let's see a picture of your camping setup and how it all fits on your bike... please

Part of the backpack issue is having hard/heavy/bulky items in close proximity to the spine in the case of a get-off and tumble/roll - but of course, we all make our choices and take our chances.

I usually wear a small backpack when I'm on the 690 but all that goes in it is hydration bag and maybe trail snacks. Nothing that could hurt me if I fell on it.

I wear my hydration pack with some rain gear and light stuff inside.
I need to find a new bag to stow my camera in. I usually wear that on the backpack belt with the camera tethered to my backpack. I'd worn out the last camera bag so the zipper finally gave up and a holes were worn in it.

Tested my phone case in my mount over the weekend. It was secure. Even bounce tested it a few times with wheelies and jumps.
Something I rarely pull off fully loaded.
But, it pays to be prepared.

I don't do wheelies and jumps if I'm even a little loaded!

It's OK, I went to school for it.

No, really. Wheelie, Jump and Slide school. Grad school was Jimmy Lewis school on the big 1150 Adventure.
I did a one day class on the 990, but got tired in the sand and sat the rest of the day sipping water.

Nice.
I rode for a week with UlyBrad who runs a dirt bike school. I really learned a lot. I'd like to take a class or two.

Two real good ones:

https://jimmylewisoffroad.com/

https://motoventures.com/

JLR is in Pahrump, usually has a one or two days class during the ADV Pahrump rally in November.

Motoventures, we used their bikes and gear.

I've said it many times, I learned so much at each school I attended.

I also did a MSF dirt bike school at the Honda Training Center.

One of the most amazing results of training was the JLR adventure bike school on my 1150 Adventure. I went out there using my low saddle. When I got home from that school I sold the low saddle and went back to the OEM saddle that was much more comfy.
That was due to the confidence I gained in riding that big, heavy and tall bike in training.

Learning the correct techniques and drills on a smaller bike is great to begin. Then learning them on the big bike you actually ride is nothing short of amazing.
It is a lot of work. When I was really into it, I would go out to a dry lakebed about a hundred miles from where I lived about twice a month and practice all day.
It is hot, tedious, boring and I was always sore after. Much like practicing blues licks on a guitar. You practice until you are too tired to continue.

Next time I do the JLR school, I'll ride out there on my 990, but rent one of his EXC's.
I'm old enough to appreciate the lighter weight. And cheap enough not to buy a little bike and truck to haul it around. Plus I have no space for such things anymore.
Every time I have taken the JLR school I have learned more and gotten better. I still hate sand and likely always will. But, I can ride it with the bike loaded up with camping gear on worn out Tourances and not fall, so I count that as a big win.

Both schools operate in winter, so a good way to go. Drive or fly/drive down and rent a bike.
Best money I ever spent on training of any sort.

My camping setup on the new bike. Tent, cot, pad, sleeping bag, pillow, chair, hatchet, speaker, all in the North Face bag. Clothes, toiletries, jetboil, food packs, etc in the upper bag. Held down with Rok straps.

Good post. All except the riding 100 miles to the practice area.

I play guitar most every day, but sometimes I'll play for 10 or 12 hours at a stretch, and yeah I can feel it!

I live a half mile walk from the beach, so it is a give and take. The dry lake feels and looks like a landfill. The beach?

I've seen you do a wheelie on a fully loaded bike in the middle of a camping trip!

Not the best pic, but: Wolfman Expedition dry saddlebags, and a generic dry duffel on top that is secured with Rok straps. The bags are mounted on Tom's superlative Moto-Racks. (Sadly unavailable since his accident in Sept. 2016.)

Also used on this trip were Wolfie's accessory bottle holsters. Each saddlebag can accept two holsters, thus giving the rider the ability to carry four spare quarts (~4 liters) of Go Juice.

Just tested in day-long wet. If only my "waterproof" textile pants worked as well as the bags...



Free bonus mention: the new Metzler Karoo 3 tires. Some road noise, but they do tractor nicely on gravel.

How'd that go with the big bike, in general? I was really thinking about booking a session there, but it seemed every other paragraph on their website kept saying that while you *could* bring your big, heavy adventure bike, you really should consider something smaller to get the most out of it. Kinda put me off going there.

Edit: Wait, JLR? Is that Jimmy Lewis? Maybe I'm confusing classes. I don't remember seeing an "adventure bike school" specifically for Jimmy Lewis. Just offroad with the disclaimers I mentioned.

I live a couple hundred yards from the beach

Dual side stands, interesting concept.

Sidestand and center stand

Yes

Loaded up for a week plus of traveling. The best part of the setup is the $8 soft-sided cooler I have strapped on there that I will fill with beer and ice just before we are getting ready to stop for the day. Especially if we are stopping to camp on a 100 degree, dry lake bed!

Who knew!