what are some thing to take camping

 

Don't skimp on the basic needs - the shelter and bed. Get a qualilty two person tent like the Mountain Hardware Haven, a Thermo-rest sleeping pad and a decent LL Bean synthetic fill sleeping bag. Need more info like if you are planning to stay at camp grounds, go for a weekend or longer, etc. An alcohol burning stove is compact and the fuel is easy to carry.

 

Cell Phone, Credit Card, Good Motel Guide!!! Sweet Dreams!!!

Jim aka kiltiemon (my original thought was, however, "hand axe and a piece of flint!!!")

 

do a google search for motorcycle camping. there are several very nice websites. check out wetleather.com/reference/camping.html
there is one website that actually has a checklist of all possible items needed that you can check depending on your length and type of camping trip - then you can print the list you checked so you can take it with you as you start to put everything together.

 

#1 = TP

 

Actually, since one can carry MUCH more on a Motorcycle than on one's back... Become a "Backpacker" in your mind... and then pare down your "kit" so it applys to motorcycle travel and your individual needs/wants. "Lightweight" and "Small" isn't cheap (unless you're quite clever!). Pick up a good backpacking book at your library, surf the net for backpacking sites, and gather your information.

Colin Fletcher used to suggest dividing your stuff into several categories:

House... tent, fly, groundcloth, etc.
Bedroom... sleeping bag, bivy sack, etc.
Bathroom... TP, bathing /shaving kit
Kitchen... stove, food, utensils
Closet... Clothes and clothing maintanence

I've put a lot of miles on the Appalachian Trail, the Florida Trail, and assorted side trails, and really miss the experience (gettin' too old and my body has paid the price!).

Jim aka kiltiemon

 

MayPo, what are you riding? Might setup differently depending on your bike.

 

Get a "dry bag" or similar water proof stuff sack for your sleeping bag and other items you don't want to get wet. I got the one shown below from www.campmor.com. I think I paid around $10 or $15 for them, and I use one for my sleeping bag and one for my tent.



I have a relatively inexpensive 2-man tent I got from a local hiking shop. It's very lightweight and packs easily. It's also very easy to setup with shock-corded tent poles. This is important for those nights when you pull in after dark. The last thing you want is to have to figure out how to insert tab A in slot B when all you've got is a flashlight.

I also purchased a decent "extra long" sleeping bag. At just over 6'1" I find that most sleeping bags are too short. Nothing like trying to fit down inside your bag on a cool night. I also have a small pillow that I got from Wal-Mart for $3 which fit pretty well inside the sleeping bag when I roll it up.

A couple of my riding buds use the roll out, self-inflating sleeping mats, but I prefer the inflatable bedding units. I bring along a small rechargeable air-pump which inflates the bed in a couple minutes. I can get 3 or 4 nights worth of inflations before I need a recharge, and it also has a 12 volt adapter so I can use it from my bike battery.

Other basics include toilet paper (putit in a plastic baggy or the stuff sack so you don't end up with paper mache'), flashlight, mosquito repellant (depending on where I'm camping), and a good hunting knife or multi-tool.

 

If you're going to be cooking or just want to make some coffee in the morning (in a camping situation, there's no better recommendation for a stove than the venerable Svea 123, now know as the Svea 123R! First manufactureda little over100 years ago, the 123R is a self-pressuring little brass stove (about the size of a can of peas) that makes a comforting hiss/sputtering sound as it goes about its business of heating things. It can use the gasoline from your bikes' tank for fuel!

I was shocked that "Campmor" no longer carried them but was able to find the following link that you might enjoy:

http://www.oldjimbo.com/survival/svea.html

The 123R can be found from a variety of sources... Check the internet. There have been, over the last 100 years, many stoves that have been influenced by the Svea, and even MORE that burn different fuels (propane, butane, alcohol, etc.), yet none can compare for the small size and light weight (given an equal amount of fuel and burn time) of this fantastic little stove.

I still have mine that I bought some 37 years ago at "Camper's Paradise" outside of Virginia Beach, Va.!!! Paid $8.95 for it!!!

Jim aka kiltiemon (BTW... a Swedish woman told me years ago that "Svea" meant something akin to "little earth-mother". The stove has a history and comfortable reputation that makes it a "Natural" for the camping Harley rider!!!)

 

one note on sleeping bags...

I got the "taperedtoward your feet"style, and haven't everliked it. (Can't spread my legs or feet at all).

I've always wished I'd gotten the standard square type....More roomy and comfy.

I like havin' a few 30 gal trash bags to organize things too.