• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Camping off small (650cc or less) bikes... The Gear Thread

Tourmeister

Keeper of the Asylum
Admin
Joined
Feb 28, 2003
Messages
51,144
Reaction score
8,055
Location
Huntsville
First Name
Scott
Last Name
Friday
:tab I know there will obviously be crossover between gear carried on bigger bikes and smaller bikes, but I want to see how folks pack the smaller bikes and what they deem necessary when weight and space is at a premium. Bikes I have in mind are the 650's and smaller where you can't always just pile stuff up and strap it down. The idea is that the bike is still going to be manageable in some fairly technical riding but not hardcore single track.

:tab What tents, chairs, cooking equipment, sleeping bags, clothes, riding gear, luggage, tie down straps, and other misc "stuff" that just make life easier when camping off the bike for days at a time? How do you get it all packed? Any secret tips/tricks of the trade?

:tab I ask because I am prepping my KTM 530 for a week of riding and camping in potentially cold/wet weather. You can't pack the 530 like a KLR 650 :-P
 
This will be good, look forward to the replies. Having not camped on the small bike, but thought about it some, this is what I have come up with. No chairs. Giant Loop brand bag, which model I'm not sure yet. Jet boil stove and keep the food to just needing boiled water. Get good meal when you hit towns, like lunch. Still love the Rokstraps for tie downs. Very small tent, like a bivy.

So that is where I'd start.
 
Maybe start with the ultra-light backpacking crowd, but substitute the bike for the walking part!:mrgreen:

This should be good.
 
Here is the way I pack my bike. I go with ONLY the MUST have. In the red bag, which is a very good back rest, I put my tent, polls, sleeping bag and other small odds & ins like some cloths. Black tail bag gets tools, one tube, small air pump, rest of cloths and more odds and ends. For this trip (too Beyond Epic in Arkansas) I took my MX helmet & my Green Frog togs.
100_0007.jpg
 
Tarp-sleeping bag-skillet-grease-rope-canteen-rain gear-hatchet.....
basics , make a dry run in backyard ,see what else you REALLY need...Pick up food along the way to stay a day ahead of consumption...
 
The first rule of adventure riding is ACW.....always carry water. I carried 6 liters in Big Bend during a recent group ride, and was dinged by buddies at least once for not having more.....:zen: :sun:
 
Eureka Apex 2, slumberjack sleeping bag, sleeping pad & pillow in the yellow Wolfman bag, older stove in one pannier along with some food. I would buy water along the way. ImageUploadedByTapatalk1369824551.721609.jpg
That orange bag was full of food too.

That was right before heading to Alaska. :(
 
I just put my climbing gear on the bike, less the ropes of course.

Part of any ride:
2 liters of water
Power bars in case I really get hungry
First aid kit
Headlamp
Raingear
3 liters of spare fuel
Tools and spares
Towel (hoopy frood)

Camping necessities:
1 complete change of synthetic clothes I can wash without a machine
2 pair of boot socks
1 pair of flip flops (summer) or running shoes (winter)
1 pair of shorts
Blanket (summer) or Sleeping bag (Winter)
Bivvy sack
Thermarest prolite
Stocking cap (winter)
Fleece jacket (winter)

Optional:
Svea 123 that burns same fuel as bike
Spoon
Optimas cook set

Food:
Jerky/Pemmican/dried sausage
Tea/Coffee
Hard candy
Canned vegetables


Unless I’m in the middle of nowhere I can stop at the store and buy perishables as I use them or at a restaurant for breakfast or a burger.

It all fits in a Great Basin Giant Loop.

A simple test: If you can’t carry it all for an hour on your back, don’t put it on the bike.
 
Packed

DSCF0063-XL.jpg


Right bag

MSR 1 p tent, Big Agnes Pad and Bag, pillow, Allite Chair,plastic hammer.

Left Bag

Jet Boil, collapsible canteen, two meals, small bag of cooking /cleaning stuff,clothes bag( two t shirts, 1 underwear, 1 socks,1 ld comfort riding shorts,shorts,long pants, flip flop shoes.

