What's your best bike camping tip/trick?

[macgart]

I plan to do quite a bit of bike camping this season.  With the economy on the D.L. I won't be able to afford big expensive trips so I'm planning multiple shorter camping trips.  

I was reading an old RR on another site recently and the poster had some very interesting tips that were simple but I'd just never thought of them.

He had a great tip to bring some light weight cord to use as a clothes line.  He also used a shorter piece of stretchy cord to make attachment easier.  I figure a bungee cord would work great.  He also employed a well known technique of using lightweight fast-drying "technical" clothing for off-bike use that could be washed and dried overnight.  I usually always wear the lightweight clothes, even under my ATGATT.  I just hadn't thought about the clothes line.

I also want to get an insulated extra thick mattress, like the ones by Big Anges.  

http://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Pad/InsulatedAirCore

Or a Go-kot

http://www.whitehorsegear.com/go-kot

I also want to work on my cooking technique.  Currently, I'm a heat 'n eat kind of guy.  Please post up any meal ideas you might have.  Also, how do you folks deal with the clean-up.  I want to keep my load as small as possible.

Trying to get some useful winter conversation going.

Cheers

[KuzzinKenny]

Ahh campin !! me favorite subject !! NOT !!  :)  have a looky here.......

http://www.tigertriple.com/forum/viewto ... ht=camping

http://www.tigertriple.com/forum/viewto ... ht=camping

im not much help, ive only had 1 nites bike campin  :roll:  

KK

[macgart]

Thanks K.K.  I searched prior to posting but somehow missed the second thread.  I remember seeing it now.

I have the basic kit and have done some bike camping as well as some backpacking.  I'm hoping to learn some practical bike specific tricks.  Someone always has a better way, it's just a matter of finding it... then stealing it for yourself.  
 :twisted:

[Bixxer Bob]

The first time I tried bike camping I went to the TT and took a small light tent. For one-nighters where all you are doing is sheltering, it would've been adequate, but for longer it wasn't great. Next year I upgraded to a slightly larger tent that had a proper porch, covered on three sides with a zip up fourth side.  The main reason was somewhere to put wet kit without needing to take it into the sacred inner sleeping area.

[Nick Calne]

Not really been bike camping too much but more camping from the car - so my particular knowledge is limited...

The one thing I have found is the further you are from lying on the floor, the better you sleep.  You tend to be neither too hot nor too cold and you can get comfortable.

If you sleep well, the whole experience is so much better.  Maybe the go-cot is the better deal?

[NeilD]

top tip.. remember to take your bike keys out of your jeans before you pack everything away and load the bike up...  :oops:

[Mustang]

Not really been bike camping too much but more camping from the car - so my particular knowledge is limited...

The one thing I have found is the further you are from lying on the floor, the better you sleep.  You tend to be neither too hot nor too cold and you can get comfortable.

If you sleep well, the whole experience is so much better.  Maybe the go-cot is the better deal?

I like to use one of these (or similar) the best for comfortable nights sleep



 

[oxnsox]

Campings a compromise between weight and comfort.... fortunately there are are lot of bicycle tourer/campers out there so there is a lot of lighterweight kit around.

Personally these are decisions I made when I got my kit... and the lessons I learnt.
Tent. I wanted something that was at least 2 man (bikers have bulky kit) and had some sort of vestibule you could keep a pannier in and acess out of the weather... also a place to cook.  Though I wanted compact I decided it had to be tall enough for me to get my gear on inside. And it had to have a good waterhead rating.
Sleeping.  Didn't want the bulk of a cot (these also take a lot of room and height out of your tent space), so went for a self inflating foam pad. They're available in a variety of sizes and thicknesses. Thicker is better (I should have gotten thicker). Airbeds are a no go, I've yet to sleep on on that is either comfortable, or warm.
Cooking kit and food. I have a lightweight stove a couple of pots and a kettle. Decided I had to be able to make a cup of something warm, and heat either something out of a can or out of a bag that you add water too. Plus I have some nut bars or similar type dry snacks, and some fruit. I bought a small cheap oven tray that actually fits inside a standard pannier. This gives me a platform I can cook and cut on and put hot pots on without worrying if they are stable, or if the cooker will ignite.
And of course a sleeping bag and a LED light.
Clothing, is a bit of an evolution, some of the light weight stuff is good, and some gets a bit rancid rather quickly... you'll find what works for you. I have some Merino (fine wool) gear I find great.

I also travel with a length of thin line and a small plastic groundsheet....  gives me some options to rig  a dry space if I was to get rained in.
What I found I was lacking, for comfort, was something to sit on with a backrest, so for me my concession to bulk (and extra weight) was for a foldup camp chair, it only sits a few inches off the ground but does make a difference. Lets you enjoy the end of the day with a beer in some sort of style....

Now having said all that my camping is based on riding somewhere and either stopping en-route or staying a day or so at the destination. So I don't need to take much more than 1 or 2 bottles of water or 3 days of eats. In this country it's generally easy to find water and you can always top up supplies if plans change.  If I was going away for a fortnight somewhere, I'd certainly take a bigger tent for better comfort, but more likely stay in a place with a roof and a bed.

[macgart]

top tip.. remember to take your bike keys out of your jeans before you pack everything away and load the bike up...  :oops:

I've done that too!!!

Good replies.  Mustang is just like my best friend, Motel 6 IS camping.   :P

I agree about the air mattress.  I have tried the Coleman type and find that I sleep cold on them, or if it is really hot, I sweat.

That's why I'm looking at the insulated 2.5" thick Big Agnes or a Go-kot.  The cot is a definite weight penalty.  

I usually prefer a hotel to camping as well, but this season, my budget will not allow such luxury.  

