[American Motorcyclist Association] - Off the grid: Modern motorcycle camping

[Ninjette Newsbot]

The following was published in the August 2013 issue of American Motorcyclist...



Story and photos by Tom Mehren



One reason many of us ride motorcycles is the adventure of getting off the beaten path. An excellent way to heighten that experience is to combine your two-wheeled excursion with a camping trip. Living and riding in the Pacific Northwest, I’ve had numerous opportunities to sneak off for a night or so of camping, while exploring the grand scenery by day on the bike.

Camping trips also represent a common bond among motorcyclists of all types. Whether you ride a Yamaha WR250R or a Honda Gold Wing, you can experience the combined fun of backroad adventures and nights by the campfire.

Although these tips are written from a dual-sport perspective, they are helpful for anyone who camps on their motorcycle, regardless of what they ride.

Two-Day Stops

As a longtime AMA-chartered promoter, I’ve learned over the years to plan the routing of our tours so riders actually stay in the same place two nights in a row. It’s really nice each day not having to break camp in the morning and set camp again at night. You get more time to ride and everything is already done when you come back to camp on night two. Another advantage is having lighter loads during those days.

Such was the case during a recent tour through Idaho last summer. Two nights in McCall, a one-nighter in Salmon, then two nights in Kamiah made it much simpler for those camping to explore Hells Canyon, Railroad Ridge, the Chinese Wall, Magruder Corridor and the Lolo Motorway.

Sleeping Bag Choices



In the 21st century it’s possible to purchase a sleeping bag that weighs less than 20 ounces that will keep you warm in the wild down to 15 degrees. Up until now the smart choice was a synthetic bag because they would keep a rider warm even if they got wet. But with the new DriDown fill available, you can go either way. When it comes to weight, both are neck-and-neck.

A typical rule of thumb here is the less the bag costs, the more it will weigh. So again, you may want to spend a little more for more technically advanced, lighter fabrics and fills.

Because temps can vary widely over the course of a few days, a warm bag with zipper along the foot box on the bottom allows you to adjust how much heat it will retain, making it more comfortable on warmer nights.

Sleeping Mat Options



The main reason many riders give up on camping is because as we age, lying all night on a skimpy piece of foam becomes downright painful. Technology has come a long way. New air mat technology provides a 2- to 3-inch loft—much nicer than a half-inch of foam. Air mats like these roll up really small, about half the size of a foam mat.

For a little more warmth, seek out a mat filled with down or synthetic that will help retain body heat in the mat below you when temps drop. Between a modern day sleeping bag and a syn-filled mat, you can be comfortable when it’s 30 degrees outside.

It’s a lot easier to air these mats up with a pump than your lungs. Some companies offer a pump/pillow item that serves two good purposes in one device.

Making A List



You may already have a list you use to pack your gear—good idea. Because food can be a lot to think about at the end of the day, preplan a simple menu before your trip and have it handy when you go shopping each afternoon. That way you won’t forget the little things like coffee creamer, ice and otherwise.

As you plan the menu, remember to have things from dinner to carry over to breakfast. The rest of that double portion of fruit you got in the deli last night will go nicely with breakfast this morning.

Storage



On a typical day ride, I need about 40 liters of storage to carry the important stuff like a first-aid kit, tire pump and repair gear, tools, water, snacks, camera, rain gear, etc. When I go camping, I need another 40 liters for my tent, sleeping bag, air mat and kitchen gear. If I minimize it to its fullest, I can usually slip in a creature comfort like a camp chair.

For the dual-sport camper, having an assortment of dry sacks, waterproof compression bags and plastic freezer bags will ensure your gear stays dry regardless of ensuing rain, or because you dumped your bike during that last water crossing. In my arsenal, everything is sorted into various bags, keeping it dry and making it all that much easier to locate.

Tent Selection



As motorcyclists, we tend to like to get our important gear into the tent with us, including storing our riding gear at night. A one-person tent or bivy sack won’t allow that for the solo rider. If I’m out solo, I’ll carry a two-person tent. Couples will enjoy the added space a three-person tent provides.

Most two- and three-person tents on the market today pack up pretty small. The day of the canvas pup-tent is long gone and compact size is the name of the game. But don’t go cheap. Remember that a leaky tent in the middle of nowhere is a major pain, so at least get yourself into the medium price range tent and don’t be bashful about spending more. Lighten your load even more by seeking out a tent in the ultralight range. It’s money well spent.

There are a few upgrades you may want to make to your tent as well. Consider adding some lighter and better quality stakes as well as swapping out the tent lines with glo-cord. If you’re tired of tripping over your lines on the way to the facilities late at night, glo-cord will usually solve that problem.

