How To Motorcycle Camp The Light And Easy Way 

Now that sounds like serious fun!

Thanks for such a thoughful reply! On longer trips (on my GS) I keep clothesline and pins, but I usually just end up hanging my jacket and pants over the bike. I also use an inflatable backpacking air mattress and my tent has a footprint for under it on those trips. I cut down one of the scotchbrite/sponge things to 1"x2", then I soak it in dish soap and let it air dry. When it's time to clean up after dinner, just add a bit of water and the soap is already there!

Yes, I was going to suggest ROK straps instead of bungees.

Thanks and hope you had a happy 4th too! I'll post again after my next camping trip.

100% If you keep watching, I'll keep sharing!!

great idea. Tyvek is awesome and I've used it for tent footprints before.

@@mustachemoto - I use a Hennessy 4 Season Explorer XL Zip hammock but it's no savings in weight or packed volume compared to a small tent. It's at least twice the volume of the hammock shown in this video, but it's a solid comfortable shelter. I'm too old to sleep in a banana hammock so I need one of the lay-flat varieties. Unlike the backpacking, canoe or kayak camping, or mountain bike camping, I cover a lot more ground when motorcycle camping and I have continental moto camping aspirations. There are many places I might want to camp where there are no trees - the beach, plains, desert, above the tree line in the mountains, etc. I bought a couple of generic collapsible aluminum tent poles on Amazon, bought some lightweight aluminum stakes and cut a Tyvek footprint so I can pitch my Hennessy hammock as a small single person tent. When I first started moto camping, I imagined that I'd be camping during riding season... the summer months. The best moto camping is the spring and fall. It feels too hot to be comfortable now that summer has arrived in the southeastern US. A friend and I jumped the gun a bit and went moto camping in the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana last December 8th. I'm doing a lot more all season moto camping than I originally imagined. It's easier to get warmer when camping than it is to get cooler. I can pack a heavy pile jacket and a winter sleeping bag. I can't pack an air conditioner.

That sounds like a fantastic adventure, I hope you have a blast!!! If you're going to stay in hotels, you can certainly pack even lighter. I did three weeks on my R1250GSA and wandered from Atlanta to Utah and back. I carried a ton of gear and camped almost every night, but I would certainly take less when I do it again. That packing video is here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Q37-Ux0ujsw.html

Lower is always better, and I'll probably move to something like the Giant-Loop style (probably something cheaper like the Tusk version). But, it's only 13 pounds, so getting it down 6 inches probably won't make that much difference.

@@mustachemoto 13 pounds is really good! Moving down AND forward will make a difference. How much? Depends on how hard you ride, the terrain, your proper suspension settings etc. You know, I think my advice is mostly geared (only a little pun intended 😏) towards those who mound large amounts of belongings onto the bike and then curse when the bike behaves terribly when off road. Uli

Yep, I see those people all the time!

That bag contains my "backup" rain gear that stays on my bike all the time. If I'm going on a cross-country trip or if I know I'm in for some wet weather, I would wear my heavier Tourmaster waterproof riding jacket, waterproof boots, etc... In the bag I've got a cheap tape-sealed nylon raincoat (it's noname, but something like this: amzn.to/3RGHqxE), a pair of Columbia waterproof pants (amzn.to/4eCfNQg), silicone boot covers (amzn.to/45Bf6T0) and Sealskinz waterproof socks (amzn.to/3VEuEkx).

No idea on the wheelset and stock size tires. Here's a video about the DR: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Q0Ew7ZLt9io.html

I haven't camped with this exact combination, but I have camped everything in the video and have camped enough to know what I NEED. I keep trying to pare it back to just the essentials, then I can add in a creature comfort or two depending on the trip. I intended to camp with it this week for next Saturday's video, but my week got very busy (I work for myself, so off time is just when clients don't need me) and I thought it would be too hot to be fun even if I could squeeze it in.

I love the drybag! I also use the Wild Heart duffle (amzn.to/3VILIpg) and saddlebags (amzn.to/4bjQfEr) on my GS when I take the hard luggage off. They're so much cheaper. I'm sure they won't last as long, but I've used them for several years with absolutely no problem.

a change of pants, tshirt and socks are in the small red drybag for around camp and I'll be wearing the motorbike gear.

Tool kit is on the bike in the tool tube. No tow strap and no first aid kit.

you're 100% right. I actually use rok straps, which are much more secure and stronger than bungies and I should have said that.

@@mustachemoto - Rok Straps are way better than Harbor Freight bungee cords. I count failure modes. How many things need to fail before I'm in trouble? Two independent straps might mean two straps need to fail to lose the load, but if there's a strap on each side, losing either strap might allow the load to pivot and depart. It depends on the configuration. Two longer straps where each strap secures the entire load would be a little more hassle but should be safer. I put everything in a single 66 liter roll top waterproof duffel. You mentioned a WildHeart duffel in another comment. It's one of those. I chose it because the tie down points are on the bottom. That allows me to secure the load to the pillion and rear rack without compressing the load as most duffel bags require me to do. That allows me to open and close the duffel at rest stops during the day, or while in camp, without needing to loosen straps that secure the duffel. It's much more convenient. Not compressing the load also means the load doesn't compress under the straps and loosen while I ride, which is much safer. I attach that 66L duffel to the bike using four independent lengths of 550 paracord, one on each corner. My goal is to survive single or even dual failure modes. My riding buddy has the same duffel bag and he uses two 1" nylon cam buckle straps to secure it. The cams buckles are aluminum and stainless steel. These are the same straps that people use to strap a canoe to a car roof. They're very strong. I've towed a car with one of these straps. My friend passes each of these two straps through four pairs of D loops on the duffel bag (eight total per strap, 16 total for both straps). The tails of the straps are doubled back through the double D rings to lock them in place, similar to the way a motorcycle helmet is secured. That's a very safe mounting system. Motorcyclists often fail to appreciate the importance of properly securing loads to a motorcycle. It's not just a matter of losing a tent. A partially secured load can be deadly.

That's quite the change!

I usually pick up food along the way at a grocery or Walmart... plenty of room in the bag for that. I actually shot an additional clip adding that info, but the sound was messed up so I left it out.

Depending where you are, just pick up food at places you go through

absolutely... best way to keep it light

I have to admit that I add some creature comforts for longer trips and the kit grows!

@@mustachemoto I'm 68 almost 69. Why suffer. I been riding distance over 50 years. Been and done.

I can get away without the pad during the summer. If I'm going to pack the pad, I'll probably just sleep on the ground under a tarp to save weight.