Re: [ST] Long Distance in General

[Matt Knowles <matt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>I have little experience doing long distance motorcycle riding.  As a cyclist
>I have done many on and off road trips of three to four days long.  What do
>all of you usually take if you are intending on camping (this varies for
>season I realize).

I have done a fair amount of motorcycle camping on a variety of motorcycles.

A few pictures from my web site illustrate the packing:

http://home.earthlink.net/~mattknowles/images/83vision2.jpg

http://home.earthlink.net/~mattknowles/images/klr6501.jpg

http://home.earthlink.net/~mattknowles/images/katana4.jpg

Generally it's been like this:

Tank Bag - Camera and other valuables, maps, extra gloves, small things I
want easy access to.

Saddle bags - Heavy items such as cooking stove, fuel, utensils, food, etc
go in one bag. I've always used a proprane cartridge stove and I generally
pack one extra cartridge. Food is usually hot cereal and hot choclate for
the morning. Lunch I usually find a local restaurant while on the road.
Granola bars or other snacks help. Dinner I usually stop just before the
campground or if the campground is commercial they usually have a store. I
pick up beef stew or spagettio's or something I can heat in the can. (I
hate doing dishes.) Get some fruits or vetegables, something to drink and
your set. I usually bring some Koolaid mix too because I hate drinking
plain water, but it's important to stay hydrated. I don't know if you can
tell from the pictures but that's the same set of Chase Harper saddlebags I
used for each trip. Great manufacturer. Still have them although with the
Sprints hard luggage they don't get used much.

The second bag has spares, chain lube, all the bike related stuff. What you
take really depends on where you're going. My trip to Alaska the bike
looked like a pack mule.

Backpack - This is laid flat on the seat and luggage rack. I have a back
pack that converts to luggage and it looks like motorcycle luggage (meaning
its black). It's a nice piece of equipment because often after arriving I
want to do some hiking to do some photography. I put my clothes and
depending upon the weather, my small down sleeping bag in it. If it's going
to be colder, the polarguard sleeping bag gets put on top of the backpack,
secured with a bungie net. I much prefer a bungie net over individual
bungie cords as they are more secure and you can stick newly aquired items
under them more easily until you have a chance to repack. For the western
rallye, I went without the tank bag, and instead used this bag strapped in
front of the trunk.

Tent - This usually goes on top of the backpack.

Cooler - I used to travel with a cooler, now I prefer to buy anything cold
just before I'm going to need it.

A few items I've found indespensible:

A candle lantern lasts much longer than a flashlight.

Extra garbage bags.

Duct Tape (of course)

Water proof ground cloth for the tent - Keeps the floor dry, use it as a
bike cover while you're traveling.

AAA maps - Free if you're a member and still the best IMHO

Can Opener - How many times have I had to buy one of these the first night out?

I've never taken a tire repair kit and (knock on wood) I've been lucky I've
never needed one, even on my Alaska trip, when I brought extra tubes and a
set of tire irons.

Two up touring while camping? I've done it but it gets much harder as you
lose the rear seat as storage area, and you need to take extra stuff for
your passenger. See:

http://home.earthlink.net/~mattknowles/images/venturer1.jpg

I'm not sure how I managed that trip except that the rack could hold a lot
and we didn't take too many clothes. (we were newlyweds at the time)


Matt Knowles - Ferndale, CA - http://home.earthlink.net/~mattknowles
'99 Sprint St
'01 KLR650
'97 KLX300



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