Spent any nights in a hotel lately? Consider this: the average price for one night in a hotel room in the US is $1071. That’s a lot of money for a few hours in a bed.
For the price of 5 nights in a hotel room, you could have the gear you’d need for everything from a weekend trip to the mountains to a months-long trip around the continent — and without the screaming children, stomping neighbors, nocturnal visitors2, and questionable cleanliness that so often comes free with your room key.
Here’s what this post will cover:
- 3 Keys to Evaluating Gear For Motorcycle Camping
- Shelter
- Sleeping
- Eating
- Summary of Gear Recommendations
3 Keys to Evaluating Gear For Motorcycle Camping
Outdoor equipment is all about compromise. Some gear is designed to be cheap, some is designed to weigh as little as possible, and some is designed to survive the toughest of conditions. I’ve been backpacking and camping for years, and it’s damn hard to find gear that excels at all three.
Motorcycle camping is spiritually closer to backpacking than car camping. You can only pack so much stuff on a motorcycle, and the lighter the load, the better the ride will be. When evaluating a piece of gear, consider these three key areas (listed in order of importance):
- weight and packed size
- durability
- price
Pick two.
The gear I’ve selected for this guide is balanced in all three areas: it’s not the cheapest, but it’ll withstand the rigors unique to motorcycling, and it won’t give you fits of rage when trying to pack it on your bike.
Shelter
The venerable REI Half Dome 2 tent has introduced more people to the joys of lightweight camping than anything else. At $179, it’s cheap for a good tent — and believe me, this is a good tent.
The Half Dome 2 easily sleeps 2 people, and becomes downright palatial when you’re camping solo. The tent has two doors, a crucial feature in a 2-person tent. The length is long enough to accommodate the 6-plus-footers, and the dome design has a surprising amount of headroom.
One person can set up the Half Dome 2 in just a few minutes. The tent is designed so that you set the poles up first, then clip the body of the tent up to the poles. The tips of the poles and the corners of the tent are color-coded to make things even easier. Nighttime? Unexpected rainstorm? That’s when an easy-to-setup tent is worth its weight in gold.
A rainfly is included with the Half Dome 2, and I’ve yet to see my tent leak a drop even after some intense rainstorms. The rainfly also keeps the wind out and warmth in. The Half Dome 2 has two vents at the top of the fly for ventilation and preventing condensation from forming inside.
- weight and packed size: 5 lbs 8 oz (2.5kg), packs into a cylinder 6 x 21 inches long; on the heavy side for a backpacking tent, but lightweight compared to cheap discount store tents; the packed tent is easy to strap down to a motorcycle
- durability: 5 years and still going strong, no rips or tears, no leaks
- price: $179, it’ll be tough to find a tent with comparable features that costs less than this one
I highly recommend that you purchase the optional footprint along with the tent. The footprint will keep the tent cleaner, keep the moisture out, and extend the life of the tent’s floor. The footprint adds 12 oz to the weight of the tent and very little bulk when packed. The price is $24.50 but it’s worth the extra insurance.
Sleeping
Choosing a sleeping bag is highly subjective, and it’s impossible for me to suggest a specific bag that will work for everyone. Instead, we’ll discuss some important points to consider when shopping for a sleeping bag. Start by answering the following questions:
- how tall are you?
- man or woman?
- will you be camping in rainy or dry conditions?
- what is the expected nighttime low temperature?
- do you sleep hot (i.e. kick off the covers) or do you run cold (i.e. burrow under the covers)?
- are you claustrophobic?
How tall are you?
Quality sleeping bags generally come in two lengths: regular and long. The specific length will vary depending on the bag, so look at the product tag or ask the salesperson. Better yet, go to an outdoor shop and try some bags out for size.
A sleeping bag is most efficient when it’s slightly larger than you are. When there’s lots of extra room, it’s harder for your body heat to remain concentrated within the bag, which is the key to staying warm and why most bags feature the “mummy” shape.
Man or woman?
Most manufacturers offer bags designed specifically for women. What’s different in a women’s sleeping bag? The lengths are shorter, the girth is wider — for hips, ya know? — and there’s more insulation since women tend to feel colder than men.
If you’re a gal who’s taller than most or runs like a furnace, skip the women’s bags and head straight for the men’s.
Will you be camping in rainy or dry conditions?
Sleeping bags have one of two kinds of insulation: down or synthetic. Down is warmer per ounce of weight and packs down to a smaller size compared to synthetic insulation (though recent technological advances have made synthetic much more competitive). However, down is more expensive and useless as an insulator when it’s wet.
If you select a down bag, it’s imperative that you keep it dry, and that includes when it’s packed inside your luggage. If you don’t want to worry, buy a synthetic bag.
What is the expected nighttime low temperature, and do you sleep hot or cold?
All sleeping bags have a temperature rating, which is a number made up by the manufacturer to give you an idea of the lowest temperature the bag was designed for. Unless you’re planning on a winter expedition, you’ll probably be fine with a three-season sleeping bag, i.e. a bag that’s rated somewhere between +15°F and +40°F. The key is finding the balance between the nighttime temperatures you’ll encounter and your own sleeping body temperature.
