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The one-bag camp is key, and for even quicker camps, I have a tarp, pony saddle blanket, and bivvy sack easily accessible. I can pull it off the bike and sleep in my riding gear beside my bike. I can wake up and break ‘camp’ in five minutes max.
You forgot about.. I wish I had taking some more advance gravel/trail training. I know you spoke about that in your training video, how much easier it was afterwards. Sure doesn’t hurt to do that before hammering through the BDR, as you will have more fun and feel more confident 😊
I have found in my travels that the more rural dollar generals actually have a decent amount of groceries as well. So don’t blow by those when you’re in the middle of nowhere.
Because of you I am really wanting to start Moto camping. Never really been a camper. Current bike not really suited to carry stuff, but reason to get a new one. 😀
Great Video. I always bring more than I need to-lots of good points here, Dork. Thanks for sharing them with us. The mesquite repellent is the one thing I always regret I didn't bring. The other thing I always do is leave my tent open. You would think by now I would learn. 👍
I carry a coil of pic and a holder...weighs nothing, packs really well in my camp bag, and had killed every critter in my tent I've run into. I just light it up for a few minutes and set it inside in the holder. has worked well for me
As you mentioned, the camping is the very end of the day. You won't want to prepare elaborate dinners. Sometimes, you can catch a meal in town and get another hour or two of riding after supper. This means you need less meal prep gear and food, and a more spartan camping set-up. Less is more! Consequently, you can put in more miles. I can't stand riding with others who only plan for 150 miles per day! Any lazy wanker can average 200 to 250 miles if you put in an honest 8 hour day. (Based on TAT, TWAT, UTBDR, COBDR, and AZBDR experience, plus 7500 miles to Alaska.)
I have two dry bags. One for inside the tent. Air mattres, lights' , blanket, inflation blower, piss bottle, ... The other dry bag has tent, chair, cook kit, thermacell, wind shield, table, Para cord, axe, ... My left panniers contains mostly tools spare parts, rope,, first aid, a tarp, ... My right panniers has my clothes, camp shoes, ... Lucky my brother is the chuck wagon who meets us at a camp end of day with cold drinks and stuff for supper. Awesome. We did the WA bdr.
Awesome stuff, Ben! It was really cool watching those videos! I've heard some amazing things about the Utah BDR, and it's on my bucket list! Some day, when I get my Africa Twin.
What works for myself is marking my bags with a sharpie so I remember at a glance where things are. Nothing is more frustrating than looking for something simple and digging though and not finding it. Plus I mark arrows on my bags so strapping everything down goes much easier every time.
A way better idea Jim than my own, which is to use colour coded stuff and compression bags, guaranteed to forget which holds my socks, is it the red one? and which has…?
For the Washington BDR, I'd suggest skipping camping all together. So many towns really close to the route, that could could skip all the weight and hassle. It was over 100F when we went in July 2021 and camping was mostly miserable. Camping can be fun, but it wasn't this time. Cheers
Dear Mister Dork: great info and episode. Thanks! PS: one fascinating concept was “overlanders”. I wanna get a KLX300 and do some ‘overlander’ trips. Still love my KLR and ADV, but the overlander concept is compelling, and fits my adventure goals.
I just completed 5 of 8 sections of the Northeast BDR solo and it was awesome. I definitely packed way too much stuff but your videos are so helpful, thank you. You need to come east next year and do the NEBDR.
Well if preparing for the “worst” is pooping in the woods then you’re doing well 😂🤙. I enjoy listening to your perspective even when it’s not mine. You absolutely should have done baby head hill (both ways). You should go back when your more confident 🤙
I agree 99% with everything you have said but for me jet boil just with the coffee cup they supply is too small to cook food and can burn stuff real quick.
Love your videos. Always great to content. Do you think the KLR Adventure model could complete this trip? Love to read your thoughts since you owned a 2022 KLR Adventure and can compare.
tip #666....when coming to intersections in the middle of nowhere....make sure to give your gps time to catch up before you take a road....went off course a few times and got caught on some nasty roads that were hard to turn around and get back out of......
