Two up Camping

[Ichy]

Without any great surprise the general question is, how do you cope with two up camping? No great aspirations here, just two or three nights away during the warmer months, say late March to early September.

My bike has a very small rack on the rear, about the size of a large piece of bread and being a custom type it also has a sissy bar. It may also have a petrol tank with £500 of paint on it so I would prefer no tank bags, or maybe a way of banging something on there that will not cause ANY damage.

I've got a tent, a Coleman coastline 3. Packed size and weight is very close to the Vango sigma 300 but its way bigger and you can park a bike most of the way in the porch if you want. Tent sits nicely on the rack.

Soooooo. Whats the basic requirements? I have a 5 liter squashy water carrier so that's covered. Good sleeping bags for £30ish? Mats? I have a cheap double self inflating mat but I think something smaller/better might be in order. Not planning on proper cooking, just need to boil a kettle, maybe knock up some soup, toast, or a bit of stew, but I still need something that will take up little space. Any advice appreciated.
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[Charlie]

Metal panniers? The attach via a rack so no damage to expensive paint work. The panniers can be used for prepare food on, sitting on, eat off, storing things in while camping.

One side for camping equipment the other for clothing?

If you want to small stuff go to an outdoor shop ask about their back packing range, light weight and small stuff.
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Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

[stinkwheel]

Put that rubber matting stuff on the tank before the tank bag. Most of them will stick through it these days.

On the assumption you are going with an intimate friend, it is worth knowing that many sleeping bags now come with either left or right hand zips. If you get one of each, you can zip them together.

You can get threm-a-rests that fold down very small indeed although they aren't cheap. Put that rubber matting on the floor of the tent before the thermal mats to stop them sliding about.

Regards cooking. Triangia sets are handy because they all fold up inside themselves, pots and all. Going very lightweight you can use those hexamine solid fuel stoves which will fit in a pocket.

My best tip is to NOT use army mess tins, they are horribly inefficient. You need something with a lid on. I personally use a stainless steel teapot which I pinched from a motorway service station. For lightweight camping I use one of a variety of homemade alcohol fueled stoves. You also get lightweight gas ones that fold up to the size of a glasses case, I never really got on well with gas stoves though.

https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/66480019.jpg

Check out www.zenstoves.org I can recommend the penny stove or any of the "open jet" type alcohol stoves.

Another suggestion. See if you can fit the tent in the panniers (even if you need to split it between the two) and take an Ortleib dry sack for your sleeping bags strapped to your rack. Never found waterproof panniers yet and bin liners only last so long.

If it is a lady friend, explain to her carefully the constraints in weight and size of stuff that can be taken. I find the best bet is to give them an allotted space to fill in advance (either a tankbag or a pannier). Tell them they can take no more stuff than fits in it.

Don't expand expandable luggage before you leave, it will only get more disorganised and you'll need somewhere to put supplies.

Here is me off camping for a week in Shetland. I made the mistake of being talked into taking two camping chairs which were stupidly large and she sprung a rucksack on me too. As I recall I am carrying:
Panniers: Vango spirit 200 tent, 2 mugs, kettle, water carrier, brew kit, alcohol stove, bottle of meths, girl stuff (including two spare pairs of footwear!), spare groundsheet/tarp.
Dry sack (inside green bag): 2x sleeping bags, 2x thermarests, Clothing, drinking horn.
Tank bag: Waterproofs for two, midge repellant, torch, camera and tripod.
Orange rucksack: More girl stuff.

https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/shetland%2008/Photo24_21.jpg
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I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[multijoy]

[Itchy]

[Ichy]

[Charlie]

My view is on a motorbike it doesn't have to lightweight, the thing you need is small size. Maybe a down sleep bag as they pack pretty small and will keep you plenty warm (but if you plan summer camping there isn't much need for the warmth)
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Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

[kitty kat]

agree with you ds55, as long as the bike will carry the weight, then weight of items shouldn't be an issue.
I carry a tent, clothes, food, little fold away stove, 3 pans & a kettle (all sit inside each other), sleeping bag & airbed on my bike. Tent & sleeping bags will all strap neatly onto a small rack, everything else will fit in panniers & a small rucksack, (this is also handy for days out to carry a few bits around with you).
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[Itchy]

Depends on the touring really ie if its going to be on sealed roads then weight doesn't matter, however reading some of ADV rider when you go adventure riding it matters ie when you need to pick the bike up half a dozen times a day.

The Africa Twin might be tough and capable and might be able to carry 250 kilos of stuff , but it tires me out to pick it up once let alone the half dozen times on the deep gravel trap at Ulan Ude, and the Gobi desert...

Not sure if I'll have a crack at the road of bones , my book says DO NOT ATTEMPT this road alone. And the original 'wing' I was going to take out has dwindled down to zero...
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[The Shaggy D.A.]

Most rallies I've been to are 2-3 day affairs, and two-up has never been a problem. I have a pair of Swagman throwovers, and they carry the airbed (6'x4'), footpump, cooking gear (gas stove, mess tins, mugs, frying pan, washing up liquid/scourer, food), my clothes (2 each of T shirts, undies, socks, 1 pair of jeans, maybe a pair of shorts and sandles) and my washkit (towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, paracetamol, tums, looroll). That leaves the rack free for the tent and sleeping bags. All your pillion has to worry about then is their own clothing/toiletries/hair dryer, which can go in a rucksack on their back.