Examples:
- in the mountains, tend to run hot: start at 15°, then add 10° = 25°F bag
- in August in moderate elevations, tend to run cold: start at 30°, then subtract 10° = 20°F
- in hot climate, tend to run cold: start at 55°, then subtract 10° = 45°F
When in doubt, choose the lower temperature rating because you can always unzip the bag when things get toasty.
Are you claustrophobic?
If the idea of sleeping in a mummy-style bag gives you the jitters, look for a rectangular bag. Just be aware that rectangular bags are not as warm, so buy one with a lower temperature rating.
Putting it all together…
Here are some three-season sleeping bags for comparison purposes.
| Sleeping Bag | Insulation | Temperature Rating | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REI Travel Sack | synthetic | +55°F | 27 oz | $59.50 |
| Marmot Trestles | synthetic | +30° F | 47 oz | $89 |
| The North Face Cat’s Meow | synthetic | +20° F | 42 oz | $159 |
| Marmot Sawtooth | down | +15° F | 46 oz | $209 |
| Marmot Helium | down | +15° F | 29 oz | $369 |
A good all-around synthetic bag is the The North Face Cat’s Meow at $159. It’s available in both men’s and women’s versions in regular and long lengths.
A sleeping pad is a must for a good night’s sleep. A pad smooths out the bumps from debris under the tent and helps keep you warm by lifting your body away from the cold ground. My pick for a sleeping pad is the Big Agnes AirCore, a bargain compared to other air pads at $49.95.
- weight and packed size: 22oz and packs down to 4 x 8 inches
- durability: Stacey’s had one for three years and no leaks
- price: $49.95
Eating
The Snow Peak Gigapower stove is perfect for those new to outdoor cooking. It’s ridiculously tiny and a good deal at $39.95.
The Gigapower is a canister stove, which means it requires fuel in the form of a pre-filled canister. Such stoves are the easiest to use. Simply twist the stove onto the canister, open the fuel valve, and light with a match. On the downside, new canisters are harder to find in remote areas and the empties require special handling for disposal3.
- weight and packed size: 3.5oz and folds down to 4 x 2.6 inches
- durability: 6 years, countless pots boiled and meals cooked, and never a problem
- price: $39.95
A nice compliment to the Gigapower stove is the GSI Pinnacle Cookset. $39.95 gets you bang for your buck: a lightweight pot and insulated drinking mug, a folding spork, a pot strainer, and a stuff sack that doubles as a sink for washing up.
Best of all, stow your fuel canister and stove inside the pot, and you have a compact mess kit that weighs less than a pound and measures about 5 inches square.
- weight and packed size: 10.8 oz, 5″ x 5.4″ x 5.5″
- durability: I don’t own this particular kit, but I’ve had good experiences with GSI gear. This set has many favorable reviews at REI.
- price: $39.95
Summary
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| REI Half Dome 2 | $179.00 |
| REI Half Dome 2 footprint | $24.50 |
| The North Face Cat’s Meow sleeping bag | $159.00 |
| Big Agnes AirCore | $49.95 |
| Snow Peak Gigapower stove | $39.95 |
| GSI Pinnacle Cookset | $39.95 |
| Total | $492.35 |
Do you have a recommendation for gear that’s compact, lightweight, durable, and is cheaper than what I’ve listed? Please share!
- Hotels.com 2009 Hotel Price Index (HPI) [↩]
- one word: bedbugs [↩]
- Most household hazardous waste disposal facilities will accept empty canisters for recycling. [↩]
The Latest
Recent Comments
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post!
Just want to second the recommendation on the REI Half Dome – with a small caveat. For a viking-sized man, it is a one person tent with room for a bit of your gear. I might have been able to cram someone I really, really liked in there with me but it would have been snuggly to say the least.
Also, I rented the REI Polar Pod (20 degree) sleeping bag recently. It’s a synthetic bag, only weighs a couple pounds, and is cheap. I think it’s around $80.
That’s a pretty comprehensive list here. That’s great information! Some experiences from my side:
For our motorcycle camping we have decided to take a 3 person tent as the big jackets, pants, boots, and so on take much more space and we like to have some comfort – getting older, you know …
Still looking at the REI tent though when traveling alone.
Also one hint when traveling in cold weather: a stove with liquid fuel works better in really harsh conditions (where you normally don’t want to be on the motorcycle anyways, but you really need a hot cup of tea). I use an MSR Dragonfly that can also use the same fuel as my motorcycle. So, if I’m running out of gas on either one I can refill with the reserve from the other.
Dear Stacy:
This was one of the best, and most concise, motorcycle camping columns I have ever read. I was very impressed. Before I blew up to the size of a parade float, I used to hunt, fish, and backpack throughout New York State’s Adirondack Mountains. You are so correct in your statement that camping gear is a compromise. There is no such thing as “cheap” gear. Just an invitation to purchase all new stuff when the cheap garbage leaks, rips, or breaks.
