Pitching A Tent - Best / Smallest Tent For Bike Camping

[HiDesertMLB]

You can't dismiss Harbor Freight! I saw a camoflauge version that's somewhat similar for $50

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=98477

Nice unit. book marked. Thanks sPOTO, Looks like what I want, but can I get it for 1/2 price?

I'm not cheap, I'm just cheap.

Doug, where'd you get your cheap tent?

[Guest dendron]

Also looking for a cable lock, more for the hotel stays than camping.

Cable locks...

Cheap linky: http://parkinglot.harborfreightusa.com/eco...&GO3=Submit

Expensive quality linky: http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=5006&...tem=TOD_64-6622

[didit]

BONUS! Just spoke with a buddy here who has a tent, which he's used for bike camping many times, that he's lending me for the trip.

Nice. Now to pick up the cable lock and such.

Would love to find a disc lock with cable and built in alarm. Here goes a new search.

Thanks again for all helpful tent links. Bookmarked them all.

[mello dude]

I like to see photos of any of your bikes all packed up and ready to go camping. I really havent figured out a good packing scheme for tent/sleeping bag and all the junk. What are your ideas?

MD

[didit]

It'll be a little while before I do the whole pack job & will have to figure everything out as I go, but I'll post a pick when it's done.

There was a thread here last year with a list of the best things to pack for a trip. Have to pull that out.

[vfrcapn]

I like to see photos of any of your bikes all packed up and ready to go camping. I really havent figured out a good packing scheme for tent/sleeping bag and all the junk. What are your ideas?

MD

My goal was to keep it as simple as possible so I don't have to think too much, all the camp gear in the duffel.

[Axel_7]

It'll be a little while before I do the whole pack job & will have to figure everything out as I go, but I'll post a pick when it's done.

There was a thread here last year with a list of the best things to pack for a trip. Have to pull that out.

Tony i have the Xena disklock with alarm

No cable but dont need it (its loud enough)

[mello dude]

I like to see photos of any of your bikes all packed up and ready to go camping. I really havent figured out a good packing scheme for tent/sleeping bag and all the junk. What are your ideas?

MD

My goal was to keep it as simple as possible so I don't have to think too much, all the camp gear in the duffel.

What kind of sleeping bag do you have? And do you use a ground pad? (Ok, I'm a rookie camper) I have a compack Eureka tent, but the sleeping bag and pad take up a bunch of space.

MD

[vfrcapn]

What kind of sleeping bag do you have? And do you use a ground pad? (Ok, I'm a rookie camper) I have a compack Eureka tent, but the sleeping bag and pad take up a bunch of space.

MD

I got the Big Agnes Encampment long bag, +15 degrees. http://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Bag/Encampment Picked it up at REI for 20% off. The difference with Big Agnes is they have no insulation on the bottom, just a sleeve for a pad, 20" wide for this one. I picked up the 1.75" REI pad, same design as the Thermarest. I've also read the 2.5" pads are very nice but the 1.75 worked fine for me. The pad provides the insulation between you and the ground and being in a sleeve on the bottom of the bag you don't roll off of it. Seemed to work great for me. Has a built in pillow pocket, draft collar around the neck, zipper draft protection. I tried conventional mummy bags but they were too restricting for my tastes.

[Guest dendron]

This is an outstanding thread for anyone interested in motorcycle camping...just saying!

[Guest dendron]

Here's an interesting link from Roadgear's Website about a new sleeping bag that's REALLY light-weight and easy to carry. Packed with Outlast®—revolutionary space age science at its best—this Hi-Tec gear senses body temperature and adjusts for comfort via phase-change processes. It cools you when hot and warms you when cold!

https://www.roadgear.com/index.php?page=Product&id=191

[didit]

Tony i have the Xena disklock with alarm

No cable but dont need it (its loud enough)

Where'd you get yours & how much$$?

[didit]

Here's an interesting link from Roadgear's Website about a new sleeping bag that's REALLY light-weight and easy to carry. Packed with Outlast®—revolutionary space age science at its best—this Hi-Tec gear senses body temperature and adjusts for comfort via phase-change processes. It cools you when hot and warms you when cold!

https://www.roadgear.com/index.php?page=Product&id=191

Very interesting & compact? $100 bobs eh? hmmm

[mello dude]

This is an outstanding thread for anyone interested in motorcycle camping...just saying!

