rocketbunny - moto-camping

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Camping from a motorcycle is very different from camping with a car. Gear must be lightweight and compact. I find that gear intended for backpacking is ideal, but it is often expensive. Cheaper stuff intended for car-camping will often work for the budget-minded, but will detract from your motorcycle's handling and decrease the amount of other stuff that you can pack on the bike.

I purchase most of my camping gear from my local REI. If you don't have one locally, a higher-end outdoor store may do, or try REI or CampMor online.

Growing up car camping, I never thought that trying out gear was that important. I've now found that its the little details that are most important, like how tent pole attachments contribute to ease of setup. Always aim to get a chance to try out your gear in the store before purchase. The best stores will have an area to set up tents, or a platform to try on a sleeping bag or air mattress.

Gear Category	Current	Features I Look For	Future/Past
Tent	Sierra Designs Sirius 2-Person It can be assembled in 5 minutes in darkness. An air tent, the rain fly only covers half the tent, but it's kept me dry in rain and snow. Its plenty breezy on hot days.	bathtub floor, clip on poles, short pole sections, aluminum poles, rain fly, matching footprint tarp, free-standing (no stakes needed in calm conditions)	At some point I'd like a tent with a full rainfly, but this one works for now. My old tent is a larger "Costco special." I won't carry it on the bike unless I'm planning to camp in one place for several days and am planning to share it with a special someone.
Sleeping Bag	REI store brand 15degree down mummy bag I paid $200 for it a few years ago. I sleep very cold and there have been times when I've needed to throw my riding gear on top of it for extra warmth. In hot weather it is sweltering.	My main category is packability. Most good sleeping bags will come with a compression sack. Mummy bags compress pretty well, but are not for everyone.	I need to pick up a fleece liner for more versatility. It'll provide extra warmth in cold weather and can replace the bag in hot weather.
Mattress	Therm-a-rest ProLite 3 Comfortable and packs small (6" x 12")	Full length, compact, easy to inflate.	n/a
Camping Stove	Jetboil Personal Cooking System super compact, boils 2 cups water in 30 seconds.	packability, fuel type, insulation from inclement weather	I used to use a Primus backpacking stove, but it got bulky when I had to pack that + fuel + a mess kit. For the super cheap, an ESBIT camping stove works well on all but the coldest and windiest nights. Be sure to carry fire starting stuff though.
Camping Food	I prefer Backpacker's Pantry brand food for the variety, but most backpacking food is good in a pinch.	Just add water, prepare in bag (ie no clean up), yummy	n/a

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