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Woah, how has this thread eluded me? Perfect timing as I'm just about to get into bike camping. I never did camping as a kid, but the past few years I've gone with friends many times, usually using a lot of their gear. After a weekend in the woods at the end of the season last year I decided it was time to do some touring/camping. I've been planning it now and just started buying some kit. Has anyone been anal enough to make a list of their gear? I've been compiling what I think I'll need based on everything I've been reading and my own plans, but to see what other people here take would help as well. For me it should mostly be weekend trips either just me or with others in a car. I'll edit into this post a list of stuff I need/have so far. I just opened it up and I need to add a few things and remove the stuff I've bought and put on the bike already 
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Feb 16, 2012 02:17
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 05:15 |
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I have an iPhone and ended up with Navigon, partially because it got decent reviews (even tho it sounds like they got bought out and hosed over some people who thought they got lifetime updates), and partially because I only got the 8gb phone and Navigon lets you break the US into parts and then only download the states that you need. Most gps apps are 1.1-1.4gb or so, my navigon folder is like 300mb and could be smaller if I dropped some states that I don't really need 99% of the time.
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Feb 18, 2012 18:22
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BotchedLobotomy posted:Alright I think I have all the camping bits I need. None of the parks near you have back country camping? Sounds like you might just need to mosey off the road a little ways... I just bought a tent and still need to grab a sleeping mat and bag. Getting ready for the red river gorge and some surrounding areas. Just look at those roads...  
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Mar 27, 2012 05:05
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Right on, have you been to Breaks Park in the second picture? The thing to do here is to go spend a few days at the Red River Gorge up by Slade in the first pic. It's a bit of a drive to Breaks so I haven't been able to convince anyone to take a day trip down there and camp overnight. A lot of the gorge trips we do end up having a few new people so we wake up late and hit the best overlook trails. The last time I went down was with people too "city" stressing over everything and huffing and puffing on a 1/2 mile trail...I learned my lesson there. If you have been there, any good trail guides or books? I have Hinterlands for the RRG which is fantastic. I'd like to find the good trails at a new park as well, instead of just driving up to the scenic overlooks the vacationers take their toddlers to.
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Mar 27, 2012 15:30
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On the topic of sleeping pads I keep floating between getting something like a thermarest pad or something inflatable. I see some complaints about cheaper inflatables, and I'm not looking to dig too deep for a pad. On the other hand, the thermarest is bulky and, well, just a pad. Are there inflatable pads that don't bulge when you move and aren't more than 50 bucks?
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Apr 3, 2012 01:37
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I'm pretty tall so that's an issue, I think that pad is like 3 1/2 feet. I'm not touring so time spent really isn't an issue. The most I'm planning now is weekend camping, and often I'll have cars with me. I'm also not looking to spend a ton of cash. Down sleeping bags and $100+ pads are pretty sweet but the kind of camping I do is in the summer and I'm not on a rocky mountainside so I think I'll get by with a simple pad and cheap bag.
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Apr 3, 2012 18:28
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 Testing how to secure the load and what I'm going to use. For an overnight I think I can get away with something like this, more testing is in order. All of that on the back is held down with 2 bungee cords and a strap for stability. I was kind of surprised how easy it was to strap up, but that backpack has a lot of places to tighten or attach to. I still need to experiment with other bags as well.
