Camping on tour
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: Whitefish, MT
Motorcycle touring and camping go hand in hand to me. The open road and camping are one and the same. I hit the road for 3 weeks every year with 2 buddies. Mostly camping at state and federal. KOA's are nice for showers and laundry also. Motels maybe every 3rd day or bad weather. I use lightweight 2 man tent, big angus air pad,down bag. Backpacking gear is the best for weight. I also use a small pocket rocket stove. We have breakfast every morning at camp. Instant oatmeal, tea, coffee, hot chocolate...cheap. Lunch is usually fast food or if we can find a picnic table, then instant soup, sandwiches, snacks. Right before we find a campsite we hit a grocery store for dinner supplies. Deli chicken, salads, anything you are hungry for. Restaurants will eat your travel money, but we hit them once in a while. For a chair, the best I have found...Kermit Chair. Will fit in your tour pak or saddlebag. Great trips, good times, and wonderful memories. Have fun.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,294
Likes: 1
From: South FL
The best thing about camping is I sleep next to my bike.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 395
Likes: 0
From: San Berdo, So. Cal
It depends on the level of comfort you demand or will tolerate.
My wife and I had two good size sleeping bags bungied onto the Tourpack rack and a small two person bike (bicycler) tent between the Tourpack rack and the rear set pad. The tent was abot 3-4" round by 24" long.
I would have loved to have a mattress, but you should look to set up the tent on a grassy area which will help.
My wife and I had two good size sleeping bags bungied onto the Tourpack rack and a small two person bike (bicycler) tent between the Tourpack rack and the rear set pad. The tent was abot 3-4" round by 24" long.
I would have loved to have a mattress, but you should look to set up the tent on a grassy area which will help.
Got it Monday. Out of the box it took me maybe 3 minutes to set up the first time. Really easy. Seems to be good quality and really sturdy. It is a little on the heavy side, about 20 lbs. Not terribly heavy but I am considering maybe strapping it across the back seat and tying it down to the saddlebag brakets instead of puttting it on the tour-pak luggage rack.
It is still set up in my living room, letting the typical new tent smell air out of it, but I'll probably pack it up tonight and start playing with the best way to secure it to the bike. I'll try the luggage rack first but if I don't like that I'll try the back seat route...I'll let you know.
Overall I'm impressed with it so far.
It is still set up in my living room, letting the typical new tent smell air out of it, but I'll probably pack it up tonight and start playing with the best way to secure it to the bike. I'll try the luggage rack first but if I don't like that I'll try the back seat route...I'll let you know.
Overall I'm impressed with it so far.
TIA.
3rd Gear
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,335
Likes: 27
From: San Diego, CA
I live and have always lived in San Diego. I have made 4 trips to Canada (BC), 1 to Anchorage, Alaska, and 4 trips to the East coast on whatever bike I had at the time. All I ever took was a couple changes of clothes (wash what you aren't wearing at the time) a cable and lock for my bike to lock my bike to some tree and a sleeping bag. No tent, no pillow, no extra thrills. That being said, that was a LONG time ago and now that I am in my 60s, camping, like so many others out there, is an inexpensive but reputable motel. Still take the cable and lock to lock to some post or pillar of the motel and bike now has an alarm (didn't have that in my younger days) and still take the couple of changes of cloths and still wash what I am not wearing.
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Road Master
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 850
Likes: 8
From: Tennessee
Same here. I'm also looking for something to use during ROT. Seen these tents awhile ago and was interested in them but the size kind of through me off. If you could post pics of it along with the bike to give us a better idea of its size when packed up would be a plus.
TIA.
TIA.
Next I put it across my passenger seat. (That's a H-D tallboy in the pic) and I bungeed it to the mounting brackets under the tour-pak. This seemed to be better. It still tied down very securely and the weight is lower, so i didn't even notice it was back there when I went for a test ride like that.
I hope this helps.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 435
Likes: 2
From: Alberta, Canada
The tentcot goes against both my "rules" for what to take on bike trips - weight and size.
I don't even take a 20 pound tent car camping and I like to get as much as I can inside the saddlebags or tourpak.
The tentcot is a pass for me. YMMV
I don't even take a 20 pound tent car camping and I like to get as much as I can inside the saddlebags or tourpak.
The tentcot is a pass for me. YMMV