Do you spray pyrethrin on your tent? In our area, ticks are a concern, in addition to mosquitos, so I’m wondering about doing this to keep them off the tent.
I think the tip on having your campsite in a bag is highly underrated. On my last 12,000 mile trip this was exactly how I loaded my bike and it was awesome.
Love this! I will note that other BDRs like WYBDR and the IDBDR there are less towns to stop in that have a wide variety of groceries without having to go an hour or more off route. There's enough to get by, but if you have food allergies, or specific dietary needs it's a good idea to still be fairly prepared with food. ☺👍 Particularly Wyoming goes through quite a few towns that have a gas station but don't have a grocery store.
I've done five (Idaho, Utah, and Colorado twice.) Best advice - make sure you have fun. That can mean doing a workaround if you're tired and just need some paved miles or feel as though a section might be more than you want to take on. I would also recommend never doing a BDR (or any significant off-road riding) alone. On one of the Colorado rides, the person out front took a wrong turn, so doubled back. A couple of us followed suit. In a simple U-turn, somehow I lost control of the bike and woke up concussed. Apparently, a couple on an ATV stopped and asked the other rider who happened to spot me if we needed help. They helped pull my bike out of a ditch (using a tow rope and their ATV to do it - it apparently took about 20 minutes to accomplish.) I don't remember that at all. If I had been alone, it's hard to predict what the outcome might have been. I might have tried to ride out as soon as I came to (probably in the wrong direction - I was apparently suggesting that when I came to.) On my first attempt at Idaho, I tried it on my own. Everything went perfectly until I took a fall in some sand and destroyed one of those plastic panniers that my GS came with. I taped it back together and hobbled home. But, after doing Idaho the following year with some friends, I now realize that the fall and broken panniers could have been a blessing in disguise. Some of that ride is in really remote areas - somewhere you don't want to be on your own if something happens.
Agree with most of this. My additional points would be to check on bike daily if possible, just go through your fasteners and make sure they are all still there and snug. Don't wait too long into day to find a campsite, it sucks trying to find and setup one in dark. You can skimp on food but as you mentioned in video-- definitely don't skimp on water. Fuel economy drops the more you spin your tire, and range goes down. I've learned most of these things the hard way lmao.
Great advice, thanks for taking the time and effort it takes to make this content. My advice would be to not overlook the preparation of your motorcycle. I can't stress enough that there's a difference between the suspension and riding comfort of an off the shelf 240 pound 250-500cc dual sport/enduro and a 500 pound medium weight Adventure bike like a KTM 690, 790, 990, Africa twin and others. The dual sport/enduro's are factory set up for a 160-175 lbs rider with gear on; if this isn't you, you should absolutely be looking into investing the money into getting your suspension set up with springs and revalving for your weight and riding conditions or else you'll be too sore after a single section to enjoy the experience. A suspension that has springs nearly fully compressed by an extra 80 pounds isn't working well at smoothing out the bumps (and there will be a lot of them) and it'll be transmitted through your arms and legs and back all day. Also, that narrow rock hard motocross seat may be fine for 5-20 mile rides, but it'll chafe raw every sensitive area in your body after 75 miles or less since you'll actually be sitting on it, not just standing up on a track. Seat Concept seats ARE expensive, but their wider and vastly more comfortable to prevent a lot of seat pain. I highly recommend a single section shake down ride to find those weak area's in either man or machine before taking on the big week long adventure. Lastly, don't overlook having the ability to send an emergency message for help, mechanical, physical or otherwise, especially if riding alone.
