Camping is one of my first loves. Whether it was going out with my family to camp in the great outdoors or, when I was older, hopping in the car with my friends and taking off for the lake or the woods of the Midwest to enjoy a weekend, camping is an activity I have happily engaged in for the entirety of my life. Keep reading till the end to discover the TOP 10 weirdest Motorcycle Camping Essentials You didn’t think about.
Then I fell in love with something else; the motorcycle. My two loves seemed to be a natural pair of allies and combining them became an essential aspect of my life. Whether I took a solo motorcycle ride to pitch a tent nearby or a more distant ride with friends, this moto-camping became one of the things I enjoy the most.
I know I am not alone in my love for it either. But I do recognize that no camper is alike. Some need their morning cup of joe, or an espresso maker to get the day started right. Others are perfectly fine with just a tent and a sleeping bag. Over my years of camping, I have tried out a wide variety of camping gear, always looking for top-notch items.
This often resulted in the overfilling of my bag with silly items to bring along on my moto-camping trip. As with any learning experience, I was able to filter my list of accessories down to the must-have essentials. Having said that, I present to you my list of top 10 motorcycle camping essentials.
weirdest Motorcycle Camping Essentials:
1. Book: Motorcycle Camping Essentials
One of my favorite things to do while camping or traveling is to read books about travel like Fodor’s Best Road Trips in the USA: 50 Epic Trips Across All 50 States. Too few have experienced the exhilarating joy of Jupiter’s Travels under blue skies while nestled in a hammock surrounded by the peace of the natural forest ambiance. Recently I have been into the writings of the late Anthony Bourdain, so if I’m on a trip, chances are one of his books accompanies me for a quiet morning or pre-bed reads in the evening.
Of course, you may prefer to read material from other authors in other genres. Finding those to who you relate while camping or traveling is a huge part of the joy that the experience brings. Every good camping trip should afford you some downtime to enjoy and appreciate your surroundings. There are a few ways better than doing so while enjoying nature with a good book.
2. Flashlight And A Headlamp: Motorcycle Camping Essentials
Yes, I said and as in you will want to have both items. I am aware that it goes a bit against the idea of packing light to bring two items that essentially serve the same purpose, but unless space is tight, I highly recommend both. For the headlamp, I use the Storm375, or something similar. It gives off 375 lumens at full capacity but has settings for a variety of situations like dimming, distance, proximity, and lock modes, as well as green, blue, or red night-vision. More importantly, it is dustproof and waterproof.
Better yet, there is no need for hunting down specific batteries as it uses the very standard and easy-to-find AAA batteries to operate. I picked up on the usefulness of a headlamp a bit late in my camping life, but I felt foolish for waiting so long. A flashlight is great, but there is no substitute for a quality headlamp.
Speaking of flashlights, when I go, I bring a Surefire Fury flashlight with me. It is made from Mil-Spec hard-anodized aluminum, fitted with a tempered window and O-ring seals. This makes the flashlight both durable and light, as well as rugged. It is a beast with its light dispensing prowess too, shedding 1,100 lumens with 123A batteries. If you want it even brighter, plug it into an external USB port on a portable battery to get 1,5000 lumens. If you don’t need it to be too bright, you can use two brightness levels for battery conservation. These flashlights are not the cheapest, but they are well worth the investment.
3. Knife/Hatchet and Multi-Tool
One of my most used purchases was the Estwing hatchet. Mostly, it serves as my most handy tool for processing campfire wood, but its flat back surface also suffices as a hammer helpful in nailing down the ten stakes that it takes to secure my tent into the chosen place of camping. This Estwing Special Edition Sportsman Hatchet has a black finish with a leather handle, is 13-inches long, and sits nicely inside a nylon sheath. Sure, it can use some sharpening, but its utility and efficacy in various aspects of camping are irrefutable.
Recently I was also gifted a TOPS Tahoma Field Knife, which, with its monster blade, is a perfect tool for handling various bush elements. Composed of 1095 3/16th high-carbon steel, its 14-inch monster blade would make Crocodile Dundee proud. It serves as both a knife and in many ways a hatchet. The various hold methods available for the knife permit it to score bones, pick up fire cookware, break wires, and even features a pommel-based pry bar. If you are a fan of knives more than a hatchet, the Tahoma Field Knife is an accessory you can hardly pass up on.
When camping, and particularly moto-camping, packing Multi-tools is an essential idea. A widely recognized multi-tool name is Leatherman, and there is one for nearly any purpose. The newly available Free P4 for example, combines a leatherman variety of over 20 varying tools that, each able to be single-handedly used. When closed, the Leatherman is only 4.25 inches in length and weighs a mere 8.6 ounces, making it a lightweight way to transport your standard toolbox into a pocket-based apparatus.
4. Power Bank: Motorcycle Camping Essentials
Old-timer camping purest may reject the idea of electronics when they are one with the wilderness, but that antiquated way of thinking hardly applies to contemporary campers. An external power bank will give the much-needed battery juice to your computer, phone, or any other electronics you choose to have on your person during your camping excursion. For my money, I rely on the Anker PowerCore. It is equipped with two USB ports, holding 20,100 mAh of power, enough to charge my Samsung S9 five times over, as well as GoPros and PCs. While my choices of power banks on the market were certainly not limited, I have stayed true to the Anker because it has never shown signs of degrading in all the time I have used it.
5. Hammock: Motorcycle Camping Essentials
Maybe it isn’t fair to call a hammock an essential moto-camping accessory, but if you prefer sleeping off the ground, you might want to consider it. If you do bring one, don’t worry, it is a bed that is both compact in packing and lightweight. I have toted around the ENO (Eagle’s Nest Outfitters) around the country with me on many camping trips. It is a Doublenest (big enough to sleep 2), dries quickly, is breathable, and is made of 70-denier high-tenacity nylon Taffetta which is maximally strong. Personally, I always pack one alongside a tent. It isn’t much of an addition. When tucked into a mine-pack, it compacts into a size comparable to a large grapefruit.
