Bill or anyone else have any recomendations on tents? I'm looking for a 2 man thats small, quick to set up and doesn't cost too much.
As many opinions as there are tent manufacturers for this great question. Here's what I think Billdozer agrees with me on the subject of tents:
Buy the absolute cheapest piece of two-man shit you can find from your favorite discount retailer or sports specialty store. Why? because every tent you strap to a motorcycle with bungies and ride down the road like a bat out of hell WILL get torn, pinched, ripped, dropped, pissed on or shived eventually.
I've seen Caleb Owens brand-new tent get a dozen holes from the springs on his springer fork as it worked up and down on a 100-mile ride. Cro took the tent out of its tidy sack and it looked like a dozen cigar burns up and down the side of the tent. Weird. We didn't chase down the problem until we saw how Cro stored the tent on his bike: with bungies on the handlebars, right above the springs on his fork.
Moral of story: if that was a 200 super tent, he'd be pissed. When I saw what can happen in transit, I started buying $39 My Pretty Pony tents at Kmart and I've never been happier. If it gets thrashed, tear it down and throw it away and buy a Hulk tent next time.
We use a $200 tent and I have an expensive sleeping bag. For me the investment was worth it as my body is a mass of worn out parts. I got everything on sale and the tent is very easy to use,it holds in body heat/keeps out water very well. I've built racks for both our bikes and they are the shnizzy~del~shnizzit when it comes to long trips and our gear is safe & easy to get to.
The pic is from our 13 day southwest tour to Trent's Ground Zero,it was a complete blast.
my favourite little self made camping friend - patent pending mugstove, matches, coffee sachets and dried milk fit under the fire gel tin. boils a big mug of coffee in 3 minutes, and its that new fandangled ecogel made from aloe or something so it doesnt hurt the planet...
as for loading - a military roll bag shortened by my local cobbler. small sissy bar and its 2 bungees and im loaded solid. it fits:
1 man tent
3/4 length self inflating sleeping mat
sleeping bag
2 spare shirts
shorts
skivies n socks
flipflops
medi kit - include diarrhea tablets - one thing you really can not deal with on a road trip is the shits
bog roll
axe
wash kit
seatowel
tank bag [new this year and love it, not all that gay making your bike more useable is it..] for:
map
camera
cash
phone
sunscreen
lollipops
and if its nice weather and im going to be lounging about outside my blanket tied on top.
EVERYTHING goes in small separate drybags so i dont need to unpack everything in the rain to get my tent out of my bag and pitch it - wet sleepingbag sucks. drybags are fairly cheap from here:
i just unpack all my camping gear into a large box so its all there ready to pack straight up without thinking. i got off a fair bit on weekend trips so its handy just knowing its all there and not having to think
Bill or anyone else have any recomendations on tents? I'm looking for a 2 man thats small, quick to set up and doesn't cost too much.
In preparation for 2 months on the road, I bought a really nice one man tent that was pretty expensive. Within two nights I realized that it was way too small to fit any of my gear and the floor was too thin and would let water seep through (not even through the seams). I switched to a cheap Sears tent that was easier and quicker to set up, had a bigger rain fly, and a floor as thick as a heavy duty tarp. It was a bit bigger to pack but totally worth it in the end. Price doesn't always dictate quality.
Im with you Bill on the 550 cord (parachute cord) for the non military types. Here are a couple things I make sure of and may or maynot have been mentioned. I take two small flashlights both surefire, an exec that clips on my pocket, ya never know. And a regulat sf4 that I may need at night some time, this fucker will blind people animals etc, and it freaks the man out when he shines his flashlight at you and you bounce back with a blast from the surefire. I also take about 10 feet of duct tape rolled up on a pencil and throw that in my sack. trust me when your 25 dolla tent gets skewered and you need a quick fix the magic duct take is always there. The absolute best shit on the planet, Bd already mentioned ( heat tabs) those fuckers will burn under water if already lit. half a capsule will heat up a standard canteen cup o joe or top ramen, both good for the morning after. Here is another tip if you get soaked, throw your poncho oever you tighten down the drawstring around your neck, sit on your helmet legs cocked and light one of those heat tabs between your legs. the heat will dry you out by the time the tab is burned out. Try to keep your neck area as airtight as possible the gas is like tear gas, but it wont hurt cha. It works!. The trash bags are the shit ! i wrap my clothes and what not in em and stick em in my leather saddle bags that way the rain dosent get yo shit all wet. and if you are in your sleeping bag and you are still cold, take one of those trash bags and slide it up your bag over your feet as high as it will go, instant toastiness. oh and all those extra bungee's work great for slingin a hootch up out of that poncho of yours to cover your bike and gear when the rain is fallin or you need a dry spot to wrench or.... after dinner activities ( )
Just went this past weekend. In the back of this pic you can see my awesome hammock tent from Blue Ridge. It rolls up tight and straps right to my bars.
