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Ponies ate my Bagel posted:The ENO bugnet is pretty much universal, check it out: http://www.eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com/product/BN001.html Ahh yeah that's perfect and pretty much the same as my (borrowed) setup but obviously a bit better. Holy $60 though, that'd buy a lot of gas for the DRZ!!! (I'm so cheap, should've bought a KLR)
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Jul 25, 2013 17:28
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Quick chime in here, but I used to work around Mosquito Lagoon at night in summer and found this stuff called Herbal Armor that worked fantastically(better than DEET-based stuff, all the mosquitos repelled by DEET were selected out of the gene pool there a long time ago). As a bonus it makes you smell like strong tea instead of chemical funk or geraniol(which doesn't work at all, don't waste your money on sprays containing it or the soy-based extracts). REI carries it, but you can find it in specialty stores from time to time as well. Pretty reasonably priced, too. Reading these threads makes me want to get a supermoto so much - I like my Shadow a lot however it definitely is not suited for offroad anything. I'm in DFW but the thought of being able to ride out to somewhere interesting, then roll through some wilderness and set up wherever is very, very tempting. The  x 50 fuel tanks I keep hearing about make me pause that line of thought a bit though.
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Jul 27, 2013 19:50
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Is there actually any basis for this or did you pull it out of your rear end?Kilersquirrel posted:(better than DEET-based stuff, all the mosquitos repelled by DEET were selected out of the gene pool there a long time ago).
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Jul 27, 2013 23:31
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I've been using picaridin, it doesn't melt plastic like DEET, and is as effective. You can also treat your clothing with permethrin.
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Jul 28, 2013 01:39
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Kilersquirrel posted:Quick chime in here, but I used to work around Mosquito Lagoon at night in summer and found this stuff called Herbal Armor that worked fantastically(better than DEET-based stuff http://www.amazon.com/All-Terrain-DEET-Free-Natural-Repellent/dp/B00AAA9DS0 for the people who can't google for 4 seconds. Personally I've found the DEET stuff doesn't tend to be very effective either.
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Jul 28, 2013 02:29
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As someone that has spent many, many days in the far north muskeg where mosquitos are the size of hummingbirds and in clouds so thick you can't help but breathe them in, I actually find the 100% deet stuff works really well in my experience. A little OT: I stay away from products that advertise as "natural" and "herbal" just on principal since they directly use the "appeal to nature" as a marketing tool as is the catchy thing to do nowdays. If it works, great, but bragging because it is "natural" is just stupid, even if it is. Formaldehyde and arsenic are natural too. slidebite fucked around with this message at 03:05 on Jul 28, 2013 |
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Jul 28, 2013 03:01
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I had a gf that insisted on the natural stuff, it didn't do poo poo. 40% deet for me. Haven't been somewhere I've need more. I went motocamping last week. Forgot the tent stakes and was too lazy to make some out of sticks. First night was fine. Second night, huge storm with constant lightening and 50-60mph winds. Had to stay up for an hour just holding my tent down. It was kind of fun. I was scared for a minute a giant branch would kill me, but then remember I was in a well groomed state park and they probably cut down dead limbs often. And, the first night the wood was wet as hell so I had the smart idea of cutting up a towel and dipping strips into my gas tank. All I made was a lot of smoke until I gave up and doused it.
