Riding & Camping

Hi Guys!

Pretty much my idea of camping on bike trips has been to find a motel room which is a least clean, has a fairly comfortable bed, and a shower. This past summer, we were on the road for about three weeks, and the cost of motel camping (even in fairly inexpensive places) really added up.

This year, we have a trailer to pull behind the bike. It has the room to pack a fair amount of stuff – at least a tent and a couple of sleeping bags & pads. Both my wife and I are in our late 40s, so we’re not so young anymore. We’re also really not all that much in to roughing it. But if we can spend more time on the road this summer and not have to use all of our funds on motels, then perhaps we can learn to like a new option. Maybe we can use this as an option to supplement our motel camping.

I just don’t want our summer riding ventures to look like episodes from a bad sitcom. If we do attempt this, I know enough to assure that we have quality equipment. But, I am a little apprehensive. I like simple pleasures like comfort and showers and beds. But, I seem to think that if we can be comfortable enough, we might be able to do this.

Have any of you tried this? How did it work out? I’m sure that there are enough stories from those who have tried this to make for some interesting conversation.

So let’s open this can o’ worms and hear what your experiences were like.

Thanks!

Pete.

I havn`t done that yet, but am looking forward to it.... The KOA camp grounds and most state parks have showers, the KOA`s have a laundry so you will not have to pack as many clothes.... we are in our late 40`s also, and my back doesn`t do good on the ground, but like you say the motel cost will eat up your fun, we went to Ft. Lauderdale last somer for 9 days and a grand of the total cost was hotel..... any way have fun and be safe!!! and if you make to Texas be sure and stop in and say Hi!!!!

K

I did some riding and camping back in my 20's when I was still young and stout... right out of the Army. A tent, sleeping bag, small light and a small bag of clothes was all I took (and the wife). No trailer. I just got my RSV last year. Hoping for a trailer by the end of this year.

I would suggest you plan for KOA's or State Parks... or research ahead of time the camp grounds you will stay in. You will want the shower and laundry facilities and they usually have a small store if you need something. Also, I suggest you pack an air mattress and small pump in your trailer. If you don't camp primitive then you will have an electrical plug in at your site and can blow up your mattress. The only way I'm sleeping on the ground is if the air mattress leaks out in the middle of the night!

I'm sure there is lots of better advise on this site than what I can give. Some good planning will make for a excellent trip.

Tim

I don't like camping much, I want a building to be in if it starts raining. I don't mind riding in the rain (as long as it is not too cold) but I don't like sleeping in the rain.

If you research the campsites available along your route you can usually find nice ones with nice heated showers.. That alone makes camping much less difficult. And sometimes with laundry facilities. And if you want to save money but not always camp, many places offer cabins, just a room with a bed and you use the same showers the campers use.

For many years I pulled a trailer frame with a car top carrier bolted to it. Inside was a tent, sleeping bags air mattresses, cook stove and of course up front a cooler to hold cold drinks on the road. It is surprising what you can take if you pack right. I would take a motel ever couple of nights but never on weekends as usually motels are more money on week ends. Loved it. And was surprised at how many people talked to you from other campsites about your outfit.

Well now a days I still camp most time, but I pull a camper. In two minutes it is up and ready to sleep in. I have everything in it to cook,clean and relax with.

Hope you try it out.

There are also fold up cots that you can get so you sleep well off the ground.

All the best

Darrell

We have done a lot of bike camping, most recently me on my Virago last month. County campgrounds tend to be cheaper and have showers. If you are going to be National Parks a year pass is the way to go. As for gear keep it simple. A good air mattress and sleeping bags are a must. I can type up a list when I get on my desk top PC if you want. Have fun Rod

we have 2 twin air mattresses with a 12 volt air pump, 2 sheet sets. 2 pillow cases,2 blankets, 2 room tent, 4 chairs and all the other junk we take and a cooler.

