Bike Camping

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cyphecks
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Bike Camping

#1 Unread post by cyphecks »

I'm planning on a two-month or so long bike tour of the country pretty soon, and I was wondering about how feasible it is to plan on camping often on the road. Do most people simply camp at campgrounds, or is it reasonable to assume that in more remote parts of the country you can just camp anywhere you want off the side of the road?
Any essentials for camping besides a tent and sleeping bag, maybe stuff specifically for motorcycle camping?
Thanks in advance for any tips or advice.
Ethan

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#2 Unread post by Ninja Geoff »

Some basic maintenance stuff I'd imagine. A good toolkit. And learn how to fix the little things. Maybe bring some chain lube, tire repair kit, extra food, a knife or three (you can never have too many knives), maybe some mace? If you're camping and a bear attacks you, some mace might come in handy. Or if anyone does really. Though that's worst case scenario. Though a worst case scenario isn't a bad thing to plan for. Oh, cell phone, phone cards, charger for phone, rain suit, first aid kit. And learn how to use it and what each little thing in it does.
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#3 Unread post by slimcolo »

In addition to what geoff said; also consider the following ; axe or machette, Thermarest, canteens or other water jugs, long jons, lantern and/or flashlight, small cooler,one burner stove, small rope (enough to hoist your food off ground in bear country) fire starter and magnesium match. I also put toilet paper and handi wipes in a ziploc bag. Small spade. Piece of plywood about 6 X6 to put under kickstand when wet, Small plastic tarp, Small radio w/ weather band, Compass, bike's manual, walking shoes and flip flops or Tevas for shower shoes, spare spark plugs,camp shower,xtra bungees,first aide kit w/ elastic bandage.
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#4 Unread post by JCS »

Look to the back packers for gear. A lot of the stuff works great for bike camping.

Go with at least one size bigger tent than you have people. One person=2 person tent. 2 people=3 or 4 person tent. This will allow you to bring your gear in the tent with you. A vestibule is a great thing to have to get out of the rain while getting your tent door open and to put wet gear that you don't want to bring in the tent. Use a ground cloth always.

A down sleeping bag packs very small but is useless to keep you warm if it gets wet. Synthetics pack a little bigger but will still insulate if wet.

+1 on the Thermarest. Unless you are camping in cold weather a 3/4 length will serve you fine and packs smaller. Avoid regular air matresses as they actually make you sleep colder than the Thermarest.

You can get camping pilloows that pack small. Or use a small stuff bag with a few clothes in it as a pillow.

+1 on the hatchet. Gerber makes a "Pack AX' that is small enough to pack easily. Good for firewood, driving tent stakes, etc. Mine also has a knife that slips into the handle.

Multi-tool. A Gerber or Leatherman can be a very useful tool.

Lights. I carry a LED Mini-Mag and a led headlamp. These are a must have. I also have a small led lantern that is handy but not neccessary.

Do you want to be able to cook?

If all you want to do is boil water the Jet Boil is making fans. Not much good for real cooking, though.
For real cooking look at the multi-fuel stoves. I use a Whisperlite International from MSR. I fill a small fuel canister with white gas when I leave home. If I run out on the road I can siphon some fuel from the bike to use in the stove. This thing will run on darn near any liquid that will burn. Cleaning the jets is as easy as shaking the stove.

Again, backing cookwear works great and does not take a lot of room. Avoid the raw aluminum stuff as it leaves an after taste in the food. Stainless works well and distributes the heat from the stove pretty evenly. Cleans easily, too. I also use stainless steel mugs. Use for coffee/beverages. If you don't want to use another pan to hear water you can set it on the stove to heat water for your coffee.

A small collapsible cooler is handy. Before you get to where you are going to set up camp hit a local grocery store. Pick up whatever you want to cook for dinner and breakfast. Beverages, too. Just get what you need for the stop and when you leave collapse it and go.

We also use a very small grill if you want to cook on the fire. Some aluminum foil is handy. On the grill it makes clean up easier and you can make foil pack meals in the coals. Very easy to do.

Take a few condiments/spices with you. Salt, pepper, garlic salt.Empty 35mm film cannisters are great for this. You can get shaker lids to fit them. A small bottle of tobasco sauce is handy as well.

Same for a small collapsible water jug. 1 1/2 gallons will work and can pack inside the cooler.

If you don't want to cook hit the small Mom & Pop places to eat along the way. Often very good food at decent prices and the locals can clue you in on the good roads to ride and things to see.

Pack as much as you can in dry bags. If you have bags on the bike garbage bags will do.

The camping "pack towels" are great. They take much less room to pack and dry very quickly.