A simple tent repair kit is also handy and can fix more than just your tent. We once used one to make a broken brake lever operational again.

Four-season expedition quality tents are probably beyond what’s really needed for a typical motorcycle camping trip and will add on pounds and require more storage space. Larger tents with taller, longer vestibules have served some riders well during inclement weather when some service is needed for the bike, but again these will add pounds and push capacity limits.

Most tents can be purchased with an optional footprint, a sheet of waterproofed nylon that goes between the tent and the ground. Get one. These moisture barriers are essential to keep ground vapor out of your tent. Nobody likes a wet sleeping bag or packing a wet tent. The tent footprint can also be utilized as a clean sheet to place on the ground during a roadside repair, keeping your tools and parts out of the dirt.

The Robust Kitchen



If you want to move to cooking some foods, keep in mind you’re getting into more gear to carry. A larger stove, more fuel, extra utensils and cleaning items are required that you may not have room for at this point.

But if you’re out with a group, this becomes more doable as gear storage can be shared between riders.

For the simple kitchen, you could probably do fine with a single-serving cook stove, but when it comes to making eggs and other items, you’ll need a larger size pan system.

If you plan on camping at elevations above 5,000 feet, the stove you choose needs to be able to burn fuel at higher elevations. Some will and some won’t, depending on the type of gas they use and how it is delivered to the stove element.

As for more robust cooking pleasures, an egg-scramble in the morning utilizing some of the previous night’s leftovers is nice. And in the evening a longtime favorite of mine is frying some bananas and dousing them with some of that raspberry vinegar. It’s the ultimate dessert treat.

I really like the folding plate ware that packs up flat. It’s easy to clean and I can slide it anywhere into my bags easily.

Meals Made Easy



You’ve just ridden eight hours, 150 miles, all on gravel and now you have to set camp. After that, you’re going to make dinner. This is where I get minimal. During my routing, I like to add in places that have at least a convenience store on the way in to camp. A full-size grocery store with a deli is a bonus. Because you’re on a vehicle that requires you to put gas in the tank once or twice a day, your route will no doubt come across these stores in one form or another.

The only food items on the bike are snacks and a small collection of cooking sundries. I purchase food for meals late in the day on the way to the campsite. For this I use an ultralight daypack that fits in the palm of my hand when stuffed into its carrying sack.

When selecting food, I look for items I might serve as both dinner and breakfast. Cheeses, beef sticks, nuts, fruits, veggies and dried fruits can all be enjoyed at dinner and polished off at breakfast.

On board, a small bottle of orange-infused olive oil, raspberry vinegar, some salt and pepper, a small tube of ghee (clarified butter) and a few of your own personal cooking favorites will provide you with unique ways to enhance the food you already bought.

Personally, I avoid dehydrated foods. They are overloaded with salt and can be the source of excessive gas, so they are off the list. This includes entrees you might get at the outdoor store as well as freeze-dried soups, freeze-dried beverages and anything that is loaded with salt during the dehydration process.

For your hot beverages like tea and coffee, pack a small single service stove system. Some of the top name coffee conglomerates now have single serving packets. If you like cream, grab a few tubs of the liquid type when you make that fuel/food stop in the afternoon.

And like the cream trick, condiments are all over the place. Packets of relish, ketchup, mustard and otherwise abound. If you’re grabbing a lot of them, offer a buck or two when you hit the register.

Where To Put It All



The general rule of thumb is put the heavy stuff lower in your luggage to maintain a lower center of gravity. Also consider convenience. You want access to the things you need during the day, so those items may wind up on top and the camping gear winds up on the bottom. A combination of the two usually works.

Because most dry bags, sleeping bag stuff sacks, tent storage bags and otherwise have a tubular shape to them, you’ll find it easier to store them all vertically as opposed to horizontally. Access to each is greatly improved.

If you’re packing chocolate or anything else that has an aversion to heat, bury it away from the exterior of the bag in the day so it won’t turn to mush.

During our jaunt up to the Chinese Wall last summer, the last five miles of road were very rocky. Knowing it was an out-and-back part of our day, a number of riders removed a pannier or two to lighten the load for the final ascent, stashed them out-of-sight and picked them up on the way back down.

WhEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE



For all riders who gave up camping because it was uncomfortable, times have changed. It’s time to come back to the good life. The more one does this, the better they become at it. It’s just you and your motorcycle, out exploring where most cages will never go, days at a time and comfortable at night. Adventure awaits!

Tom Mehren publishes www.soundrider.com. He also authored the book “Packing Light Packing Right!”





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