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Jul 28, 2013 03:28
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slidebite posted:As someone that has spent many, many days in the far north muskeg where mosquitos are the size of hummingbirds and in clouds so thick you can't help but breathe them in, I actually find the 100% deet stuff works really well in my experience. yeah, DEET and clothing with full coverage and very tight weave. DEET doesn't really repel the buggers, but what it does do (in my observation and experience), is make you not taste like food. I've watched mosquitoes land and probe around on my DEET treated skin with their proboscis or whatever you call it, and not bite. They just poke, poke, poke, but never insert. (I'm sure they probably taste with their feet like houseflies, but still.) On an unprotected section, it's land, jab, drink their fill with no hesitation. xd posted:I've been using picaridin, it doesn't melt plastic like DEET, and is as effective. You can also treat your clothing with permethrin. This stuff sounds interesting though, I'll have to give it a go next time I'm going into the bush in Canada. Finger Prince fucked around with this message at 18:23 on Jul 29, 2013 |
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Jul 29, 2013 18:18
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nsaP posted:Is there actually any basis for this or did you pull it out of your rear end? I'm half pulling it out of my rear end jokingly, half serious because nobody paints on the bug spray like Floridians living near the lagoons do. Especially when you have the little hellbeasts known as gallnippers hatching out and gunning for you:  In all seriousness it's not a completely unfounded assumption that after 40+ years of vacationers and residents dousing themselves in DEET the mosquitos who weren't really repelled by it would reproduce far better than ones who were, when the biggest source of food is wearing it constantly. But yes I was pulling that out of my rear end jokingly, as the DEET sprays I used did exactly gently caress-all to keep my back and neck from looking like small mountain ranges. e: I will say DEET has worked really well to keep the blackflies and other non-mosquito biting insects off of me when I've been up visiting family in Wisconsin. And yes the "All-natural" splash on a label does exactly jack poo poo to perk up my interest, it's just marketing fluff to appeal to the uneducated. Kilersquirrel fucked around with this message at 23:32 on Jul 29, 2013 |
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Jul 29, 2013 23:27
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One thing you do not want to forget on your Bear Tooth Pass ride is bug spray, DEET or no. I really didn't figure the bugs would be so bad, but just about 1000 feet below the pass, they were out in force, and serious about eating me for lunch. I'm not used to that, have never tasted all that good to all those Minnesota mosquitos but the ones in Wyoming really wanted my blood. Badly.
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Jul 30, 2013 23:55
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I layer on the DEET. I want to smell like a chemical factory. When I get back from camping, I can only smell two things for the next week: smoke and DEET.
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Jul 31, 2013 16:25
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m-m-m-m-moto camping    
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Aug 19, 2013 15:39
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Now that is a primo camping spot.
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Aug 20, 2013 01:38
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So some advice that was thrown my way this spring (get a hammock for motorcycle camping) stuck in my brain and i've logged 5 backpacking nights in a hammock so far. I'm definitely a hammock convert and am glad i gave it a try. So much easier to deal with when backpacking. Haven't had the opportunity to motorcycle camp yet, but i'm hoping for this fall...
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Aug 26, 2013 06:02
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Does anyone have advice for camping with hammocks in cold weather? I find my hennesy too cold even on a fairly warm night, the heat seems to just drop out from under me. I know you can get doona's/quilts to hang underneath, but thats a bulky item on a motorcycle.
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Aug 26, 2013 11:56
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Do you have that winter kit thing they sell?
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Aug 26, 2013 12:39
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devians posted:Does anyone have advice for camping with hammocks in cold weather? I find my hennesy too cold even on a fairly warm night, the heat seems to just drop out from under me. I know you can get doona's/quilts to hang underneath, but thats a bulky item on a motorcycle. Unfortunately the underquilt is about the only way to go. I've spent 5 or 6 nights this summer in my Hennessey when the temperature dropped below 50. Anything below 50 and my down sleeping bag (30 degree bag I think) compresses to the point where I can feel a slight chill through the bottom. Below 40 is uncomfortable and too cold. I have tried using a windshield shade as a pad but it slips around too much. They do make underquilts that are lightweight and compress down to a small size, but obviously they are more expensive. However, with an underquilt you probably would not have to take a full down sleeping bag along and may be able to get by with just a top blanket, so your pack size might just even out. I suggest doing some experimenting in your backyard.
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Aug 26, 2013 15:41
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Me and my buddy are planning on a camping trip in 2 weeks in Pennsylvania. I'll be taking my Ninja 250 and he has an R6, not the most likely candidates but we should manage alright. I'm just going to bungee my tent to my bike and possibly get some saddlebags. Should be a good time, going to study this thread for the next 2 weeks.
