Motorcycle Camping

Motorcycle Camping: Why Is It So Much Fun To Go Camping With Your Motorcycle?

Do you love camping? If you are here, we can understand that you love it or at least you have an interest in camping. It is quite evident that camping comes with some of the great benefits and joy. Camping out, be with your friends or alone, can always be great fun as you can enjoy the unfiltered yet spectacular views of the sky. You can never get tired of looking at the starred sky, the sunrise, or the sunset. Being surrounded by nature’s beauty, you can enjoy every bit of it along with avoiding the costly bills of the hotel. If you love camping, then you surely love the idea of motorcycle camping. This is perfect for the ones who love to ride bikes. A camping trip on your motorcycle can take your relationship with your bike to a completely new level.

Why to go for camping by motorcycle?

If you love to ride a motorcycle, then you will know and understand the freedom that you can enjoy in exploring. Camping can help you to have some great experience outdoor and be in the lap of the nature. Now, imagine how it will feel if you mix these two and plan camping with a motorcycle. It will give you the complete freedom to enjoy and explore different areas and corners of the country. There are many places around where a four-wheeler cannot reach. Those areas are still unexplored by many.

Take your motorcycle in search of those places. Motorcycle camping can bring immense joy, pleasure, and freedom. You don’t have to rely on anyone to reach the spot for camping or to commute to the nearby places. You will have your motorcycle with you to take you to the places where you want to go. What is more cherishing than some freedom? Freedom to explore and freedom to enjoy!

Is it okay to go alone?

Whether you want to go alone or you want to take someone with you for camping on your motorcycle is completely your decision. Both of them have their pros and cons. While many people love to go on a solo camping trip with their motorcycle, many people love to travel in groups. Do you love to enjoy the silence and your own company in fresh air, beautiful sky, amidst the nature, and birds chirping? Well, then you can definitely plan for a solo trip. But if you are more of an extrovert person and you love to socialize, then going with someone or with a group is better.

Solo camping with your motorcycle can provide you with the freedom to be on your own, do whatever you want and to enjoy every bit of it. But for the people who don’t like to be alone, it can be quite boring. Hence, taking someone with you can be a good option who is equally interested in exploring the nature. In both the cases, you will have to make a proper planning and thorough research about the place before you visit. If this is your first time as a motorcycle camper, then going with someone is a better option.

Best types of bikes for motorcycle camping

If you are planning for a motorcycle camping tour, then you have to find the right type of bike for camping. While all the bikes can help you to commute, not every bike is suitable for camping and long journeys. Having the right type of camping bike is very much essential to ensure that the camping tour goes smoothly and perfectly. Here are the 3 types of bikes that are probably considered the best for camping:

  • Touring motorcycle:
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Although most of the motorcycles are used for touring purposes, some of them are designed specifically for tours. The touring motorcycle is one of the types of bikes that are designed mainly for touring. Some of the manufacturers have developed some specific models that are designed in such a way that they can address the specific needs of the riders. Commonly, these touring motorcycles come with large displacement fairings along with a windshield for protecting you against the wind. They also have a large capacity of the fuel tank so that you can fill up for a long journey.

  • Chopper motorcycle:

As the name suggests, the chopper motorcycle is a kind of bike which has been “chopped”. Here, chopped means modified or customized in some way or the other. The chopper motorcycles are generally characterized by the long extended rake angle featuring long frond ends and extended forks. These motorcycles also feature a hardtail frame which comes without the rear suspension. They can be quite fast too and is quite a good option for bike camping.

  • Sports bike

The sports bikes are the best type of motorcycles that you can take with you for camping. The sports bikes are optimized in such a way that it can provide excellent speed, great acceleration, and a perfect braking system. These bikes are also great for all types of terrain. They are comfortable and have better fuel economy when compared to other types of motorcycles. The best part of the sports bikes is that they offer a smooth and high-revving engine which can work excellently in most of the conditions.

Checklist for motorcycle camping

When you are preparing for camping with your motorcycle, you have to make sure that you have all the essential things as well as some of the extra things with you. If this is your first time of camping with a motorcycle, then it can be stressful and overwhelming for you. On one hand, it is camping and you cannot miss any of the essential things. On the other hand, you have to travel with your motorcycle and need to pack light. It can be quite confusing for you about what to include and what not to. To make it easier and better for you, here is a checklist of all the essential things that you must have.

Essential Items (Most important camping gears to pack)

These are the most essential items that you have to pack no matter what. Prioritize these items before you pack extra.