Something to lay under your tent. Nothing worse than rocks and shit poking holes in the bottom and ruining even the cheap ass habitat. I use an old tarp I cut down, but a buddy of mine uses that Tyvek house wrap and swears by it. The tarp is cool if it rains so you can toss it over your bike and tent and keep things relatively dry too in a pinch.
BABY WIPES BITCHES!!! Yep, get the handy on-the-go MILF style baby wipe packs and you never even have to worry about scaring off the local talent. Just a few quick swipes to the pits and the privates and you're good to go!
Since it's the shitty season, you can usually find camping stuff on sale, and you have plenty of time to pre plan your gear for the coming events. Im notorious for over packing (last year I rode with a 3-day assault pack on my back full, 30+lbs....) and not using shit out of the bag.
I figure start this thread on the gear you use and how you stow it. If you have saddle bags, fuck you! Hopefully we can get some creative space solutions and good product reviews here.
Me, I carry a few things ALWAYS:
Buck knife Bungee cords Tent Straps (nylon web straps with a buckle at the end)
Spare socks Spare tshirt Tent (if possible/needed) something to sleep on or under.
Lighter (always handy) Cell charger Zip lock bag.
I could get all that in a damn fanny pack if i needed. But I usually stuff it all into a backpack of some kind, and if can go on the bars (rare) itll go there. Not much of a back fender to use, so no luck there.
I roll my tent inside of my blue sleeping pad, then stuff it into a duffel bag. I ususlly dont use a sleeping bag in the summer so I just carry a mexican blanket in the duffel as well. I keep food and stuff in a backpack, which rests on the duffel bag so it doesnt kill my back, and the duffel bag goes onto my home-made asymmetrical removable luggage rack.
unloaded (got head on the back of my bike lol)
loaded
When traveling cross country I always take a tent. I have yet to take a long trip and not get rained on. My old standby tent is a NorthFace Peregrine. Pretty small when packed and unbeatable performance, plus the owner founder Doug Thompkins does a lot for preservation of natural resources. If you are going to a cold weather area a goose down sleeping bag is unbeatable. They are more money but pack smaller, and are generally warmer than synthetic fiber bags. Tools always on the bike so I won't mention them. Most of the time I sleep outdoors, next to the bike. I also keep an old state issued wool blanket on my bike at all times (it keeps me from sliding off the diamond plate seat all the way to the rear fender). I don't care much about the paint on the bike so I just strap shit in a backpack straight to the rear fender with some ratcheting tie-downs. I also have a waterproof vinyl bag made for rafting or kayaking that I can strap to the bars or to the rear fender and it works damn good too (clear is nice because you can see all your shit).
I always carry tools, tent and a light weight sleeping bag. Mexican blankets are cool and all but a really light weight sleeping bag is lighter and smaller(my opinion anyway). Typically taking extra clothes is a waste of space but for a long trip having a few extra t's, socks and underware isn't a bad idea. In the end, i stuff it all into a water proof bag I got at REI and bungee it to the bars. Works for me anyway.
I'm with Charlie on the light sleeping bag thing. I pack a real tiny light weight one that is really only good for warm conditions. Bringing a real wool blanket however makes it easy to warm it up when things get colder.
I carry a tent, beer, a pop-up canopy, ice chest, folding chairs, beer, portable tunes (car stereo), beer, tools, and beer..... Ha ha.... What a pussy....
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