22-01-14, 07:48 PM
Normally I advise not bothering with camping on tours, go for cheap B&Bs/hotels. But seeing as I'm being made redundant I'll doing the camping thing. I had planned to go to Croatia this year for a 2 week trip, but now I'll have loads of time.
I've done loads of camping before over the years, but nothing too recent. The last time I camped with the bike was WSB at Brands years ago when at the bottom of Paddock Hill bend a new pond appeared. The pits flooded too, so did the campsite where about 1/3rd of the tents were sitting in water. I gave up bike/camping after that.
I have bought a load of kit to replace my older, larger items.
All this I've fitted into a 46l topbox:
Tent - http://www.nevisport.com/pr/8958/hoolie-2 - packs down to 42cm x 15cm
Its a lot smaller than my current 2 man dome tent, but as there is only me I'm not too bothered.
Sleeping bag - http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/vango-ultral...ag-p196171 - packs down to 20cm x 17cm (4.5L). I was going to get a Nitestar 350 as they looked good VFM, but when you compare the size when packed down, due to different materials and also a tighter fit, it was a no brainer. Twice the cost though.
Stove - I pondered about this for ages, but went for a petrol one rather than gas. You can get some really small gas stoves but finding fuel might be difficult in some places. http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/coleman-spor...ve-p118560
At least I will be carrying a 17l fuel tank at all times.
Pans - http://www.blacks.co.uk/equipment/107901...erson.html . I could have gone smaller with the 1 person set, but the frying pan might not be big enough for an egg [img alt=:001:]http://www.street-triple.co.uk/Smileys/street/001.gif[/img]
All that fits into the top box comfortably, and isnt too heavy either. I can fit in my puncture repair kit, wd40, chain lube, toolkit around it.
I might also get some tarpaulin to go under the tent http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ECONOMY-TARPAU...0270626376
The sleeping mat, one of those self inflating ones when you roll them out like this one, http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-expl...at-p143981, Top it up with air after. That will go in a kit bag with my clothes strapped to the pillion seat on the grab rails. I was thinking of getting some new throw over panniers, but the bag should suffice.
I wouldn't mind going on a mini trip away to test it all out, but not to keen on the weather at the moment tbh [img alt=:190:]http://www.street-triple.co.uk/Smileys/street/190.gif[/img]
This is a useful website for camping in Europe. http://en.camping.info/campsites eg Lake Bled in Slovenia - €7.52 a night. Germany/Austria/Belgium/Luxembourg etc are more expensive, €10-€20 a night but will be better equipped than the €5 ones in Montenegro/Romania. They seem expensive in Croatia, but I've only had a quick look so haven't found any cheaper ones. There seems to be a cheaper mini-camping market where people with a bit of spare land on their farms/hotels etc offer cheap basic camping, just toilets and showers, no bar/kiddies creche/swimming pool etc
I've done loads of camping before over the years, but nothing too recent. The last time I camped with the bike was WSB at Brands years ago when at the bottom of Paddock Hill bend a new pond appeared. The pits flooded too, so did the campsite where about 1/3rd of the tents were sitting in water. I gave up bike/camping after that.
I have bought a load of kit to replace my older, larger items.
All this I've fitted into a 46l topbox:
Tent - http://www.nevisport.com/pr/8958/hoolie-2 - packs down to 42cm x 15cm
Its a lot smaller than my current 2 man dome tent, but as there is only me I'm not too bothered.
Sleeping bag - http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/vango-ultral...ag-p196171 - packs down to 20cm x 17cm (4.5L). I was going to get a Nitestar 350 as they looked good VFM, but when you compare the size when packed down, due to different materials and also a tighter fit, it was a no brainer. Twice the cost though.
Stove - I pondered about this for ages, but went for a petrol one rather than gas. You can get some really small gas stoves but finding fuel might be difficult in some places. http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/coleman-spor...ve-p118560
At least I will be carrying a 17l fuel tank at all times.
Pans - http://www.blacks.co.uk/equipment/107901...erson.html . I could have gone smaller with the 1 person set, but the frying pan might not be big enough for an egg [img alt=:001:]http://www.street-triple.co.uk/Smileys/street/001.gif[/img]
All that fits into the top box comfortably, and isnt too heavy either. I can fit in my puncture repair kit, wd40, chain lube, toolkit around it.
I might also get some tarpaulin to go under the tent http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ECONOMY-TARPAU...0270626376
The sleeping mat, one of those self inflating ones when you roll them out like this one, http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-expl...at-p143981, Top it up with air after. That will go in a kit bag with my clothes strapped to the pillion seat on the grab rails. I was thinking of getting some new throw over panniers, but the bag should suffice.
I wouldn't mind going on a mini trip away to test it all out, but not to keen on the weather at the moment tbh [img alt=:190:]http://www.street-triple.co.uk/Smileys/street/190.gif[/img]
This is a useful website for camping in Europe. http://en.camping.info/campsites eg Lake Bled in Slovenia - €7.52 a night. Germany/Austria/Belgium/Luxembourg etc are more expensive, €10-€20 a night but will be better equipped than the €5 ones in Montenegro/Romania. They seem expensive in Croatia, but I've only had a quick look so haven't found any cheaper ones. There seems to be a cheaper mini-camping market where people with a bit of spare land on their farms/hotels etc offer cheap basic camping, just toilets and showers, no bar/kiddies creche/swimming pool etc