Lets keep it rolling - I have a good week and a half off at the end of the month and I'm gonna get outta dodge! I'll go bonkers if I dont. :fing02:

MD

Edited June 14, 2009 by mello dude

[BonusVFR]

This year in Canada..............most of the time I bring a tent. Somewhere in there is a North Face tadpole. Packs small.

Tahoe last year.

[HispanicSlammer]

I pack my tent ultra light ultra small

Black Diamond

Lightsabre Bivy

I bought it not so much for bike camping but for backpacking and just like how simple and small it packs away in my hardbags, my other tent a marmot is much bigger and about 4 times as heavy and large it wont fit in my bags.

Black Diamond Lightsabre Bivy

[DDO-VFR]

Here are few photos of loaded bike and typical campsite setups. In 3 summers, my brother and I probably slept in a hotel/motel 3-4 times...one of them being at the annual Catskills ride. For awhile there (at Catskills) it was looking like I was gonna regret not packing the tent...

The waterproof bag on the back seat holds the tent, sleeping bag, ground sheet, air mattress and mini pillow. Most the the room is taken by the -5C rated sleeping bag. Re. sleeping bag...no I'm not nuts, most nights on the Newfoundland trip it was between 3C - 8C.

The tent will sleep two easily and has two vestibules to cover all the hard cases. Great when it's raining and you need to get something out of your bags.

What you will find with most tents is that the poles (when folded of course) are around 18" long and as a result will only fit in your top case. If figured, since I usually ride solo, why not use the back seat.

BI

[gstanfield]

I used to be big into hiking and after fooling around with cheap tents I decided one time to splurge on a Kelty. I hated so bad dropping the cash on a $160 tent, but I am a big time believer now. It sets up so easily, tears down in seconds, weighs almost nothing, poles are short enough to store easily and it has great weather protection and impressive breathbility.

If you're going to use it once or twice, buy a cheap colman or whatever. If you're actually going to use it a lot go ahead and pay the money for a goos tent. You will find they are much more user friendly and now that I have mine it rides on the bike if I'm going out for long trips because it is such a wonderful tnet.

My opinion and expereince says go Kelty or stay home :biggrin:

George

[DougFromIndy]

I like to see photos of any of your bikes all packed up and ready to go camping. I really havent figured out a good packing scheme for tent/sleeping bag and all the junk. What are your ideas?

MD

Heres what I do, works great: there are 3 items I must have to camp with...

#1 TENT

#2 Sleeping bag

#3 thermarest mat

well, these 3 do NOT go in my trunk or hardbags, they ride as my passenger.

I have 3 drybags so everything stays dry and try to fold all 3 items in similar shape, in drybags.

the drybags I use have loops on them that you can run a strap thru,

I use these nylon belt/straps that snap like a seatbelt, a click buckle.

3 items, 2 on base, 1 on top I smash/compress together like a triangle, the straps click and everything is compressed down in a smallish 3 drybags together camp kit.

I then use ROCstraps, bungee cords designed for mcs and tie this camp kit to my pass grab rails and sw motech alumrack. Campkit sits on top of my seat, right where a pass would and is pushed up against the front of my givi topbox trunk.

works great, a pic would be good here, I used this system on many, many XC trips, Doug

***see the pic above of sweet black 06 and a BMW, same idea..only I use 3 drybags, one for each item instead of one big drybag with all items inside, best idea...different styles, this works for me ****

[DougFromIndy]

+ 1 on eureka tents, is a mid-priced but great performer

tell me black 06 from quebec how you like your yellow eureka w/the vestibles?

model ? and rate it on a scale of 1-10 please. This is a goodie I think.

I carry a bivy like HS only in a quick ride, its my emergency tent..its a eureka, its never been out of the box, its my sleep in a ditch, sos tent. I am not clousterphobic (or a good speller) but IMO a bivy is great when you need it, but I like room for my gear and changing into my pjs, so a 2 man tent is the smallest for me, this vestible idea I must check out...remember this is your hotel room you spent a hard earned $13 per night for. Bike camping is way different than cager or backpacking, kayak camping, I do all types of camping so lots of gear to adjust for vehicle I decide to take, my F-150 is like a room at the Hilton to me.

