I've been to Courtenay...camped.....Awesome. I hope in the next episode you make it a bit further north to Campbell River (my favourite Vancouver Island spot). Thanks again.
You really got lucky with the island weather so far. The local black bears are just as apprehensive with us as we are with them. It’s the grizzlies on the mainland you gotta be more cautious with. Though either variety might spoil your night if you go inviting them around with food or trash.
When you mentioned bears, I thought to myself this is going to get interesting, the poor guy is going to be awake all night, alls good though and ended well with a lovely spot, nice countryside, that walk was really nice on the other side of the inlet, beautiful, a very laid back place to live, looks like nothing happens in a rush, nice, my kind of place.
After watching most of your video library for weeks, I’ve accumulated my camping kit and will be heading out in the morning to the Smokey’s from south Florida for my first ever motocamp trip. Thanks for the inspiration and lessons. I’ve been riding for 40 years but never did anything like this. Thank you Sterling!
Living in the rain forests along the west coast of Vancouver Island, I couldn’t help but have a chuckle at the getting rid of the hammock and **rain** tarp. Even, dry pads for a night are basically only found at paid for reserved prepared sites … ahahaha, he’s scared of the čims, oh boy, tourists crack me up.
Wow!, I live in Canada and hope to experience its beautiful places. Thank you Sterling, so peaceful and inspiring your storytelling, you make my soul dreams..
Yep, overpack every time also. For me, I will never be without my tarp and one-man tent. two items that are pretty small to pack but precious to have. 🤟🏼🇺🇸
Good vid. Minimal is best. If you don't use it you worry with it. Send it back is right. Many times I thought about chucking a bunch of stuff in the ocean. A few weeks out and never used it. So it stays home. After 50 some years of riding I can do without a lot. I'm not sure I'll even fool with photos and vids anymore. At almost 68 there is nothing to prove but maybe some to share.with my less fortunate friends. I don't need it. I'll have to check Bamfield out. That's the kind of place I like the most. Safe travels where ever you are.
Looking at that coastal view at the end of the video I was imagining setting up a hammock and just laying there right at the water's edge, sipping on a big person beverage and letting the oceans breeze take over my senses. Kudos, brother Sterling ......
Sterling, one of your fellow world travelers and history makers is here in VA. Saturday. Elspeth Beard, the first lady to travel the globe on a BMW. Her story is on RU-vid
Sterling, I find so much useful information in your content. I, too, love to spend many days on the bike out travelling and experiencing. You always get me thinking about what I can change to make my trips more enjoyable, or to pack less, or in some cases, pack more. Thanks for taking the time to make such entertaining and informational content! Cheers!
Beautiful place, thanks Sterling for another fab film, makes me feel happy and contented. 😀Oh well, back to work tomorrow....hundreds of cars and traffic jams😪
As always, great video. I learn a lot from your content. I am new to getting into motorcycle camping, and you've helped me decide what to pack, buy, and how to travel. Keep up the great work.
Regarding flow: Sometimes we don't camp, but take B&Bs. Especially when it's getting cold and damp, like at the upcoming tour end of October in the Bohemian forest/Czechia. It's so much faster in the morning when you don't have to wrap up your wet tent. I really like your video style. Gotta a lot to see after being away for a while in Romania (Transalp 600) and Wales (Beta Alp 200). Cheers from Nürnberg/Germany, Günter
I don’t know if it’s because you have been travelling in Canada for a bit, but I did notice that have adopted our use of “eh” in yourexpressions. Love that you documented your journey. Pitter patter, let’s get at er.
Glad you're enjoying Van.Island. Pretty much all of those gravel roads you've been travelling on were built to harvest the timber in the area. I hauled logs with huge off highway trucks when I was a (much) younger fella on the island. I still get a start when I round a corner in my car and there's one of those behemoths taking up most of the road coming at you! LOL Thanks for taking us along & good travelling to ye. Cheers
Back in the 70's when I moved to Port Hardy, getting used to 16' bunks coming down the road was a lesson in driving skills. Was a childhood dream from the age of 13 to live here, coming at 18 was the best move of my life. Thanks for posting !
If you really did that then you would know you’re supposed to be on the radio calling your position and listening for theirs so you can safely use the pull outs instead of coming around a corner head on with the logging trucks, hmm…
@@CanadianWolverine A lot of the roads are multi-use now, not ' restricted ' as in the past, mainly because on-road trucks are the norm, and 16' bunks are rare, mostly used in the north, Haida Gwai etc and the camps along the coast.
