Motorcycle Camping Gear Buyer's Guide - Beyond the Basics
Some extra items that can increase your moto-camping fun
In our Motorcycle Camping Gear Buyer’s Guide – The Basics, we gave you some ideas as to what you need to start camping on a motorcycle. However, we only scratched the surface. Like with riding gear, you really only need a few things to get started, but once you’re hooked, a whole world of gear options becomes open to you. Now, you don’t need all of this stuff to have fun out in the mountains on your bike, but they all serve an important purpose. With a little thought, you can pack your bike with gear that makes your camping experience even more fun.
When shopping for camping gear, most people think of the big chains, like REI, Eastern Mountain Sports, or similar outlets. However, these places are directed towards backpacking or car camping, and while you can find gear that applies to motorcycling, you have to figure out what will work on your own. If you want to shop from a vendor that has a motorcycle-centric approach to camping, you should visit the Aerostich website (yeah, that Aerostich, the home of the Roadcrafter riding suit). Here, you’ll find a wide array of camping accessories that have been pre-selected for use on motorcycles.
Stoves
I tend to carry freeze-dried backpacking food when I moto-camp. It packs easily, and it tastes pretty good considering the packet you’re eating will stay fresh until roughly 2048 if you don’t break the seal. Some even come with self-heating packets that boil the food packet once you add water. Still, if you get into camping at all, you’ll eventually need a stove. Even if you don’t need to boil water for dehydrated meals, it’s much easier to heat a can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew on a stove than on a campfire.
Today, you basically have two choices when it comes to stoves, those that use butane/propane canisters and those that use white gas. When it comes to convenience, it’s hard to beat the canisters. They’re small and easily available. Also, you can buy a basic canister stove for as little as $20. In my experience, however, they tend to run out of fuel at the wrong time. So, I carry an extra canister. With white gas stoves, you can actually look into the can to see how much fuel is left, which is why I prefer them.
Pots, pans, and espresso makers
Even if you’re just boiling water, you need a pot. So, why not get a set of pots and pans that nest inside each other for easy packing? In my motorcycle travels, I’ve prepared countless meals on my beat-up old pots and pans. Now, you can get a similar set for less than $30 – and they have insulated handles so you don’t burn your fingers taking the pan off the stove!
Then there are the little luxuries. My beloved camping espresso maker was originally purchased as a joke, but I had no idea how much I would love a good cup of coffee when traveling. It always has a space in my saddlebag for moto-camping.
Water filtration
If you ever venture beyond campgrounds on your motorcycle adventures (and even in some campgrounds the water is not potable without treatment), you’ll need a way to purify your water. Yes, you can boil it, but then you have to wait for it to cool if you want to do anything other than cook with it. So, that leaves chemical treatments or filters.
Chairs/furniture
For two nights, as we stood around the campfire with nowhere to sit, we MOrons lamented not bringing any chairs. We did have one hammock that proved to be very popular, but we still needed something to sit on near the fire since the picnic table was too far from the fire’s warmth.
Lighting/power
As electronics become more enmeshed in our lives, being able to charge them while traveling on the road is quite important. Similarly, having a light beyond the standard flashlight/headlamp you should carry in your camping kit will make cooking and eating much easier. Here are two products that I’ve found to be quite useful.
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Really like these gear pieces! Lots of useful info. Most of my camping was done with a pack strapped on my back and ridiculously heavy boots on my feet, so I still have a backpacking mentality when it comes to camping gear. Good points about moving away from ultralight in favor of a little luxury. Sling Chairs! Hammocks! Espresso, for Pete's sake! There are still indentations in my spine corresponding to rocks and roots along the Appalachian Trail. I've outgrown that sort of nonsense....
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