Motorcycle Camping Adventure
Going to experience motorcycle camping for the first time ever and it’s a double whammy because this will also be my first. Time. Camping. Period. So… what should I bring for maximum good times?
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.
Spring is Near
The first day of spring is tomorrow. That’s also my daughters birthday (she’s turning five)! I’ll be sharing her birth story on social media, as is tradition with both of my kids. Such a special season!
We’ll be removing some COVID restrictions this week. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when people shed their masks and start to ‘get back to normal’ in terms of public habits and social behaviours.
Lots to look forward to with the warmer weather. Will probably be getting my motorcycle out this week. I sold Suzi Suzuki last fall and bought a 2022 Triumph Street Twin (Bonneville). It’s a bigger bike and I’m excited to have my first warm weather ride with it. Lots of moto-social stuff on the go, too.
Excited to eventually get up to the cottage and open things up. We’ll be hosting only repeat guests and are fully booked (again). We’ve been very lucky on the ‘good guests’ front. So much so, that I’ve decided to stop accepting rental inquiries indefinitely. It took a while to get into this groove but now that I’m here, there’s no going back.
If you’re reading this and you were able to contribute to my Dry Feb fundraiser: THANK YOU! We raised over $2,000.00 for the Canadian Cancer Society. It was a long month with some unexpected twists and turns making total sobriety impossible for me, so YES, I had two cheat days. Oh well! We still did a good things and I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished.
It’s a new month and we’re getting back to whatever post-COVID normal life will be and that is something worth celebrating all on it’s own.
Happy New Year
Welcome to 2021!
If you’re reading this, you survived 2020. Congratulations! May this year be better in every way for everyone.
Globally, this past 365 was a nightmare.
Personally, this past 365 was pretty alright. Bought the cottage, got married, earned my full moto-license, started working at a new station (dream job). It wasn’t without its difficulties, though.
We had to learn how to work from home with two young kids who need constant stimulation; enter iPads, LeapFrog Academy, Nintendo, YouTube, Netflix, Minecraft, et al. Lesson learned: teach your offspring to not rely on you as their number one source of entertainment once they’ve grown out of the age where they need you to be.
Enter anxiety; personal health vs. pandemic + anti-masker/anti-vaxxer attitudes; gym closures & a complete shake-up from the daily routine. Car trouble. Daycare hiccups. Personal finances. Missing friends & regular social interactions.
As this pandemic carries into the new year and lockdowns keep us locked up, we have to try and remember that everyone is going through a lot right now.
Be kind.
My 1st 'DIY Moto' Holiday Party!
If you’re an Ottawa area motorcycle enthusiast, DIY Moto is a wonderful resource filled with the best people that you should have on your radar.
I’ve learned some stuff about my bike and made some new friends through various social meet-ups (and from just bumming around the garage) like the seasonal ‘Moto Social’. This was my first year attending DIY’s Christmas Party and it was a lot of fun!
Here are some pics from the night:
Shout out to Birling for supplying some awesome raffle prizes - I WON THE TOQUE! <3 <3 <3 This glorious raffle victory is made even more sweet as the toque I’ve been wearing for years, which is in dire need of retirement, comes from Birling’s predecessor, Antique (the OG Bank St. days). An additional shoutout to Sasquatch Soaps for their donated goods (which I ALSO won)! I’ll be smellin’ lovely in time for the holidays, so thank you!
HOUSE 4 RENT! Oh, plus an update on Family & Motorcycles
HOUSE FOR RENT IN HINTONBURG: Brand new, super-efficient, 3bdrm/3bth semi, 3rd floor patio, parking/fenced yard…
Hello! It's been a while since my last post. Life's been busy. I think I say that every time I intro a blog when it's been a few weeks... somehow, believe it or not, I am actually getting busier. BUSIER. Life doesn't ever slow down - which is probably a good thing.
We've moved in to our new/old house. I say 'old' because we lived here before, it just looked a LOT different.
31 Likes, 1 Comments - Amy Volume (@amy.volume) on Instagram: "*smashy smashy*"
49 Likes, 1 Comments - Amy Volume (@amy.volume) on Instagram: "Taking shape. 🏠"
It's even more finished than the picture leads on, I'm just too busy to snap more recent pics. Literally. I will though, soon. We pretty much just have the drive-ways/landscaping/exterior work to finish, then we need to find some excellent tenants/neighbours to rent the 3bdrm, 3bth house!
In other news, the kids are doing well and my parents are also doing well. GG lives in a nursing home now and is receiving excellent care. It's a tough lifestyle adjustment though, as she lived full-time with my parents for 14 years. She gets lots of visitors now - more than she did when she was living at home, so that is nice for her! We all just got together to celebrate her 90th birthday in April. We are blessed to be able to spend loads of time together. Lots of memories for her great-grandkids to have.
Work is going well. We have some more people on staff now, which is really awesome! I think the station sounds good but I guess I'm a little biased. We have a lot of fun at work - I've really got a dream job. Whenever I start to think 'how did I get so lucky?' I remember 'o yah, a lot of hard work, college, ambition, dedication, fortitude, late nights, etc.' I have it made in the shade and the future is lookin' bright.
90 Likes, 3 Comments - Amy Volume (@amy.volume) on Instagram: "I AM IN LOVE. 😍 At Motorsport World NEW LOCATION 1375 Clyde!!"
Is now a good time to tell you that I also bought my first motorcycle? A 2018 Suzuki Van Van. I will be strictly riding in the valley until I get my skills up to city-commute-worthy speed (literally and figuratively). Call it my mid-life crisis - or, maybe - my mom-life crisis? NO ROOM FOR KIDS ON THIS BAD BOY - SORRY, GUYS! *vroooooooom*
Lots of positive things on the horizon. Some tough things too, as we age. Though I don't have a lot of time right now (kids are sleeping... will wake and cause chaos in seconds, no doubt) I wanted to post a quick update to say 'hello' and let you all know we are doing quite well.
If you know anyone who's looking to rent in Ottawa's hippest neighbourhood, Hintonburg - CONTACT ME.