SMALL bike camping thread

[davsato]

Originally Posted by DCMC

...........I have a big opportunity to decrease weight by carefully going over my toolkit, as it's 18% of the weight...........

dont be too anal about it, a mate saved an ounce drilling holes and thinning his tools then saved a little bit more by having his little finger amputated after a wheel brace snapped and he punched the nice clean rear sprocket

[DCMC]

Originally Posted by davsato

dont be too anal about it, a mate saved an ounce drilling holes and thinning his tools then saved a little bit more by having his little finger amputated after a wheel brace snapped and he punched the nice clean rear sprocket

Yeah, I don't plan on doing anything crazy like that. Maybe just switch out some of the stock stamped metal husky tooklit with some existing sockets and multi-tools I already have. I'm wondering what kind of tire irons I should bring on my rides, and whether I should bring another tube, or just patches.

[red clay]

2007, alaska, 40 days, 1987 xr600r. 2011, san fransisco to south carolina,32 days. 1987 xr600r. Dirt, dirt, and more dirt. Dog packs make great saddlebags. Made my own tank bags. Whisperlite international camp stove, use the gas from your tank to cook. Small compass on the dash keeps me from pulling the map out at every intersection. Cabelo's gore-tex guidewear overalls ( cheap, waterproof, and big pockets). Gore-tex socks rock. Bivey sack, big agnus ( very small ) sleeping pad, 20 degree down sleeping bag, and ponchos. Yes, the old trusty poncho. Use it as a tarp/shelter, instant easy rain gear for lunch stops. At the end of the day, take off the red riding coat and cover the bike with a cammoflage poncho. Dissapear into the landscape and relax. Going to the desert? Don't forget the small water purification pump. cheers, red clay

[cyborg]

Originally Posted by DCMC

I'm wondering what kind of tire irons I should bring on my rides, and whether I should bring another tube, or just patches.

My personal favorites for tire irons are the lightweight Motion Pro T6 series. Particularly the 12/13mm version, which has a little nib on the end that makes working a tire bead on amazingly easier, and reduces pinch flats during putting the tire on. Spendy but well worth it, and they work really well.

http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/08-0284/



The second one can be one with your axle nut size on one end.

http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/...6_combo_lever/



They are very light and strong. I've changed out super difficult Big Bike tires with just a few lightweight T6's, and dirt bike tires, no problem at all. Lots of places sell the T6's, often for less than Motion Pro's direct prices.

I carry a few T6's in my Husaberg 390's tool tube, and for really rough, very remote offroad trips, I carry 2 tubes, front and rear, and patches.

You can see the Agri tube tool under the left rear body panel. That holds all my tools and tire irons. Tubes ride in the bags.

[400psi]

Quick question that may have been answered elsewhere but do you guys reset your suspension sag, or change springs, to accommodate the extra fuel and camping gear or just load up and go? I am at the top range of my spring rate for set up. (04 450 exc?)

[RAGBrian]

Originally Posted by AteamNM

PS - I believe the best clothing deals on the flea market are found mainly in XL. Reason, old, rich fat guys and the quest of farkle Nirvana are always upgrading stuff or getting bigger????

Getting fatter. Stuff I used to wear a year or 2 ago doesn't fit any more. It happens to all of us eventually.


phat fingered on my phone with Tapatalk

[DCMC]

Some small bike camping content from another post. The red cup isn't a usual part of camping.

Camp set up

[RAZR]

[roundtripping]

Originally Posted by DCMC

Some small bike camping content from another post. The red cup isn't a usual part of camping.

Grass...

[OrangeYZ]

I'll play. Didn't read the entire thread, so I hope that after two years it's still about minimal gear on lightweight bikes, but without the under 250cc requirement.

I've taken two camping trips with my current setup. A 4-day trip in June to test my gear and plan for "The Big One," and The Big One: 11 days to and through Idaho by dirt

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...ighlight=idaho report be here

what food do you bring?

Candy bars and snacks

what cooking equipment do you use?

None, Don't want to deal with the weight and bulk on this bike. I have to stop at a gas station at least once a day, so I get food there. Usually there's a restaurant of some sort to get a decent meal. Yes, that sometimes results in me eating one meal a day.

what gear (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad) do you use?

Eureka Mountain Pass 2XTE tent, Kelty 20 deg down bag, no pad, jacket in shirt for pillow

how do you load it onto your bike?

Wolfman Rolie Luggage thing. A medium bag on each side, a small bag on the top, and the tent strapped on top of the small bag.


Sleeping bag in the left, Tools on the right, change of clothes in the top bag. Gerber Saw hanging out on the head light, which didn't really work because a segment of it fell out at some point leaving me with a pretty worthless saw.
Also a tiny hatchet in the top bag, which was useful for tent stakes and not much else.

what bike do you have?

2007 450EXC with 540 big bore kit.
Had it for a little over two years now.

any modifications to your bike (reinforced sub-frame, luggage rack, large tank, etc)?

The 540 kit, big squishy seat and Clarke 3.1 gallon tank were all from the previous owner. I bought the Acerbis 6.6G tank in June and only plan to use it for big miles though the serious middle of nowhere.
Sicass Racing stuff for the rear lights
Trail Tech HID light on the handlebar, that I never use because I usually quit riding when it gets dark
Trailtech kickstand
Double Take mirror
Barkbusters and Skid plate, but that shit goes without saying these days

with all of the above questions, how do you pack it tightly and securely for bumpy off-road riding (oh yeah, i aint talkin about riding down some straight paved road to the next camp spot, i'm riding OFF-ROAD)

The Wolfman thing did really good. For a jacket I used the liner from my Fieldsheer coat, and stuffed it with the tent when not using.

