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Razzled
Feb 3, 2011

MY HARLEY IS COOL
Once again back on the subject of hammocks now that I've spent some time researching them and reading through stuff on hammock-forums.

Can anyone comment on the effectiveness (or lack thereof) the shock cord bottom style bugnets?
[timg]http://www.dutchwaregear.com/images/detailed/1/IMG_4050[1].jpg[/timg]

If these work decently I can avoid dropping massive cash on something with an integrated bugnet like an HH or a Warbonnet blackbird and just get something like a double layer dutchware (cheaper!). I'm not really into DIY stuff so the tablecloth business is kinda out the window.

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Lynza
Jun 1, 2000

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."
- Robert A. Heinlein
I think if you're somewhere that has gnarly biters like super mosquitos and blackflies, you may want that extra lower layer. On the other hand, if your hammock is sufficiently thick, you might not need anything but the top one to keep the little bastards out.

My hammock only has the top part, but we pretty much just have skeeters here, and no super bad biters that could get through the tent/hammock fabric.

If you use a sleeping pad of some kind, that might work against them, too.

Gorson
Aug 29, 2014

I live in Wisconsin where mosquitoes are the size of pterodactyls, so I was concerned that they could bite through the material on the bottom but it hasn't happened. They just buzz around like crazy outside the bug net on the top of the hammock, attracted to the carbon monoxide and heat from your breath :science: . I'm fairly certain they are physically capable of biting through the nylon, but a mosquito's mentality doesn't allow him to make decisions on strategy. They will bounce off the net until they evolve the ability to do otherwise.

Voltage
Sep 4, 2004

MALT LIQUOR!
Going motocamping this weekend with my buddy, just trying to pick a spot - Shot in the dark I'm sure but are there any decent areas to camp within ~2 hours of Philadelphia that aren't loving family RV "camp" grounds?

Lynza
Jun 1, 2000

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."
- Robert A. Heinlein
It's early enough in the year that you might not have to deal with them all that much, anyway. Kids aren't out of school until June, usually. Godspeed!

Bloody Queef
Mar 23, 2012

by zen death robot

Voltage posted:

Going motocamping this weekend with my buddy, just trying to pick a spot - Shot in the dark I'm sure but are there any decent areas to camp within ~2 hours of Philadelphia that aren't loving family RV "camp" grounds?

Not sure what kind of motocamping it would offer, but Ricketts Glenn is an awesome camping place with tons of waterfalls to hike up and down. (but you can drive up to a site)

M. Night Skymall
Mar 22, 2012

Went motocamping this weekend, tried out my hammock for the first time since I got married. It took me a bit to remember how to get comfortable, but it was pretty nice down to about 50 degrees. The main problem I had with hammock camping on a bike is that there's nowhere to put your gear. I ended up dumping it all in my friend's vestibule. It's great for backpacking/primitive sites because I'd just put my backpack under the hammock or something but my gear is a lot more dispersed on a motorcycle and I was concerned something might walk away on me since all the parks in Texas are fairly crowded party/RV type affairs.

It's also incredibly awkward to change in, which is kind of a necessity if you arrive at the campsite in full motorcycle gear(I borrowed a friend's tent for this also.) Overall, I can see the appeal if you're doing dual-sport camping out in the woods where there's no one around to see you change and keeping your gear out of sight isn't a concern, but for general purpose use at crowded state parks I don't think it's worth it. It does pack down significantly smaller than tent+sleeping pad but I'll just find some more room or strap the poles to the outside of a bag or something. Might try it again if I pick up a dual sport in the future and want to try stealth camping in National Forests or other public land.

Catatron Prime
Aug 23, 2010

IT ME



Toilet Rascal

M. Night Skymall posted:

Went motocamping this weekend, tried out my hammock for the first time since I got married. It took me a bit to remember how to get comfortable, but it was pretty nice down to about 50 degrees. The main problem I had with hammock camping on a bike is that there's nowhere to put your gear. I ended up dumping it all in my friend's vestibule. It's great for backpacking/primitive sites because I'd just put my backpack under the hammock or something but my gear is a lot more dispersed on a motorcycle and I was concerned something might walk away on me since all the parks in Texas are fairly crowded party/RV type affairs.