Don't get a queen or king for the both of you to sleep on. We tried that at first and that lasted 1 summer and that was it. If 1 moves the other knows it. 2 twin beds work out great. The Simmons Beautyrest Sky Rise Express Air Bed is what we have.

KBAY said it right KOA or state camp ground or there is always VENTURERIDER members who may let you pitch a tent for a night. ( never hurts to ask).....................Ron

Lists are good. I'm definitely a list maker. What would be most helpful to us would be to know the specifics about items on your list.

I have been researching mattress pads a lot this weekend. At first, I thought that we would use a queen-size air mattress, but now I'm not so sure. I have read a lot of complaints about them leaking. Many of the recommendations I had read suggest self-inflating (or semi-inflating) air mattresses.

So, if anyone has personal experiences (good or bad) to share regarding equipment choices, I would appreciate learning from ya.

Thanks!

Pete.

Well, I'll tell you what Pete,

My last wife was very good at a camping list. It was very inclusive. Nothing left behind.

And then when I was in my forties, you know, old---I started thilnking that the ground was way too hard.

Now, I'm in my sixties and all I need is my self inflating air mattress, sleeping bag, tent, some sort of light and a place to crash.

Last summer on a trip out west, at the end of the day, about the time I figured that it woudl be good to stop, I would look for a camp grounds. I'd pull into the first one I saw at that point.

Always worked out. Really didn't matter what it was as long I could put up my tent.

BTW, did stay at KOA's, For sure not my first choice.

Just do it.

Steve

I'm 55 and still love camping, in a tent no less! A trailer would be like staying in the Ritz! You will find that when you camp on a motorcycle you meet a lot of people. They will even seek you out to talk to you. KOAs are nice and have clean showers (Carry flip-flops though!) and have clean restrooms. A lot of them even have WiFi so you can keep up with VR.O.

State parks have really nice facilities as well. When I'm on a long trip I'll stay at a motel maybe once a week just for the luxury, but I really like the camping and enjoying the sounds and smells of being outside. You can't have a campfire, or listen to the crickets chirp, or the birds sing in the morning, or a creek babble right next to you, in a Holiday Hotel!

There are some really nice m/c campgrounds around too. I'll try to post some links to the info that I have, later.

I would invest in a good tent. Without a good tent nothing else matters. You want to stay dry when it rains. I bought a tent from www.apachetents.com We were in Branson MO last summer and it rained the whole day. Never got a drop in the tent. Really easy to put up (less then a minute).

Dale

I could probably write a book...

Buy an air mattress and one of those little battery powered inflators...makes setup fast and those air beds are actually pretty comfy. Get the type with the built in pillow, and you wont have to carry pillows, which take up a lot of room.

A three person tent is great for 2 people...a 2 person tent is too small. If you can find one, a tent that has the little storage vestibules, for when you kick off your dirty shoes, they wont have to be in the tent with you, or outside getting wet or stolen, or all bugged up. Also, try to buy a dome tent that has the hooks, for attaching the poles and the hub if it has one. Not the tent that has the little 'tunnels' you pass the poles thru...what a pain those can be.

This goes without saying, but dont pitch your tent on antbeds, or in a low spot, or under old dying branches of trees. Before you pitch under a nice tree, slap it hard with a piece of wood...listen for a solid sound, and if you get attacked by bees or wasps, dont camp there!

Buy a pack of lightsticks, some bug spray, and some B4 or Scotchguard waterproofer. Take along at least 2 LED flashlights, one that has a hook or cord for using in the tent at night. Carry a small battery powered AM/FM/WX radio, the kind that has the weather alert function, to listen to local stations and listen for bad weather reports.

Hang a lightstick on the outside of your tent at nite, (if you dont have much light or a campfire) and you can always find your tent in the dark after making a latenite run to the bushes. Before you pitch the tent, spray the ground around you with the bug spray, to keep the little beasts from being too curious about your tent.

A cheap little compass will help you determine east and west, ( if the sky is cloudy or its dark) for orienting your tent for shade in the morning under that ONE nice tree all by itself.

