Technique: Cycle Camping
TECHNIQUE: CYCLE CAMPING
CAMPING WITH a motorcycle? Why not? The excitement of twisting through a winding mountain road with unobstructed vision, then relaxing beside a campfire at the end of the day just can’t be beat. With proper planning and a wise investment in equipment, camping by motorcycle can provide many memorable weekends and vacations.
My wife and I decided that a trip from Dallas, Texas, to the Pacific Northwest on our new R75/5 BMWs would be a natural for our vacation. Our inventory of camping equipment was not very good. So, we made a list of items that were needed. What a list! How would we ever get all that on two wheels?
`the most exciting part of preparation turned out to be the selection of equipment. We found that firms which specialize in lightweight backpack equipment have a lot to offer motor cyclists. Backpacking and motorcycle camping have one thing in common-the challenge of getting items of necessity into a relatively small space and yet restricting weight to the least amount possible.
Remember: you get what you pay for. The initial investment will pay off with equipment that will give years of durable service and pleasure. We found that our list covered four basic areas of~ necessity: camping equipment, clothing, food, and tools and spare parts.
Camping equipment-As far as tents go, the three-man Eureka drawtight tent came closest to our needs and yet did not stretch our checkbook too far out of shape. The decision was mainly economic but size also entered into it. The Eureka folded down to a little larger and heavier bundle than I wanted. (The other choice was a Gerry Fortnight nylon backpack tent for almost twice the money). The Eureka, although it is called a three-man, will sleep four adults providing all are under six feet tall. This size tent was important to us because we wanted to take another couple with us on future weekend trips.
We chose down-filled sleeping bags mainly because they compacted into small rolls, thereby reducing the bulk that a dacron-filled bag takes. A goose down bag also offers the best insulation by weight.
Getting the bags stuffed into the
storage bags proved to be a trying experience. I worked up a good sweat on my first few tries. If I had it to do over again I'd buy stuff bags that lace up into an even smaller roll.
Other equipment included a hatchet, candle-lantern, and ground insulation pads (used under the sleeping bags for insulation and cushion). Lanterns with mantels won’t work too well. A friend took his Coleman out on a short weekend trip only to arrive at his destination after dark with a broken mantel and no spare in sight. Setting up camp was no fun in darkness.
We also took along a flashlight, AAA triptiek, maps, camping guides and tour books. Toiletry articles included a very useful item-Wash ’n Dry folded moist towels sealed in a very thin container. These can be used once and discarded. I even found room for my 35mm camera.
Food-After a hard day’s ride even freeze-dried meat and vegetables tasted great. Granted its quite a switch of menu from the food we are used to at home.
Food preparation can present difficulties—especially cooking with a one burner Bleuet stove when gusts of wind blow the heat and flame in every direction but up. With some patience and an ingenius windscreen we overcame what otherwise could have been a disaster.
We found it best to prepare supper at the campsite. Breakfast and lunch were best eaten out of restaurants rather than a cardboard box. This provided us with more time during the prime of the day for traveling. And besides, if we had prepared breakfast at the campsite, it would take extra time to clean up the mess. Food taken with us consisted of high energy foods, tropical chocolate, fruit bars, beef jerky, freeze-dried meals, salt and pepper, cooking oil and coffee.
Cooking utensils consisted of the Bleuet one burner stove and a camping set of nesting utensils that included pots, pans, plates and cups. A set with a Teflon fry pan overcomes the problem of food sticking to the pan.
A few freeze-dried food items are normally found in local supermarkets. However, if your taste does not adapt to a bland diet, you’ll need to find a source that caters to backpackers. Recreational Equipment, Inc., 1525 1 1th Ave.,
Seattle, WA 98122, has by far the best selection and stock on hand. Occasionally sporting goods stores and other mail order firms carry several lines such as Wilson Freeze Dried Foods, Seidel’s, Trail Packets and Rich Moor lightweight foods. Its best to buy and sample the meals and foods that appeal to you before stocking up on too much. An alternative to loading down with freezedried food would be to buy fresh food for each meal you are going to prepare.