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Aug 26, 2013 19:47
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I was behind an FZ1 the other day that looked like it was in for a long haul. They had their sleeping bag tied to the forks on the front fender. Why have I not thought of this before?
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Aug 26, 2013 19:55
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Gweenz posted:I have tried using a windshield shade as a pad but it slips around too much. They do make underquilts that are lightweight and compress down to a small size, but obviously they are more expensive. Yeah, I have a mylar reflector blanket thing which I want to try out. Have a link for some compressible underquilts? Kind of removes the quick setup hammock attraction but such is life.
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Aug 27, 2013 15:03
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These are a couple I was looking at though I don't have any first hand experience with them: http://www.rei.com/product/830280/eno-ember-hammock-underquilt http://www.hammockgear.com/under-quilts/ I am also interested in the supershelter kit Hennessey sells that Supradog mentioned. Instead of a quilt it uses an undercover and foam pad to create a trapped airspace. http://hennessyhammock.com/catalog/insulation/
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Aug 27, 2013 17:32
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I used the cold weather undercover and pad on my Hennessy this past April and May motocamping my way to Alaska. Couple nights it got below 10°F and even with my 15° mummy I was warm enough provided I didn't move around too much. They're not joking about adding a Mylar space blanket to the mix, however. Made a huge difference. I liked the setup because the undercover and pad stay connected to the hammock so I just stuffed the whole thing, with sleeping bag inside, into a dry sack, put the rain fly in there too and bungeed the whole shebang to my bike. Easy peasy. Also with the undercover you can put clothes in between it and the actual hammock for added insulation. So I'd just undress, stuff that stuff into the undercover and get into my bag.
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Aug 27, 2013 20:39
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That thermarest pad bungeed to my headlight fairing up above works pretty good to keep my back from getting cold in the hammock. It hit 30something*F one night and I wasn't cold. Works even better with this old US army wool blanket I have, just put it under the thermarest and then use 30* sleeping bag and sleep in your clothes 
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Aug 29, 2013 20:12
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I used to use a windshield sunshade (the bubble foil kind) with a fleece blanket under me. It got me down to about 20 degrees with my 20 degree down bag. I bit the bullet and bought a down underquilt and it is way easier to setup and take down, haven't used it below freezing yet, but it warms up nicely. Thermarests work pretty well, but when it gets freezing cold you will definitely feel it on your shoulders.
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Sep 3, 2013 01:41
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Why not just use a tent?
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Sep 3, 2013 01:56
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Another problem solved by n8.
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Sep 3, 2013 02:03
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I know it sounds silly but I really don't like poles. I've lived entire summers out of my tent changing locations almost every night and I'm just sick of 'em. It probably takes almost the same amount if time to set up my hammock but it just FEELS so much quicker to me. Also I'm fat and I have to bend over less setting up a hammock.
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Sep 3, 2013 04:37
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Need some advice, as I've never motocamped and you all seem pretty knowledgeable enough to trust your opinions. A group of 4 people, 2 friends, myself and my girlfriend, are planning on doing a 6 week to 3 month trip in Europe on motorbike, on a journey of ~5000km (that's right, METRIC) in a few years time once we've saved enough. Most of that time will be spent in one or two particular locations, so it won't be all camping, but we do intend on setting up on more than a few occasions. We're looking at doing it during the Summer months, with the occasional (every 2nd or 3rd night) stop off at a motel to explore the town/location we reach, and I will be sharing a tent/sack/whatever with my girlfriend. In the meantime, we want to do some camping in the Western Australian South-West region during the cooler months (which in all honesty, probably equals a European Summer) to prepare ourselves somewhat. So, the specifics: We'd like to be able to slowly purchase items that would be usable in both climates, including a 2 person tent/swag (Australian canvas combined tent/mattress thing) or similar for myself and my girlfriend and sleeping bag(s) that pack up relatively small. Fixings (ROK straps, cargo nets etc) suitable for attaching the above and any other items to a) our current streetbikes and b) our intended bikes in Europe, some larger cc tourer bikes (eg BMW GS650). Anything else we'd need to make 1-2 (and possibly 3) days of camping comfortable in European summer and WA autumn/winter. We'll most likely get some pannier boxes for more carry space when we're actually in Europe, but would like to plan without them at first. Any help would be greatly appreciated, including reasoning behind that particular choice if possible.