ALWAYS zip up the tent door when you leave, even for a minute. Keeps the mosquitos out.

If you have room, take along a cheap vinyl tarp, that fits UNDER the tent. Poke your tent stakes THRU it, in many places, BEFORE you put the tent on it. Helps with drainage of rain or condensation, and protects the tent floor from rocks and twigs. Leave a 2 foot section sticking out under the door of the tent, for a small 'porch' to put on your boots or shoes in the morning. Dont forget a cheap pair of shower shoes for those public showers!

Buy some GOOD heavy duty tent stakes, that look like big nails. The little stakes that come with most tents are junk. Buy a little plastic tent stake hammer, worth it...believe me. They have a hook or holes for pulling out the stakes when you break camp. They are liteweight plastic, wont damage things in your pack. Leave your big metal claw hammer at home!

Take along a 10 ft peice of cord, for tying between trees, ( above your head!) to hang your wet towels or jeans on for drying, and to 'air out' your sleeping bags after a nite of sweating in them.

Bring along a small bottle of Woolite, for washing your undies and socks in a motel sink or tub, when you do stay in a motel, about every third or fourth day. Dry them over the AC unit in the room overnite.

Pack your cruddiest worn out underwear (this wont work for women!) and wear them one day then toss em. Nothing worse than trying to pack and seperate dirty undies from clean ones on a bike. I prefer to wear boxer shorts when traveling on the bike, they are MUCH more comfy than briefs, they dont bunch up as bad when your in the saddle all day. Some goldbond powder is nice when your riding all day in the heat.

Cooking on the road is not my thing...but if you want to try it, pack soups and stews that will cook on a little one burner propane stove made for backpackers. Forget white gas and big stoves. You can buy the little propane cylinders anywhere. If you think you might be camping where it gets cold at nite, like in the mountains, you can buy a small propane catalytic heater, that will chase the chill out of the tent. I'm talking about the little 800 (hundred) BTU heaters they sell for packing in a car during the winter, (Coleman has one called a Survival Cat)...NOT the heater buddies or the 3000 (thousand) BTU heaters...thats TOO much heat in a tent.

If you want to really rough it, you can buy a solar shower that hangs in a tree, and they actually work pretty well, if you have time to let the water heat up. You can always shower at truck stops. If you do, try to look less like rogue bikers, and more like truck drivers when approaching the fuel counter. Take off the do-rag, wear a baseball cap, and leave your rally vest on the bike. A shower will cost you about 5 to 7 dollars normally. and you can both use the same room.

I always put my shampoos and other liquids in a ziplock baggie on the bike...altitude changes WILL cause a bottle thats laying down to presurize and leak all over your clothes!

Speaking of ziplocks, buy some of those wet-ones or other brand towelettes and put them in a ziplock...nice when you been riding and sweating, and need to freshen up before going into a nice place to eat, or freshening up your...self, in the tent at nite before settling in next to your sweetie. I add a little more water to the bag, to keep em really wet. Carry those in an easy to get to spot on the bike, along with your sunscreen. And after putting on sunscreen, always wipe your hands off really thouroughly, before you grab onto the handlebars. Sunscreen and sweat will eventually eat up those rubber grips. Or just wear fingerless gloves.

Hide a spare credit or ATM card (along with the 800 numbers you need to cancel them) somewhere on your bike, in case you lose your wallet or it gets stolen.

Dang...I ALMOST wrote a book!

I may add more later as I recall stuff that I forgot.

I know its a long post...but anyone whos new to camping on a bike, may want some advice....hope you can use some of this info.

Hey TX, You related to my ex wife?:rotf::rotf:

Steve

Hey TX, You related to my ex wife?:rotf::rotf:

 

Steve

Whats her name??? Is she cute?

Hey everything I wrote about will pack in very small...its not too much for someone pulling a trailer and living on the bike for a week or more at a time....