Rear bag

Gerbings jacket and gloves, sweater, knit cap,machete,toilet bag, and spare tubes

Home Sweet Home

DSCF0077-XL.jpg
 
P7113847.jpg


Drybag: tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad (3/4 size thermarest), stuff sack for clean clothes, dry bag for dirty clothes.

Left pannier: stove and fuel, food (freeze-dried dinners, jerky and nuts, candy, cliff bars, etc), good coffee! and pour-thru filter. Small kit of cooking stuff (pot, spoon/spatula/etc)

Right pannier: rain gear, flip flops, big water bottle. Cold weather gear - when needed. More food, if needed.

Tool tubes: tools, fuel bottle with unleaded (for either the stove or the bike)

Tank Bag: camera, headlamp and other little odds and ends.


Thoughts on all this stuff:
On my two week trip last year, I'd re-buy freeze-dried food as I passed through towns, but I tried to keep two to four with me. Finding single-serving meals is a small challenge. I ate lunch in towns most of the time. Fill the water bottles at any gas station (ask nicely, and it's free).

I'm going to investigate forgoing the tent for just a tarp. It's only 3.7 pounds, but a tarp is about .5, packs smaller and is easier to setup, breakdown and use. I might need a bug-tight bivvy, though. Or, maybe a Hennessy hammock...

The stove is pretty big, but very solid as a cooking base. You don't need to prime it, so start-up is a lot easier that Whisperlites (which I also have). It burns unleaded, so one fuel tank works for backup for it and the bike. If I'm passing through towns every day or two, I might look into leaving this behind, also. Just buy burritos at a taco stand (or the regional equivalent) and throw 'em in a pannier.

That dry bag has a zipper across the top, but has been 100% waterproof (once I learned how to close it) through pretty serious rain. It's not near full, so stuff shifts around. It the roads were really tough, you might want to run some additional bungees around it to keep stuff stationary.

I can't see what else anyone would need. A 650 is plenty big for all this. If I can ditch the tent and stove, I could get pretty much all this into the panniers with only a small dry bag up top for clothes.
 
Hmm, never thought of 650cc as small, but hey, that's just me. I pack by pretty much the following:

Clothing in saddle bags. Includes 2-3 tshirts, underwear, socks, a pair of sandals, sweatshirt, etc.

Most kitchen stuff goes in my tail box. Includes a tiny back packer stove, backpacker pot/pan set, 2 cans of butane, dinner (pretty basic canned or packaged stuff) for 2 nights. Also an air mattress pump and a baggie full of Folger's coffee bags, tea bags, etc.

The "house" includes a mummy bag, Eureka 2-man tent, air mattress, camping pillow, collapsible water bottle, and a telescoping $5 hunter's chair from Academy Sports. All that is wrapped in a blue plastic tarp and bungeed to my seat. The tarp itself can be useful in camp for all sorts of things.

I only bother with food for 2 nights at a time, so what I carry is pretty standard whether I'm gone a night or a week. What changes is some extra changes of clothing, and - depending on where I'm going - extra cold weather layers.

This is what my bike looks like, loaded for a 6-day trip.
2012-05181.jpg
 
Maybe start with the ultra-light backpacking crowd, but substitute the bike for the walking part!:mrgreen:

This should be good.

I always figured look into what the bicycle campers carry. That should transition over pretty well.
 
Maybe start with the ultra-light backpacking crowd, but substitute the bike for the walking part!:mrgreen:

This should be good.

Actually, that's an excellent place to start. What I have room to comfortably carry on an adventure bike is about the same, in cubic inches, as what I can carry in, or hang off of, a backpack. Weight is immaterial, but space constraints are quite similar.
 
Packed

Right bag

MSR 1 p tent, Big Agnes Pad and Bag, pillow, Allite Chair,plastic hammer.

Left Bag

Jet Boil, collapsible canteen, two meals, small bag of cooking /cleaning stuff,clothes bag( two t shirts, 1 underwear, 1 socks,1 ld comfort riding shorts,shorts,long pants, flip flop shoes.