6. Layers: Motorcycle Camping Essentials
Mother nature can throw any kind of weather at you while you are camping, so it is important to give yourself flexibility in terms of clothing layers. The typical rule of thumb is to have a good base layer, with a mid and outer layer that is both lightweight and will keep you both dry and comfortable. Additionally, a quality mid-layer functions as a jacket. My REV’IT! Climate 2 jacket can function as both a mid-layer and a stand-alone jacket, for instance. Using material primarily designed for insulating the clothing of US Navy Seals the Climate 2 uses Polartech Alpha which has an ultra-thin quick to dry, stretchy, breathable, warm, packable, and water repellent set of properties. Not only is it a great camping jacket, but it’s also a great one to ride on a motorcycle.
7. Chair: Motorcycle Camping Essentials
Sometimes you will need to catch your breath, have some water, and relax. You won’t always stumble upon a comfortable place to rest when camping, which is why bringing along a chair is a very good idea. But lest you think a chair will weigh you down, think again. The Helinox Zero chair that I prefer weighs a mere 17 ounces and can be packed into a 14-inch, 4 by 4 square compartment. The materials it is made up of are lightweight, but it is far more durable than its weight lets on, able to handle as many as 265 pounds. Its only disadvantage is that it doesn’t let you hover too far off the ground. This is especially true if the ground is soft. The legs might sink in some, lowering your actual sitting position basically to the ground. The four legs of the Helinox are connected by a square tarpaulin at the bottom, which prevents the chair from sinking all the way into the ground.
8. Water (And A Container For It)
Having ample water to hydrate yourself during your ride and your hikes is essential not just to the experience, but to your survival. Rather than a traditional water bottle, I prefer to have a pack with a hydration bladder of sorts like the Ogio’s Baja or Klim’s Nac Pak. Both hold a fair amount of liquid and also offer dedicated pockets for a hydration bladder that routs the liquid to a drinking tube. Of course, these do entail an extra pack, and if your preference is not to have that a Nalgene bottle would usually suffice.
9. Sleeping Bag: Motorcycle Camping Essentials
A sleeping bag is a no-brainer when it comes to camping essentials. I have personally used and prefer the Kelty Cosmic 20 as it is lightweight for carrying (just 2 lbs and 6.6 ounces) and packs compactly enough to be easy to transport. It is warm (I’ve slept in temperatures as cold as 20F in it comfortably) but it’s also breathable and comfortable thanks to the nylon-taffeta material that it is composed of. Should the bag get wet, it 600 fill Dridown will let it dry up very quickly.
10. Tent: Motorcycle Camping Essentials
Then there is the tent, the most obvious of a camper’s needs. When I picked up my Kelty sleeping bag, I also invested in Kelty’s Gunnison 2-person tent. Even if traveling alone, the two-person space allows you to bring your other gear and luggage into the tent and store it in case of rain. The rain fly also allows extra space to store items out of the way of the downpours. The Gunnison 2 packs are small and their weight is just over 6 pounds, with the easy-to-set-up poles allowing the set up of this tent to be simple, plus it includes a footprint. I have been more than happy with this tent and have personally utilized it for years.
Conclusion:
motorcycle camping can be a unique and exciting experience, but it requires a different set of essentials compared to traditional camping. The top 10 weirdest motorcycle camping essentials listed above may seem unusual, but they can greatly improve your trip by providing comfort, convenience, and safety.
From a portable shower to a heated vest, these items can make a significant difference in your journey and make the experience even more memorable. So, next time you plan a motorcycle camping trip, consider adding some of these unusual yet useful essentials to your packing list.
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Frequently asked questions:
How to pack motorcycle for camping?
When packing a motorcycle for camping, consider the following tips to maximize space and ensure a comfortable trip:
1. Prioritize essential items such as a tent, sleeping bag, and cooking equipment, and pack them in durable, waterproof bags.
2. Use tie-down straps to secure gear to the motorcycle, and try to distribute the weight evenly. Avoid overloading the motorcycle to maintain stability and control.
3. Consider using camping gear designed specifically for motorcycle camping, such as compact stoves, collapsible chairs, and lightweight sleeping pads, to save space and reduce weight.
What to pack for motorcycle camping?
When packing for motorcycle camping, it’s important to bring the essentials while still being mindful of limited space. Consider the following items:
1. Tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad for comfortable camping.
2. Cookware, a small stove, and a cooler or food storage containers for meals.
3. Clothing suitable for the weather and extra layers for unexpected changes, rain gear, and sturdy footwear.
4. Basic first aid kit, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a headlamp with extra batteries.
5. Tools, spare parts, and tire repair kit to address common motorcycle issues.
Hello, and welcome to my blog! My name is Idammah, and I am the founder of this site dedicated to exploring the world's mysteries, uncovering fascinating facts, and delving into science's weird and beautiful aspects. I have always been fascinated by the unknown and the unexplained, and I love nothing more than digging deep to find the answers to some of life's greatest mysteries. Whether it's exploring the depths of the ocean, investigating ancient civilizations, or unraveling the mysteries of the universe, I am always on the hunt for new knowledge and insights. As a self-proclaimed weirdo and science enthusiast, I believe that there is always more to learn and discover, and I am constantly seeking out new and exciting ways to expand my understanding of the world around me. Through FoxPeek blog, I hope to share my love of all things strange and wonderful with like-minded readers and inspire others to embrace their inner curiosity and seek out the world's mysteries for themselves.
