole 23 tent. Sleeps 2, but you really have to like the other person I've used it in Rocky Mtn Natl Park and on a riding trip to CA. One tent that really gets good reviews is the Cabela XPG line; fast clip set up. Ultra-light tents tend to be a little more expensive for something that's 3 pounds. If you are weighing and carefully considering weight on the bike, you'll want to keep track of everything anyway. You could probably go with a 5 lb tent. Or, as someone else mentioned, get a tarp, stakes, etc and just build a lean-to using the bike. Personally, I hate bugs, so I like tents If the weather is uber-crappy, get a hotel room.

I have a self-inflatable Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad that I find comfortable enough for several consecutive nights of backcountry hiking. I have another that's heavier (thicker) and is far more comfortable. Again, going light means paying more. another shameless plug for Cabelas (if you have another sports store near you, most likely, they'll have a "house brand") Inflated thickness is the key stat there; get something that's over 3" for maximum comfort... Also, the self-inflated ones obviously won't require an external pump to carry/charge (or require extra batteries)

My sleeping bag is rated to 35 deg; get something that's 20 - if you get too warm you can always completely unzip the bag and cover yourself back up when you get cold. If you get a higher degree rating and you only have the bag, you'll get cold and be miserable. Plus the lower temp bags mean you wouldn't have to pack anything extra for warmth while sleeping... GET A PILLOW, inflatable ones work great, they just aren't as warm. Just sayin'

I've stayed at two KOAs. Great set up, hot showers, etc. Except that most are near interstates or other noisy conditions, they are great places to stay cheap. The two that I stayed at required ear plugs for a peaceful nights sleep. One was too close to a rail line and the other within a stones throw of I-80. :blink:

With all gear; get it early and practice. It's especially helpful to be able to quickly set up the tent, get the mattress inflated and the bag rolled out. Or, when packing it up, it's good to know how it will all fit back on the bike. If you take it from the box it came in and put it on the bike you'll just be frustrated. When it's raining and windy or really dark you'll appreciate the practice

HTH

 

[timalan]

I just returned from two up 4500 mile all camping trip.

second year for trying and still learning.

We cooked most of our meals Using a Jetboil PCS (amazing engineering)

Backpackers pantry for food. instant oatmeal and Kid milk in unrefrig style kiddy boxes with granola.

Tent is Eureka Apex. Sleeping bags. SlumberJack telluride 30 degree mummys

Bought Therm a rest prolight 4 this year... the chick version for both of us.. thicker and better R value. (I don't know how we ever camped without these)

Motorcycle camping two weeks with two people on one bike is a challenge. We packed tent, sleeping bags thermarests, and tarp hammer and upgraded tent stakes into the float sack. exactly 20 pounds



We packed the JetBoil PCS in the tank bag along with my camera wallets a travel IPOD speaker thing(had to have tunes at the picknik table)

We had room for about two days of food(dinner and breakfast) in the saddlebags with waterbottles bathroom junk and clothes.

every 4-5 days we did laundry. and then kept going.

 

[rawfjr]

Thermarest sleeping pad. It is worth the money. You can sleep on concrete and be comfortable.