Motorcycle Camping Adventure
Update: Camping was a huge success!
My top three items that came in clutch were:
The Nemo Quasar sleeping pad, hands down. It was SUPER easy and quick to inflate, it kept me off the ground and very comfortable all night and is very pack-friendly.
The Stanley flask was a hit. No leaking, kept my drink chilly and is rather sleek.
Comfortable clothes (quick dry and thermal lined).
The weather was perfect and riding with my pals was more fun than ever now that I have a bike that can keep up! We had a late lunch at Whitewater’s lakeside location (highly recomend the Chimichurri Veg Wrap, their gin, hard soda & sour beers) and made it to our beachside camp spot without issue. As soon as we arrived, we set up our tents and got down to business: celebrating our friend’s 40th!
Photo taken by Kim M. on Saturday, August 13th, 2022.
It was relaly nice seeing pals I hadn’t seen in over 10 years. Singing songs by the campfire, making new friends and enjoying delicious food (did I mention that the hosts own a diner in Pembroke? Yeah, they know how to cook!) It was such a great night… even though I totally sucked at cornhole, haha.
The quick dry top I usually wear swimming doubled as a comfortable riding shirt on the super-hot and sunny trip while my thermal base layer made great pyjamas when it got rather chilly in the tent (dropped below 9°C). In terms of ‘luggage’, I probably over-packed. My small, soft-sided cooler broke so it didn’t make the return trip. If you can recommend any compact coolers that are moto-packable, I’m all ears.
Now that I know that I am not just capable of camping (I tented all by myself!) but actually enjoy it; I can’t wait to see what new adventures lay ahead.
Thanks again to all who shared tips on what to pack. Feeling confident in the journey is an important part of it. If I didn’t have a few crucial items (listed above), I wouldn’t have had as enjoyable an experience. The company also made this one epic weekend I won’t soon forget! That’s valley folk for ya.
Original post:
I’m 36 and I have never, ever been camping. Loads of my friends have - actually - pretty much everyone I know has… and now that I’ve got a motorcycle I can really trust (sorry Suzuki! you weren’t tuff enough!), I’m thinking of easing into the world of MotoCamping.
I’ve been invited to a friends birthday party in my hometown next month and I’m taking this as my sign to pop a tent and see what this is all about. Like I said, I’m going to ‘ease’ into this because maybe camping won’t be my thing (and that’s okay).
Have you been moto camping before? On a bike, you are limited in what you can pack so please hit me with your packing/camping tips! My top interests for this adventure include: Good times. Good vibes only. Comfort. Safety.
August 4th Update:
Shoutout to my buddy Marc from Prairie Moto (Manitoba) for writing:
“Bring a headmounted flashlight, pack light (essentials only), have tools, ride safe.”
With that in mind and also knowing my body/chronic pain situation, I decided to get a few extra creature comforts like a NEMO Quasar 3D sleeping pad, YETI Rambler Insulated Water Bottle (*which has since proven to NOT be leakproof though I’m not giving up on it yet… I’m going to try and use it again with greater success) and one Stanley Flask because, believe it or not, I have never owned a flask! I was always afraid of them tasting ‘too tinny’. I’ll let you know how these items work out. All were purchased from our Ottawa SAIL location and it was truly a great customer service experience from start to finish (lowest prices around and yes I checked online).
Having something to look forward to is important.
I have tools, I have a tent, flashlights and other necessities but I don’t want to go overboard. I am travelling by moto and am very much looking forward to experiencing the freedom of getting by with what I can carry. On that note, I did make apply some minor upgrades to my Triumph.
I’ve been riding since 2017 and have finally found the side bags that suit my style, whether or not they suit my needs will be determined over the next few months (haha). They are KAPPA Ramblers (RB100 Saddlebags) and I ordered them from Fortnine after scouring the local moto-shop scene to no avail.