I currently use a small Eureka 2-man backpacking tent with a North Face synthetic bag for colder months, or a light-weight REI bag for warmer.  I have a thermarest self-inflating pad and a couple of foam pads, but my back is getting too old for these.

I have both a canister stove and an MSR whisperlite multi-fuel stove and SS cookware.  The ti stuff is too expensive.  I go pretty light on the cookware since I usually only cook diner.  I need to expand my horizons on this front though.  

I no longer carry a chair since I can usually improvise one or find a spot with a table.

I have a water filter but have yet to use/need it while bike camping.

My gear is all old backpacking stuff.

Some of you have got to have some better ideas than me so I look forward to seeing them.  So here's to winter being over, this down time is driving me nuts!  

         

[macgart]

Personally these are decisions I made when I got my kit... and the lessons I learnt.

Sleeping.  Airbeds are a no go, I've yet to sleep on on that is either comfortable, or warm.

Cooking kit and food. I bought a small cheap oven tray that actually fits inside a standard pannier. This gives me a platform I can cook and cut on and put hot pots on without worrying if they are stable, or if the cooker will ignite.

Clothing, is a bit of an evolution, some of the light weight stuff is good, and some gets a bit rancid rather quickly... you'll find what works for you. I have some Merino (fine wool) gear I find great.

I also travel with a length of thin line and a small plastic groundsheet....  gives me some options to rig  a dry space if I was to get rained in.
What I found I was lacking, for comfort, was something to sit on with a backrest, so for me my concession to bulk (and extra weight) was for a foldup camp chair, it only sits a few inches off the ground but does make a difference. Lets you enjoy the end of the day with a beer in some sort of style....

Now having said all that my camping is based on riding somewhere and either stopping en-route or staying a day or so at the destination. So I don't need to take much more than 1 or 2 bottles of water or 3 days of eats. In this country it's generally easy to find water and you can always top up supplies if plans change.  

Great points.  The camp chair that you fold and stuff you sleeping pad into is fairly comfy.  I think they are called a "crazy creek" or something.

I ride a lot in desert areas, so water is a major concern for me.  I carry a 100oz camlback for drinking while riding, but always have to get more water when I stop.

[NebraskaRat]

Put a foil wrapped potato in beween the header pipes and front of engine block on right side.  leave it there for 3-4 hours of riding, turning once or twice (use yur tire irons or you'll burn the shite out of your fingers!)  when you get to camp you can throw a steak on the grill and have a perfect baked potato with it.

[EvilBetty]

LOL that's awesome.

But I prefer Motel 8 and steakhouse as well :)

[BigMark]

Put a foil wrapped potato in beween the header pipes and front of engine block on right side.  leave it there for 3-4 hours of riding, turning once or twice (use yur tire irons or you'll burn the shite out of your fingers!)  when you get to camp you can throw a steak on the grill and have a perfect baked potato with it.

You realise what you have done?  Now every time i see a tiger rider i will be looking for that silver foil parcel wedged in between.  I shall try this out for sure....

When it comes to camping i am looking to go as light as i can for a 3 week trip through Europe later in the year. (two up) It will be camping only if we dont find a suitable hotel - run over budget or it is a nice spot and warm..
 I have found tents that are less than 2kg and £90.00 (on offer)
 One such example can be found here http://www.gapyeartravelstore.com/Colem ... p-413.html  
I already have a self inflating matress (if you can call it that) which rolls up to a very small size.
I am looking at these very small sleeping bags.
http://www.gapyeartravelstore.com/Ultra ... -p-10.html
food is not really an issue in this day and age (in Europe at least) you are bound to stumble across a shop throughout the course of a day so i will ony take "emergency rations" Water will be carried in a camel back (Mounted somewhere on the bike)
 The biggest decision is tyres, i will be going through Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia in some places which will be a little  rough.. was looking at the TKC 80's but i will cover about 3000 - 4000 miles and not sure these will last.
 Maybe ill have a chat with Conti about them and ask..

[Colonel Nikolai]

I can vouch for the Crazy Creek chair. Worth it.

Another "trick" is: avoid rolling into a campground after dark. It seems some of my more unpleasant camping experiences start with a dark, rocky road lit by my headlights only. I'm tired and cranky and I make mistakes. Start looking for a place an hour before sundown.

North American riders: If you camp next to a river west of the 100th meridian, you can wake up with a rattlesnake or two sharing your bag. In some places it's almost a certainty. Don't camp nearer than 300 feet from a river in this situation.

Another one is don't pull over in a pounding rain unless you can test a hard surface to stop on. I've tried to put my kickstand down on stuff that looks firm but is as slick as bearing grease. I was dry before I stopped. I was soaking after I got back on the road again. This was in Wyoming: maybe it has something to do with the drought they have had over the last decade but it totally caught me off guard.

[macgart]

North American riders: If you camp next to a river west of the 100th meridian, you can wake up with a rattlesnake or two sharing your bag. In some places it's almost a certainty. Don't camp nearer than 300 feet from a river in this situation.

Great tip about the snakes.  I always take precautions to prevent snakes, spiders, scorpions, etc., from gaining access to my sleeping area or boots.  A habit I developed in the military is to always shake out my boots before just sticking my foot inside them.  

I had an opportunity to attend a seminar conducted by one of the San Diego areas foremost experts on poisonous bites.  He had no shortage of gruesome photos of rattlesnake and spider bites that were received inside sleeping bags.  :shock:

I've camped along the river north of Moab, UT many times but I'm always very careful to watch for dangers.

Another one is don't pull over in a pounding rain unless you can test a hard surface to stop on. I've tried to put my kickstand down on stuff that looks firm but is as slick as bearing grease.

I did the same thing just north of Naturita, CO once when I pulled over to don my rain gear.  Nearly dumped my bike! :x