Planning a cross country bike trip this spring and I'll be tent camping most nights. I'm too old to sleep on the ground; how do you safely carry a sleeping cot and your tent on the bike? What are other must have items when solo camping and NOT using a trailer? As always, thanks!

 

I use a Coleman self inflating air matress from Walmart, its only 1" thick when in use and rolls up pretty tight.

 

I use a self-inflating mattress that rolls up to about 24x4 inches and inflates to 2 inches thick and I put that on top of a neoprene sleeping mat about half an inch thick.One rolls up inside the other,then I strap them onto one LidHauler,tent on the other. That means the sleeping bag can go in the saddlebag where it's dry.
I don't know what the weather is like where you're going but over here a sweatshirt with a hood is a must,you can sleep in it if it gets too cold.
A small LED torch on a headband is a good idea and most important item of all is a small silver flask,full of Labrot and Graham Woodford Reserve Distillers Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Use it wisely.

 

Campmor in New Jersey has everything you would need.
Thermarest sleeping pads. cost a little more but worth the price.
Have Eureka Apex 2 man tent. Perfect amount of room, Gear included.
Now the most important piece of gear to put it all together. 1 water proof gear bag.
Have Cabelas med size bag. Holds tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, air pillow, Jet boil stove, coffee pot, french press,5 led head light.
Strap 1 bag on bike good to gooo!
Every, 3rd to 4th day find a cheap room. I was on route 2 in Maine found room for 39.00 a night it was raining. Camp site was 22 dollars. Few extra dollars worth it.

 

+ 1 on the self inflating mattress,thinking for my next long trip,i,d get a GPS,and leave the maps,also a cell phone to call for help if needed,good bug repellent,also a helmet peak with a half visor for riden the rain ,a good led flashlite...Randy

 

Thats what I use A good air mattres And don't forget that good flashlite. Have fun I've had some really great times and met some really great people doin it!

 

mhud,

Definitely +1 on the self-inflating mattress pads. Mine is from ThemoRest and it's about two inches thick when inflated. These pads are foam covered with an inflatable skin and are quite comfortable. You adjust the firmness of the mattress by regulating the amount of air. In addition, they are much warmer than a cot which allows air to pass between you and the ground.

I suppose there are some cots made that are transportable, and one could be attached to your tour-pak rack, but they sure seem bulky and heavy.

I use a Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight tent, and it's a great one-man tent that is quite light and compact. Although advertised as a two-person tent, you would have to be married to your tentmate to even consider this for two people. At 5'11" and 250lbs, I find it roomy enough for me and some gear. It sets up quickly, is very waterproof, and well ventilated.

My sleeping bag is made by North Face and is rated to 5 degrees. I have slept comfortably in it down to about 20 degrees, but have my doubts about it much below that. It has synthetic insulation, is quite light, dries quickly if it gets wet, and compacts well for travel.

I don't make it a habit to cook in camp and carry only my Jet-Boil stove for making coffee in the morning. I eat many of my meals in restaurants and will sometimes get take-out and bring it back to camp. For breakfast, I will have stopped in the afternoon to buy some pastries for the next morning. Every other day or so I will eat a good breakfast in a restaurant, particularly in the winter, but most days coffee and pastry in camp does fine.

I suppose I am in the "lighter is better" group. That also means that setup and breakdown goes quickly. When I travel, I am more interested in riding than camping, so I take only what I need to avoid the cost of a motel room. If you enjoy lazy days in camp, you might want more gear.

This is my setup for spending a week on the Blue Ridge Parkway in late fall. You can see that I travel pretty light!

 

go to motocamping.com . They have a great forum with a TON of information on what tents pack the best etc.

 

Thanks for the tips guys, the self inflating mattress and strap on LED headlight are great ideas. I don't plan on doing any cooking in camp so it will be restaurants and cold sandwiches with a cooler for a cold beer at the end of the day. Also a hotel every few nights for a hot shower.

 

I use to do a lot of motorcycle camping. Use thermarest mattress and a sleeping bag. I bought backpacking equip and used it- stove, cooking gear, tent. Be sure to get a 3 man tent, not one of the tiny little ones. Also use a plastic ground cloth to keep the condensation out of the tent.
BOL!