Camping

[gassitt]

Pillows?! No, you don't need one.

Er yes we do , done the roughing it shit using bike gear , fleeces etc  but as the pillows take up no room at all why not use something designed for the job .Multi use just means average at lots of uses not excellent at one thing

[gassitt]

Weve used the Pacific Outdoor mattresses for 5 years now and had no leaks/punctures at all , even used em in the sea for numpty surfing so it must be how you treated it to puncture it

The Vango Beta 350 is a decent tent , I just found the guys and TBS bands of lower quality than the Equinox and the weight diff is actually nearer 3 kilo, yep I weighed them both , sad fucker  :rollin

[chaz]

I bought a three seasons sleeping bag, turned out to be this summer, next summer and the summer after? sill should have known at £19.99

[nick crisp]

Weve used the Pacific Outdoor mattresses for 5 years now and had no leaks/punctures at all , even used em in the sea for numpty surfing so it must be how you treated it to puncture it

Hmmm, yes, perhaps I shouldn't have slept on it?  :\

Oh, one other indispensable item - a head torch. Invaluable.

[mtread]

I bought a Vango Milano 2 a couple of years ago at a bargain price. The extra canopy space gives you room for your kit without much extra bulk. Essential I think.
I'd make a slight adjustment to Nick's size chart:
If it says one man = very pokey
              two man = one man
three man = one man + one girlfriend
four man = One man + two girlfriends 

[midden]

surely wild camping isn't about taking a stove but about hole in ground camp fire
or taking shop bought meat more a telescopic fishing rod and a snare. but with the dream not practical I would find a local butcher with a vacuum packing machine and buy my meat from them and get them to vacuum pack it in portion sizes[size=78%] [/size]

[Mattsplat]

My camping mantra is - Any fool can be uncomfortable...

[dickturpin]

I have had a few bike camping trips now and try to refine my kit each year.
I have the sportser dual fuel stove which is a bit bulky but has the advantage of all the fuel in your bike tank. Like others I carry somesmall bore tubing to siphon out of tank as required. It is a good stove giving plenty of heat.
I also have a Trangia meths burner which are about £15 and I carry some thick tinfoil to make a windbreak. three 4'' nails in the fuel well make a perfect pan stand! Very compact and lightweight but you do need a bottle of meths with you!
Surprised no-one has yet mentioned the £4 collapsible hexamine tablet stoves, I have two of those with plenty of tablets works very well and nothing to spill. On one I have cut a circular hole in the base so the trangia burner can sit inside.
For sleeping bag I use a down filled rectangular bag...a bit more expensive but down does pack smaller than man made fibres.

I use a Givi top box with soft panniers for luggage with my tent and sleeping bag strapped to the back seat with elastic bungee rope.

I have toured Scotland and moved on each day but that means packing up each night and riding fully loaded...when I tour to Cornwall or Devon I tend to base at one point for a few nights and day trip unhindered by luggage.

I use a three man tent which gives space for clothes/boots etc in the tent. Last year I had what I now think was 'over the top' tent. I'm sure it would have clung onto the side of a mountain in a storm. Now I prefer something cheaper and lighter that is quick to erect given that I camp in good weather at short notice I hopefully avoid the worst of weather conditions!

[ajmes1]

I'm on the verge of buying new gear after recommendations from people! The season is almost upon us.


Dragon rally soon  :rollin

[dickturpin]

I also use a Highlander reeded backpacker inflatable matteras which seems sturdy enough.
I have wired a strip of led lights to a cigarette lighter plug soldered to a length of speaker wire to give me light in the tent at night.
Take any accessories that charge off a usb socket and fit the plug to the bike. I have one under the seat and
one on the fairing infill.

[dickturpin]

and do take something to put the side-stand on in a field! I have a disc of plywood about 8''....then the bike may still be upright in the morning!

[ChristoT]

I follow some strict guidelines about camping.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!! :lol :lol :lol :lol

[mickvp]

I follow some strict guidelines about camping.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!! :lol :lol :lol :lol

I would have thought you loved camping, judging by the amount of time youve spent lying beside your bike in a field :rollin :lol

[Doddsie]

[quote author=ChristoT link=topic=11421.msg122870#msg122870 date=1390517795]
I follow some strict guidelines about camping.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!! :lol :lol :lol :lol

I would have thought you loved camping, judging by the amount of time youve spent lying beside your bike in a field :rollin :lol
[/quote]


:rollin :rollin :rollin :thumbup

[ChristoT]

[quote author=ChristoT link=topic=11421.msg122870#msg122870 date=1390517795]
I follow some strict guidelines about camping.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!! :lol :lol :lol :lol

I would have thought you loved camping, judging by the amount of time youve spent lying beside your bike in a field :rollin :lol
[/quote]

Let it be known, I have never crashed in a field!!  :rollin :rollin :rollin

[Dead Eye]

[quote author=ChristoT link=topic=11421.msg122870#msg122870 date=1390517795]
I follow some strict guidelines about camping.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!! :lol :lol :lol :lol

I would have thought you loved camping, judging by the amount of time youve spent lying beside your bike in a field :rollin :lol
[/quote]

Ooooohhh someone call an ambulance for Christo - those burns must be nasty!  :lol

[bri h]

Im getting on a bit now so i nee d my creature comforts. I take an inflateable air bed in my tankbag, cooking stuff etc. in one soft panier and clothes in the other. My 3 man tent and sleeping bag go in a 60 litre drybag which is to big for that purpose but my helmet and leathers fit inside and i use and exonet steel wire security thing to keep them and valuable suff safe. I run the cable through the centrestand. The bikes not exactly perfect for the twisties carrying that lot but when im touring im not in a rush so its a good compramise for me. The main thing is to get out there and do it.

[esetest]

I have been looking on the Go outdoors site , a lot of the burners and stoves seem to have mixed reviews , biggest criticism is they get through a lot of gas , does anybody know how long  the canisters on the  coleman  burner that was mentioned in previous posts last , for instance if you were using it  to boil some water for a hot drink in the morning and evening would a canister last a week  .

[nick crisp]

If that's all you're doing, a canister should last easily a week. Some stoves use gas quicker than others, and of course it depends on how you set the flame too, but yes, easily a week for just a couple of brews a day. As mentioned above, use a heat/wind shield to make it go further. But I usually carry 2 canisters just in case, replace one as you use one, and never been caught out that way.

[esetest]

If that's all you're doing, a canister should last easily a week. Some stoves use gas quicker than others, and of course it depends on how you set the flame too, but yes, easily a week for just a couple of brews a day. As mentioned above, use a heat/wind shield to make it go further. But I usually carry 2 canisters just in case, replace one as you use one, and never been caught out that way.

Thanks for advice Nick , I will take a spare in case .