Way back then a duffle bag tied to the sissy bar would hold more than needed. These days, with the Wife, I sometimes dream of a trailer, (for the bike).

 

Funny how many folks don't utilize saddlebags. I load them one side for roadside troubles in one bag with rain gear and cold gear if needed on top of that. other side is for my clothes in a saddlebag bag...2 pair of clothes in addition to ones I am wearing. If i am going to a destination like Sturgis, Daytona etc....you'll pick up a couple shirts there anyways and you can do laundry at a laundromat. But for me jeans can be worn multiple days before washing.
I put my 2 man tent with stakes and rolled up twin air mattress in a small duffle type bag from sporting goods store...couple that with my "Oregon bedroll" and I sleep like a baby. This year I am adding a tour-pak to the "softail bagger" and that will haul extra stuf like lanterns, mallet for tent stakes, other odds and ends. if Ol lady is with me, like she claims she will be for Sturgis...1700 miles one way, she gets a tour-pack bag and I'll pack for her similar to my clothing requirements.
I dont like packing gear high I'd rather spread it out and the least amount exposed the better...for me. Like someone mentioned, spray every nook cranny and seam with sealant.
I used to sleep directly on tent floor but you're in water if it leaks...I use air mattress to get up off floor and Oregon bedroll stuffed with bedding along with thermarest helps with heat loss.

 

Good ultralight hiking gear makes packing easier.
I either use a twin air matress if i'm taking a woman or a big agnes air pad if traveling solo. Small butane stove for coffee etc etc... You learn as you go what you need really.
Bags / luggage it really depends on if you care what it looks like IMO.
I use my old alice packs a lot they have worked for years.
This is two up to sturgis everything for 16 days tent camping the whole way.





This picture is solo cold weather ride big agnes air pad / down sleeping bag.
Theirs also quite a bit of gun stuff hid in the bags as we did a little shooting on this trip........

 

I posted some of my first outing last year HERE.

I seem to improve something each time and have already been making improvements in some of my cold weather gear for this time. Even in July and August, riding in the UP, MI area and upstate NY can get cold!

 

Air mattress' can get big and heavy, plus you have to pump them up. I bought for my next trip, a inflatable pad that is about the size of a sleeping bag. Its light weight and self inflating. REI and Cabela's have them. http://www.cabelas.com/product/Brown...d&WTz_l=Header

http://www.rei.com/product/778152/re...-inflating-pad

They make small pillows also. A rolled up jacket just isn't that good. Sleeping bag is a must. I think next time I'm going to roll a blanket in with my sleeping bag. Being cold is miserable. Small LED flashlight is a must. They don't consume a lot of power. Harley makes one that plugs into the cigarette lighter to charge. I like it. Alot of light, small space. If you are going to a campground with laundry facilities, pack powdered detergent in baggies and a roll of quarters. Then you don't have to pack too many clothes.

 

Thanks for all the info! I will look into all these tips. I have time to prepare, so will look at all my options and everyone else's experience!

 

This is a good list of ideas. If you are camping while on the road, you do one thing. If you are going to a campground and staying there (i.e. Sturgis) that's something else. WHERE you will be should have a big effect, also. My bike looks about like skyflyer's when I am travel camping. If you want luxury camping, then that's a whole nother problem.

Experience is the best teacher. Go on a short two day overnight and see what is working for you. When I am traveling I have a hammock (requires trees) made from parachute fabric and a rain fly. Up and down it takes 10 minutes. A single propane tank with a burner on top, a coffee pot, and one cast iron skillet (small). The collapseable cooler is a good idea if you are going TO a long stay camping site. Otherwise, plastic bags hold ice for one evening and you will propbably just hit a nearby joint (beer, food, coffee, or otherwise) anyway. I sleep in my clothes, add leathers, then add a backpacker's sleeping bag if it gets really cold. I don't fool around with sleeping pads and I'm old. I use a two man backpacker's tent when I am staying at one site for long periods. A knife is a must... one that you can drive stakes with using the handle.

Every fourth day I stay in a motel, wash my clothes, and dry everything out. Worked for 5500 miles last summer.

Have fun... can't be beat in my opinion.

C#

 

If you are camping where there are trees, i would suggest a camping hammock. Very roomy, light, comfortable and packs super small. If you do go for a tent, Wal-Mart has a junior tent for about $20 that packs to the size of a socket set. Gotta sleep diagonal to fit inside, but it totally works.

Here is me on a two-week winter trip with both a tent and a hammock.



I am wearing three layers (shirt, inner jacket and outer jacket) and thermals under my pants (hey it was winter in Northern Cal).

In the above picture (taken at the entrance of the Golden gate) I have a sleeping pad, sleeping bag, blanket, towel, tent, hammock, tools, oil, toiletries, extra camp coat, camp gloves, camp-seat pad, flip flops, utensils, fire-starter, phone charger (both bike-powered and plug-in) camp radio, flashlight (get a cheap head-light too) and clothes. Bring enough for three or four days, you can wash as you go.

My saddle bags swallow a lot of stuff if packed carefully. And I have room for more. Be thoughtful about what you want vs. what you need. And bring a few luxuries. I makes camping so much more fun when you and/or your buds have a ukulele, a GOOD bottle, and other comfort items. Makes roughing is SO civilized. Nothing like steak eaten off real plates with a real fork and knife under the stars with a nice fire to make a long day's ride end well.

One more suggestion, if your personality-type can handle the idea of traveling without a plan, try NOT to make any reservations. Let the wind blow you into the place where IT intended you to stay. I can say that while, on one occasion, we have had to camp under a bridge, most times we wind up in an amazing place that we would have never known about or get the chance to camp (or stay) at someone's awesome property/ranch/villa who we met along the way. Well worth going with the flow. And even the bridge-stay had a great outcome.

But that is another story.

Ride safe.

 

This isn't me, but this setup looks like mine:

 

Great pictures posted so far. I'm amazed at how much some of you can pack onto your bikes...

Anyway, We did a blog article about camping trips and how to pick the right bags for a trip.
Check it out .. http://www.vikingbags.com/blog/featu...camping-trips/

We have lot of options depending on if you need to travel light or heavy.. http://www.vikingbags.com/motorcycle...saddlebags.htm