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May 20, 2012 05:57
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Yeah you can, but for a bit of perspective your tent cost more than everything I have strapped up. Edit: I'm currently accepting donations for side bags though, feel free to pm me for paypal info or even an address if you have some to send. My buddies dad actually gave me some small generic hard panniers but I couldn't work out a decent way to mount them so I'll probably give them back. They were meant for a cruiser and the lines of that bike don't make it easy. nsaP fucked around with this message at 05:51 on May 21, 2012 |
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May 21, 2012 05:43
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PlasticSun posted:Looks like a good stack. Good suggestion on the rokstraps, as I was packing it with the nylon straps I thought it was a bit too much hassle. I was actually planning on making my own straps that look pretty similar to the rokstraps, I might just buy those instead. Looking at the pictures on the site, that's almost exactly what I was planning on making myself, except I didn't think to use elastic, I was just going to use nylon straps. Fabric stores have elastic, straps, and buckles pretty cheap tho so I'll have to see. If it's twice the price to buy them made I'll probably just make them myself. Pope Mobile posted:Naked FZ6? Luckily that bike has some pretty good mount points for straps/hooks. Look into a cargo net (can be had for like $5) to cover the loose stuff. Other than that, it looks fine. Perhaps it is not my tank bag that is backwards, but your perspective in life... Nah yeah it probably is, I actually use it on the tail more often and I don't know what way is right. That way fits better on the bike tho. The way the tank is leaned forward it doesn't want to say back at all, and with the flat side forward the horn/starter hit the bag on lock really bad. They still can touch with it that way, but it's better. I have a cargo net I use for around town, it'll be stashed for odd jobs like you said. Nothing is really loose now though. Like I said above, the tent/chair/pad are all tightened into the backpack, with a couple of bungees threaded inbetween and crossed (one connects front left and back right, and vice versa). If I lose one thing I'm losing it all I think. nsaP fucked around with this message at 00:13 on May 26, 2012 |
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May 25, 2012 16:14
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One of those waterproof duffles will be a sure purchase for me in the future. While I'm still figuring things out I thought I could get away without it, and I have a tarp stashed away in case a downpour comes along that I wasn't prepared for. I was curious if you had any tips for what size of the duffels worked out well? It looks like there are two different sizes you have there, or is that a camera trick? Thanks for listing what you could fit into it, what size was that one? I almost bought one earlier when wandering around bass pro but I decided to wait until I had some experience putting stuff in it, and I'm glad I did. I think I was looking at bags half the size of those or less.
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May 26, 2012 17:19
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Oh yeah forgot to post. Did a little trip, went from Cincinnati to Louisville for the day Friday, then skipped over to the Red River Gorge that evening to meet up with people Saturday. Good little weekend trip. A bit farther than I was planning on doing for my first, but whatever. A downside was that it was very impromptu, so most of my miles were highway. Naked at 77-80 mph at 7-8k on this bike was not pleasant....the vibrations... 1 down, rest of life to go 
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Jun 15, 2012 03:30
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Thanks to everyone who posted their set ups and advice by the way
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Jun 27, 2012 03:39
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No primitive camping there? I'll try to avoid proper sites as much as I can. I hiked all that stuff 1/4 mile in 1 trip. Maybe facilities are the way to go but I'd rather get away from curfews and RVs.
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Jun 27, 2012 04:26
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God drat I get annoyed when I can't say one thing about working on my bike without 5 people offering unsolicited advice but now it seems you can't even say you like something without some schmuck going out of his way to "help" you to something you didn't want. CA is too nice.
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Jul 30, 2012 21:32
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Z3n posted:Try gixxer.com, might be more your speed. And here I'd say the same to you. Just think of all the people on there who are just waiting for your input!
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Jul 30, 2012 23:08
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 Got a less janky set up. Side bags, rok straps and a camelback now. Ed: better pic nsaP fucked around with this message at 05:24 on Oct 12, 2012 |
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Oct 12, 2012 04:35
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I always forget to take pictures of actual camping and the like, oh well. Here she is all loaded up and ready to go:  Here's when I learned to take your toolkit out of it's spot under the seat and make it easily accessible during a trip, one of the screws holding in my speedo had worked it's way back out and my speedo was dangling. Luckily I didn't lose anything on the road and it just cost me time.  Nice day: 
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Oct 17, 2012 17:13
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Yeah, one of the nicer spots of KY imo, the Red River Gorge.
