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Cousin Jack
Senior Member
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 01:22 am | 21st Post |
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Everybody has their own pad solution: we've tried them all over the years, Thermorests, foam pads, Big Agnes....... For us, the solution turned out to be remarkabley simple. We finally settled on a standard size, Coleman airbed ($20-$30) with a 12 V inflator we carry on the bike. The comfort is unbelievable, and the airbed will roll into a standard sleeping bag stuff sack...... try it, you will like it!
The photo belows shows the air bed "deployed" in our 4 person Eureka Timberline.
Attachment: Short trip 2008 005.jpg (Downloaded 77 times) Last edited on Sat Aug 9th, 2008 01:23 am by Cousin Jack
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Anybody can ride a motorcycle when the sun shines....
Those with arms are citizens; those without are subjects.
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handyrandy
Very Active Member
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 01:29 am | 22nd Post |
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| We had one of these and jack is right the comfort is exceptional. The reason we dont use one is the air temperature in the thing will equalize with the air temperature outside. This was not a problem for us in the warmer nights, But when it got colder out the bed got colder and colder till we finally had to ditch it. We really miss it though. We could carry extra bedding but it was simpler to have the insulation in the mattress.
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81' GL 1100 Standard with Vetter 5 fairing with lowers, radio pod and Hondaline suitcase bags and trunk.
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marvo75
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 01:38 am | 23rd Post |
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handyrandy wrote: I know these are expensive, But they are the absolutely the best money I have ever spent on camping equipment. Pack up to the size of a coffee can and I have the deluxe size. They will add 10-20 degrees to your sleeping bag rating also. I was done with camping till I discovered these.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0031768516865a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=exped&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=exped&noImage=0
These are designed for backpacking so the stuff sack turns into a pump. These are filled with goose down so blowing them up with your mouth is a no no. What I did was buy a regular air mattress pump, you know 4 D batterys, and get a piece of clear tubing from lowes and make an adapter. The pump is a little large, but I haven't got around to down sizing it yet. REMEMBER to duck tape a piece of cardboard over the switch so it dosent come on in the pack. Dont ask how I know this.
I also have this exped pillow pump that is surprisingly comfortable for its size. And it folds up to the size of a can of soda and doubles as a pump also.
http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/accessdetail.cfm/EXP315
My ol man was in wwII and would always tell me it's not how many blankets you put on you,it's how many you put between you and the ground. Those things look sweet for that purpose alone,still makes my hip hurt thinking about it
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Just doin what i can with what i got.
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handyrandy
Very Active Member
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 01:54 am | 24th Post |
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I was really impressed with the recent reviews, although I bought mine a few years ago.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0031768516865a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=exped&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=exped&noImage=0
Last edited on Sat Aug 9th, 2008 01:56 am by handyrandy
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81' GL 1100 Standard with Vetter 5 fairing with lowers, radio pod and Hondaline suitcase bags and trunk.
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scotthohio
Very Active Member
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 03:13 am | 25th Post |
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I went camping in style with my brother this past weekend. Just 2 on 2 bikes. The tent is a little big, but it's what he had.
Attachment: Pa 015.jpg (Downloaded 70 times)
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Scott
86 GL1200 Aspencade (daily driver)
83 GL1100 Interstate (basket case in work)
82 GL1100 Interstate (sold to my brother)
GL1500 (maybe next year ....)
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scotthohio
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 03:16 am | 26th Post |
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With all the camping gear and the big tent, the bikes weren't packed all that heavy.
Attachment: Pa 049.jpg (Downloaded 72 times)
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Scott
86 GL1200 Aspencade (daily driver)
83 GL1100 Interstate (basket case in work)
82 GL1100 Interstate (sold to my brother)
GL1500 (maybe next year ....)
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Winger 82
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 04:14 am | 27th Post |
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Cousin Jack wrote: Everybody has their own pad solution: we've tried them all over the years, Thermorests, foam pads, Big Agnes....... For us, the solution turned out to be remarkabley simple. We finally settled on a standard size, Coleman airbed ($20-$30) with a 12 V inflator we carry on the bike. The comfort is unbelievable, and the airbed will roll into a standard sleeping bag stuff sack...... try it, you will like it!
The photo belows shows the air bed "deployed" in our 4 person Eureka Timberline.
 Gotta love those Eureka Timberlines  .
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Rick S
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 05:42 am | 28th Post |
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handyrandy wrote: Hello Rick, there are a lot of people that wont/cant camp like older folks. Until I found the mattresses I had almost given it up. The thermarest self inflating types where OK when I was younger, but they quit working for me. I would need one so big now it would take up half the bike.
