What else should I pack for two weeks of camping on the road?

[Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs]

The Un will be my longest trip on the RT and will be the longest camping excursion too. So help me figure out what to pack. I've gone on a 7 day trip (remember the Palm Springs: Searching For...trout?) but was staying at a motel (or Chateau Edmonds ). I've gone camping for one night here and two nights there but have never put it all together. I’ve never camped at the altitude swings here.

 

I don't want to be stacked with bag upon bag strapped to the bike. I'll put a bag across the seat and tie the longer stuff to the top of my Givi 46L. Why don't I put everything across the seat? Well, I'm trying to do this trip on a budget and would rather not purchase GS mirrors if I don't have to. So look at this list, point out my omissions, tell me if I have decided to take too many pairs of socks, whatever. In no particular order:

 

Bike: 1999 RT, stock side cases, 46L top trunk, tank bag.

 

Gear: Roadcrafter, boots, Symax helmet, gloves, Gerbing, sunglasses, earplugs, cool down vest.

 

Spares & Tools: stock tool bag, puncture kit, air compressor, T-handle hex keys, wire cutters, 14 guage elec cable, misc sockets, zip ties, elec tape, duct tape, clear tubing for synching throttle bodies, spare cables, oil sight glass, fuel filter, J-B quick steel, J-B plastic weld, misc diameter split rings, small mirror, small microfiber rags, Zooke cleaner, foam earplugs, spare headlight bulb, spare turn signal bulb, spare fuses, spare relay, fuel line clamps, small electrical meter, small volume brake fluid & oil, basic first aid kit, Haynes manual, printout of non-OEM spares, 4 soft ties. (most of these items always live on the bike.)

 

Tent, etc: Tent, ground cloth, stakes & hammer, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, pillow, roll-a-chair, stove & fuel, sm pot, cooking utensils, dish soap (doubles for showers) & scrubby, lighter.

 

Toiletries: toothbrush & paste, floss, pharmaceuticals, diabetes stuff, quick dry towel, sunscreen, razor and shaving cream, allergy meds, eye drops, roll of toilet paper, anti-monkey butt powder.

 

Clothes: long johns pants and shirt, 4 pr underwear, 5 pr socks, 2 short sleeve tees, 1 long sleeve tee, 1 short sleeve button down shirt, swimming suit, 1 pr jeans, 1 pr convertible pants/shorts, sneakers, shower shoes, sweatshirt

 

Other: CD player/CDs, V1, digital camera, cell phone, chargers and/or spare batteries, Anonymous Booka, maps, pens/paper, insurance docs, wallet, sense of adventure.

 

 

What am I forgetting?

[Paul Mihalka]

"What am I forgetting?" The trailer . Real campers will give you real answers. I could not imagine me traveling with all that stuff on the bike but you gotta do what you gotta do. Looking forward seeing you there

[hANNAbONE]

mIGHT tHROW in some "hydrocortizone cream" (not ointment)...I rub some - uh - down there - so that any rubbing via the hot seat to my underparts aren't going to ruin the trip.

Works like a charm everytime, slather some on the hot spots known and ride +1000 miles daily in comfort.

[Bud]

mIGHT tHROW in some "hydrocortizone cream" (not ointment)...I rub some - uh - down there - so that any rubbing via the hot seat to my underparts aren't going to ruin the trip.

Works like a charm everytime, slather some on the hot spots known and ride +1000 miles daily in comfort.

 

I think that is covered by "anti-monkey butt powder" already listed.

[leikam]

You know, there are stores outside of Seattle. As long as you've got the basics: a place to sleep, a means to travel and some cash, you can start out light and pick up anything you decide you need (like more socks) along the way.

 

It looks like you're planning to set up camp far from civilization. Is that true?

[Ken H.]

Clothes: long johns pants and shirt, 4 pr underwear, 5 pr socks, 2 short sleeve tees, 1 long sleeve tee,

Not cotton, right?

[roydog007]

Steve, Who's gonna drive the chase vehicle with all that gear ?

Seriously I'm considering taking two weeks the last half of July to do Napa to Seattle up the coast.

Due to budget constraints I'll probably be camping most of the time.

Will that much gear fit on the bike ??

[Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs]

Clothes: long johns pants and shirt, 4 pr underwear, 5 pr socks, 2 short sleeve tees, 1 long sleeve tee,

Not cotton, right?

Forgive my ignorance...why?

[Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs]

Will that much gear fit on the bike ??

Maybe not. I think I'm going to assemble all of the gear and start packing attempts. The first thing to go is probably the stove and all of the stuff there. I'll be camping near towns all the way and can easily get meals at a store or restaurant. The stove will take up a fair amount of space, I'd think.

[bmwdave152]

Steve, you should discover the joys of Patagonia's Capiline underwear. Briefs, boxers and long johns. This stuff wicks away moisture from all the important parts. Cotton tends to hold on to moisture.

It also packs away nice and small.

[Ken H.]

Clothes: long johns pants and shirt, 4 pr underwear, 5 pr socks, 2 short sleeve tees, 1 long sleeve tee,

Not cotton, right?

Forgive my ignorance...why?

Cotton + moisture = bacteria = monkey butt.

 

Look in to so call micro-fiber sports fabrics. Designed to wick moisture away from your skin. Common in the bicycling world and wonderful in ours.

[DouglasR]

Man, that's almost EXACTLY what I carry when I do that type trip! Sounds fairly complete and the only superfluous thing I've done away with is the camp chair. I've found that I use it so infrequently it isn't worth the hassle and space it takes up. The best advice my big brother ever gave me was "all underwear have two sides". And I agree, if you run out of something, there are always stores along the way. And laundromats; I have a tendancy to pack too many clothes. I just bought a "mantle-less" lantern, by Brunton, it's about the size of a pack of evil cigarettes and just screws on top of a little propane canister. Really like it because it gives great light and I never have to worry with mantles that vibrated to dust during the ride.

 

One thing to be sure you have is bee sting ointment, I can't remember how many bee stingers I've pulled out of my forehead even on the RT with a fullface helmet on (visor up for air) .

 

Here's the RT from about two weeks ago all loaded as you describe for a trip to NoDak:

 

 

I tried to take a mirror off my GS and put it on the RT, but I would have had to drill out the mounting hole and I didn't want to do that, besides GS mirrors are like $65 each! So off I go with just the stockers.... By the time I got to Minot, NoDak I got tired of looking at my duffle bag in my rearview mirrors, so I stopped at a Honda shop and discovered that the mirror off a Honda Ruckus fit PERFECTLY with no modifications at all, and it's even stylish! Total cost $20.

 

 

This is sounding pretty darned fun......

 

 

 

Doug

 

Oh yeah, the cotton issue.... We have a saying here in the West (where temps can drop dramatically in a short time) that "Cotton Kills". It holds moisture, so if you get it wet it stays wet, and if the temps drop you get really cold in a hurry. I strongly recommend polypropelene or another synthetic instead of cotton.

 

Doug again

[George Brown]

Spare clutch and throttle cables.

[hANNAbONE]

nO nO on the cotton -- yes yes to the synthetics..you can find them anywhere - Target, (just bought a plenty of them), sporting goods stores that have Nike or UnderArmor...peek around and look for good prices - the 'Targhetto" find was the nuts...cheap and well made and comfy - I wear the stuff everyday to work/play...cannot be beat.!!

[Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs]

Spare clutch and throttle cables.

Got those under the Tools listing of Spare Cables. Thanks for the heads-up though. And I'll have to look into the Honda Ruckus mirrors.

[DouglasR]

Rain gear (I just carry my GoreTex ski pants and coat). Oh wait, you're from Seattle, you wear rain gear every day! This is a web cam capture from Teton Pass above Jackson Hole from TODAY (and "heavy snow warnings" in Yellowstone!):

 

 

 

I'm tired of Winter already.

 

Doug

[Bob Palin]

Cold gear - 28.5F here this morning...

 

There is a great moto camping checklist here:

 

http://www.micapeak.com/checklists/mclist.html

[TNT]

Thanks for posting the link to the list Bob!

[chomack]

Everyone is missing a super important item....& that would be a brush for your back. I think you could get away without the cook kit, I know I'm not going to bother taking mine.

For lighting I'm going to use a candle lantern with reflector & headlamp for reading.

[Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs]

There is a great moto camping checklist here: http://www.micapeak.com/checklists/mclist.html

This is fantastically cool. Thanks!