I do not do as much camping as I would like anymore, because the discomfort I face from arthritis at the end of even a short ride robs the joy of bending over a fire or setting up a tent. But I hsve five specialty tents in the garage at the moment, over the Kevlar canoe. And I liken motorcycle camping to canoe camping in that it is possible to carry an extra luxury or two. For me, this was a slightly larger tent, where I could easily weather two days or more of rain, without becoming a psycho killer.
Once again, this was a great post.
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Twisted Roads
I agree with Lucky and Jack about the quality of this camping post. If Colin Fletcher rode motorcycles I could see him writing this.
I’m supposed to go camping with a friend after Labor Day and I have been looking at my backpacking gear and the Vespa but my brain just starts to itch. This may help. Worst case I remove the credit card from my wallet and ride towards a motel.
Steve Williams
Scooter in the Sticks
I am in agreement with everyone. Very cool post that makes me just want to camp, not necessarily on the moto. Haha. Now tell me if you’ve covered this before, but before the moto I used to love taking exploration drives, find a road and see where it leads. On the moto I find myself less inclined because of dirt and gravel roads. I know you’ve ridden them, but I have some kind of block about doing that. Seems like taking a road bicycle on a mountain bike trail, you know? I fear the tires will impale themselves on some piece of bric or a piece of brac, and that I will pretty much be tractionless. Yeah, going onto to a dirty or gravelly shoulder I can handle, but can’t imagine piloting my bike the way I do on dirt and gravel for any extended period of time. I should just shut up and do it, huh?
Again, awesome post. As usual.
@Lucky: When I estimate the size of a backpacking tent, I conjure a mental image of a typical backpacker: one of those skinny types that subsists on algae and granola. It’s why I chose a 2-person tent rather than a 1-person one for this guide.
@Guido: Good point about liquid fuel stoves performing better in cold weather, and indeed they do. However, my Snow Peak stove worked just fine during a snow camping trip, complete with a stay in an igloo.
@Jack Riepe: You’ve described perfectly why I find myself moto-camping more than backpacking these days — the luxury of a pack-mule. I’ve gone from weighing my gear on a postal scale before backpacking trips to deciding which bottle of wine.
@Steve Williams: I pictured Colin Fletcher in my mind while writing this piece and I’m honored by the comparison.
There’s never shame in deciding to stay in a hotel.
@David: I understand your fears about punctured tires and lack of traction. You ride a street bike and the idea of extended gravel doesn’t appeal to you. That’s normal. There are campsites that don’t require any off-pavement riding to get to.
However, think for a moment what you would do if you were out on a ride and you encountered unexpected gravel. Maybe a road construction project ripped out all the pavement and left nothing but dust and marbles. Would you turn around?
What if the destination was important? Just yesterday I was faced with a quarter-mile of gravel to get to the go-kart track where an Advanced Rider Training course was taking place. Imagine yourself in my place. Would you turn around?
There’s nothing wrong with avoiding gravel while riding a street bike. There is, however, no excuse for being unprepared.
This is a mental block. Nobody’s going to hold your hand. Get on your bike, find a gravel parking lot, and do it.
I agree with the others about this being an excellent post. I’m always looking at different gear options for camping and really appreciate being able to learn from the experience of others. I must admit that I haven’t gone backpacking in years. I guess the extra 10 lbs for the rifle (bear protection) has made it less fun. The last trip, we ended up bringing rope, crampons and harnesses in addition to the rifle. It was a great trip but the heavy load meant slow going.
I have a MSR multi-fuel stove that has proven to be great on all my trips. I’ve been burning unleaded car gas for thirty years in that stove and it still works great and burns very hot. I looked at that tent but opted for the slightly smaller Kelty Teton 2. The fly doesn’t go down to the ground so it really is a summer only tent but it is still roomier than my home-made copy of the Stephenson Warmlite. The new tent is much heavier (4.6 lbs) than the Stephenson copy (2.25 lbs) but it doesn’t really matter for motorcycle camping.
I like your comments on gravel. I’ve been practicing on our many gravel and dirt roads but still find it challenging when the dirt gets soft or the gravel deep. I’m looking for tires with a bit more aggressive tread now that I need to replace the tires. It may help but the bike may just be too heavy for the skinny tires these old bikes use.
Again, great post, thank you!
Richard
@RichardM: I vaguely remember hearing of Stephenson Warmlite tents during my backpacking days. Tarptent makes a similar series of ultralight tents, and I heartily recommend the Cloudburst 2 in particular. It’s hard to beat 39 ounces in a 2-person shelter. The downside is that it’s a tent for more experienced campers, and that’s why I didn’t recommend it for this guide. (Maybe in another post for advanced campers?)
Soft dirt, sand, and deep gravel are conditions in which I would turn around if I had the option to. As much as it amuses me to take my SV to inappropriate places, I know my limits — especially when I’m traveling solo.
I concur with the REI Half Dome tent. I got one as a present in ’02 and I still use it today. I’m almost 6′ tall and there’s always room for a second person. I’ve set it up in the middle of Utah at night in 30-40 mph winds as a flash flood was coming…so a testament to how easy it is to do by yourself.
Check this out, you and the bike.
http://www.nomadtent.com/tents.html