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Nov 20, 2013 06:40
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I know it isn't exactly a good answer, but I'd go to a used camping goods store and buy a used three-four person tent. That will be plenty of room for you, your girlfriend, and various helmets, boots, riding suits, and other gear that you don't want to leave outside. I've got an REI Taj 4 that I picked up lightly used for $140 or so. I wouldn't take it backpacking, but it's great for moto camping. Add to that two ~40 degree (F) sleeping bags in compression sacks and two sleeping pads. I've really liked the REI Camp Bed inflatable mattress pad in the past, but it doesn't exactly pack small. As far as bags go, I don't know how cold it will be where you're planning to camp. 40 F is about 4 C, and a mummy bag rated for 40 degrees assumes you're wearing some clothes inside the bag (i.e. socks, long johns, maybe a fleece, hat, and gloves) and you're using the mummy bag properly (which my girlfriend absolutely refuses to do). I've been camping at just below freezing in a 30 degree bag wearing socks, pants, and a tee shirt and I was fine, but I was also using the mummy bag right.
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Nov 20, 2013 07:48
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Thanks! What else should I be looking for in sleeping bags? I've read several posts saying that the down-filled ones compress to the size of a grapefruit and my conversion from F to C seems like it would fit our climate and our Euro-trip fairly well. When you say sleeping bags in compression sacks, is that a separate product to shrink (compress, dur) the sleeping bag down even smaller? Camping product availability and range sucks a little in Australia, unfortunately, along with the same again for just about everything else bar meat and veg.
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Nov 20, 2013 08:44
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crowtribe posted:Thanks! Down is king, but I've never had a problem with synthetic, especially if you've got a motorcycle and aren't struggling to make space in a backpack. Most sleeping bags come with stuff sacks, which are 1-2 gallon sacks that you stuff the bag into. Neat, but they take up space. A compression sack is a stuff sack with straps built into it such that, once you've stuffed the sleeping bag in, you tighten the straps to compress the sleeping bag more. When you make camp, just pull your sleeping bag out and give it a few minutes to fluff up. They're typically sold separately, probably for no more than $10. I thought Australians built a national image around camping. Waltzing Matilda and whatnot. Sucks that you can't find a good selection of products. As far as luggage goes, check out Giant Loop bags, if you can get them down under.
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Nov 20, 2013 15:36
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Safety Dance posted:I know it isn't exactly a good answer, but I'd go to a used camping goods store and buy a used three-four person tent. For someone who doesn't have a used camping goods store nearby, what are the best brands available on Amazon that are compact and comfortable? I'm finally ready to do some moto camping and want to be ready early next season but still need a compact tent, mat, and possibly a better sleeping bag.
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Nov 20, 2013 16:23
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You don't necessarily need a tiny 1 or 2 person tent. A friend of mine travelled with an older 4 person tent that did not take up that much extra room, but he did have ample room to store all his stuff in it when erected and was able to stand up. I was a bit jealous. I took a fleece vest with me that doubled as a pillow. Worked like a charm. Also, pack as light as you can. Any pound/kilogram spared saves you a lot of headache. You don't need to get superfancy here; you're travelling in the developed world with stores that sells anything you might have missed. As far as gear goes, I don't really think you need to go all out on the research here. I usaed a sleeping bag and one of those 3cm thick self inflated mats. My previous mentioned friend had a full sized air mattress, a compressor he could power from the bike and some sheets. Though he did confess it took up more space than he wanted. Anyways, go read up on advrider on all kinds of little tidbits that'll help you get in the spirit of things.