I hear you on the stove. Butane is Superior. I have backpacker ones, but the dam thing is just so convenient to get fuel on the road. Down side of propane is it is not very hot. Everybody carries propane though.
Thanks for the nice comment!
I know what you mean, I have a hard time finding it now. I think I might switch over to porpane, if I can find one small enough.
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Duct tape is like the force, it has a light side and a dark side and holds the universe together!!
The early bird catches the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
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Dusty Boots
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 08:04 am | 29th Post |
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I like to bike camp, quite a bit. I have a fair amount of backpacking experience/gear and find it adapts beautifully to bike camping. In fact, I have 'up-sized' some of my gear, seeing as I don't have to carry it on my back and there's plenty of storage room on a wing.
I've gone up, to a 4 person tent, and a 8" thick air 'bed', with a built in foot pump, similar to this one. It provides a great sleep, down to about 30* After that, it starts to get cool because there's no insulation inside it, which leads to conductive heat loss.
If I'm expecting cooler temps than that, then I resort to my backpacking insulated air mattress. It inflates manually,(12-14 breathes) is 2 1/2" thick(good for side sleepers!) and packs down very small! Although not as luxurious as the above pad, it works far better for keeping your hips, knees and shoulders off the ground far more comfortably than a Thermarest!!!
I have a variety of compact, reliable one burner backpacking stoves, such as white gas, canister and an alcohol popcan stove(I be showing how to make this one at NASSAR)
If you are fairly serious about bike camping, you can camp very comfortably, without overloading the bike, if you get compact, quality gear, that's marketed towards backpacking.
Dusty
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Ken
Current Ride; 1992 GL1500 Aspencade.
" no man is completely useless, ..... they can always be used as a horrible example!"
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=KeninPen&view=videos
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handyrandy
Very Active Member
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 01:54 pm | 30th Post |
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A few more thoughts here, Cousins jacks walmart mattress is the ultimate in comfort if you are in a warmer climate. I am always speaking of a Pennsylvania climate, which can vari from the 90s with almost 100% humidity in the summer like the south, to several weeks of below freezing in the winter like the north. Last night for instance. Fall slowly starts creeping in about the time of our county fair which is going on right now. Daily humidity starts to drastically drop, and the night time tempatures start to drop from the 60s to the 50s as the days get shorter. 50 degree air is only 18 degrees above ice!
One thing that you could do is take an electric blanket to put over the mattress. This would give you the best of both worlds. I prefer not to have another thing to have to depend on to keep it simple, like having an electric site. Bit if the decision was left to my wife, we would be dragging a walmart mattress and an electric blanket.
A note on tents for the beginners from my experience,
the full coverage fly is a must. A single layer between you and the rain will not work. Although the bath tub bottom of a dome tent is supposedly waterproof, if any thing touches it, it will get wet. and the water will somehow find its way in the seams. I dont care how good you seal them. The way I do it is make sure my fly is pulled beyond the outside edge of the tent so water dripping off misses the inner tent completely. Before hand I custom cut my ground cloth to just inside the bottom edge of the tent. This is so water dripping from the fly cannot make it between the ground cloth and the inner tent. If you pitch your tent this way on a reasonably well drained ground you will stay dry.
If you look at the link to dustys tent you will see the tent pitched this way in the ad. This tent also has 2 doors and flow through ventilation as well as jacks, like I spoke of earlier.
Another thing, if you are going to spend good money on a tent, A backpacking store will be glad to set it up for you in the store so you can get an idea of size. Dont go by the person capacity in the ad. They are all woefully misleading. A two man tent is actually a one man tent, and so on.
It is great other people are post experience. Gotta go get some work done. I will go over what I learned about sleeping bags later on.
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81' GL 1100 Standard with Vetter 5 fairing with lowers, radio pod and Hondaline suitcase bags and trunk.
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Cousin Jack
Senior Member
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 03:56 pm | 31st Post |
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For about 90% of the camping we do, the Coleman air bed is perfectly adequate.... we also have a couple of those closed foam, backrest chairs. They will unsnap and lay flat, and if it does get too cold for the air bed, we just lay those flat on the air bed under our bottom bag.......takes away a little of the comfort but not much, and the insulation factor is much greater. Besides, if it gets a little cold, my Honey likes to snuggle!
A little chilliness is a price I'm willing to pay for a "Honey snuggle!"
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Anybody can ride a motorcycle when the sun shines....
Those with arms are citizens; those without are subjects.
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Dusty Boots
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 05:33 pm | 32nd Post |
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Another thing I like to pack along is a tarp.
It really increases your 'living space', a place to 'hang out' and cook during inclement weather, or to shelter your bike.
You can use a cheap, $10 job from Wally world, but they are bulky and don't last all that long, or you can buy a good quality one that lasts a long time, take more abuse and are more compact.
I have a little instructional video I did, demonstrating knots I use is 'setting' a tarp, that are easy to tie and just as importantly, untie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2fdTtKuQRE
Dusty
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Ken
Current Ride; 1992 GL1500 Aspencade.
" no man is completely useless, ..... they can always be used as a horrible example!"
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=KeninPen&view=videos
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Phil
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 06:21 pm | 33rd Post |
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Having spent many years in the armed forces I had to camp for a living - have to be honest and say i hate it with a passion now. Mainly due to a really knackered back - tried it again a couple of years ago and never ever again I like my creature comforts now
Rgds
PhilLast edited on Sat Aug 9th, 2008 06:29 pm by Phil
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Yellow GL1800 2003
Yellow Ducati 750SS 2001
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DougW
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Posted: Sat Aug 9th, 2008 09:47 pm | 34th Post |
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We have camped off and on for years. Scheduling this season has been tough so we have not yet gone this year. Wife left on a trip today and won't be back until the 23rd so it looks like we may not get in a weekend camping trip this year.
One item we got that I really like and recommend for those who use a trailer, a camp stove with 1 burner and a gas grill built in. I love this thing, it is large enough to cook a half dozen burgers if needed yet takes up the space and weight of a standard camp stove. Saves money and space.
We use a Coleman wall tent and sleep on cots, my hip won't let me get up if I sleep on the ground. Harbor freight trailer with a home made box on it, it ain't pretty but it is pretty functional.Last edited on Sat Aug 9th, 2008 09:48 pm by DougW
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slickster
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Posted: Sun Aug 10th, 2008 02:47 pm | 35th Post |
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| We camp, weather permitting....we don't cook because that requires lots more gear.... but have snacks...hit a cheap motel every 3-4th night....the KOA's have small cabins that work out pretty well except some are approaching the cost of a motel at times...Mick
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handyrandy
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Posted: Sun Aug 10th, 2008 03:54 pm | 36th Post |
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Been thinking real hard on the harbor freight trailer thing. Not so much for camping , but maybe some, I dont know, anyway we want to ride today, but also need to get some grocery's as sams club in the next town. So I am thinking about it. I need to get a hitch on my 1100 first. Maybe I will search for a picture of one installed. I like those racks I saw a picture of in a recent thread.
On the sleeping bag thing, I have 3 types, Heaver quilted, flanel lined super cozy rectanguar bags that are more meant for car camping or MC trailering, because they are bulky and take up a lot of storage space, rectangular all synthetic bags, (the ones I use the most) and all synthetic mummy bags. The downfall of the first type is the pack size, weight and the fact that if they get wet you are pretty much screwed.
The rectangular synthetics are not as cozy being nylon shelled But they are 40 degree rated and pack up to the size of a coffee can or close anyway. Not every retailer carries rectangular synthetics. Mine are north face brand. Being rectangular I can zip 2 together, or just use them as a blanket, which is what I most always do. I also carry a light weight synthetic fleece sleeping bag also, I use the fleece as a sleeping bag liner, or an under blanket, or what ever. It is usually strapped on the luggage rack for easy access for the after lunch snooze in the heat of the day. The down filled air mattress adds 10 degrees to the sleeping bag rating or more, so warmth is not a problem when needed. The synthetic is a little cooler next to the skin in the summer, and I just cover up as much as I need to when sleeping. When my wife comes along, we strap our two mattresses together, with an exped strap made for that purpose, throw over a fitted sheet, and it is pretty nice. All synthetic bags still retain most of there warmth when wet, which is another reason I use them. As the mountain climbers will tell you. Cotton is deadly in the outdoors when the s**t hits the fan weather wise.
I also have the mummy style synthetics. These are the ones I use the least. Smallest pack size, but I cannot stand being trapped in the things. When I was younger I had army issue surplus goose down mummy.