Yeah. Dont need everything to cook. I just bring the jet boil and buy food every day. No need to bring extra food. All BDR routes are designed to be in one town almost every single day for gas and food. Mosquito repellent, hand lotion cause it usually dry and dusty. My fingers cracked bad my first Idaho BDR. If you dont need it, dont bring it. You dont need a folding table, there are rocks, stumps and your bike seat for that. Bring a chair, a high back chair IMO. After a long day, a nice chair with a high back for me, is a needed and appriciated item on every BDR I do. Camp, plan on camping cause hotels in some towns are very expensive. I stay in a hotel about 1 night per BDR to do laundry. I bring a shower bag for showering on the trail, small and only $25. Fill it with river water the night before you sleep. Place it in a spot that should get sun in the morning, it will heat up and have a nice shower. Just ride, enjoy, and dont make any daily mileage goals or if you do, you may miss out on the experience, just my opinion.
Pretty much every time, I'm riding untill dark, have either ate before camp, or wait untill morning. Snacks and electrolytes are priority and full sit down meals cut into riding time.😄 I do take some time for a good breakfast though. It will hold me over for most of the day. I'm usually resistant to mozzies, but this was a good year for them. And the Thermacell kept the flying teeth away. Especially in the morning. Turn it on under the porch, by the time you're done changing or packing bed up they are dead or gone. Speaking of bed, I now only pack a light blanket, the Thermarest matress and pillow. No more sleeping bag.
Great point. I learned years ago that de-coupling where you sleep (what many consider the "camping" part) from where you eat dinner while backpacking changed everything for me. It's even easier ADVtouring on a motorcycle.
One thing that I have been doing for both religious and health is fasting. I am slowly extending the time. Not eating for 24 hours is both good for you and can help when you do have to miss a meal or two.
Having only time to do one leg per weekend afforded me time to setup camp, ride with minimal gear, and go back to the same campsite. It was a much more enjoyable ride without panniers, carrying only emergency gear on the back seat.
That's a great list there Ben! I love the comparison of 'camping to ride' versus 'riding to camp'. I think that some individuals may have a hard time understanding the difference. The main difference being what the focus is; is it to ride or camp. And I don't think I'll ever be to the point that I don't have too much stuff, if I do than I'm sure it'll be when I need something that has been dropped from my gear list 🤔
In think you hit the head on the nail. A BDR can be camp to ride or ride to camp. Just like Dork, my first BDR was a camp to ride with a git'er done attitude. Now, with several git'er done BDR's over my belt, I have a stop and smell the roses attitude. I enjoy getting into camp/motel early, which allows me a chance for some fishing, or a hike, and time to prepare a decent meal. However you approach it is fine, just get out and enjoy!
@@itsFritz I think you've got the right idea now. If a person is limited on time I guess you do what you need to in order to accomplish your goal. But I like your approach now, take your time, enjoy the ride, smell the flowers, and especially love the idea of stopping to fish or hike 👍
Definitely agree on all of these - top two were having the camping gear be in a separate bag and also to shower WHENEVER it is available. You never know when showers will totally disappear, and it's tragic, to say the least. Awesome video :)
Ride well within your limits. A fully loaded bike handles differently/ stop more slowly than a bare bike. Ride with people you know and trust. Noting kills a ride more than a crash induced injury and you need to call the emergency services. Carry a EPIRB ( tracker) because cell phone coverage is not great in rural areas. Possibly rent a satellite phone and share the cost within the group. Share the load between riders ( stove, table, cook ware, hatchet, wood saw) you don't need multiples of these. Have a established method of what to do if a rider is lost.
Great advice. I hate pooping in woods or here in AZ, the desert. I have done it but it’s not my thing. I have not done more than two nights camping off the bike but I think if I did a BDR or a longer trip I might hotel one night in the middle to break things up . Keep the content coming
How do you find people to ride with? I’m curious how you approached building a community of people to ride with. BTW, I live in Seattle and am planning the WA BDR.
Bring extra gasoline. Might sound weird but it helps. Ran out of gas 19 miles from town not too long ago and had to wait for a buddy to get gas and come back. Had i been alone it would have been a long walk.