It's also incredibly awkward to change in, which is kind of a necessity if you arrive at the campsite in full motorcycle gear(I borrowed a friend's tent for this also.) Overall, I can see the appeal if you're doing dual-sport camping out in the woods where there's no one around to see you change and keeping your gear out of sight isn't a concern, but for general purpose use at crowded state parks I don't think it's worth it. It does pack down significantly smaller than tent+sleeping pad but I'll just find some more room or strap the poles to the outside of a bag or something. Might try it again if I pick up a dual sport in the future and want to try stealth camping in National Forests or other public land.

You need a tarp!



The trick to lying flat in a hammock is to lay on a bit of a diagonal. Also, hanging your hammock at a 30 degree angle gives it the right lay. And if the weather is below eighty at night, you'll definitely want some sort of bottom insulation, whether it's a sleeping pad or underquilt.

http://www.dream-hammock.com/HangAngle.html

:science:

Watsabi
Jul 4, 2012
I am still getting my motocamping setup going. Last year was my first time going on my own bike. One thing I always keep in my camelbak/backpack are my swim trunks and sandals. Sometimes you just need to take a dip in the lake/river/stream to get cool and rinse the stink off. When you're done you just tie them on top to dry out when you get back on the road.

Here's my get up from last year. My dad has the old GS.

Giant Loop Siskyou soft bags contains all my changes of clothes in one side and camp equipment in the other.
North Face Duffle on top is where I keep the Big Agnes sleeping bag and inflatable pad.
Dry bags for everything

I travel with 5 liters of water 3 in my backpack and 2 more in bottles on the side bag.

Things I need to have for this year:
a silk bag liner because I thought a 30* bag would be enough with insulated pad for going up into the mountains in August but it was still uncomfortably cold.
Decent camp chair. I am looking at Kermit

Razzled
Feb 3, 2011

MY HARLEY IS COOL
Aite y'all. It's here. I tried out my hammock (i ended up going with dutchware stuff) and it is pretty awesome. Really, really easy to set up and tear down and really comfortable too.



Double layer 1.1 Nylon, with integrated ridgeline and a bugnet!

Tarp hasn't come in the mail yet, but I ended up getting an HH hex tarp cause they're huge. Found one for cheaper, only 40 bucks !

Can't wait for memorial weekend!

Applebees Appetizer
Jan 23, 2006

Gillingham posted:

Honestly the coolest part of the bags is reading the advrider thread and the owners own ride reports seeing how all this stuff was/is being developed. Owners first ride report complete with getting stranded with a broken leg in south america is recommended reading

Just read the whole thing, loving awesome, but for some reason I feel like I would never make it through a trip like that alive :v:

hot sauce
Jan 13, 2005

Grimey Drawer

Watsabi posted:

Decent camp chair. I am looking at Kermit

This is often overlooked. Something to sit on makes the campsite far more enjoyable.

Gorson
Aug 29, 2014

hot sauce posted:

This is often overlooked. Something to sit on makes the campsite far more enjoyable.

I use one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/TravelChair-1...ds=tripod+chair

Not ultralight, but cheap and is small when folded.

Supradog
Sep 1, 2004

A POOOST!?!??! YEEAAAAHHHH
I prefer the coleman woodsman, sure it's not as small folded down, but i just strap it on top of my other gear and it's much better to sit on.

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Woodsman-II-Chair/dp/B00CHBXJ4O

predictive
Jan 11, 2006

For awesome, press 1.

Gorson posted:

I use one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/TravelChair-1...ds=tripod+chair

Not ultralight, but cheap and is small when folded.

I just ordered one of those for a trip this weekend! Glad to hear someone else is using it.

Gillingham
Nov 16, 2011
I've got a bunch of http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ZGOWZQ/ I got at a backpacking yard sale that fold down real small and light.

FireTora
Oct 6, 2004

Gillingham posted:

I've got a bunch of http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ZGOWZQ/ I got at a backpacking yard sale that fold down real small and light.