Clothing-Bike camping is very susceptible to extremes in weather. Since Mother Nature does not always cooperate, clothing becomes an important factor. We went prepared with rainsuits, thermal underwear, changes of regular garments, mittens and leather jackets. It all paid off. Our second day out was spent driving for hours in the rain. The winding mountain roads of Colorado in combination with wind, rain and mud was really a challenge. Visibility created a real problem. I wished I had windshield wipers on my goldrim glasses to keep the mud and rain off of them.
The following day was beautiful, but we drove into what seemed to be an eternal deep freeze—the 12,000 foot elevation of Independence Pass near Aspen, Colo. We were thankful for the thermal underwear, sweaters, leather jackets and ski mittens.
Dehydration is a critical problem in hot weather. Clothing, especially leathers, oddly enough help retain some body moisture. But the combination of direct sun and dark colored leathers may become unbearable in the heat of the day.
Entering the Columbia River basin was like going from the freezer to the frying pan. The prolonged summer daylight hours and 105 degree heat made the salt tablets and a canteen of water to help prevent heat exhaustion a necessity.
Surviving the extremes is the key. It takes preparation and conditioning. Our suggestion to anyone making a crosscountry trip, as far as the weather is concerned, is to be prepared for anything!
Tools and spare parts-Every cycle has its problems and it is best to travel prepared. A friend of mine set out for Nashville, Tenn., from Dallas and his chain broke. He had a master link that he faithfully carried but lo and behold, he didn’t have a chain breaker to remove the broken link. Fortunately, he was able to muster help from a nearby Honda dealer and was on his way a little worse for wear but a bit wiser. Ever since then, when setting out for a relatively long trip, the first thing in his saddlebag is a spare chain.
The BMW’s driveshaft configuration eliminates the chain problem. However, we went prepared with a minimum of spare parts-plugs, points and a spare tube, and a can of self-vulcanizing tire seal used to inflate a flat tire and seal punctures that have not seriously damaged the tube. Tools included the tool kit, tire patches and a pump—all of which came with the bike.
I also threw in a continuity light that could be used as a timing light. This was a homemade affair-two pieces of lamp cord, each about 2-ft. long, attached to alligator clips on one end. The other ends were soldered to a small 12V instrument panel lamp.
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Proper Equipment Plus A
BeeEm Equals A Sweet
Ride To Anywhere / By
David Peterson
Continued from page 61
We encountered only minor mechanical failure—on our return trip the speedometer broke. The tach worked out well in gauging speed for over 2000 miles.
It wasn’t easy to fit all the equipment on the bikes. Both saddlebags were meticulously packed. Bulkier things— sleeping bags', ground insulating pads, nesting utensil kit, along with a few clothes, were packed in a nylon duffle bag. This was secured over the tent with tension cords that tied into four eye bolts on a 3/4-in. board mounted to the luggage rack.
The fairing was found to be worth its weight in gold. It not only gave protection from the wind (resulting in less driving fatigue), but also provided valuable storage space for our nylon rainsuits, the spare inner tube, and maps. The spare parts were taped securely inside the headlight.
Trial trips-We took two trial trips prior to the long, cross-country haul. It was well worth it. The experience of the shorter trips gave us a trial-and-error system of proving not only ourselves but also the equipment.
Campsites—At times finding the right campsite was frustrating, but we learned. Knowing what was up the road the next day made the next evening more enjoyable. Talking to fellow campers who were traveling in the opposite direction gave us some indication of what we might expect.
The AAA’s western edition of Camping & Trailering didn’t prove too helpful as a guide to finding adequate campsites. It appears that most guides list every cow pasture that farmers find no longer profitable for cattle. The old barn is usually headquarters for the “dude ranch.” The fireplaces at each campsite turns out to be a pile of field stones laid in a circle.
What the guides don’t list is the noise factor of the approved camp areas. Our experience in one area near Salt Lake City, Utah, was horrible. The tent area was located close to a freeway, railroad tracks, and an all-night trucking terminal. The noise was unbearable—but worse, the ground even vibrated from the truck and train traffic! Pick your campsite carefully!
Planning your day is important. We found it beneficial to find a campsite early—say around 4:00. We were more often assured of a better site before the mass of travelers put in for the night. Breaking camp early and getting on the road as soon as possible was at times hard on the tent when the dew had not dried. But, it was worth the extra effort, especially in taking advantage of cooler mornings.