You pack a folding chair but only 1 pair of socks and 1 piece of underwear? What if it rains? haha

_
 
:popcorn:

so many of the above mentioned items/strategies are quite sound

ORTLIEB & NOMAD bags are serving me well & the variety n flexibility are super

there are several other brands of soft/waterproof bags that are as good or better

whichever route you go w/ the bags/luggage will be the result of personal taste, more than anything else

i personally don't relish the thought of hard bags chasing me when(not if) i crash

others will argue the benefits of hard bags keeping the machine off them, when they take a nap

as for camping/sleeping gear, i depend on a means of relaxing in camp & a good night's sleep, to keep me at my best

therefore, i either hang in a hammock, on an insulated pad or sleep on an insulated pad, on a cot in a 3-man tent

my sleeping bag will vary w/ weather expectations

i ALWAYS carry a KERMIT CHAIR

and a way to make real coffee

you might attend one of BOB'S CAMPOUTS on the PIE WEEKEND to see some examples, 1st hand/in action, of how we each solve the issues, to suit our different styles

just an old man's humble opinion...

sw
 
All of you pack way too much stuff for tourmeister to pack on a 530.

Giant loop coyote packed with: REI2 man tent, down sleeping bag, air pillow, air mattress for bag, jet boil cooker and 2 person cook set, 3 sets of clothes and 1 liter of water.

1 gallon rotopax with chair strapped to it, Nelson rigg sport bag on top with all tools and rear tube and a few food items.

Giant loop tank bag with all personal items, phone chargers etc.

Camelback 3 liters with all snacks in backpack part.

Spent 8 days on the bike, camped 4 days, 1500 miles all dirt.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    44.6 KB · Views: 747
Mark Sampson BigDogAdventures had done the best vid I have ever seen about packing a ADVture bike. Mark did a 7,000 mile ride to Alaska on a WR250R. Last time I checked his thread about that bike he had well over 40,000 miles on it so I would say he know better than most how to pack and load a small bike.
This is how he packs.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nERau4O1hA&feature=player_embedded"]RidingGearVideo.mp4 - YouTube[/ame]

Me? I take to much crap so this is the way I role.

P3160034_zpsfaf6ea89.jpg
 
A shot of the old DRZ load for adventure riding/camping. Backpacking tent, Thermarest, 30' sleeping bag, camp stove, sandals, hatchet, tools and spares, extra set of clothes, layer gear for warmth, rain gear. The small items go in the Wolfman tank bag and the hydration pack. I carry a pump filter in the pack also just in case. Tools and cooking gear in one Dirt Bagz saddle bag; clothes and rain gear in the other. Sleeping bag and fleece in the Wolfman duffle. This served very well for the Continental Divide Ride. For the 530 I think the Giant Loop bag will be the best option for loading gear.

SDC10364.jpg
 
Here is some of my small bike camping set up, which Ive pared down over time, but could still use some work.

REI Chrysalis Ultra Light, a one man tent - 4.5 lb.s. Its a one man tent, works great. It has a small vestibule for putting boots and items out of the rain and morning mist. It has held up well to strong winds at BBRSP and cold below 30 degrees.

10532598_85923_full.jpg


Sleeping bag is a Alps Mountaineering Clearwater 20, and its been good down into the low 30's. Does not pack down as small or light as more expensive down bags. Get a 30 degree bag, it may really be a 35-40 degree bag, so I with 20 degree bag. When very cold the mummy top head cover is excellent, and I wear a micro fiber shirt. [/b]

campgear4.jpg


For a sleeping mat I have an Exped down mat, which combines an air mat with a bit of goose down inside. The down gives extra insulation. The stuff sack doubles as pump, so you use outside air to fill it, and not your lungs because this has moisture that will keep the down from working as well. The stuff bag doubles as a pillow by putting some clothing inside, and has a foam liner to give it shape.


expeddownmat7_zpsd510944d.jpg


I bring a little REI tri-pod alloy folding chair. Weight 1.25 lbs. It packs very easy and provides great comfort at primitive camp sites.

Campchair_zpsc9c8e13e.jpg


I have a new small single burner that screws on to a cartridge. I will carry two small cartridges so I can toss one when its done. The unit folds up nice and small! Also I have REI alloy teflon coated pans, more for cooking a decent sized meal. I could really get away without a separate plate, and even just use a tiny alloy pot for everything.