Great commentary Sterling. Loved your exploration of that little town too. I live near Van island but have yet to explore those roads. Better get after it. : ). Nice work!!
30,000 plus miles every year motorcycle exploring in the US. Hammock with an under quilt & a very large tarp all year. Ground sleepers are for the young.
Sterling your content is always excellent and makes me what to jump on my GS and take off somewhere ! Could you please feature your riding gear sometime in a future episode ?
Port Alberni to bamfield has now been resurfaced with chipseal. the road is great You can now ride a bike or small car without worrying about dust or potholes.
I've camped a bunch. Over the years I've camped when riding a little! But IMO: The extra weight (30 lbs ish) takes a bit away from a light flickable bike. (Finding a camping spot - stocking up on food et al - setting up camp - cooking) just took too long & I didn't enjoy the whole process when riding was my main focus. I'd rather ride 2 hours longer - grab a room - go out to eat. For me this adds variety by meeting people & exploring a small town. Of Course YMMV - I enjoy what you are showing cuz it is something I don't care to do-:)
Another gooder Stirling. You missed a ton of beauty rivers, falls and lakes on your way from Bamfield to Port Alberni. You’ll have to catch those next time you’re here 👍🏻
That road to bamfield is primarily a haul road for the logging industry. Should've seen it a few years ago when the fat trucks were running. 100klb payloads
Super nice video! The village is lovely my kind of place. As to the packing approach I have the same. No extra or nice to have when we tour. Just the essentials. This makes it for a slimmer and lighter load. I am learning the art of selection for a trip still now …..
@@SterlingNoren Well Vancouver Island is a temperate rain forest so you were lucky. I grew up on the island and the tarp was always the first thing up. What time of year was your trip?
What? In Courtenay already???? Did you just blow past Cathedral Grove where the trees are humongous and you can walk among them? The speed limit makes you have to slow down through that section so you can't possibly miss it.!!!
Im not disagreeing with you Sterling but have you seen the Haven Safari? Lay flat hammock that can also be a tent. In combo with a tarp i think its the winner winner chicken dinner.
Now with Hwy 4 closed due to fire and subsequent falling debris and weakened steep grade, he even passes by that part of the highway in 8:55 of the video, popularity has significantly dropped as car rentals and insurance are telling tourists and delivery trucks stay off the back roads. Sure hope we realize Victoria MLAs and Ottawa MPs need to tell Mosaic to piss off and start consider better bridges and other improvements in their budgets to the route to Youbou and Courtenay to make the island less vulnerable to being cut off by the next flood, sink hole, rock slide, high winds and fires that come with increased frequency of extreme weather events with the added bonus of more scenic routes for adventurous tourists.
I love hammocks, but they are challenging 😢 I got a double layer hammock so I can slide my air pad inside for insulation. I klymit insulated V and I can get to the high 40's if its not to windy
As someone from Edinburgh, Scotland, looking at Google maps, Vancouver Island appears to have a number of Scottish names dotted around the island, Cape Scott, Kildonan, Port Renfrew, Duncan, Cameron Lake, Dunsmuir, Campbell River, Heriot Bay, Port McNeill. I'm just wondering if there is a connection and if so why ? As a guy who's been there, any ideas ? Enjoying your trip, envious of decent riding/camping weather !! 👍
The "British" part of British Columbia might be a dead giveaway! Like other Canadian provinces, largely populated by British Isles immigrants both before and after confederation. Many others of course too.
Hi Richard, great questions, I do know that Kildonan was the site of a fish cannery in early 1900s and bought out by Wallace Bros Packing Co, and renamed Kildonan after their home town (village) on the Isle of Arran. Port McNeill (about 5 miles by water from where I live.) was named after Cap't William Henry McNeill of the Hudsons Bay Company which played a huge part in opening up Canada to European (lots of Scots!) settlement. Modern Van. Isle place names are either Indigenous, British/Scots or, in south west BC Spanish. Cities; Nanaimo, Comox are indigenous names, Victoria, Campbell River are English, Galiano Island, Strait of Juan de Fuca are Spanish names. PS my grandmother was born in Edinburgh came to Vancouver Island at 4 yrs of age. Cheers from the village of Sointula (a Finnish name on Malcolm Island)
