a chair was mentioned and i agree and don't agree. i agree cause it is really nice to put the tired butt in something comfy. i don't agree cause most campsites have a picnic table, thus seats. rei sells a very comfortable chair (rei flex lite) that folds down to 4X14 for around $75, and another (alite mantis) for around 100 or so that folds down to 4.5 x 12. and the price is another thing for which i don't agree. but i do have chairs, and they are nice to have.

as for food, i disagree about always eating out. if you want to budget, then fixing food is a must. most campsites have a fire grate of some sort. pick up a small bag of charcoal , some aluminum foil and you can fix all kinds of good meals. utensils needed are minimal. tongs, spatula, large metal fork and spoon, knife. use plastic ware to eat the meal. bring along some basic condiments - salt, pepper, your favorite spices, maybe a small plastic bottle of evoo - you get the idea.

one meal i like is get some ground meat (not lean, you want the fat), bell pepper, maybe some garlic, tomatoes, new potatoes. chop up the veggies, throw it all in some foil and close it up. throw it in the coals or near the fire pit if you have one. turn it a couple of times. depending on the heat etc. around 10 min. take it off, open it up and eat it out of the foil. its my hobo dinner. add some beer or bourbon, great meal. this is probably a quarter of what you would spend going out and will be better.

another time only place to stay was a KOA. and there was nothing near by, no stores or restaurants. the KOA did have some stuff. i made a meal out of oscar mayer hot dogs (browned in the bottom of cook pot, added beans, chopped up some pickles and added those, some spices, etc. served em without broken potatoe chips over the top. turned out really good.

i have my stove, fuel, two pots, one lid (doubles as frying payn), fork and knife, lighter, all packed and takes up about the size of 4-12oz cans of beer. all my seasoning takes up less than the size of 1 can of beer.

the down side to cooking is wildlife. don't want to have food out or in your bags if some larger critters are around. solid trunks and saddle bags are good for most places. in some where bears are prevalent they supply bear lockers where you can store food. if not available then don't keep food on the bike which means no food unless you want to store it in a bear proof container (used one in alaska and was amazed at how much you can fit in it).

i feel that eating at the camp site just makes the experience that much better. and with planning, you don't have to bring along as much as you would think.

 

Hi,

Buddy and I bought a Redverz tent each. One per motorcycle. They have a garage for the motorcycle, and sleeps two easily. I did a Q&A on Redverz lately, [here I believe] if you'd like, check it out...

Hotels are warm after a cold day, cool after a hot day, and a shower is in the room 10' away.

But the camping will be new & fun. I think being inebriated will help.

H

 

Kansas has a permit for $15.00 when you go into get your license plates that allows you to use the state parks.
Way cheaper than buying a permit each time you visit the parks.
Most have showers/restrooms close to the tent camping areas.

 

Our idea of camping. The Harley and the dogs go wherever we go.

 

My -10 Hilton….





The Saudi solution….





…. yep…..

 

I'm wanting to get and pull a Roll-a-Home camper when I can pony up the money to get one....

 

I got my Oryx2 in 2006. Been using it every year. It has a good rain fly but it is not a four season tent as the fly does not cover the sides, it covers the ends. Costs about 120 and it has really been good for me.

This year at Sturgis a lot of people got water in their tents and some tents were destroyed. Mine was dry and I slept well. Lot of rain this year.

You must have ventilation on any tent so even though it is warmer inside you need a good sleeping pad and bag or quilt to stay warm.

I have been looking at better tents and it impossible to make a decision. I'm looking at maybe a Staika or Saivo but the price is outrageous. Well worth every penny though I'm sure.

 

If I was gonna camp; that's the way I'd do it.

 

I think the first thing you need to do is find out why he is against it. Camping is not for everybody. But if you find out what it is about camping he doesn't like, you can tackle those issues. I think any issue he might have can be solved. Me and my girlfriend camp on most of the trips we take, because we love camping and it is cheap. Especially if you stay in state parks. We bought our first camper last year. 1988 Kompact Kamp, and we love it. Our first trip with it we camped all the way down Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge parkway. It was amazing! Talk to him about doing something like that. One bad trip that didn't go well was a trip to Maryland. We got to the camp site and there was a sustained wind of 50mph that felt like 70 mph. We couldn't get the tent set up, we did eventually. When I woke up in the morning the tent had collapsed. We only stayed the one night and the ride home was freezing. But that was also one of our favorite trips. We also slept on the beach in Rhode Island in just a sleeping bag and got rained on. All fond memories. If you or your husband have any questions feel free to contact me. Most any issue can be solved.

 

I camp all the time and my set up has evolved many times. My current set up is a 6 man dome tent, tarp for ground, sleeping bag and air mattress w/pump...plus all things needed to set camp. it all fits on a rack on back in side a rollling duffle I got at Walmart. another duffle same size can fit my clothes and passengers sits on top of that...its all ratchet strapped individually leaving saddlebags for other stuff. I rode this way to and from Sturgis from Florida. I dont exactly rough it as I stay at KOA's along the way with tent sights with at least electric.