I use the same, got one of the REI branded ones. Unbranded ones are available off eBay for ~$40 from China.

Watsabi
Jul 4, 2012
I took one of the little tripod jobs with me last year and I decided I wanted something I could sit in for more than 10 minutes. It was handy outside the tent for putting on boots but size to comfort was not nearly good as some others.

Anyone try one of those flying stingray tents? Maybe extravagant for moto camping but look cool as poo poo.

Lexorin
Jul 5, 2000

I got one of the monarch camp chairs, and they work out pretty well. Although, I'm tall so it makes sitting down in one an adventure. Once your sitting they are pretty comfortable.

SmokedSquid
Dec 20, 2009
This might be a stupid question, but what's wrong with sitting on the ground? Especially motocamping where you're probably filthy anyway. A camp chair takes up a fair amount of space on a bike.

Gillingham
Nov 16, 2011

SmokedSquid posted:

This might be a stupid question, but what's wrong with sitting on the ground? Especially motocamping where you're probably filthy anyway. A camp chair takes up a fair amount of space on a bike.
The camp chairs I have take up very little space, and are actually soft, comfortable and raise you up at a nice angle vs you know, the ground. They even have hooks on the carrying case so you can literally strap them anywhere if you're worried about safe. Continue sitting on the ground though if you're that worried about it.

predictive
Jan 11, 2006

For awesome, press 1.
I just prefer to have something to sit on. Sometimes the campground is wet, and it's much nicer to sit on a chair than damp dirt while you stare at the fire and drink some bourbon. My chair fits in my soft luggage, so it's not really a problem to pack.

Retarted Pimple
Jun 2, 2002

I was planning on stealth camping in the Adirondacks, but the campground on Piseco Lake was close, so I decided to go with that and talked to a nice retired couple camping in their VW microbus for a while.
This was the view from the camp site this morning.
http://imgur.com/0XmXe1V

SmokedSquid
Dec 20, 2009
Yeah, I definitely see the benefits of it for chilling around camp. I'm camping on the DRZ though where space is at a premium. This was my setup on a recent big camping trip:



You can see even that is a bit too much stuff for my poo poo luggage setup. The toolbox on the back was only held in by two bolts + rope around the handles and it had enough poo poo on top of it to give it a worrying wobble. Next camping trip everything is going into one easily accessible bag, gently caress unpacking everything at the service station just to find that second map.

Australia is absolutely incredible for motocamping. Pic dump from the trip:




makeshift usb charger. found out that usb connections arent rated for highway speeds the hard way.

great ocean road, victoria

quintessential bug shot - goulburn valley

best camp meal, tacos

confirmed chillest town in australia, Yass (near canberra). Free camping in the town and super friendly people.

Camping is so great, motocamping is even greater. I really oughta do it more rather than just looking at pictures of other people doing it on the laptop.

Lynza
Jun 1, 2000

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."
- Robert A. Heinlein
Yeah, that's my problem. You know that old saying, "Perfect is the enemy of good enough?" That's me. I just need to plan something short and do it and see how it goes instead of dithering about it.

I frickin' love camping and I haven't done it nearly enough since I got my bike.

M. Night Skymall
Mar 22, 2012

You could get rid of your closed cell foam pad and fit a chair, a modern inflatable pad and a small mariachi band instead. Closed cell foam makes a lot more sense when you're looking to backpack on a budget since it's incredibly light for the cost, but it sure isn't space efficient.

Razzled
Feb 3, 2011

MY HARLEY IS COOL

SmokedSquid posted:

awesome poo poo on a DRZ

Nice job guy, thank you for this excellent contribution to the thread!

I didn't get any pics of my setup because my phone was almost out of batteries and I needed that poo poo for GPS so here's a prep-shot instead of me and my dad rayelin' through the mountains with full gear.



As for the camping stuff, it was a little bit too cold for just a mil surplus poncho liner as a blanket so I used pad + sleeping bag for bottom and then the poncho liner on top and that was plenty warm. The dutch hammock I bought was amazing and the double layer made it so that the pad didn't shift around. The Hennessy Hammock hex tarp was really easy to setup and had excellent coverage. I actually didn't bother to stake down the sides and instead just let them hang down over the sides of my hammock to block the wind and that worked pretty well.