All great tips! I'll drop my own to help anyone reading: #1 Ride right! Really hug that right side of the road/track around blind corners or you'll end up in the grill of a SxS or Truck. #2 Pack light - act like you're backpacking, but off a motorcycle. This is the general mindset to apply to all your stuff. #3 Acquire the lightest gear you can afford - tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad are the biggest gear culprits. #4 Distribute the weight evenly across the bike. Lightest items go on top of the bike, heavy items go as far down and forward in your panniers as you can get. them (esp. forward of the rear axel). This will help tremendously with bike handling in rough terrain. #5 Expect to self rescue. Most BDR's have little cell coverage, so take a GPS rescue beacon of some kind (Inreach), medical gear, and breakdown gear. #6 Expect to get a flat tire - bring tubes, patches, spoons and know how to use them. #7 Research the route ahead of time to know current conditions, fire closures, fuel stops, etc as all these things can change week-by-week. Make a list of all the local forest service numbers, rescue numbers and motorcycle repair shops ahead of time and bring it with you just in case. #8 Use a modern GPS system or App like Gaia GPS and download the maps ahead of time(Gaia's Overlanding basemap is my current favorite). #9 It gets darker, sooner in the mountains - once the sun drops below the ridgeline, start looking for a camping spot #10 Have fun! Make sure you build enough time into your ride schedule for photos, videos, taking side trips, a day off in town if possible.
I challenge you on #7, especially given #3. You brought so much stuff because you had too much luggage capacity. I get it; you are sponsored by Giant Loop, so you must use all of their kit, but come on. Between your panniers and Tillamook bag, you had nearly 140L of storage, which is way more than anyone needs for a few nights living off the bike doing a BDR. Cutting that volume in half (aka Great Basin saddlebags) would significantly improve your bike's offroad handling, so much so that sections like Babyhead hill and bethel ridge wouldn't be as intimidating. At the end of your BDR video, you said you would never do a BDR again on a full-sized adventure bike; a considerable portion of that was probably due to the adverse handling caused by bringing way too much stuff. I'm not hating on you, you are starting to see the light (#8), but I think it's critical for folks starting out in this hobby to realize weight is your enemy when taking ADVs offroad. Back to #7, it is more important to have your load equally distributed across your bags, even if that means splitting up your camping gear across multiple bags, than it is to have the convenience of walking a few fewer steps at the campsite.
I am too old for BDR riding but do car camping with a tent sometimes. I like watching others do it to show me what I am missing:) What's your favorite puff puff, I like Gurka brand puffers
FYI, the tip on food and water do NOT apply to the Idaho BDR. There are very few convenience stores, let alone Walmarts that are even close to the route. You are in backwoods wilderness for days. I almost ran out of water and gas. Be aware and prepared.
Gidday Dork in the Road. Kia Ora. I’m a Kiwi who lives and rides in the South Island of NZ. Your vids are bloody good. Learning so many transferable tips and ideas for my own riding adventures. Would love to hang out with you guys, ride those awesome trails, pay homage to your mountains, camp, smoke a cigar and have a yarn but that’s not likely, so keep them coming. You live in an awesome part of the world. Ka kite ano. Bill
Another great vid Ben. My first long trip was to Amanda's Rocky Mountain Roll Rally and I came away with a similar list of things I learned. I'm hoping to do a BDR soon, Idaho is my first choice. I'm not sure I wanna tackle it solo, but don't really have any riding buddies that are up for it so struggling with that decision.... Keep up the great work, your videos are awesome and I really enjoy them.
Great content and good points! I'm hoping to do my first BDR next summer, going to get used to the bike and do some moto-camping this fall, really appreciate all your information on gear and bike add ons.
Same here. Was a dirt bike rider when I was young, then rode HD's for 25 years, now at 63 I am back to dirt. Excited to get camping this Fall and do a BDR next year.
