Eureka 2-man Alpine (about $100). Excellent quality, small enough to easily pack and set up, big enough for me and gear.
Slumberland 3-season mummy bag (about $50), Slumberland pillow (about $13). Eureka ground cover (about $14). Ground cover also serves as raincover for gear on bike.

Holiday Inn Express (about $80-120). Preferred.

 

In the '70's my father bought three North Face tents for me, my sister and himself. I still usemine today. Had to replace some of the bungees on it, but its still the best tent I've ever been in. You're going to pay for it tho. If I'm not mistaken he paid $100+ for each of them back then.

 

The only thing I could add to the excellent aforementioned suggestions would be a quart of Jack Daniel’s for nightcaps; then, any sleeping bag would be comfortable.

 

Finally...someone else who shops where I do.

 

Check out your local Dick's Sporting Goods store. Great selection of all the stuff you're looking for and prices are a hell of a lot cheaper than Cabela's. You can also see exactly what the item will look like as far as packing size goes.

 

Bags and tents, they can be made of lead as long as they are small. I just bought a new bag to take on the bike, went to REI.com and found a nice one in thier clearance isle for $50.

You'll need a ground pad of some sort, foam, inflatable, whatever. Not comfort as much as insulation, you'll lose more heat to the ground than the air.

Tents, a more personal choice. I got a real nice 3-person tent for myself (three!? my ***...) and its nice, sets up nice, packs pretty small, but the rain fly is SUFFOCATING. Wish I'd noticed that before I bought it. Get the ground tarp too, keeps out water and makes the floor last longer.

Buy the lower price ranges at the expensive places, stuff works better, packs smaller, is lighter, and more durable than typical cheap crap. Like most things, buy cheap, buy twice. Find the middle.

 

http://shop.barnettharley.com/McItem...tyle=HDL-10010





ITEM # : HDL-10010
DESC : TENT-DOME W/VESTIBULE
PRICE : $179.00
DETAIL :
Camping Riders Dome Tent - Definitely worthy of your next road trip, this H-D Riders Dome Tent comfortably sleeps up to four people and your motorcycle! Breathable mesh roof panels provide ventilation in warm weather. 40" x 40" front and rear doors with mesh offer insect protection and include inside zipper storm flaps. Rainfly features "clear-view" windows for extra light and visibility on cloudy days and attaches with side-release buckles for easy set-up and tension adjustment. Motorcycle vestibule is specifically designed for motorcycle storage in the campground and can be removed when not needed. Reinforced floor seams offer superior weather resistance. Socked corded fiberglass frame allows for easy set-up. Includes 14 aluminum tent stakes and carry bag. Dimensions: Tent - 8' X 7' / Center Height: 52" (H) - Vestibule: 8' 4" X 8' 7" / Center Height 66" (H) Weight: approximately 12 lbs.

 

Year in and year out, The North Face Cat's Meow is the bag that get's the props. A little expensive, but they are worth it. I've had mine in twenty degree weather and in eighty degree weather backpacking through the Rockies and car camping in the Sierras. Nothing like them. But they are a mummy so YMMV.

Therm-A-Rest self inflating pads. As noted, as much for insulation as comfort.

Can't recommend a tent for you. Sold my two person North Face when the kids started arriving. $400 tent that could take snowstorms to heat waves as well. Just make sure the seams are sealed, the floor is a bathtub style (no seams and the bottom fabric, which is tougher, goes up the sides a bit so water stays out). Good tents also have a "footprint" that is a custom made ground tarp/cloth to help keep tears in the floor to a minimum. Well ventilated and a solid rain fly that doesn't stick to the sides of the tent.

Sierra Trading Post, Campmor, Cabela's, and REI are good places to start.

 

How much do you want to spend? If you don't mind spending a little extra then here's a couple tents I've used in the past ...

1. Eureka Apex 2 -- About $80 at places like Campmor (http://www.campmor.com) and REI. It has good ventilation (something you want on those warm summer nights) and shockcord mounted pole system (easy to setup). It sleeps 2 but is really better suited for a solo with a little gear.



2. Eureka Solitaire -- This is an "ultralight" tent so it's good for motorcycle travel. It's really a backpacker's tent, so the weight and ease of setup is a high priority. It is also around $70, though it is a big smaller than the Apex.



I usually go between the Apex and Solitaire depending on how stuff I'm taking along and how much room I think I'll need at night. The Apex is a good tent for long trips (more than 5 days) since it allows me to get more stuff into the tent with me. The Solitaire is a good one for shorter trips (less than 5 days) and it also is a bit lighter weight.

If you don't want to spend $70 and up for a tent then just go to WalMart and get a Coleman 2-person tent for $40. Coleman is good equipment, for the money, and it will pack okay for a trip. But I like the smaller size of my Eurekas.

Sleeping bags ... again ... how much do you want to spend? I've got a Wal-Mart special for $14.95 that works for warm nights, but I wouldn't try it in temps cooler than 50 degrees. It's also a bit short for me (I'm just over 6'1") so I tend to buy the more expensive "extra long" bags.

Be sure to get a bed mat as well. And you'll want a tarp or ground cover for under the tent. Nothing worse than getting caught in a late night rain shower to find your tent soaked from the seapage through the floor. I use a small (twin) air mattress with a 12 volt air pump that is well worth the money. The pump fits in my left saddle bag along with the mattress.

 

My buddy has one of those tents. It lasted for one trip to Daytona. The wind was too much on the garage end and the rod broke in two places. Too much wind resistance and too little support in the way of anchor points. Also the rain fly goes all the way to the ground which makes for a hot night with little air circulating. I'll stick with a tent that's comfortable. JMO