Legs that go clean up to her neck, but then again I'm predjuiced------and my memory is shot:rotf:

Steve

http://mmdivers@bellsouth.net

just returned from a long weekend trip, I don't leave home with out it.[ATTACH]16633[/ATTACH]

Brian!

Awesome job! Yea, it was a long post, but it contained so many great tips. Some of them I was already familiar with, while others will certainly make it in to my planning for this summer's trips.

Information like this is so helpful for us to be able to share. I'm sure that there are many people who have set off on a trip full of excitement, only to be left totally disappointed because they didn't have enough information and preparation beforehand.

I love taping in to the wisdom of other people's experience. Information like what you have shared, are some of the details which can make or brake an adventure.

Anything that anyone can add to this, bring it on please. I'm taking notes.

Be Safe!

Pete.

My wife and camped in our twenties, then it turned into motels. Later on when grandkids came along, she got into the camping bug again. I went along, but hated laying on the ground, even on an air mattress. Several years ago we were out on a ride thru the country and ran across a small camper that a guy had pulled behind his early Goldwing. I turned around and got to talking to him and ended up buying it for about $125. I was not sure what condition it was in as I did not even open it up. When I got it home, I opened it up and other than needing some canvas work, it was is good condition. We have been using it for a couple of years now and it tows good behind my 83 and it is very comfortable to sleep in with a full size air mattress. We had been using an air mattress with the built in 120 volt pump and still has a place for a battery powered external pump, but we just bought a new mattress with a built in battery pump.

We are lucky here in east Tennessee to have access to so many great camping places. Many of the private camp grounds have nice showers and are only about $15 to $20 per night.

I am now looking forward to going camping this summer and in the past I used to dread it, but did it for the wife and grand kids.

RandyA

Steve, I saw your picture of you in my neck of the woods (sort of), riding on the Salt Flats. Very cool! I've been here in Utah over half my life and I still haven't been actually on the salt yet. What was that like to ride on? Typically the salt we see around here is on the roads during the winter, and I don't like getting in to it. You know, corrosion and all that sort of thing.

Pete.

Hey Pete,

It was very different, but then again, it was sort of like riding on blacktop, but when you first get on the salt flats, it is very washboard like., then it gets very flat, and you just want to open it up. (so of course you do)

They do have a speed limit, which of course I went way over (had to)

All in all, a very cool deal.

But in getting to your thread, me and my brother camped.

You've got to go there,

Steve

Several years ago we were out on a ride thru the country and ran across a small camper that a guy had pulled behind his early Goldwing. I turned around and got to talking to him and ended up buying it for about $125. I was not sure what condition it was in as I did not even open it up. When I got it home, I opened it up and other than needing some canvas work, it was is good condition.

 

RandyA

Randy, you STOLE that trailer!!!

Have you priced new ones? STICKER SHOCK!

Hey those are nice, but I prefer to use a cargo type and stick a tent in it. That way, I can use the trailer for other errands in town, like grocery shopping or hauling bags of fertilizer from the hardware store.

Plus, a lot of those tent trailers are just plain HEAVY. Then you load in supplies, and a cooler, and you got 400 pounds or so pushing you down the mountain grades. No thanks.

I've always carried a sleeping bag and a tarp as my main gear.

Oftentimes I've just pulled into a rest stop, found a picnic bench to park the bike next to and used the bench for shelter. If there's no bench, I'll use the tarp bungeed to the bike on one end and staked to the ground as a lean to.

If I can find an RV park I will get a spot for the night. Only thing nowadays is the scary element out there in the world so I sleep with my pistol in reach. Only once have I had to rack the slide in the middle of the night to persuade someone that it's not a good idea to touch the bike.

Thanks Y'all,

I haven't been motorcycle camping since I started crossing our country at 16 with my Harley Electra Glide. Didn't even have a tent then, just a sleeping bag, a half of a pup tent and an air mattress. That was back in the 60's and I remember taking baths in creeks and lakes (once I thought I was really far away from civilization when I was standing butt naked in a pond and a train went past very slowly). Camped like that during summer vacation and did at least two coast to coasts each summer and managed to hit most of the lower 48 before I went into the service. Cub and Boy Scouts were good for learning camping skills.

