Later this year I will be going coast to coast to coast for my first time. I will be trying to avoid staying at motels and winging where I lay my head come sunset. I am looking for ideas on gear that takes as little space as one can, but yet works for the long haul. Please tell me what it is, aka brand name/model number and why you are in love with it. I will thank you up front.. OldIron61

 

The days of just winging it for a place to camp or throwing down at rest stops are gone but the up side is established camp sites are nicer and more abundant today , only down side is a camp site can run the same as a cheap hotel room in a lot of area's anymore.

Gear wise there's 2 camps , those who do the extra small mountain gear type stuff and those of us who have done a bit more road time and found compact isn't always better on a bike. My personal camp gear bag holds a 4 man Eureka tent , ground tarp, sleeping bag and a good inflatable mattress. You've never spent a longer night that one in the rain in a small wet tent with all your **** wet.

 

been there and done that on a hunting trip.. not good the next day either trying to dry everything out...

 

With today's technology purchasing small, light sleeping bags, self inflating mattresses and lightweight tents is very possible. That is what I use and if the weather looks bad I get a motel, do laundry and Relax for the night. Slept many nights very comfortly with my lightweight gear.

 

i always carry a small bottle of hand sanatizer, i work in prison and you never know who touched what. lotion or foot powder, first aid kit,finger or toe nail clipppers, dryer sheets incase you cant make it to a washing machine, rub them on you so you don't offend.

 

I have a 3 man Wenzel dome tent, ground tarp, sleeping bag, and Thermo-Rest self inflating
mattress. Have taken this set up to Sturgis and it works well.

 

"I will be trying to avoid staying at motels and winging where I lay my head come sunset" ... Did this many times over the years ... Some areas( states ) frown on spending the night ... I use to "disable" the headlight so that I "couldn't ride until the sun came up"

 

I would have not thought of the dryer sheets or nail clippers.. Thanks

 

What I hope to do, is find out of the way roads where there are less chances of issues like you speak of. My main route will be Route 6, branching off when needed. The idea for this trip came from reading the book called Ten Million Steps by Joe Hurley.

http://www.route6walk.com/index.html

Also, Thank you for the idea of an air mattress, never used one before, but from reading the posts so far, it is clearly a great and must have item.

 

LOL.. I could so see myself having that "issue"