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Oct 22, 2012 04:12
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O'riginal posted:Beautiful. Just beautiful. Indeed, I actually cropped that pic and did a bit of editing to it to try to get the leaves to pop more, not too bad for an iphone but it makes me want a proper camera.   Almost time to go back...I haven't been there since these pics. I also got blown around a lot by my luggage, but it didn't feel like it slowed me down too much wind resistance wise, though at highway speeds my bike is right in it's powerband so I might not have noticed. There were stretches where I had it at a decent lean just to go straight tho, something like 25-30 mph winds from the side and the whole bike was just a sail with all that kit on the back.
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Feb 17, 2013 23:03
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DJCobol posted:Its not really camping I guess, but I could use some pointers on a summer bike trip I've been day-dreaming about. No camping?  Seriously tho, someone's gotta be the forum dick and n8 already had it partly covered, but honestly that trip sounds terrible. Something I might use to punish a rider. It's totally doable but I don't know if I'd call it enjoyable. You basically have 4 days of travel and 3 days of recreation, except day 3 you're still going to be wasted from the previous two days of travel. I don't know what's the most miles you've done in a day, but its more tiring than you'd expect. For a comparison, I'm fairly fit for endurance. I ride a bicycle a lot, and have been hiking and playing disc golf with weighted bags to help. I've been thinking about daytrips to that park I posted earlier in the thread, which would mean a minimum of 5 hours moving on pavement(not counting stops) and probably 4-5 miles hiking. Even with that it's only 250 miles or so, but at this point I think the only way I'll pull it off is stopping twice on the way home, once to eat and rest. I can understand wanting to get out west but this is a rough way to do it. Godspeed if you want to, but with the riding experience you've described and where you live, I think you can have a much more enjoyable experience staying closer to home.
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Feb 26, 2013 21:01
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It isn't that strenuous, that's why I wear a weighted pack...to help for my hiking endurance.
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Feb 26, 2013 22:51
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Ernie Luckman posted:Frolf is srs bizness. From before the frolf chat: What my frolf training regiment goes towards: nsaP posted:I always forget to take pictures of actual camping and the like, oh well. It was a bit bulky but no problem. All of the stuff on the back was bungee'd together as 1 mass before I strapped it down to the bike. edit2: Forgot to mention I'm using these straps http://www.rokstraps.com/moto.html After just using bungees my first time these are great. Quick and easy to use and pretty cheap. I considered just making my own but you can't match their quality for the cost. nsaP fucked around with this message at 20:13 on Apr 9, 2013 |
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Apr 9, 2013 01:15
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Looks like a chilly morning.
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May 4, 2013 20:58
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I got this from amazon cause it was cheap with a compression sack: http://www.amazon.com/Suisse-Sport-...ds=sleeping+bag I've used it a few times and it gets the job done but I wouldn't rave about it. It compresses down pretty small. I just got an one of those thermarest pads which isn't too compact, but I didn't really mind.
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Jul 1, 2013 20:15
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Is there actually any basis for this or did you pull it out of your rear end?Kilersquirrel posted:(better than DEET-based stuff, all the mosquitos repelled by DEET were selected out of the gene pool there a long time ago).
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Jul 27, 2013 23:31
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Another problem solved by n8.
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Sep 3, 2013 02:03
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http://freecampsites.net/ Don't pay 45 dollars to camp, cripes.