As for comfort, once I fell asleep I was out like a light and didn't wake up in the middle of the night except once because I had to pee something furious. All in all, it was a great experience and I can't wait to go even more places.

cursedshitbox
May 20, 2012

Your rear-end wont survive my hammering.



Fun Shoe
Went to Mendocino forest over the weekend. 475mi round trip. 150mi was offroad.






we camped near this little river. (Eel river)





Nearly ran my bike outta gas, wifey dropped his after a creek crossing breaking (another) lever, and I managed to kill the right turn indicator over the weekend. Not a bad trip.

M42
Nov 12, 2012


I'm gonna be camping at Deals Gap next weekend. What's a good, compact tent+bag+pad that can be carried on my SV, for under $200 if possible? We're driving/trailering the bikes down, but I intend to use the stuff again on actual bike trips. I've never really camped like this before, so any advice is appreciated.

M42 fucked around with this message at 21:45 on Jun 25, 2015

nsaP
May 4, 2004

alright?
For under 200 you're going to be looking on the higher end of cheap stuff. I was doing the same and found a lot of good stuff on amazon. Mine isn't the best setup but you can see the tent and pad here:



There are a lot nice pads that are more compact but they cost. My tent is a cheapo coleman so it's pretty heavy but that's not a big deal for bike camping with my setup. For sleeping bags you can find synthetic ones with compression sacks that get pretty small. In that pic mine is in one of the saddle bags. I think it's a Swiss brand maybe but I dunno. I just went by reviews on amazon and what was in my budget. The pad and bag are still like new, the tent I just tore the pole guide fabric on my last trip but it held up with a bit of duct tape. It's lasted three years so far.

One thing you are going to want is Rok Straps, factor those in as well. They're great, you can kind of see them in the pic holding the pad and tent to the bike.

nsaP fucked around with this message at 22:25 on Jun 25, 2015

M. Night Skymall
Mar 22, 2012

M42 posted:

I'm gonna be camping at Deals Gap next weekend. What's a good, compact tent+bag+pad that can be carried on my SV, for under $200 if possible? We're driving/trailering the bikes down, but I intend to use the stuff again on actual bike trips. I've never really camped like this before, so any advice is appreciated.

What kind of weather are you planning on camping in? My friend has this Coleman tent and it seemed fine for bike camping. You can probably just grab any Coleman bag(rated appropriately to the weather you're camping in) and pad but I don't have any experience with them so I can't recommend anything specific. Keep in mind ratings are "you won't die" and not "this is comfortable." Most people consider a 20-30 degree bag to be suitable for 3 season camping, and a 0 degree bag for(reasonable) winter camping.

If you wanted to spend a bit more, I'd still get that tent because honestly for bike camping the tent is probably the least demanding aspect. Most of the improvements in more expensive tents(outside of buying $Texas moto specific tents) aren't really relevant to motorcycle camping. I'd pick up this pad and this bag. Not sure if their shipping options will be fast enough though.

I'd try to get an inflatable pad because they tend to be a lot more compact than closed cell pads which makes packing it easier, and sleeping bags basically just get lighter and more compact as you spend more money, with some improvements in materials. Make sure you bring a headlamp if you're going to camp and at least have some kind of "I stuff my clothes in this bag" level solution for a pillow. Also a generic walmart tarp can make strapping wood/random poo poo to your bike a lot more palatable.

Also you should throw your budget out the window and get that Redverz tent, you know you need a garage to work on your bike inside your tent. You need it.

builds character
Jan 16, 2008

Keep at it.

M. Night Skymall posted:

What kind of weather are you planning on camping in? My friend has this Coleman tent and it seemed fine for bike camping. You can probably just grab any Coleman bag(rated appropriately to the weather you're camping in) and pad but I don't have any experience with them so I can't recommend anything specific. Keep in mind ratings are "you won't die" and not "this is comfortable." Most people consider a 20-30 degree bag to be suitable for 3 season camping, and a 0 degree bag for(reasonable) winter camping.