BTW, after a poll was taken most of VFRD likes hotel stays, not the ADVrider group, I like a hotel on weekends or 3 days out.

Going to the summitt meet, camping on the way, Indpls to CO , then some, anyone doing that trip? doug

[Old School]

Yes I pitch a tent every morn and it is not a small tent and it is for one woman. :biggrin:

LOL

Stephen

But it's not waterproof, is it!

Your right it leaks about 2 or 3 times a day. LOL

Ok this has turned into show off your "Pack Mule" well here is mine be for Laguna Seca. I did not use a tent but I did

use the floor of a hotel room with 5 others.

My Little Pack Mule

Stephen

[BIGRHINO]

I updated my pics in this thread.

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=48310

The black bag behind the seat has both a tent and a sleeping mat, Full size chair. Then a sleeping bag above it. I had it loaded with enough gear to camp for a week as a test run to make sure I could on a weekend camping trip.

[timmythecop]

I have a tent that I sue now and again tht has a different approach.

It is a tough outter shell in the shape of a Quonset hut. The inner tents hang from the inside and make 3 rooms. I just put up one side for my "room", use the centre for gear and put the bike on the other side. It all packs down fairly small and it eliminates any night time foolishness with your bike.

Also, when it is cold, you put your bike in there after a ride and just before you sack out, and it is a space heater.

[Guest Mark5948]

What kind of tents are those DDO-VFR? I have been looking for something along that line to replace my old tent. Need something a little taller and the vestibule is made into it.

[BonusVFR]

Here are few photos of loaded bike and typical campsite setups. In 3 summers, my brother and I probably slept in a hotel/motel 3-4 times...one of them being at the annual Catskills ride. For awhile there (at Catskills) it was looking like I was gonna regret not packing the tent...

The waterproof bag on the back seat holds the tent, sleeping bag, ground sheet, air mattress and mini pillow. Most the the room is taken by the -5C rated sleeping bag. Re. sleeping bag...no I'm not nuts, most nights on the Newfoundland trip it was between 3C - 8C.------------------------------------------- What you will find with most tents is that the poles (when folded of course) are around 18" long and as a result will only fit in your top case. If figured, since I usually ride solo, why not use the back seat.

Lots of good tips above .....concur put all you camping stuff in one bag that can be pulled and taken to your site. Tent, pad, and sleeping bag can all be put in one bag (waterproof preferred). I have a kids pillow from the VFR section at Wally World. I also recently added a very small high tech REI liner for my down bag as the effective and cheap fleece liners are too big. Saves space and allows me to better control temps. I also carry a small hatchet for stake pounding as rocks are not always there when you need them. After several VFR camping excursions I added a few real steal steel tent stakes as well as I hate bending those lightweight AL pegs every time in hard ground.

I agree the length of the poles when folded is a key factor. This allows you to stuff the tent in a variety of places. High end tents generally have shorter individual pole lengths. The key advantage for me in quality backpacking tents is not the weight but how small you can pack them. My Tadpole 2 man tent from The North Face has 15 inch poles about the shortest I have found. Most of the web sites do not give pole lenghts so you have to measure in the store if you are a wack job like me.

Yosemite

Another thing to consider is the width of your pad. Avoid extra wide pads (26 inches) unless you are restless at night. You can get fairly thick pads at 20 inches wide. I can get one of these in 72 inch length into a Cortech Tail bag. Recently I got a Big Agnes pad to reduce my packing requirements..................no test yet as on my last trip I ended up staying in motels due to weather and time.

A 2 man (not really) backpacking tent is good for one tired guy and most of your gear. I did one two bike tour with a bigger tent and bunked up so to speak. Never again! FU bring your own tent! It is hard enough to get solid sleep.

My best MC camping is when I set up a base camp for a few days with a F....ing Cot and a tent I can stand up in. My truck carries a big cooler with beer too. I never carry food/stove/kitchen crap unless I base camp.

You will be ready to go in the morning.