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Nov 21, 2013 02:03
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Back roads the whole way? I just did Cincy- Red River Gorge - Fayetteville, wv - Whytheville, VA - back up thru RRG - Home in 4 days riding. I averaged 250 miles a day, no highway, and I was beat. The trip was 5 days total but I rafted one day, that could have added to my fatigue. I had plans for a lot more mileage but it just wasn't happening. Set up/Break down of camp takes a lot of time and effort every day, along with finding time to eat. In my mind I was gonna sit down at little mom & pop shops and take my time. In reality I ate fast food cause the internet was good and it was easy. Partly I needed better planning but partly I was looking too big. I didn't even make it to the Blue Ridge. I think you might be planning a bit big for your first trip depending on your route plans. 300-400 miles on highway is different than 300 on roads you actually have to 'ride'. Edit: This is p. close to what I did. http://goo.gl/maps/g4eCa Day 1 was riding around D Boone and camping at the Gorge (The day before the gov't shutdown, I was camping illegally that morning lol). Day 2 was going to Morehead then riding 32 from Morehead to Louisa (Awesome road btw), then from Louisa to Fayetteville. Day 3 was rafting. Day 4 I packed up after rafting and made it to Bluefield and realized I was still tired as hell, and I found that campsite in Jefferson. Day 5 I woke up in the forest after camping illegally, SA Bro meet wasn't happening, my side bags were rubbing and bolts were vibrating out. I decided instead of hanging around an extra day or two and riding around the area, I was just gonna head back early. Went down to Marion to to the ' For comparison I'll do 150 mile trips without stopping here, or 250 in a day if I'm having a nice cruise, without feeling too tired. I thought it'd be easy but when you add the previous days up and all the work making/breaking camp it takes more out of you than you think. nsaP fucked around with this message at 20:42 on Feb 17, 2014 |
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Feb 17, 2014 19:48
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clutchpuck posted:It might be different out west, but 300 miles in a day is pretty reasonable in my experience. As long as you're up and on the road before 10, it gives you room to run a slower pace and stop to look at things. I was on the road around 10 or 11 which was too late IMO. It was October so the sun was going down earlier and I didn't always have finite plans for camping so I would play it safe over trying to find somewhere to camp in the dark. But saying you get on the road at 10 and need to start finding camp around 6 it's 8 hours on the road. That's about ~40mph average without stopping ever, which isn't really that reasonable if you're riding curvy rural roads that are stopping thru towns. Also breaks to eat etc. In the peak of summer you'll have more hours but it'll be busier. From what I'm told expecting to average 40mph on the Blue Ridge is a pipedream. The mileage is way different when you can tick it off at a steady 80mph on a straight road.
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Feb 17, 2014 20:13
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It's beautiful riding tho, I was just going thru pics because the weather is so poo poo here. Some shots on 32    Rt. 52 in WV  119 in WV  Made good time there but it wasn't limited access, you're doing 80 and cars are pulling off of side streets and turning in front of you...
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Feb 17, 2014 20:33
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Hi dead camping thread! I'm headed to Deals Gap so here's my camping set up  Whoops I forgot, that's not how the cool kids are doing it these days 
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Jun 17, 2014 20:36
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Make a smore, but instead of chocolate, use a reese's. Thank me later
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Jun 18, 2014 01:57
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 Campin on a ridge tn. Impossible to get good lighting on a phone...
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Jun 20, 2014 03:23
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That is pretty cheap but you can make your own with a can if you're inclined. I'd always seen em with the holes like the ADV guy does, but this guy uses slits and it seems to work well http://www.wideopenspaces.com/make-camping-stove-youll-ever-need-using-beer-can-knife-video/#_gus&_giguuid=23e0ae4e659140e6a791dce992f1616e
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Jun 27, 2014 03:00
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clutchpuck posted:Bead riders are magic. I missed this post earlier but it is true. Especially when you're trapped in traffic in the heat and you have an undertail exhaust that goes directly beneath the seat. nsaP posted:That is pretty cheap but you can make your own with a can if you're inclined. I'd always seen em with the holes like the ADV guy does, but this guy uses slits and it seems to work well http://www.wideopenspaces.com/make-camping-stove-youll-ever-need-using-beer-can-knife-video/#_gus&_giguuid=23e0ae4e659140e6a791dce992f1616e Also I tried this method and failed, mine kept going out. I must have messed it up.
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Jul 27, 2014 07:45
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 05:15 |
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Those look pretty nice. I've done a good job destroying my soft Nelson Rigg bags in the two bigger trips I've done with them. Seams keep pulling apart and I also let them rub the wheel once. I think I was overloading them as well.
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Aug 19, 2014 00:26
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