Choosing which gear to pack for Moto Camping

I have a lot of gear and some of it very similar but packing for a backpack or motocamping trip is a matter of making choices.
Here is my strategy- it is about size and not weight. Where you put the gear on your body is just more important.
10 pounds of gear that is poorly distributed is less comfortable and safe than 20 pounds packed correctly. We just don’t want to pack like the Beverly Hillbillies.
My recommendation for a backpack is something that is a soft internal bag that puts all the weight on the hips and down close to the spine. It doesn’t need to be super expensive or an Osprey. My REI is fantastic.
For motocamping, look for soft luggage that keeps the gear close to the bike and low as possible. Pack what is heaviest lowest. Recentky, I got the Giant Loop Cactus. I am impressed with how sturdy it is. The dry bags seem a bit of a gimmick but oh well.
I make sure I keep an external bag for first aid and repairs- that is my Acerbis waist pack. It holds 1.5 litres of water and other gear. The weight is on the hips and doesn’t fatigue my shoulders. It is also about half the price of what Klim is selling.
Any cooking kit will do but watch the size. Don’t be afraid of small alcohol or wood burning stoves. 2 extra minutes for coffee won’t kill you.
Sometimes you add weight and size as an essential and sleeping pads are that essential area. I have an older Exped Synmat UL that has really stood the test of time. But recently I have been using Kammok gear and they are fantastic. The pongo pad is worth purchasing.
While I love my Sunda 2.0 tent/hammock, it’s just too big to put on a backpack or bike. The Salewa Litetrek III is perfect, but for awhile I have been taking my Naturehike Cloud Up 2.
Nevertheless, those tents are still long in the poles. So I will be trying out the Nemo Dragonfly bike pack and the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3 bike pack tents.
The Tiger Wall is bigger set up and still less weight than the Dragonfly but the Dragonfly is totally freestanding and the reviews are that the Osmo material is more sturdy (time will tell)
Finally, chairs. I think I proved that you can find a really comfortable compact ultralight chair for $25 with the iClimb- but after using the Big Agnes Stool, there is no doubt I’ll be keeping it even tho it is four times the cost.
#motocamping #dualsportadventure #adventurebike #motorcycle #dualsportadv #bigagnesschair #bigagnestigerwall #nemodragonfly #naturehikecloudup #kammok #sunda20 #acerbisusa

[@KetilDuna]

Wish I had seen this before going on a shopping spree, lots of good tips on choices, and I agree on the size factor.. thank you for sharing. On my Tiger 900 GT I really feel it in a bad way when i add weight to the top box, so thats for rainsuit, gloves and light stuff. The heaviest and bulkiest part I carry is my luxurious tent, and it usually goes first in into a side case or on the pillion. Not well invested in ultralight, but modest sizes for most other gear. I just bought a waterproof duffel bag which I can mount onto the pillion with lockable straps and with that I can leave the side cases behind on less extensive trips. Happy rides!

[@RollModel724]

@@KetilDuna thank you for sharing!!