If you have room something to sit on is nice. Not all places will have a picnic table. I picked up a couple of small tripod stools that work ok. 2 will pack into less space than a folding chair. I pack 2 into a chair bag.

There are lots more things to consider but these are some ideas that are proven to work. You just have to figure out how you want to go about it.

I know that this stuff sounds like a lot but if you set it up it is easily packed on a bike along with tools, clothes,etc.
I would be the old, slow guy. Just let me know where you are going and I'll try to get there before you leave.

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#5 Unread post by cyphecks »

wow thanks for all the ideas. thats certainly plenty to think about.
but how about camping locations? should i stick to campgrounds, or do you have any thoughts on just pulling off the road in a random area somewhere?
Ethan

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#6 Unread post by Johnj »

I'd stick to campgrounds, if you get caught camping elsewhere you may find yourself on the wrong end of an argument with a law enforcement officer.
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#7 Unread post by flynrider »

Johnj wrote:I'd stick to campgrounds, if you get caught camping elsewhere you may find yourself on the wrong end of an argument with a law enforcement officer.
Well, that depends on where you camp. On U.S National Forest land, you can camp anywhere you want to. It's much better than camping in an established campground, where you are more likely to get stuck next to a 40 ft. motorhome with TVs, radios and generators blaring at you all day. Who needs that?
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Re: Bike Camping

#8 Unread post by flynrider »

cyphecks wrote:I'm planning on a two-month or so long bike tour of the country pretty soon, and I was wondering about how feasible it is to plan on camping often on the road. Do most people simply camp at campgrounds, or is it reasonable to assume that in more remote parts of the country you can just camp anywhere you want off the side of the road?
Any essentials for camping besides a tent and sleeping bag, maybe stuff specifically for motorcycle camping?
Thanks in advance for any tips or advice.
Hey Cyphecks,

Two months is a pretty impressive trip. The longest bike camping trip I was ever able to manage was six weeks (then I had to go back to work).

In the western U.S., it's quite feasable to plan on camping most nights of your trip. I would generally camp for 2 or 3 days, then get an inexpensive motel room for a night to get cleaned up and restock my supplies. As I posted above, you can camp anywhere within a National Forest. In the west, they are all over the place. If you like ammenities such as water from a spigot and bathrooms/outhouses, you'll probably be able to find a Forest Service campground. Personally, my favorite tactic was to go riding up a gravel forest service access road at random, and find a nice spot next to a creek.

As for equipment beyond what you mentioned, materials for fire starting (small handsaw, waterproof matches, etc...) are good, as is some kind of small portable stove for cooking where fires are not allowed. I used a small single burner propane unit. One of the best items I ever bought was a string hammock. It rolls up into a small ball, weighs only a few ounces. It just takes a minute to string between a few trees and is great for relaxing after a long ride.

For all of the normal camping items (i.e. toiletries, bug spray, etc...) try to find the small sizes. You want to keep everything as light as possible to avoid having a top-heavy bike. Visit a camping store and check out the lightweight items that they sell for backpackers.

Don't worry about getting everything right the first time. You'll be able to adjust your gear as you go along.

Above all, have fun. There's not many things that are more fun than wandering the country on a bike.

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#9 Unread post by cyphecks »

Two months would be awhile for camping only, but I guess I forgot to mention that I'll be staying with people I know along the way, and camping will be more of an in between thing. Still, the advice is great, thanks, and keep it coming!
Ethan

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#10 Unread post by Lisa »

I haven't done any motorized 2 wheel camping, just the non motorized stuff and I imagine a lot translates over.

you might also check out the hammock tents. http://www.hennessyhammock.com/ They aren't the only game in town, so you can shop around ala google.

As for sleeping where ever, it depends where you are, how much noise you make and who owns the land. On a bicycle trip I did with a friend through nova scotia we would often camp by the road but we were often on "crown" land, the strip between the road and the ocean. One time we couldn't find anywhere to set up our tent so we asked some one if we could stay in his back yard (it was pouring wet and miserable).

rechargeable batteries that can be charged off your bike would be good for the flashlights already mentioned.

For cooking +1 on the whisperlight international we had something similar and on nights where there was nothing but rain it was a godsend.

camelbak, plus extra water for cooking

in your first aid kit put some asperin/tylenol/ibuprofin.

I used to bring surf socks with me so i had something dry and clean to walk in.

If you can afford it, a GPS with maps. Not only will it tell you which way is north but it will tell you where you are, and if you know where you want to go it will tell you how to get there.

MP3 player with replaceable batteries, you might not always like the radio in the vicinity, or you might not get radio.

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