[SpaceKing]

Steve, you should discover the joys of Patagonia's Capiline underwear

The most comfortable, warm and best-wicking underwear ever. I've had a shirt for 10 years, wear it every week and still is in prime shape. It should be, at $40 plus per piece! Well worth it though, highly recommended.

cheers

beno

[DouglasR]

The first thing to go is probably the stove and all of the stuff there. I'll be camping near towns all the way and can easily get meals at a store or restaurant. The stove will take up a fair amount of space, I'd think.

 

I've pretty much gone this route unless I'm planning to camp in remote areas. It's a hassle to carry all that stuff and then there's the time to cook it after a long day in the saddle. It's not just the stove, it's also all the paraphenalia that's necessary to cook like food, pans, fuel, utensils, washing stuff, towels, condiments, etc. Are you going to want to pack a cooler, too? Many times I'll stop at a deli or grocery store on my way to the campground and buy just enough fruit, cheese, meat, Ben & Jerry's (Chubby Hubby rules!) and such for dinner. In the morning I'll pack camp and ride to the nearest town for GOOD COFFEE and some food.

 

I'm old now and I have good solid credit cards so I leave the stove and cook gear at home when motorcycle touring. My son and I did it that way on a two week trip to Canada last summer and it was very liberating!

 

Doug

[Paul_Burkett]

I have an old one burner Coleman stove that came in a metal pot. With that I can boil water for morning coffee and 2 packets of flavored oatmeal or at night I can have a rehydrated meal. Eat light and stay regular.

[Yankee_Dog]

..........Tent, etc: Tent, ground cloth, stakes & hammer, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, pillow, roll-a-chair, stove & fuel, sm pot, cooking utensils, dish soap (doubles for showers) & scrubby, lighter........

 

This is the only section that looks like it might give you problems. With the tent, sleeping bag and bag being the biggest issues. If these are quality (read packable) then you shouldnt have a problem.

 

On the point of sythetics vs. cotton. In your situation, cotton is not going to kill you. You are riding a motorcycle, not hiking in the mountains in December. However, sythetics do a one very big advantage over cotton. You can wash them at night, hang them up and they will be dry by morning. I wear the same shirt every day while riding. I only wear my other clothes while "off duty" at night. They last a lot longer between washing without getting funky that way.

 

You dont need to buy fancy expensive stuff however. Wally World carries some and the discount variety from Campmoor and REI work just fine as well.

 

Yankee Dog

 

 

 

Yankee Dog

[Mike]

However, sythetics do a one very big advantage over cotton. You can wash them at night, hang them up and they will be dry by morning. I wear the same shirt every day while riding. I only wear my other clothes while "off duty" at night. They last a lot longer between washing without getting funky that way.

 

I agree. I think you could just about cut the bulk of your clothing in half by sticking with synthetics. They're very compact and--as noted above--they will wash and dry quickly. Sneakers actually eat up a lot of room--you could save space by getting some "water shoes," which could also double as your shower sandals. I just take Top Siders (deck shoes), which pack pretty flat and are pretty functional around camp, in restaurants, etc. Dump the sweatshirt and take a lightweight fleece instead--it will be as warm (even more so than a damp sweatshirt) and very compact.

 

Also, consider how much cooking you'll actually want to do. In my experience, I've found that cooking a real meal is pretty time-consuming. It's something better suited for trips when you'll be in a location for a few days at a time, not those trips when you'll be camping in a different place each night. I've made the mistake of carrying a ton of cooking gear, only to discover that about all the "cooking" I've done is making coffee and heating noodles, etc.

 

Overall, your list looks manageable to me. I'd cut down on the cooking gear and the amount/bulk of clothes a bit, but this looks like a good list.

[Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs]

Upon earlier advice I found some great buys at Target, synth underwear and tees. I have a dandy quick-dry towel from REI and I'm leaving all of the stove stuff at home. The one night that I'll truly be in the boondocks, I'll still have a fire pit and wood there and am going to buy some foil, wrap everything up and toss it in the fire.

 

Dangit, I am sooo excited to be leaving on Saturday, I really would rather not go to work today and tomorrow.

[USAF1]

Leave my $7 with your SO.........so it'll be there when you get back!!

 

Drive safe.......

 

Pat