Campsetup_zps960d93b5.jpg



I run Wolfman E12 Enduro bags and a roll up dry bag on my rear rack. My sleeping pad, bag, and cooking gear fit in the dry bag. The tent I strap on top.


Micro fiber rules! Underwear, tights, long and short shirts. These are necessary to keep warm, dry and cool. I try not to pack any cotton clothing.

I pack two microfiber motorcycle underwear, two mirofiber T-shirts, cold weather Bilt fleece, light nylon camping pants that convert to shorts, RDS Beanie, and foldable camp shoes, I just got. These are a lot smaller than the Keens I carried, and good only for around the camp site!

campshoe_zpsef73b7c2.jpg



I plan to pack some breakfast food, instant oatmeal and freeze dried coffee. I may try a couple of freeze dried camp meals as back up for dinner if not able to get provisions on the road. I pack an assortment of nuts, power bars, and a few apples. I try to get some fresh foods to keep the system moving!

Here is an example of cooking up Israeli cous cous (form of pasta, cooks fast and filling) along with some pre-packaged curry with cooked chicken added. You can get "chicken packs" that do not need refridgeration and give you lots of options.

P1140034.jpg


Of course, I use a CamelBak, with 100 oz water supply and ability to cram in some extra food or cold beers for later.

Here is my tool set up, which is subject to change. I really like the small 27mm wrench for the rear axel.

XR650RTools1_zpse74ae2a8.jpg



For packing I am a huge fan of Rock Straps, the work great and come in many sizes. Even the smaller sizes will secure your load really well.

http://www.rokstraps.com/moto.html
 
You pack a folding chair but only 1 pair of socks and 1 piece of underwear? What if it rains? haha

_

I try and find a washing machine every two weeks. :lol2:



No really my feet are the only thing that ever get wet( good gear) I sleep in the one pair of underwear and ride in the LD Comfort stuff. I an almost always riding so don't need much off the bike clothes .
 
:tab I know there will obviously be crossover between gear carried on bigger bikes and smaller bikes, but I want to see how folks pack the smaller bikes and what they deem necessary when weight and space is at a premium. Bikes I have in mind are the 650's and smaller where you can't always just pile stuff up and strap it down. The idea is that the bike is still going to be manageable in some fairly technical riding but not hardcore single track.

:tab What tents, chairs, cooking equipment, sleeping bags, clothes, riding gear, luggage, tie down straps, and other misc "stuff" that just make life easier when camping off the bike for days at a time? How do you get it all packed? Any secret tips/tricks of the trade?

:tab I ask because I am prepping my KTM 530 for a week of riding and camping in potentially cold/wet weather. You can't pack the 530 like a KLR 650 :-P

Scott
if you were an Army Ranger all you would need to go with that 530 is your Ranger tab to keep you warm and dry! There is a very good thread on adventure rider on this topic. I'll try and find the thread.
 
Here is some of my small bike camping set up, which Ive pared down over time, but could still use some work.

GREAT info here. Thanks for taking the time to post all this.

I've done pre-made curry before, but not with cous cous. Clever, and very good idea!
 
Mark Sampson BigDogAdventures had done the best vid I have ever seen about packing a ADVture bike. Mark did a 7,000 mile ride to Alaska on a WR250R. Last time I checked his thread about that bike he had well over 40,000 miles on it so I would say he know better than most how to pack and load a small bike.
This is how he packs.
RidingGearVideo.mp4 - YouTube

Long, detailed video, packed with little tidbits. Great!

One specific thing he pointed out that I didn't do: pack your sleeping bag separate from the tent. Tents get wet, and packing them together will make you bag wet. I've done that before, and never thought to put the sleeping bag away separately.

Another point he talks about but never really says: plan for everything to get wet, because it will. That means being able to put up and take down your tent in the rain without soaking everything you own.
 
Do any of yall carry a backpack as a means of transporting your gear?

My "camel back" is a Kelty which doubles as a day pack. A Giant Loop Great Basin and Coyote or the Nomad Rider Moab and Venture can serve as rudimantary backpacks. I've seen DS riders with Cycleracks strap everything from backpacks to wheeled luggage on them.
 
Back
Top