I had to leave a lot of the "Normal" camping gear behind to keep the weight down for offroading at decent speed.
No sleeping pad, food, cooking gear or stove, extra clothes. Less ammo than usual.
Didn't skimp on tools.

On my chest protector, I zip-tied some sort of ammo pouch that's the right size for a camera, map and sometimes a compass. Makes it easy to go from 60 to zero to taking a picture and back up to 60 in no time!

[The Letter J]

While my GasGas EC300 is not my dualsport, it has gone on multiday unsupported (excluding pick-up and drop-off) trips. I know it is a terrible cell phone picture, but it is the only one I have of any of my bikes with camp gear on board.


283lbs loaded and full of fuel :





Wolfman E-12 saddlebags and Renegade duffel stuffed with:

Kelty salida 2 tent (I'm 6'5" so I HAVE TO sleep diagonally in here, plenty of room to bring my stuff inside and my filthy gear can stay dry under the vestibule)

Big agnes 20" insulated pad (I sleep on my side with a leg out so maybe the 25" would work better... I'll live with it)

cheap Sports Authority 40* mummy bag packs to the size of a canteloupe (this REALLY needs to be replaced with a 0* or 20*)

pistol +20 rounds

alcohol stove and cookware from Big 5

folding saw

folding shovel

compact hiking shoes

rain gear

swim trunks

flashlight

food for 3 days (MRE's and freeze dried, along with foil pouch of tuna, can o' spam, Idahoan potatoes, individual instant coffees and hot cocoa packets, crystal light individual "energy" drink mixes)

water filter

I did carry all my usual tools/ first aid/ bike spares/ high calorie junk food/ etc. as well, but they were in my backpack (12.2L including my 3L bladder) so were not included in the above weight. This was at the beginning of september so the weather in the High Sierra's was still pleasant (though it did drop to freezing 1 night) as the weather cools I will have to add my tankbag to the setup to carry more layers. A lower temp rated sleeping bag is the #1 priority on my camp list as everything else worked great for my uses.

Overall weight was a big concern on this particular trip and road useage was maybe 10 miles so I opted to leave the heavier plated bike at home. The same gear on my 690 would have put me over 350lbs total and wrestling that through the non-stop boulder field that is the Dusy-Ershim trail would have taken a lot of fun out of the ride. I just had my buddy on his plated TE250 ride behind me on the road!

One final note:
Idahoan instant potatoes are the shit, I think I could live off of them.

[jontow]

Idahoan potatoes indeed. I concur! Had 'em for dinner tonight :-D

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[The Letter J]

Originally Posted by russellkt

Giant Poop Pants Bag

You sir, just blew my mind!

Now sew some rain boots to the bottom of the legs and strap them straight to the passenger pegs!

But seriously, what does the top closure look like, roll top or? If you start with a pair of carpenter pants you will get a hammer loop (could be handy for strapping a hatchet or?) and 2 side pockets... or better yet, cargo pants to have small items readily accessible but they won't fly out! A pair of rain pants would make the whole setup waterproof! No problem stuffing tent poles down a 30"+ inseam either!

I already have an assortment of bags for my bikes, but I'm going to see if my buddy will be willing to give it a go on his bike. Should be able to get setup for under $20 with a pair of thrift store pants!

Oohh Oohh! What if you start with a 1 piece mechanics jumpsuit (like the $30 Dickies ones) and just lay the torso back over the rear fender/ rack?! You have seriously got my wheels turning!

[russellkt]

I had many of the same thoughts when I saw someone else's post on another forum. In other words, I cannot take credit for the bag. v1 was a rainy day project only using what I had which was a pair of pants/cord/straps. Here's a list of mods for v2:

1 - I'm pretty slim so numero uno would be a bigger pair of pants, preferably cargo or overalls
2 - Not cutting off the legs and using them as roll closures
3 - Adding some fabric or using overalls
4 - Adjust straps to work with bikes without racks

v1 used drawstrings to close legs and waist. The leg drawstrings also secured the legs to the pegs/frame. Straps with d-rings were used to secure the waist to the bike. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

No matter what, v1 stayed secure and I would not hesitate to use it again.

Originally Posted by The Letter J

You sir, just blew my mind!

Now sew some rain boots to the bottom of the legs and strap them straight to the passenger pegs!

But seriously, what does the top closure look like, roll top or? If you start with a pair of carpenter pants you will get a hammer loop (could be handy for strapping a hatchet or?) and 2 side pockets... or better yet, cargo pants to have small items readily accessible but they won't fly out! A pair of rain pants would make the whole setup waterproof! No problem stuffing tent poles down a 30"+ inseam either!

I already have an assortment of bags for my bikes, but I'm going to see if my buddy will be willing to give it a go on his bike. Should be able to get setup for under $20 with a pair of thrift store pants!

Oohh Oohh! What if you start with a 1 piece mechanics jumpsuit (like the $30 Dickies ones) and just lay the torso back over the rear fender/ rack?! You have seriously got my wheels turning!

[Spad]

I'm thinking about a heavy pair of rainpants, like those worn for construction or commercial fishing, on top of the work pants or instead of, if they're thick enough. It'd be like a drybag. Not sure how they'd handle a spill, though.

- Spad