@@martenasmith ditto, only I turned 67 and retired this year. feels like I missed out on the adv riding for far too long! making up for lost time now 😀
Something that might prove useful would be to learn some bushcraft. You could then just carry a piece of wire mesh to use as your table top while just making your table legs. Also, when combined with some steel tent pegs, that mesh can become a grill if you want to make steak or grilled veggies
Go read Beyond Backpacking by Ray Jardine. Ultra lite backpacking guru with tons of stuff applicable to Moto camping. don’t even bring a stove anymore, things like that.
Everyone is on a different mission. Trail ridding is my entertainment. Using my superb time management skills, I allocate enough time to ride out and back on a section of the trail during the day; so I can camp in my 5-star-car or van every night. This way I get to do the trail in both directions. Then relocate to the next trail/road cross points and do it again at my leisure. A light weight bike unencumbered with camping gear is trail ridding entertainment at it's best.
The one thing I've brought on these trips is a wet rag in a ziplock bag. You have to be careful using some baby wipes, and all wet wipes on googles, face shields or plastics in general. Make sure your wipes dont have alcohol because it can crack and discolor acrylic and plastic.
Yup i've done the rag in a bag for 40ish years. I found out the hard way that isopropyl alcohol in most wet wipes destroys face shields and plastics. (Not right way but every time you use them it causes damage especially any reflective tinting will degrade quickly)
We did the Smokey Mountain 500 a few weeks ago and I had only 3 bags.. 2 Kriega Panniers and a top bag w/ camp stuff... There were 6 of us and we were always having to stop and pick up stuff from others bikes that had fallen off... My stuff never moved.. even in crashes.... w/ rok straps... I do have you tube videos on that trip if you care to watch.. with crashes.. lol ( I crashed 5 times)
Done most of the WA, ID and some of the CO BDR sections. For multi day camping trips, the guidance on immediate camp gear in its own bag immediately accessible is spot-on. I can’t say how many times I remember the hard way after finding my gear spread out when there’s minimal light left to setup. Taking time each morning to clean & lube your chain, with a thorough walk around inspection is another “must.” Good summary. Thx for sharing.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, the whole BDR trip was so much fun to watch (minus the dwindling of the group). In Michigan we don't have anything like a BDR so I was living vicariously through you. Thanks again
there's some pretty good dirt up between Paradise and Munising where I got myself lost a few weeks ago (but nothing like the stuff out West, I'll grant you 😉)
@@johngartee7129 I've never been up that way, I live just outside Detroit. I'm trying to plan a UP trip for next year, but I'd really like to find a way around the bridge. I'm quite nervous with heights 😊. Glad you got yourself unlost though!
I learned to do a few short one day trips to test the gear, see what I like, what I did not like. I ended up changing all my luggage from hard to soft and your right. One bag for all the camp gear. So the way to go. Mine like yours lays across the back seat, and I can actually get in my panniers if i need with the bag on the seat. Oh so much fun
That footage looks beautiful. I really want to ride the pnw. Regarding ride to camp vs camp to ride, would there be any issues with just covering less miles per day? Hypothetically, you have the vacation time, then you'd just need to maybe pack extra food between towns?
Tip one, if you don't weigh 160-175 pounds INVEST in getting the suspension done for your weight and the riding conditions you intend to ride, it'll make a world of difference in the ride quality and the level of soreness you experience after a single section. I ride a Beta 500 and while it's extremely capable for both the off road and on road sections of the WABDR, the ride comfort could be best described as abusive after the first 50 miles. I've owned a WR450, CRF450r and a Beta 500 and a properly set up suspension and aftermarket seat is a necessity for long multi day rides.
@@jefffaller8474 I’ll be getting the Seat Concepts comfort seat and I’ll be using the Reckless 80 bag setup. I’m 195 but with boots and riding gear I’ll assume 210 + bags. I’m in Spokane so I’m not sure who a competent source would be for suspension. If you have somebody you’ve used I’d appreciate the referral. I don’t mind driving to get it done right. Thanks for your help
