Going Camping on a Motorcycle

After getting abused by Bongo on the phone… 😉 , I jumped to the chance to actually write a list of what I consider the minimum requirement for a self sufficient Ride that does include Camping. This list it is based on personal experience and it is also based on age. If you are 20 probably a Swag and a small Tarp, it’s all you will ever need. However, as you get older the minimum requirements do alter a little. It also paid to remember that while, yes the space is limited, you don’t have to give up absolutely every possible comfort, considering of how far technology has moved forward in the camping industry. Also, like anything else in life, you always have a choice of what your minimum requirements are. With all this in mind let start to list a good setup…

Tent
Tent these days are strong, light and come in a huge variety. The only thing to remember here is if you wish to get dress standing up or if you don’t mind getting dress on the floor. This is a no brainier for older people and that’s also why the common choice of tent, is the standard 4 people dome. They are easy to setup, large enough for two and cheap to buy.
Only problem they have is that they are not designed for motorcycle and therefore they normally tend to have a fix width of 60-80 cm across, that it is not a real problem once you also have the rest of the gear with you.

Tarp
I like to think of a tarp as an important item to have with you when camping and for few good reasons:

• If it doesn’t rain, it can be used to protect the floor of the tent and keep it dry if the ground is wet
• If it does rain, then it does offer protection from the rain or at least gives you the chance to put all your gear somewhere where it will not get wet
• It can be also used for wind break and or as carport for your bike

But a tarp is definitely not an indispensable item to have. Then again a 10 × 10 tarp will take a very small amount of space in your bike, or you could also use it under all your gear while it is attached to the bike, therefore having an extra use of protecting your seat.

Sleeping Bag
Sleeping bag are a personal choice, and in today’s market there are just too many for me to pick one. I think like most people I have two. The winter one and the summer one. I also have friend that only use their Swag for either winter and summer. My suggestion here would be to buy the most comfortable (and probably expensive) Bag you can, so that hopefully it will last for many, many trips and you will get a great return.

Sleeping Mattress and/or Stretcher
Again like above, plenty of choice and you could also decide to ditch the Mattress all together and go for a stretcher.
They both have Pros and Cons, so in the end it is again what you prefer. I found that a good quality mattress can be millions time more comfortable than a stretcher, but in the morning you have to get up from the floor and you have nowhere to sit in the tent. I also witness the majority of people with stretchers, ending up also buying a small mattress to make the whole experience more comfortable. I guess the story here it is based on few factors, like your body weight, your height and how often you turn while at sleep. Lately I have seeing in the market some amazing stretcher that are both comfortable and lightweight, but large people (read fat) tend to complain about touching the ground while sleeping as the new age material are designed with lighter people in mind.

Pillow
Some people do use pillows, some don’t. Again plenty of choice in the market, specifically for people with no much carrying space available. I personally always found easier to use my towel as pillow, therefore solving two problems at once.

Lights
You will need light at some stage while camping and thankfully the choice here is again endless since the world has finally moved away from incandescent lights. I like the LED light that you wear on your forehead because they are small, very powerful, giving you lights were you need it and with rechargeable battery, they can take care of your entire trip.
Other than electric the other choice is gas and personally I don’t like to have gas around all those other very highly flammable camping items. Simple as that.

Cooking Stove
Depending on your eating habits, you may or may not need a cooking Stove. On a short trip you can probably get by whit those new pre-made or canned foods, while in a long trip it may pay off to have your own stove. What ever brand you may choose, I just would like to suggest you to, again, stay away from gas, as there are much safer choices of stove that can run on normal inflammable fluids. I consider the cooking stove a “must” investment as sometime a great meal in the bush can lift your spirit much higher that a can of beans… Or you could improvise with roadkill…

Cooking Utensil
Plenty of choices here as far as materials, size and shape… I would say that the bare minimum here is at least a knife, fork and spoon or a “Spork”…

Camping Chair
Lets be honest. If you are camping for more than a day and you stay in the same spot, chances are you will want to sit down at one point. You can easily make a chair using your hard panniers or a log or a rock, but if you have the space and you can afford to take a chair, it may be worth it the effort.

Fishing Rod
This item is definitely not part of the minimum requirements, but considering how little space it takes and that today’s you can buy very cheap telescopic Rods, I would say…. Why not, if you have the time to catch some fresh food…