If I'm on my own, everything goes in one stuff bag strapped to the pillion seat, with the tent on the rack.

https://p1.bikepics.com/pics/2004/10/13/bikepics-227420-full.jpg
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[HARVS1789]

Before I start, I havnt read ever single post in the thread and im not even sure of the name of this thing so please dont shoot me if someone has already mentioned it.

I used to do a fair bit of camping with sea scouts not so long ago (im only 19 not some creep who still goes to scouts ) and if we didnt have the option of rigging up somthing over a real fire we would always cook on what was effectivly a little metal box which folded in on itself for storage and just had a little rack underneath which you burnt what I think were fish oil+meths tablets. They are only about the size of 2 fag packs folded up but you can easily get a pan or pot on them no trouble and the tablets burn pretty fiercly so you can cook stuff from frozen in no time at all.

I think the army either used to/still does use them but im not sure? you can buy the tablets....and therefore I am assuming the cage thing from millets last time I checked.

Pretty good for space saving
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[ncrn]

One of these?.
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[HARVS1789]

thats the exact one there I have two in my garage somwhere kicking about.
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C.B.T: 27/11/08 THEORY: 09/12/08 PRACTICAL: 18/12/08

[Ichy]

How long does a tablet cook for? Looks about right for what I plan to do, brew some tea and do a couple of those dried pasta things.
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[colin1]

[Ichy]

I've got one that is very similar to that one already Col. Think mine is smaller. Good price though, might just get one anyway.

Just realised that trianga sell the spirit burner alone for £11 and my kit cost about £30! Looks like you found a bit of a bargain there.


Until I realised they charge nearly £7 for postage.
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[HARVS1789]

[Zenarchy]

You can pick up those army trangia cook sets from ebay for about a £5er (works out around £10 including delivery if there's nobody local you can pick up from).

I bought one last year and it's been brilliant. Packs up about the size of a binocular case, and has everything you need in it to cook a basic meal. Because of the way the pans fit together it makes it really flexible to cook with and as it works as a mess set too no need to carry plates/bowls or anything too.

I bought it for going touring with and it did the job great last year in scotland, but it's so small and handy I often take it with me if I'm going out for a ride in the country for the day so I can make myself a hot drink or some soup or noodles when I'm out and about. Really handy.

[ajb]

as for the tank and damaging the paint, get a Bagster
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[virus]

[pyx_e]

I am a bit hesitant to post on this thread as I am still planning a two up expedition (did a little one on my own last year: ER5) but I am an experienced wild camper so here is my 2p's worth on the cooking thing having tried; meths stove (dirty and bottle of meths may leak) hex blocks (need a shit load to cook anything decent, no control) and finally a "pocket rocket" from MSR linky below which packs down tiny, a small gas bottle will last ages and will fit inside a snow peak titanium mess kit. Easy to light, use and adjust. A winner.

https://www.gear-zone.co.uk/eshop/Msr-Pocket-Rocket-Stove.html

Nearly finished rigging up my Versys with hard Givi panniers and top box. My missus is whining because she think a 35 lt pannier to herself is close to emotional torture
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Shiney!
Kawasaki: ER5, Versys, VN900.

[Charlie]

pyx, I have seen those pocket rockets used a lot, however I have always wondered how long a, 'long time' is. As in like 2 weeks worth of camping and that being used for brews and cooking tea? Or a weekend away etc..
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[Nicky-Jano]

We went two up on the CG around Pembroke for 4 nights and 5 days.
Was interesting to say the least...
We did bring a lot of stuff as we overestimated what we would need, I even brought my hair straightners .
Here's some pics to give you an idea :
https://img16.imageshack.us/img16/2770/bangdx3.jpg
https://img17.imageshack.us/img17/2228/bang2mj4.jpg
https://img25.imageshack.us/img25/7900/bang3fs6.jpg

I couldn't even reach the pillion pegs so just had to let my legs dangle, this was safer than it sounds as with the panniers my legs were more than a barrels width apart .
The best idea so to get one of those compressable luggage bags, we had a few for clothes and sleeping bags.
You just put the items in them then shorten the straps to compress the bag, we had them stupidly tiny so managed to fit tons of stuff.

[pyx_e]

ds55; If I was doing a 3-4 day walk I would take a fresh gas bottle. With that I would cook up to 3 meals a day and have half a dozen brews. And still have a "good shake" left in it. Which I would use on days out.

So I think I would be a bit wary of trying to do a whole week on one (though I thingk I could do it). But they are cheap and sold in every town in the UK.

https://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo60/pyx_e/kitout.jpg

https://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo60/pyx_e/Kitin.jpg

Gas and Brew Kit fit in Mess Kit. Bobs yer uncle.
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Shiney!
Kawasaki: ER5, Versys, VN900.

[Charlie]

Was thinking about longer trips abroad as, when I have seen them in use (and used for a cooking session, well beacon butties) they have been really effective. But they wouldn't do for a longer distance trip, a multi-fuel stove would be better then I think and set you up if you ever went for an around the world trip.

thanks for the info though
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Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere