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touring camping pack trip Toolkit

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#1 Favs

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Posted 22 November 2015 - 05:26 pm

As it's cold out, how about looking ahead to the next road trip? :clapping:

 

Like it says, how about we share our combined motorcycle touring/camping tips and tricks in order to maybe learn something & improve one's next trip?

Some things seem obvious like puncture kit, some are particular to individuals like meds............. :cake eating:

Here's a couple to get you started..........

 

Riding long hot days (not UK then) I drink plenty of fizzy mineral water (in 500-600 miles I'll drink 1.5 - 2l), to keep body and brain functioning properly. Why fizzy? it simply tastes better when warmed by the sun compared to still water, therefore I'm more likely to drink it.

 

A lot of us sensibly take a torch, I use a head torch. If you travel alone, (like I tend to), you may need both hands free to fix your bike (bust bulb/control cable).

 

No choice but to park on soggy ground and jiffy stand sinking even with your puck? Lean your bike against a wall/fence post/tree/other (in gear) instead of using the stand.

 

Over to you - why not add one or two - just because they are obvious to you doesn't mean they're obvious to everyone. ;)

 


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#2 celticbiker

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Posted 22 November 2015 - 05:50 pm

I always use a petrol stove coz you always have petrol with you, gas canisters take up space and pay load.
Always carry a medikit.
Always always carry a couple of those sqeezy disposable tubes of eye wash, I can't tell you how many rides I've been told about that have been cut short because someone has got something in an eye.



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#3 dapleb

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Posted 22 November 2015 - 06:16 pm

My touring preferences in order

Dont take too much stuff! leave behind all the non.essential crapola


Dont take too much stuff! leave behind all the non.essential crapola



Dont take too much stuff! leave behind all the non.essential crapola
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#4 pete7

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Posted 22 November 2015 - 07:29 pm

All the usual stuff plus:

 

1. Remember to carry those eye drops to hydrate your eyes  on very hot, dry days and strong sunlight

2. Make sure you have good (dark) sunglasses/shades to assist above

 

Found need this out in Pyrenees this year after maybe 200kms or less, near 40deg C with visor up, sunglasses (not strong enough) on, and screen angled to deflect air onto my face (felt fine but was dehydrating eyes even more it seems).

 

Result later in the day pain/discomfort in both eyes, just made it to hotel (and local opticians/pharmacists for eye-drops and clip-on sunshades) to have lie down in darkened room .... what a wimp. I know.

 

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#5 dablik

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Posted 22 November 2015 - 10:28 pm

I always tie something around the left hand mirror, can be piece of ribbon or some such thing to remind me what side of the road to be on, only really needed after a stop such as filling up etc...

 

Have some spare money stashed on the bike, and usually a list of important phone numbers in case the phone goes west..


Bigred mk1 R1 Calipers- Braided lines- Givi wing rack-Crash bungs- Hi vis bullets-PR2's- and a hoot to ride.

Quad 900 Silver Laser duo tech pipes-Scott oiler-Engine crash bars- Radiator mounted see me ring LED's-Datatool system 3 alarm -Centre stand- Extender fender-Renthal bars-Handle bar risers-Mirror extenders-BMW GS Handgaurds-Acumen uprated horn & Nautilus-Stainless steel Radiator guard-Givi wing rack-OEM screen-Yammy touring screen-MRA Vario-MRA Double bubble cut down for fast as fk riding-Tiger screen-Tank protector-Stomp grip panels-Optimate lead   Gone to Heaven  :sorry: 

 

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#6 muddy

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Posted 22 November 2015 - 11:00 pm

A couple of things I've found helpful are:

 

A golf umbrella or similar for those occasions when you need to pull up and shelter from the rain, use you phone, read a map, etc. It fits nicely across the back seat held under the pannier handles. I've been thankful for having one number of times.

 

For camping, a Thermos food flask for coffee on the move and cooking rice (boil enough water to fill the flask, pour to pre-heat flask for 5 minutes, boil water again and add 3rd of the flask cup of rice and enough boiling water to brim. Leave for 40-50 mins, YMMV, and you've got perfect boiled rice ready for when you've heated up your curry or chilli con carne.  You can also use a cup of porridge oats and top up with hot milk the evening before to have breakfast ready in the morning. Saves wasting time and gas. 


Edited by muddy, 22 November 2015 - 11:02 pm.

Blue 04 TDM,PR2 rear Roadsmart front, Yamaha topox, Givi E360 panniers, PL pannier holders, BMW handguards, Yamaha touring screen, Scottoiler, 12v ciggie socket, carbon core HT leads

 

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#7 AliG

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Posted 22 November 2015 - 11:18 pm

My touring preferences in order

Dont take too much stuff! leave behind all the non.essential crapola


Dont take too much stuff! leave behind all the non.essential crapola



Dont take too much stuff! leave behind all the non.essential crapola

Agree.but you leave behind all the non essential crapola.

Ali


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2012 900 - Still adding shiny bits. Was black, changed to white and now back to black again.

 


#8 ChrisG

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 08:24 am

I tend to be a bit the opposite of Dapleb, and pack what he'd consider a fair bit of crapola, but the TDM takes luggage pretty well.  Several of my essentials have already been mentioned:

 

- Empty top box: it's important to make sure you have enough space for a baguette, some cheese and a bottle of wine, but I also find as a tour goes on the stuff I'd neatly packed in my panniers seems get bulkier as I rummage in it.

 

- Petrol stove: No worrying about spare gas canisters, and I keep a length of windscreen washer hose under the seat to siphon fuel from the tank, which has also been used when someone ran out of a fuel on a tour.

 

- Eye drops: I find a combination of sun and breeze really dries my eyes out.

 

- Stove top espresso pot: A fortnight of instant coffee is not my idea of a holiday.

 

- Self inflating roll mat: more comfortable than a foam one, lighter and warmer than an airbed.

 

- Aldi dry bags: fraction of the price of an Ortlieb and just as good, my tent and roll mat go on the back seat in dry bags.

 

-Packsafe: wire mesh bag intended to secure rucksacks, ideal to shove your bike gear in to lock it to the bike while you wander round tourist attractions in shorts and sandals rather than roasting in your bike gear.  If you're paranoid you could also use it to lock the dry bags to the bike.

 

- Sleeping bag liner: Packs really small but adds a lot of warmth.

 

- Couscous and chorizo: take up no space, keep for ages, and are a tasty meal if you don't get round to buying more food.

 

- Satnav: Loads of people don't like them for touring but that's because they're not using them right, get one that can use waypoints and then sit in the campsite in the evening with beer/wine and maps planning a route for the next day and programming it in to the satnav, that way you can plot a route on fantastic roads and not need to keep stopping to check the map. 

 

- Ignore the satnav: If you see something that looks more interesting than the road you planned, you're not a slave to the planned route.  Some of the best roads I've ever ridden were speculative "that could be interesting" roads.

 

- Power to the tank bag: I have a DIN socket on the bike and then a cable that gives me a couple of USB sockets in my tank bag, means I can charge my phone/camera etc on the move but still get at them quickly.

 

- Scott oiler: Fill it up and home, maybe check the chain tension a couple of thousand miles later.

 

- GPS enabled camera: Somewhere between Andematt and Davos is the most beautiful picture perfect postcard village you have ever seen nestling in a lush green valley below snow capped mountains.  I have no idea where it is though.  I've since bought a camera with GPS so I see where I took photos.

 

- Archies Campsite POI's: This one was a game changer for me.   A massive list of camp sites all round Europe that you stick on your satnav and it marks them as points of interest.  It's only ever let me down twice, on the first occasion we just went to the next closest, and the second time what it had as a campsite turned out to be a Gite, but at a decent price with a friendly landlord a coupe of Dutch bikers staying there too.  the main thing about using this though is that you don't need to plan where you're going to be each evening, just ride and when you feel like stopping find the nearest campsite  http://www.archiescampings.eu/

 

- Camera backup: I've seen too many people lose photos due to a corrupted card, luckily I've only had it happen once and that was on the first day of a trip. Lots of options these days from dedicated backup devices, to cables for your phone, or go the whole hog and carry a netbook you can charge on the bike, and also use for route planning in AutoRoute/ITNconverter/Tyre/Basecamp and then upload to your satnav. 


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post-1-1152402501.jpgpost-1-1150550726.gifpost-1-1150559830.gif


#9 pete7

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 10:12 am

     Some great hints there ChrisG ... pacsafe especially, never knew how to get that stuff

 

... also I take a bulldog type clip on the screen to attach ferry tickets etc  in queue and then afterwards to clip on top left to say DRIVE ON RIGHT

 

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#10 Retro

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 10:16 am

Condoms....you never know when you might need them....they hold half a gallon of petrol


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#11 ChrisG

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 10:27 am

     pacsafe especially, never knew how to get that stuff

 

 

Think this is the one I've got http://www.pacsafe.c...-protector.html

 

You can get them for a fraction of the price on e-bay though, I guess people buy them for a trip and sell them afterwards.


1992 Mk1, 76k miles, Hagon springs, MTC exhaust, 4½ gears Gone now :(
2009 900 abs, 42k miles, Yamaha heated grips, double bubble screen, R&G crash bungs, scottoiler, Autocom, 1500 lumen LED spotlights.

post-1-1152402501.jpgpost-1-1150550726.gifpost-1-1150559830.gif


#12 hallrob1

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 11:23 am

I pack a few "technical" t-shirts like these - http://www.regattaou...irts-black.html

 

Not the £30 jobbies from Rukka etc, but they are comfortable whatever the temp is on the bike and can easily be washed out and dried overnight. Regatta aren't the only brand but I've accumulated 3 or 4 of these now and need to pack much more, unless you need a Tuxedo for a night out.

 

These and Under Armour trollies and I'm comfortable and not too smelly for the journey!

 

Good point from Chris - if not an empty top box at least some spare room, we often fill the bike up in the morning and pick up some rolls/snacks etc at the same time as most European garages (certainly central europe) have a good selection and you don't have to rely on finding a decent cafe / rest stop en route.


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#13 Matlock

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 11:54 am

Always tour with groups of people who are as organised as you lot, that way you won't have to carry much stuff yourself  :rotflmmfao:


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#14 muddy

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 12:12 pm

This company does some really nice boil in the bag meals (I just empty them in the pan, it's quicker). I take half a dozen of these:

http://www.sainsbury...cken-curry-250g

If you're greedy you might need two at a time, but they're really tasty and with my Thermos rice cook method make a quick and easy meal. 

 

Like Chris, I take a a couple of chrorizo sausages and a lump of cheese, so even if the supermarkets are closed, all I need to get is baguette, in France at least. 


Blue 04 TDM,PR2 rear Roadsmart front, Yamaha topox, Givi E360 panniers, PL pannier holders, BMW handguards, Yamaha touring screen, Scottoiler, 12v ciggie socket, carbon core HT leads

 

Gorn :sorry:


#15 Deauman

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 01:19 pm

Touring in the UK on a budget and don't want to camp every night Youth Hostels can provide a cheap option. You don't have to be in a dormitory. They nearly all have private rooms. For example I've had an ensuite room for 2 at Whitby Abbey for £30 pn.



#16 sidestand

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 01:52 pm

For foreign touring -  pack

Anthisan cream for bites etc.

Anti histamine tablets in case of wasp stings

Small pot of sudocream to sort out any soreness or chafes caused by long days spent riding

Memory stick with scanned copies of all documents

Spare bike keys deposited somewhere safe

Pushbike combination lock for securing helmet to bike (especially useful on ferries, if you want to avoid carting it all on deck

European recovery - and store all the numbers in your phone, not on bits of paper that you'll lose

two or three small bottles of drinking water

For hot countries, try to get them in a freezer the night before - need opening & a bit draining off - but you'll have chilled water until past lunchtime.

A couple of £20 notes or 50 euro note wrapped up in a plastic bag inside your tool pouch - will get you home in the UK or a bit closer to home in Europe if you lose or forget your wallet


post-1-1150550726.gifpost-1-1150559830.gifpost-1-1152402501.jpgThe older I get, the better I was

96 MkII in yellow & silver with bluespots, braided lines, Remus 2 into 1, Hagon rear shock & fork springs, bashplate, heated grips,Motech pannier racks, Road Attacks, Jockoiler, Baglux tank cover & bag. Gone to a far better place - hasn't it Remo?
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another '81 XT250
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'10 BMW R1200GSA Anniversary Edition
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'00 Triumph Adventurer - Cruiser with a difference - British & a triple
Gary's Bathtub - '99 BMW K1200RS in luvverly pillarbox red . Now been Waspycycled to Nuneaton
And the Latest Addition - a nice BMW G650 XCountry greenlaner - on long term loan to Boy Wonder

1996 Kawasaki KH125 Stroker

2000 TDM Mk2A - nicely Studleyfied - Modified by Masterbrewer, but we've fixed that now !

BMW K1300R

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#17 TYREDNGRUMPEE

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 05:52 pm

Wet gear dries faster when strapped to the pillion.

Shoes/boots make great tool boxes.

You'd be amazed at what a handful of cable ties and some quality tape can be used for.

Aluminium cans are what you need them to be.

A reliable light source.

Decide, in advance, how you will keep your most valuable items close by. (Visiting sights, toilets, showers, supermarkets etc).



#18 pilninggas

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 06:02 pm

Flip flops; take up no space and great for letting your feet get fresh air after a long day on the road.

 

Less clothes in good

 

I tend to be a bit the opposite of Dapleb, and pack what he'd consider a fair bit of crapola, but the TDM takes luggage pretty well.  Several of my essentials have already been mentioned:

 

- Empty top box: it's important to make sure you have enough space for a baguette, some cheese and a bottle of wine, but I also find as a tour goes on the stuff I'd neatly packed in my panniers seems get bulkier as I rummage in it.

 

- Petrol stove: No worrying about spare gas canisters, and I keep a length of windscreen washer hose under the seat to siphon fuel from the tank, which has also been used when someone ran out of a fuel on a tour.

 

- Eye drops: I find a combination of sun and breeze really dries my eyes out.

 

- Stove top espresso pot: A fortnight of instant coffee is not my idea of a holiday.

 

- Self inflating roll mat: more comfortable than a foam one, lighter and warmer than an airbed.

 

- Aldi dry bags: fraction of the price of an Ortlieb and just as good, my tent and roll mat go on the back seat in dry bags.

 

-Packsafe: wire mesh bag intended to secure rucksacks, ideal to shove your bike gear in to lock it to the bike while you wander round tourist attractions in shorts and sandals rather than roasting in your bike gear.  If you're paranoid you could also use it to lock the dry bags to the bike.

 

- Sleeping bag liner: Packs really small but adds a lot of warmth.

 

- Couscous and chorizo: take up no space, keep for ages, and are a tasty meal if you don't get round to buying more food.

 

- Satnav: Loads of people don't like them for touring but that's because they're not using them right, get one that can use waypoints and then sit in the campsite in the evening with beer/wine and maps planning a route for the next day and programming it in to the satnav, that way you can plot a route on fantastic roads and not need to keep stopping to check the map. 

 

- Ignore the satnav: If you see something that looks more interesting than the road you planned, you're not a slave to the planned route.  Some of the best roads I've ever ridden were speculative "that could be interesting" roads.

 

- Power to the tank bag: I have a DIN socket on the bike and then a cable that gives me a couple of USB sockets in my tank bag, means I can charge my phone/camera etc on the move but still get at them quickly.

 

- Scott oiler: Fill it up and home, maybe check the chain tension a couple of thousand miles later.

 

- GPS enabled camera: Somewhere between Andematt and Davos is the most beautiful picture perfect postcard village you have ever seen nestling in a lush green valley below snow capped mountains.  I have no idea where it is though.  I've since bought a camera with GPS so I see where I took photos.

 

- Archies Campsite POI's: This one was a game changer for me.   A massive list of camp sites all round Europe that you stick on your satnav and it marks them as points of interest.  It's only ever let me down twice, on the first occasion we just went to the next closest, and the second time what it had as a campsite turned out to be a Gite, but at a decent price with a friendly landlord a coupe of Dutch bikers staying there too.  the main thing about using this though is that you don't need to plan where you're going to be each evening, just ride and when you feel like stopping find the nearest campsite  http://www.archiescampings.eu/

 

- Camera backup: I've seen too many people lose photos due to a corrupted card, luckily I've only had it happen once and that was on the first day of a trip. Lots of options these days from dedicated backup devices, to cables for your phone, or go the whole hog and carry a netbook you can charge on the bike, and also use for route planning in AutoRoute/ITNconverter/Tyre/Basecamp and then upload to your satnav. 

 

Everything above is bang on: even down to the espresso pot and archies. Wherever I go in Europe my trusty espresso stove pot and cheap ebay 4.3" car satnav with archies POIs go.

 

For me a tablet loaded with books, free tourist guides, games, videos, maps is godsend when on my own.



#19 jdelfino

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 07:01 pm

1- In places like Spain hotels are a better deal than camping, you can sleep in a nice bed for as low as 20euros a night, a campground might cost you 18..


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#20 muddy

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Posted 23 November 2015 - 08:41 pm

1- In places like Spain hotels are a better deal than camping, you can sleep in a nice bed for as low as 20euros a night, a campground might cost you 18..

You can get a hotel for that in France in some places. Camping, though, is much cheaper. My favourite site is only 4 Euros a night.


Blue 04 TDM,PR2 rear Roadsmart front, Yamaha topox, Givi E360 panniers, PL pannier holders, BMW handguards, Yamaha touring screen, Scottoiler, 12v ciggie socket, carbon core HT leads

 

Gorn :sorry:




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