If you wanted to spend a bit more, I'd still get that tent because honestly for bike camping the tent is probably the least demanding aspect. Most of the improvements in more expensive tents(outside of buying $Texas moto specific tents) aren't really relevant to motorcycle camping. I'd pick up this pad and this bag. Not sure if their shipping options will be fast enough though.

I'd try to get an inflatable pad because they tend to be a lot more compact than closed cell pads which makes packing it easier, and sleeping bags basically just get lighter and more compact as you spend more money, with some improvements in materials. Make sure you bring a headlamp if you're going to camp and at least have some kind of "I stuff my clothes in this bag" level solution for a pillow. Also a generic walmart tarp can make strapping wood/random poo poo to your bike a lot more palatable.

Also you should throw your budget out the window and get that Redverz tent, you know you need a garage to work on your bike inside your tent. You need it.

That tent. :perfect:

except weight :sigh:

cursedshitbox
May 20, 2012

Your rear-end wont survive my hammering.



Fun Shoe
I use a Kelty TN3. Its nicer than my first apartment.

nsaP
May 4, 2004

alright?

M. Night Skymall posted:

What kind of weather are you planning on camping in? My friend has this Coleman tent and it seemed fine for bike camping. You can probably just grab any Coleman bag(rated appropriately to the weather you're camping in) and pad but I don't have any experience with them so I can't recommend anything specific. Keep in mind ratings are "you won't die" and not "this is comfortable." Most people consider a 20-30 degree bag to be suitable for 3 season camping, and a 0 degree bag for(reasonable) winter camping.



hah, that's my tent. The one pole is a pain because it has to be staked to stand up, it can't stand on it's own. But I got it because it's perfect for one tall person. There is plenty of room for all the poo poo on my bike but it is tall enough in the center that I can put on pants inside it.

Finger Prince
Jan 5, 2007


Gear review:
I recently spent 4 nights in a tent at Le Mans, sleeping on my new mattress.
http://www.seatosummit.com/product/?item=Comfort+Plus+Mat+&o1=4&o2=4&o3=924
Now, this thing is a bit pricey by sleeping pad standards, but holy poo poo it's by far the most comfortable sleep I've ever had in a tent. It feels like a bed. At no point did I feel any part of my body touching the ground, and I'm mostly a side sleeper. Compared to my old thermarest self inflating (Travel Lite I think, or similar) mattress it's positively cloudlike. It packs down to about half the size too, and kept me dry when an aquifer that had formed between my ground sheet and tent started seeping through the bottom of the tent. Didn't even realize it until I tore down camp. They do various sizes but I opted for the large rectangular one because gently caress it I want comfort. It's still tiny packed up.

Retarted Pimple
Jun 2, 2002

cursedshitbox posted:

I use a Kelty TN3. Its nicer than my first apartment.

Yea, I'm sold on Kelty for their price/quality and aluminum poles.

Gillingham
Nov 16, 2011
I really like Mountain Hardwear Optic 2.5 Fits me + the girl and gear inside plus the dual vestibules work out great for saddlebags and other stuff.

nsaP
May 4, 2004

alright?
I like how M42 asks for a tent/bag/pad at a budget of 200 dollars and goons link 200 dollar sleeping pads and 250 dollar tents.

M42
Nov 12, 2012


I ended up just going by amazon reviews and got everything under $200 easily. Will do a review after the weekend.

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ant mouth
Oct 28, 2007
Two friends and I did some motocamping in Mt Hood National Forest this past weekend. We met up with in Hood River and proceeded to take trails under high tension lines around the west side of Mt Hood. The trails were pretty mild but the temperature wasn’t, closing in on the triple digits. My friends KLR started to get a bit warm so we jumped on some tarmac and grabbed lunch.

From there we jumped on US26 to Bennet Pass. The USFS suggests having a 4x4 to tackle the pass but given how narrow, gnarly, and exposed it is, a dual sport is the ideal machine. We did about 30 miles or so to Badger Lake where we set up camp, went swimming, fishing, shooting, and whiskeying.

This was my first dual sport motocamping trip and it is pretty much all I want to do with my life now.



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