Riding a motorcycle is a luxury some of us have the privilege of affording. Going for a camping trip on your motorcycle is a dream that even fewer people get the time to do. This is why it’s essential that when you do decide on going for a motorcycle camping trip, you do everything perfectly to ensure that it’s not a wasted or stressful experience. After all, you’re trying to get away from the overburdening mundanity and stress-filled life struggles you continue daily.

To get started, let’s take a look at some of the most important tips you should consider when going for a motorcycle camping adventure:

Decide a Route and Plan for Blockades

The first thing any journey needs is a destination. Some people prefer to go wild and don’t finalize a destination. This is especially true for people who’re taking camping equipment with them. Below, we’ll discuss why you can’t and shouldn’t camp anywhere you want.

For now, let’s just say that you need a destination because you need a set of directions to ride towards. Given the number of days you have for your vacation and how far you can stretch it, divide it by half and then take a day or two off the remainder.

The number you’re left with is the time you have to spare for traveling. Let’s suppose you’re left with 5 days on a 14-day vacation. Though you can spend 7 days traveling to and 7 days traveling back from your selected destination, you should give yourself a day or two to spend in between or to make up for a lost time.

Once you have a destination, you can look at the route maps and figure out which one you’re going to take. If you have off-road experience, you can look at trails and parks to cut through. However, make sure that you’re allowing yourself additional time should you encounter blockades or accidents along the way that slow you down.

Motorcycle Luggage Options to Consider

After the destination, you should consider if you’re going alone or with someone and if the latter, are they going to sit on your bike or do they have a motorcycle of their own? This will help you divide the luggage. Regardless of the situation, you’ll have limited luggage options because you’re on a motorcycle but don’t think that this won’t be enough.

Here’s a list of motorcycle luggage options you can go for:

• Motorcycle Saddlebags
• Motorcycle Tank Bags
• Motorcycle Sissy Bar Bags / Motorcycle Trunks
• Motorcycle Backpacks
• Motorcycle Windshield and Handlebar bags

You can equip any number of the storage options above on your bike as long as you make sure to fill out all of them evenly. You can order everything from a reliable store that can make everything particularly for your motorcycle’s make and model.

Most importantly, make sure that most if not all of your luggage is key lockable or provides some sort of security features that can prevent theft. The last thing you want is your luggage being stolen in the middle of your adventure. In addition to this, you should also consider motorcycle luggage options that come with weather resistance and durability that can save your equipment from the road and climatic conditions. There are many options available in the market that won’t just provide you with all of the above, but will also feature amazing aesthetic styles that you can choose from to go with your bike and taste.

What to Pack for Your Motorcycle Trip?

In your saddlebags, you can have the heaviest stuff (camping equipment, tools, etc.) you need to carry on each side. Whereas, your gadgets and devices can be either in your backpack or your tank bag. Moreover, if you have cosmetics or hygiene-related items, you can use a handlebar or a windshield bag to store them in neatly organized and compartmentalized spaces. Your clothes, food, and other supplies can easily fit in your rear sissy bar bags or motorcycle trunks, whichever you choose to have on the back.

Here’s a list of things you’ll need for your camping trip:

One set of clothes for each day you plan to be out (+2 more for emergencies)

• First aid kits
• Flashlight
• Tent and camping equipment
• Toiletries and water bottles
• Minimum amount of tech gadgets
• Food and some utensils to make food
• Raincoat (even if there’s no rainfall prediction or forecast)
• A warm blanket and a motorcycle jacket

You Can’t Camp Just About Anywhere

People like to take camping adventures as a license to go anywhere and stay wherever they decide to stop. Whereas, the truth is far from it. Even expert travelers and motorcycle adventurists have a criterion to judge whether a place is good enough to stop and camp.

The fact remains that not all of us are trained to survive in the wild and if you think you’re special, please make sure that you’re not risking the lives of the people you go with. Even if we set aside the fact that the wilderness can be filled with predators that can endanger your lives, you have very few options in case something goes wrong.

Some of the major complications that can arise in this regard are having flat tires or mechanical problems in the middle of nowhere, having a venomous insect or animal bite you, or having medical complications with no sign of help anywhere nearby. Regardless of how much you want to be free, make sure that you’re not camping too far away from civilization and that you’re getting sufficient cellular service wherever you camp.

Before You Go

Lastly, you must abide by the traffic laws and regulations while wearing safety gear such as elbow pads, knee pads, and helmets. You should wear a helmet especially when you’re going off-road because as free and easy as it might seem, off-roading is one of the most dangerous things to do for a rider. Other than that, avoid lane splitting even if it’s allowed because the risk factors outweigh the time you save by a long shot.