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Packing light, motorcycle camping

PostPosted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:11 pm
by Aaron Coffee
Planning on leaving my TD at home and just taking my motorcycle on my annual labor day week campout. Have a cabin reserved at a state campground. Looking for input to pack light, dont have a backrest or luggage rack, do have a small set of saddle bags, and looking at buying a medium to large size backpack. Planning on cooking over fire, so can limit cookware to a small frying pan, soup pan and coffee pot. Would like a small compact propane single burner stove for coffee in the morning. Thoughts, ideas, suggestions.
Thanks
Aaron

PostPosted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 2:25 pm
by Wimperdink
pepsi can stove. and a perk pot for brewing coffee.

Image

PostPosted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 3:26 pm
by Galen
For lightweight packing you might want to check out this site. They are fanatics about lightweight camping equipment.

http://www.backpacking.net

PostPosted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 4:24 pm
by madjack
Aaron, there are about a zillion little backpack stoves that would work for ya...the single burner BUTANE stove are nice and compact and just the other day, I saw a single burner propane stove at ACE hdw for under twenty bucks, that sits on top of a 1# propane bottle...checkout sportsmansguide/campmor/rei/cabelas/etc. for more ideas.........
madjack 8)

PostPosted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:01 pm
by G-force
The Jetboil stove is exactaly what you want. Not the cheapest, but it works great. Check out advrider.com for motorcycle camping info, alot of us camp off our bikes often. My general answer to packing for a motorcycle...put everything you think you need in a pile, then get rid of half of it. Then go through it again and take about half of whats left :)

Mike

CAMPING

PostPosted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:13 am
by MARVIN THOMPSON
I DONE, SOME BIKE TRIPS OVER THE YEARS.YOU GET YOUR SLEEP GEAR AND CLOTHS YOUR FULL.WE WENT TO (I HOP ) LOL IN MORNING .ONE THING YOU MITE DO. IS LOAD YOUR BIKE JUST TO SEE HOW MUCH ROOM YOU GOT.I HAD YAMAHA VENTURE AND A 4BUY4 TRAILER AND THE WIFE FILL BOTH .ONE THING SURE IT BE FUN.

PostPosted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 4:57 pm
by Aaron Coffee
At least, I have acouple of months to get it figured out, I usually get these brainstorms a week or tow before I leave. Someone on another forum suggested surplus army backpacks strapped together as saddle bags(might be ugly, but cheaper than the fancy leather ones). So it's off to find a army navy surplas around here.
Thanks

PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 7:15 pm
by Wos
I read an article in a motorcycle magazine a couple of years ago. The author Peter Egan had a small aircraft (piper cub) that he and his wife toured the USA with. The Cub has a very low cargo weight so they saved all their old clothes, underwear included and as the items became too dirty to wear they threw it away. Using the space left over for souveners etc. It also gives you something to do with all the "comfortable" underwear your significant other hates so much.

Motorcycle packing

PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:59 am
by bittmann
Do you have a tank bag? Will your bike willingly accept one?

A large tank bag can hold more than some saddlebags.

Not having a luggage rack can be a pain--you can haul a *lot* of gear in a backrest-anchored tailbag (for example)--but you do have to have the "right" kind of bike to make one work. There are tailbags that don't need backrests to latch onto, but they aren't much bigger than some tank bags.

For packing light/small, it's possible to pack something that'll make more heat, and it's possible to pack something that's smaller -- but for the convenience and the money, "canned heat" such as Sterno and a folding Sterno stove (for example) is pretty hard to beat

Do you have bedding supplied with the cabin, or is it a "haul-your-own" situation?

BittMann

PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 10:30 am
by elmo
This is my stove, latern and fuel source...soda can is there for size comparison!! Name brand is Primus and I got it at Sportman's Warehouse.

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Fits in a small camera case I bought just for it. Never really use the lantern other than to get the dampness out of the tent sometimes, but use this and have one in every car and motorcycle...I think $5 at Walmart.

Image

LED and lasts forever!