  • Riding suit & helmet: These are the two most important things as a riding suit will offer you with protection. This suit can make you more visible to other drivers and riders and it will also boost your confidence too. Just like the riding suit, the helmet is also a part of the safety gear for your ride.
  • Tent: Of course, a motorcycle camping tent is one of the most important parts of your camping and you cannot miss it. Make sure to carry one of the lightest and toughest tents with you. It will be easier for you to carry and it will also provide good protection. You can buy a tent based on the number of people going with you or the number of people going to be in the same tent as you. Make sure the tent is waterproof and has proper safety features.
  • Sleeping bag: At night, you will have to sleep and nothing can be better than a sleeping bag in the tent. Of course, you cannot get a mattress and a pillow along with a blanket. A sleeping bag is the best option. You can get different types of sleeping bags in the market. You have to pick the right one based on your needs and preferences.
  • Kitchen equipment: The 3 main kitchen essentials that you have to carry with you are – a stove, cooking equipment, and cutlery. Don’t pack too much! A set of 2 cooking sets will be enough along with a spoon and a fork. There are different portable stoves available that you can buy to carry with you.
  • Lamp and head torch: Don’t forget to take a head torch or lamp with you. Both of the camping areas don’t have any electricity. You will have to use the lamp and head torch while doing things. A head torch can be an essential item as it keeps your hands free so that you can cook and do anything you want.
  • Soap and sanitizer: No matter how close to nature you like to be, you have to keep yourself clean and hygienic all the time. Have soap and hand sanitizer with you. This can help you to keep your hands clean and to wash your body whenever needed.
  • Documents: One of the most essential things that you have to carry with you is the set of important documents such as your license, insurance papers of your bike, your identity proof and many more. You may or not may not need these documents but you need to keep these always with you whenever you are going for a tour.
  • Water bottle: Don’t forget to carry the water bottle with you as you will need to drink water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated. Keep a bottle with you and fill it up whenever needed.
  • Clothing set: Based on the number of camping days, you have to pack your clothing accordingly. Make sure to carry a raincoat for sure. Check the weather of the particular place you are going for camping and pack the clothes based on that.
  • First aid kit: Another essential thing that you should not forget is a first aid kit. This will include antiseptics, Band-Aids, prescribed medicines and some of the important medicines too for headache, cough and cold and digestion.
  • Tool kit for motorcycle: You have to carry all the essential tools, spare parts and important essentials for your motorcycle with you. In case the motorcycle has an issue, you can fix it immediately.
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Optional or Non-Essential items:

These are the items that you may or may not carry. They do have an important role to play but not always required. First, you have to pack the essential item (mentioned above) and then if you have more space, then you pack these:

  • Tarpaulin: It is quite a versatile item when it comes to camping with your motorcycle. This can provide as an additional shelter that will help you to cook under when it is raining. So, if the weather predicts rain, you can carry it with you.
  • Inflatable pillow: If you have some space and you want more comfort during your camping, then you can carry one inflatable pillow. You can pump it up and use it and again flatten it back while traveling.
  • Mosquito repellant: Though we have mentioned this in the optional section, it is quite essential if you visit warmer places for camping. Amidst nature, mosquitos can be a real problem, and having a mosquito repellant in form of gel, spray or liquid can help you to get rid of them.
  • Warm clothes: If the place you are visiting is cold or freezing, then you need to carry some warm clothes along with gloves and socks. This will help you to keep your body warm. The best thing that you can do is to check the weather when packing.

Make sure to maintain a checklist of all these items when you are planning for a camping trip alone or with your friends with motorcycle. You will need all these items, especially the essential ones. Keeping the checklist with you will help you to efficiently pack everything.

Things to pack

Besides all these above-mentioned essential and non-essential items, some of the important things that you cannot forget are – your phone, your wallet, and extra diesel/petrol for your motorcycle. You will definitely need money in your trip as well as the GPS for the routes. You also don’t know when you can find a gas or petrol station to fill up the gas for your motorcycle. You have to carry extra.

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You also have to pack:

  • Extra clothes (based on the weather)
  • Extra pair of shoes (for safety sake)
  • Umbrella/raincoat
  • Sunscreen and sunglass (to stay protected from the sun)
  • Hat, gloves, and neck guard

Generally, the camping trips don’t last more than 5 to 6 days. Hence, you must pack lightly and don’t take too much of your personal belongings. You can carry a backpack to pack all these personal belongings with you. You can keep in on your back while riding the motorcycle.

Where to store the gear for motorcycle camping?

Once you know about all the essential items that you have to pack, you need to know where you can store these gears. If you are wondering where you can store the gear for motorcycle camping, then we are here to help you. The first thing that you have to keep in mind is to keep the balance on both sides properly. Prioritizing is the key to packing. You have to pay very close attention to the overall weight distribution. A motorcycle will need to have a more or less even load between the tires.

If you put too much of weight on the front-rear tire, then the front tire can be lifted up. This can affect the stability and steering of the motorcycle in an adverse way. Make sure to pack the heaviest items first i.e. the store, tent etc. These items must be between the wheels and go low too. Lighter gears must be packed higher up on your motorcycle behind the ride of the motorcycle or the passenger. This will keep the weight evenly distributed throughout your motorcycle.

Where to go for motorcycle camping?

There are many places where you cannot reach with the cars. Also, there are places where cars are not allowed. But still those places are mesmerizing and have scintillating panoramic views. You can explore these places on your motorcycle. Ideals places to camp for the motorcycle riders are the countryside and national parks. You can discover a lot of scenic path with the help of a motorcycle as those roads may not be accessible by cars. Here are some of the places where you camp if you are going by motorcycle:

1. Camping at the national park

The national parks are protected areas by the federal government. They are safe and incredibly beautiful. These national parks are located in various places and on different terrains such as mountains, canyons, deserts, forests and more. You can choose one of the best places where you will like to go for camping. The most popular national park for motorcycle rider camping is Grand Canyon National Park located in Arizona. It is a popular destination with some challenging trails. You will love the panoramic view here.

2. State parks and campgrounds

There are many state parks and campgrounds that are designated for the motorcyclists only. Those parks or grounds don’t allow the cars to enter. In fact, these parks and campground are rarely visited by people as not everyone likes or knows to ride a bike. Hence, you can witness the wilderness and pure nature here.

3. Unexplored places

There are some great places that are located as a hidden treasure in your country. Many people don’t about it or it is not accessible by cars. Either you have to ride a motorcycle or you have to simply hike to the camping spot. You can search for these places to enjoy your solo motorcycle trip or a camping with your friends.

Conclusion

These are all the essential and important things that you must know about motorcycle camping. Keep all these in mind and make a full-proof plan with all the important details included. Follow the above-mentioned checklist too to know about the essential camping gear that you have to carry with you. Missing one item can be a dreadful experience. Hence, it is best to maintain a checklist and keep a complete track of your packing.

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