Kind of lost the taste for camping (as well as hunting) in the service after two tours in Nam. Took three months on a bike to cool down after my last tour but visited buddies or stayed with relatives (PA, CO, CA).

Now I'm 58, back into 2 wheelers after twenty years of trikes & couch scooters and last few trips have been with motels, but the prices have certainly climbed. Hear that some of the military bases have good campgrounds so I may try that out. I live in Germany where we have a camper but my fiance doesn't believe in tents.

With me being too heavy to ride two up with gear, I travel alone by bike in the States. Will buy a 3 man dome tent next week (thanks for the tip about those tunnels, I had forgotten about the problems and the splinters from the fiberglass). I'll try a couple of days in Florida next week when I pick up my new EBAY bike. Maybe I can sleep in a sleeping bag and under a tent roof now, something we never did on LURPs (L.R.R.P.) in Nam.

Do not, and I mean do not, sleep in washes or close to water and learn what the poisonous plants are. Take a good bug repellant cause that Nile Virus seems to be on the march in some states and take a buddy along to check each other for ticks. Hang your food out of reach and not in your tent. Bury and cover your waste away from the tent, and keep your trash in plastic and bury it too, but take the trash with you in the morning. I like animals but remember they are wild. I am always amazed at the people who think a bear is like their stuffed toy and cute. Feed a bear and make a problem bear. If you don't know what it is, don't touch it! If you leave your boots outside of your tent, always shake them out in the morning. I still do it automatically after 42 years. It's still true, don't touch the sides of your tent when they are wet and put a plastic sheet under your tent (plastic drop clothes for painters are not bad or expensive).

Hope to see you on the road someday.

Tatonka

Hokehe

When I was in law enforcement, we used to say "it's the universal language. Everyone speaks shotgun". Nothing like the sound of a weapon racking a round. It's kind of like a rattlesnake rattle, everyone knows you mean business.

Pete.

Hi Guys!

 

Pretty much my idea of camping on bike trips has been to find a motel room which is a least clean, has a fairly comfortable bed, and a shower. This past summer, we were on the road for about three weeks, and the cost of motel camping (even in fairly inexpensive places) really added up.

This year, we have a trailer to pull behind the bike. It has the room to pack a fair amount of stuff – at least a tent and a couple of sleeping bags & pads. Both my wife and I are in our late 40s, so we’re not so young anymore. We’re also really not all that much in to roughing it. But if we can spend more time on the road this summer and not have to use all of our funds on motels, then perhaps we can learn to like a new option. Maybe we can use this as an option to supplement our motel camping.

 

I just don’t want our summer riding ventures to look like episodes from a bad sitcom. If we do attempt this, I know enough to assure that we have quality equipment. But, I am a little apprehensive. I like simple pleasures like comfort and showers and beds. But, I seem to think that if we can be comfortable enough, we might be able to do this.

 

Have any of you tried this? How did it work out? I’m sure that there are enough stories from those who have tried this to make for some interesting conversation.

So let’s open this can o’ worms and hear what your experiences were like.

 

Thanks!

Pete.

ok here is what i take most of the time

7x9 tent, sleeping bag, small camp pillow, air pad, small led flashlight, wet wipes, chair collapsible, 4 pair pants, 7 shirts, 7 pair socks, shampoo, conditioner, soft soap, wet wipes, brush, hair ties,toothbrush & paste, gloves, two pair glasses, rain gear, small container of laundry soap, cell & chargers, GPS, Battery's, mp3 player, Camera, ziplock bags, two lighters one zippo one cheap bic, can of pledge and wipes for cleaning bike, snack foods, leather jacket, T-Bags,

I'm sure i take more but would have to get everything out to pack it and see what is missing. this will all fit on the back of my Vstar 1100 with no problems

here is a list that may also help you get yours ready.

http://micapeak.com/checklists/mclist.html

Dray