+1 one the tank bag...also I could give you some bigger saddlebags if you want to meet me in S. Falls on my way to Stugis at the end of month

PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 10:33 am
by elmo
G-force wrote:The Jetboil stove is exactaly what you want. Not the cheapest, but it works great. Check out advrider.com for motorcycle camping info, alot of us camp off our bikes often. My general answer to packing for a motorcycle...put everything you think you need in a pile, then get rid of half of it. Then go through it again and take about half of whats left :)

Mike


Jetboil is a good setup also...I never used one, but my friends do all the time and seem happy.

advrider.com is one other the other websites I have up all the time!!! Good stuff there!!

PostPosted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:06 am
by Aaron Coffee
Provide own bedding(they have cots)they also have heats so Shouldn't need much more than a blanket.
Speedometer is on tank so tank bag probably wouldn't work. Am going to check army/navy surplus for a couple of backpacks, read someplace tie them together and used them as saddle bags.

Have been looking at motorcycle luggage, but unitl I find out if touring is something I plan on doing in any amount, I hate to spend the money on smething I will use once, also its more fun to be cheap and inventive.
Thanks

PostPosted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 11:40 am
by 48Rob
Hi Aaron,

I can't help you much with the light packing bit 'cause my answer is to get a bigger bike and take it all...

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/1948rob/Nomad/avatar.jpg">

However, I would offer that unless you end up with waterproof bags/luggage, that you bundle things up in small trash bags to keep them dry.
Nothing like getting caught in a thunderstorm, only to discover that your dry change of clothes is wetter than what you're wearing...

Rob

PostPosted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 12:15 pm
by QuietOutdoorsman
One of my hobbies is mountain climbing here in the Cascade Mtns of the Pacific NW. I have spent lots of money getting lighter and lighter gear, of course climbing needs gear that would never show when just camping. Ice axe and crampons anyone? :R

The first time I went on a weekend backpacking trip here, about 5 years ago, I carried nearly 50 lbs and basically filled a 70 liter pack for just one night. Now I live for 4-5 days at a time out of a 60L pack that weighs in at 40-45 lbs. For one or two nights, even with all my glacier travel gear, I'm at around 35 lbs. :thumbsup:

The Primus stove Elmo showed or the MSR PocketRocket. JetBoils are great as well. All three of those run off canisters of isobutane....a mix of isopropal alcohol and butane. The canisters come in a couple different sizes and brands, but the mix inside and the threads on the cans are all the same. Cost would be $5 - $9 for the canisters. Bring some matches in case the piezo-electric starter gives out. The Primus and MSR stoves are just stoves, you bring your choice of lightweight pot/pan. Jetboil integrates the pot onto the burner, so you're stuck with what's there.

At REI.... MSR PocketRocket $40. Primus would be similar price. JetBoil $80. You should be able to find any of these stoves at any decent outdoors gear store (REI, Cabellas, BassPro, etc.) or any good sporting goods store.

For bedding...I recommend two blankets, a light to mid weight fleece blanket and a mid weight wool blanket. If you expect it to be really warm, ditch the fleece. It's a lot easier to cool down by kicking the blanket off than trying to warm up, no matter the conditions. If you bring both and only need one, the other can be rolled up for a pillow.

I do use a headlamp and really like them. Leaves both hands free to do stuff. At least have a small flash light (AA sized maglite or similar) and a spare set of batteries. For a lantern....if you aren't in danger of burning the place down with having a candle, I recommend bringing a few little tea candles. They are really lightweight, wax is contained in a little aluminum dish, burn for a couple hours and cost very little. Matches or a Bic lighter are necessary.

Dirk

PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:16 am
by bittmann
Aaron Coffee wrote:Am going to check army/navy surplus for a couple of backpacks, read someplace tie them together and used them as saddle bags.

Have been looking at motorcycle luggage, but unitl I find out if touring is something I plan on doing in any amount, I hate to spend the money on smething I will use once, also its more fun to be cheap and inventive.
Thanks


Well, just hoping that whatever you do, that you make sure it's secure and simply CANNOT get tangled up in anything. It'd be bad enough if a bag shifted against an exhaust pipe or muffler and ended up scorching or ruining some clothing or gear -- but if something slid around and got pinched between a wheel and a stationary part of the bike -- at best, that'd be a distraction and an inconvenience. At worst...