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Start with Less<\/strong><\/p>\n With all the social media posts of riders from around the world sharing their epic adventures and providing reviews of the gear they use can cause anxiety.\u00a0 Intimidation from the expense and amount of equipment people use for moto camping can become overwhelming when starting this hobby.\u00a0 I’m not saying any of these riders are wrong in the gear (or the amount) they use, but my philosophy while motorcycle camping is less gear is much more efficient and cheaper. My first time moto camping I had nothing other than a one-person Kelty tent (which I still use), a sleeping bag, and a small personal hygiene kit.\u00a0 I planned to give moto camping a shot and figured I could survive one night out on Washington\u2019s Olympic peninsula even if I was a bit uncomfortable.<\/p>\n I wasn\u2019t uncomfortable at all.\u00a0 In fact, other than adding a 6-pack of beer and a crushed Subway sandwich my gear didn\u2019t grow or change for the next 8 more years (even after \u201cmaturing\u201d from a Ducati Monster M1100 to a BMW GS1200).\u00a0 Would I have been more comfortable with a sleeping pad, cooking set up, and maybe even a chair?\u00a0 Yes, but that came years later after learning from others (I am a bit set in my ways even if they force me to be uncomfortable). Starting from such a minimalist perspective and adding gear slowly allowed me to tailor my equipment perfectly.\u00a0 You will find everyone has a \u201cbetter\u201d way of doing things; you might want to learn what works best for you and expand slowly.<\/p>\n Start in a Familiar Location<\/strong><\/p>\n Roaring through the dense rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula on my Ducati Monster I was excited to be camping with my motorcycle for the first time.\u00a0 In hindsight this choice was probably a further and more isolated location than I should have started with, but it worked for the most part. I had ridden the road several times, I was comfortable with the distance, and I was aware of the ever-changing weather conditions.\u00a0 Being new to this I didn\u2019t pack rain gear and of course it rained heavily that night (I was forced into my tent by the weather by 7:00 p.m.).\u00a0 You must pack raingear if you want to ensure it never rains on your moto camping trip.\u00a0 \u00a0But even with the weather not cooperating it was a fun first night and it was enough to get me hooked on the lifestyle.<\/p>\n Looking back, a more comfortable way to experience my first moto camping adventure would have been a more controlled environment.\u00a0 Even for those well-seasoned campers, testing new gear in your home or backyard to learn how to set up, adjust, and break down the equipment makes for a less stressful time in a real-world environment. Purchasing lots of expensive gear, not testing it, and going on a multi-state tour can be a painful way to learn the gear isn\u2019t right for you or the climate.\u00a0 Another way to learn your equipment and build experience is at a state park close to your home or a KOA.\u00a0 Even if you have to retreat to the KOA store or end up back inside your house, don\u2019t be discouraged.\u00a0 \u00a0That’s what this step is for.\u00a0 Take notes on what worked and what didn\u2019t, and build off that until you are comfortable with the next step, which can be dispersed camping or a longer distance ride.\u00a0 It is better to learn in this semi-controlled environment than to have a horrific night with improper gear in poor weather and become completely deterred from ever moto camping again.<\/p>\n Learn From Experience<\/strong><\/p>\n Having completed a successful test runs with your gear it is now time to begin learning how to increase your confidence in harsher and more remote environments. This point in your experience level is also the perfect time to make gear adjustments based on your notes.\u00a0 With a few nights camping under your belt you can seek advice and learn from others, including their set up tricks and in what type of climate they moto camp.\u00a0 In doing so you will fine tune your camping outfit so that it is perfect for you, your motorcycle, and the climate.<\/p>\n During this phase it is important to remain open minded.\u00a0 Everyone has a method that works best for them.\u00a0 For some it is a half shelter at a roadside pullout, for others it can be as elaborate as a 6-man tent with copious gear that requires 2 hours to pack.\u00a0 Normally when I travel and moto camp it isn\u2019t for just one night.\u00a0 \u00a0I’m on the road for two to three months at a time with Airbnbs or hotels as resting points or for working.\u00a0 Even though I am comfortable with my moto camping equipment it\u2019s always fun to chat up other motorcyclists. In most cases, even if their set up is completely different there is usually one or two takeaways I learn from conversing with them.<\/p>\n Conclusions<\/strong><\/p>\n Moto camping is an easy and inexpensive way to escape the rat race with less effort than many would think.\u00a0 These experiences and the people I meet along the journey are some of the most best I have had.\u00a0 Being so removed from everything as you sit relaxing in the glow of a warm campfire reflecting off your moto is a fulfilling feeling that few venture to achieve.<\/p>\n Never miss an ExNotes blog:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Mike Huber I know many people on this page camp and ride, but some have yet to dive into mixing these two great passions.\u00a0 My objective in this article is to help you bridge riding and camping, alleviate any concerns on this topic, and build a foundation of knowledge for those new to motorcycle … Continue reading “Three Steps to Ease into Moto Camping”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":21079,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[182,64,89,203],"tags":[420,183,3346,377,556],"class_list":["post-21063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camping","category-gear","category-motorcycle-adventure-ride","category-national-park","tag-bmw","tag-camping","tag-camping-equipment","tag-ducati","tag-moto-camping"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/moto_101_Catavina_Camp-900.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21063"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21080,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21063\/revisions\/21080"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Moto_101_Duacti_Camp-600.jpg\")
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