PACKING: Motorcycle camping essentials - what we pack
- Bridget Hallam
- Oct 4, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 25, 2022
Ever wondered what to pack for a camping adventure on two wheels?
Over the years, we've continually refined our camping gear to make it smaller and lighter, without compromising on comfort. Our 'camping bag' sits across the back of Beauty, firmly strapped on at Bridget's back.
So what do we pack ...?
tent
We have a three-person OzTrail Skygazer dome tent, which opens at the front and back - super-handy when you're setting up / packing up.
Another great feature is its internal vestibule, which easily keeps our gear dry when it's rainy.
hammer
A small hammer is big enough to get those tent pegs firmly in the ground.
camping mattresses
After many sleep-deprived nights on a blow-up double mattress, we recently purchased two single Sea To Summit Comfort Plus XT camping mats. They are about 8mm thick, which doesn't sound like much, but they're surprisingly comfortable. A strap keeps them close together throughout the night.
They're rectangular (not tapered at the feet) and consist of two layers which are inflated separately. An innovative inflation system means you don't need to carry a pump nor will you get dizzy from exhaling 100 times to inflate it - excellent stuff!
A downside ... the mats can be noisy when you move, though we've found that our sleeping bags muffle the noise considerably.
sleeping bags
We have two Denali Capsule 500 sleeping bags, which can be zipped together. We've had these for several years and they continue to serve us well in temperatures nudging zero degrees.
Hot tip
When it's cold, shake out your sleeping bag to fluff up the down filling and spread it evenly within your sleeping bag, to get maximum warmth.
Another hot tip
Store your sleeping bag unfurled - this prevents the down filling from being compressed and crushed, which can lead it to become less warm.
silk sheet
A double silk sheet inside our sleeping bags gives us extra warmth when the weather's really cold, kinda like an electric blanket requiring no electricity, haha!
pillows
We both have inflatable pillows. Alan prefers a luxurious Black Wolf Comfort Pillow while Bridget goes for a Sea To Summit Aeros Premium Pillow, which packs down very small.
cooking gear
We're experimenting with a camping stove set, which has a frypan, saucepan and lid and burner - but first impressions are that we'll probably replace it. We'll keep you posted!
We also have a collapsible 'plate, bowl and cup' set and a cutlery set each.
But we're gotta be honest - we usually eat at a bakery, cafe or pub. :)
other bits
Our elastic twisted clothesline is ideal to hook between the tent and the bike or a nearby tree - no pegs needed.
An LED light hooks to the internal ceiling of our tent.
bag
Alan has had the Touratech bag for about 10 years. It is waterproof, compresses down tight and is showing no signs of wear and tear. Super-impressive.
security
Pacsafe Exomesh wraps around the Touratech bag and locks onto Beauty, making theft a daunting task for any passing opportunist.
specs
Specs of the bag when fully packed are approximately:
12 kg
70 cm L x 40 cm W x 30 cm H
what else?
Everything we pack for our big adventures is on our free packing list.
You can download it here:
So there you have it ... we're packed and ready to go!
What will you pack?
Cheers, Bridget and Alan
How do we pack for 6 months on one bike?
Download our FREE packing list.
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we love that stargazer tent also (110 aud) it weighs something like 3.5 kilo. the fly can open on all sides in case it gets very warm. it does not have a vestibule as such, just a very large room. what i love especially is that the entrance door is very large and high. this makes entering easier then many other tents . i replaced the tentpoles with lightweight aluminium poles. and i bought lightweight decent tent stakes. because we travel in europe I sprayed an extra rainproof coating on it.
mattress wise, we love the exped synmat. very comfy and one of the most quiet ones. just a bit more bulky because they have an inbuilt pump.
we use…