If you’re interested in motorcycle camping but don’t know where to start, don’t worry!
I have a beginner motorcycle camping gear list on Amazon, but you can find these things almost anywhere, including used and on facebook. Your starting gear doesn’t have to be expansive or expensive!
However, there is some merit to doing research beforehand to figure out what other people are using, so you invest in gear once or twice, rather than 4-5 times. There are some additional “Essential Packing List” links at the bottom of this post.
The BARE MINIMUM gear you need to go moto camping includes:
- A waterproof way to carry your gear (backpack, saddlebags, duffle, etc). You can use your existing saddlebags/bags and put your stuff in bags INSIDE of them. But you do NOT want wet clothes and gear at camp!
- A tent with rainfly (or hammock) & a ground cloth
- A sleeping pad & sleeping bag
- A head lamp & flashlight
- Misc: matches/lighter, water bottle, phone charger & power bank, first aid kit, puck for your kickstand, basic tool kit, and cash.
Things to think about concerning cooking when moto camping:
- Will you have a firepit/be able to have a campfire? If not, make sure you have a campstove.
- Will you cook at all while camping? Eating a local restuarants or getting take out is a totally valid option!
- Will you buy/prepare your food before leaving your home kitchen (chopping, etc) or will you need utencils to do everything at camp and need a way to carry groceries from a local store? Think about carrying a foldable cooler, small kitchen knife, and bring trash bags for your food waste!
*More in depth details on cooking at camp coming soon!*
Things to think about when looking for a tent:
- The length of the tent poles (to fit inside your saddlebags/duffle bag or strapped on top of your bags).
- The square footage inside being able to fit you, your helmet, and gear riding gear (you don’t want to leave it out on your bike over night in case it rains or gets wet from condensation).
- If you’re travelling with someone else, think about whether you want to share a tent and split the poles/tent, etc or if you want your own tent while camping.
Things to think about when looking for a sleeping bag:
- The temperature rating on your sleeping bag (look ahead at the NIGHTTIME temps in the area and season you’re camping in.)
- Down versus synthetic (including the pack down/compressions size, you don’t really need to worry about weight on a bike, though!). If you don’t have waterproof bags, you may want to avoid down in case it rains on the road!
EVEN IF YOU DON’T THINK IT’S GOING TO RAIN, BRING A RAIN SUIT AND HAVE A PLAN FOR COVERING YOUR SEAT AT CAMP OVERNIGHT!
If you’re travelling with a group of motocampers, consider splitting your camp kitchen, first aid, tool kits, etc to save space in your bags.
Other things you should consider putting in your moto camp kit:
- Packable toliet paper, female urinal/pee cloth.
- Water purification, filter for questionable water sources
- Camping towel/blanket
- Multiple fire starting methods (flint & steel, fire plugs, lighter, etc)
- Reusable ice bags (MY FAVORITE KIT ITEM!)
- Camp shoes, camp chair, bug spray/sunscreen, bathing suit, hat (comfort items once you get to camp and get off the bike!)
You can piecemeal your camping kit, or you can look into resources like MotoCampNerd.com that sell pre-made motorcycle camping kits or REI that sell pre-made backpacking bundles.
Motorcycle Camp resources: MotoCampNerd.com
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