Down is an wonderful sleeping bag insulator, till it gets wet. At 17, 30 years ago, I took a solo trip down the skyline drive and blue ridge parkway with it and a cheap tent on a beat up honda XL350 with knobbys. The first night I learned the hard way, in a torrential downpour the limitations of my equipment. A 3 AM I was in the state park restroom packing up all my soaking wet gear. Left the park wrapped in basically garbage bags about 4am , in the dark, down rt 50 till I hit Winchester. Along the way the rain was so bad I had to remove my glasses to see the road. I did not want to get busted not wearing glasses so I popped the lenses out. When I hit Winchester VA I was pretty rough looking. My 350 was basically set up for off road with minimal lighting. For a high and low beam I would just reach down and grab the headlight and move it up or down. Taillight was only a few inches square and very dim. Beat up puke green plastic tank and fenders. Of course I got pulled over for no taillight in Winchester, I am sitting there looking at the cop wearing a set of frames and wearing garbage bags.He must have had a 17 year old boy at home, and understood perfectly, because he came on more like a father than a cop. He sent me to a service station for a taillight and I never had any trouble after that. But anyway the down bag was like a sponge at the laundry mat I ended up at to dry everything out. But I am sure technology has improved the down bag with goretex and all. But in those days that was all there was.
I am not intending to write a book here, I know it seems like it , I just know I could not own and operate my 1100 if it wasnt for the information I have gained on this board. I cannot return much technical info, but camping is something I know pretty well, and maybe something I write will help a new camper from wasting money, or having a bad experience and giving it up. This is not meant to be the last word on anything, others posts and experiences are as important if not more so. Also I thoroughly enjoy all the photos. Dusty that Canada sure is pretty country! I bet you understand the meaning of cold weather camping! Keep them coming!
Last edited on Sun Aug 10th, 2008 05:07 pm by handyrandy
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81' GL 1100 Standard with Vetter 5 fairing with lowers, radio pod and Hondaline suitcase bags and trunk.
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Bagmaster
Senior Member
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Posted: Sun Aug 10th, 2008 07:46 pm | 37th Post |
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Here's the pics of my hitch and trailer setup to help you out. Has close ups of the hitch, installed it in about an hr. The same hitch is used for the 1200's but uses more brackets and support bars that also come with it.
http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll201/Bagmaster50/Trailer/Last edited on Sun Aug 10th, 2008 07:47 pm by Bagmaster
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Michael
Too much chrome to polish, too little time!!
Have trailer, will travel!! Not all Wingers are old Wingers.
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marvo75
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Posted: Sun Aug 10th, 2008 08:15 pm | 38th Post |
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Phil wrote: Having spent many years in the armed forces I had to camp for a living - have to be honest and say i hate it with a passion now. Mainly due to a really knackered back - tried it again a couple of years ago and never ever again I like my creature comforts now
Rgds
Phil
I agree, creature comforts! I'm taking my kids to idiana beach, gonna camp,well rent a cabin for a few days.
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Just doin what i can with what i got.
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Cyote61
Senior Member
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Posted: Sun Aug 10th, 2008 08:19 pm | 39th Post |
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Dusty Boots wrote: Another thing I like to pack along is a tarp.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2fdTtKuQRE
Dusty
Hey Dusty Boots, excellent instructional video. Thanks
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Cyote61
03 Valkyrie
07 "RSV"
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Cyote61
Senior Member
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Posted: Sun Aug 10th, 2008 09:11 pm | 40th Post |
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For the first 50 years, I camped and I camped and I camped. I've frozen, I sweat, I drowned, (7 days straight in a foxhole with a poncho and c-rations during monsoon season.) Most of the time, but not all, I had a ball. A lot of good memories and the bad ones can stay where I stashed them.
There were the days when I lived in Southern California when I would come home on Thursday night from work, grab two cans of pork & beans, 2 cans of corned beef hash, I can of stew and crack 4 eggs in a jar, one 6 inch folding skillet and a tiny backpack stove. Throw those in the saddle bags on the Harley, grab an old military mummy bag and poncho, one folding fishing pole and head to the back side of the Sierra's, ridding until about midnight until I reached a stream running out of the hills into the desert. Build a sagebrush fire put a couple bottles of beer in the stream to cool and the jar with eggs. One or two sips of Scotch and nightly night till daybreak and fishing time.
Those were the days, and today's days, ------Pull into a Best Western, unpack, open the wet bar and build a very tall martini on the rocks, click the air conditioning down a couple more notches, turn on the weather channel, fire up the computer and kick back.  Damn I love modern camping.   But I do miss my cornbeef hash and eggs by the sagebrush camp fire. 
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Cyote61
03 Valkyrie
07 "RSV"
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