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Nov 20, 2013 17:49
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Thanks for the info. Pretty sure I want to go with a basic tent/mat/bag combo and am definitely trying to minimize what I bring. I have the entire winter season to think about it too, just trying to get everything together by the time it warms up around here.
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Nov 20, 2013 17:57
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Sleeping bag liners can stretch the ability of an under-rated bag a few more degrees, and are nice just on their own if you end up sleeping on a couch, dirty hostel mattress, etc. I.e., a lighter-weight bag + a liner may save you a few ounces, but don't count on it without experimenting. +1 on the 4 person tent. Just changing clothes in a little tent is a pain, even more so when you're stashing all your gear in it. Keep an eye on Steep and Cheap. Tents and bags are always coming up on there. edit: Don't count on the reviews of camping equipment on Amazon. People who are serious about camping and their gear generally don't get it from Amazon. They get it from REI, Campmor, Backcountry.com, Sierra Trading Post, etc, and leave the reviews there. For example, I just got a new Marmot mummy bag, and the reviews on Amazon were things like "5 Stars i got this for my daughter for a lockin at the church she liked it looks good" where the REI/Campmor/Sierra reviews went into where the bag was used, at what temperatures, how it packs down, what's wrong with the zippers, etc. I don't mean to say that only plebes get their stuff from Amazon. I go to all the fancy gear sites for reviews and then check Amazon for deals. Scored an awesome Kelty backpacking tent there for like half the price of anywhere else. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Nov 20, 2013 |
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Nov 20, 2013 18:11
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:They get it from REI, Campmor, Backcountry.com, Sierra Trading Post, etc, and leave the reviews there.
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Nov 20, 2013 18:29
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NitroSpazzz posted:Those sites also have outlets where they unload stuff. I've picked up a lot of jackets, camping gear and snowboarding gear for 40% or better off. Oh yeah, good point. REI stores also have garage sales a couple times a year. Clearance stuff, returns, blemishes, etc at low prices. So if you have one near you, check out when that's happening.
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Nov 20, 2013 19:30
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Can anyone recommend a decent place to camp along the Pacific Coast Highway north of LA? I'm looking at leaving the San Francisco area on Friday morning and heading down Hwy 1 until I'm near LA. The next day, check out the schools at UC Irvine and Riverside (possible grad schools for girlfriend) and just see LA in general, then head back Sunday. Any recommendations? Edit: Malibu Creek State Park looked like a good option, but goddamn $45/night for a campsite, really?
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Nov 21, 2013 00:04
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Pham Nuwen posted:Can anyone recommend a decent place to camp along the Pacific Coast Highway north of LA? I'm looking at leaving the San Francisco area on Friday morning and heading down Hwy 1 until I'm near LA. The next day, check out the schools at UC Irvine and Riverside (possible grad schools for girlfriend) and just see LA in general, then head back Sunday. Any recommendations? Also interested as I live in LA and want to get the gently caress out of LA for a weekend. 
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Nov 21, 2013 01:22
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Minty Swagger posted:Also interested as I live in LA and want to get the gently caress out of LA for a weekend. It's a bit too late in the season right now (I think they just closed the campsites) but just go up Angeles Crest Highway!! There's some very beautiful little campsites - Horse Flats or Buckhorn (you'll want a dualsport/sumo/etc) Chilao (Manzanita Loop is sportbike-friendly) are all nice camps that were saved from the Station Fire. They're first-come-first-serve, $12/night and have firepits etc. On a sweltering 110F LA day it's nice and cool up there above 5000 feet. Best of all it's quite uncrowded up there and you won't be wedged in between a bunch of stoners and a quinceañera as will likely be the case at any beach campsite. Plus it's some of the best riding roads in California.
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Nov 21, 2013 01:57
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