650 GS Tenting Excursion

[hoss01]

i anticipate a 2014 trip to the B.MW. Rally this July, followed by a trip to Glacier National Park. My fellow riders want to do some camping , and in that I m nearly eighty years young(?), have some fear and trepidation about this experience. Amoung these fears are the amount and type of equipment to pack and how do so on a motorcycle of this size. I have a nice, small backpacking style tent and a Big Agnus bag and have used this equipment in other ways ecept on my motorcycle. For those of you seasoned motorcycle/tent
campers....I could use all of the advice you are willing to fess up relative to the whys and hows of packing, equipment management, and general survival tips for this brand of experience?
Thank you in advance and " Always Enjoy The Ride".

Hoss

 

[PGlaves]

Assuming you will be riding solo (not with a passenger) I think you should get a waterproof duffel that will hold the sleeping bag and pad. Then carry that bag and the tent in a bag across the passenger portion of the seat. Plan to not put the tent in the same bag as the sleeping bag and pad because some morning the tent might be wet and you want to keep the wet and dry stuff separated.

 

[mwcarrera]

Envy and suggestions!

Hoss1,
Excellent news that someone your age is still grabbing a throttle and taking on adventures in the two wheeled world! Have Fun, don't sweat the small stuff...but, I am sure you already know this!

Scroll to the bottom for links to the gear I am going to suggest!

Bike: single (G) or the 798cc Twin? Makes a bit of a difference, the twin is heavier but also has more torque. The weight distribution is another factor. The G-Single tend to be light in the front when loading the rear with passenger or gear (I rode a 2007 F650GS single for a few years). On a twin, you are going to want a light a load as possible due to the overall handling weight. Riding the single? Weight distribution will be a bit of an issue.

If you are riding the 650G, Wolfman luggage has a nice set of soft panniers that strap over the faux tank. On my tours with my F650G, I counter weighted the front end by carrying denser gear up front. Shoes, rain gear, chain lube, tire gauge, and assorted quick-grab items.

Great suggestion on the waterproof bags and the separation of tent from the other gear. Weight is an issue with the bags and there are a TON of them to chose from. Try Sea to Summit, their softer coated nylon bags. These are not the heavy vinyl bags and work great for touring.

Panniers, this was not mentioned in either of the posts, I highly recommend getting some panniers for your bike. Caribou sells a very nice set of Pelican based panniers which detach quickly so you can haul them to the hotel room or into your tent (if you have enough room). Wolfman Luggage sells a great set of soft panniers, I prefer these for tours which off road is going to be a focus. They are TOUGH and can take a fall or three without much damage. Aluminum cans, which I also have, such as Touratech Zega Pro's are expensive and will take a beating, but leak soon after the first hard impact and its nearly impossible to get them back into shape once severely bent from a fall.

Protecting your stuff while on the road is an issue of touring which I wish would cease to be a problem. AND, everyone will chime in with their stories of traveling a b-zillion miles without ever having something stolen off the bike. Reality is, people are opportunists and if you plan on leaving your bike for a hour or so while taking in a lunch or an attraction, dry bags tied onto the back are too much temptation for some people.

A few solutions to the security issue. First, I NEVER put anything of value in my dry bags, always laundry, back up clothes, or easily replaced items. I am not a pessimistic individual, I am a careful traveler. Hard panniers are my choice for touring in places I will be in congested or urban areas. Also, I have two back packers security nets by PackSafe. In certain situations I can secure the dry bags to the bike and deter would be thieves from attempting to relieve me of my gear.

http://www.wolfmanluggage.com/index.cfm/product/207_8/tank-panniers.cfm
http://www.wolfmanluggage.com/index.cfm/product/96_5/expedition-dry-saddle-bags.cfm
http://cariboucases.com/What-Fits-My-Bike/BMW-G650GS-Sertao/
http://cariboucases.com/What-Fits-M...-Liter-Storm-Side-Luggage-Pannier-System.html
http://pacsafe.com/products
http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/200

I hope your trip creates memories!

Cheers
MC

 

[pffog]

Buy yourself an Exped Symat air mattress too. BEST camping investment I ever made, I sleep like a baby now, rather than toss and turn trying to get comfortable.

 

[akbeemer]

Here's a picture of my wife's 650 single loaded for a trip from Alaska to Montana and back to Alaska. This was taken the day we got home. She is carrying everything she needed for camping except for the tent. Annie carries the food (mostly munchies), wine and extra water; I carry the tent. You can see she has room to add a two man tent with ease to her load. She still rides this bike on camping trips and packs it the same way except that she has added some Aerostich tank panniers. Those are something you should consider for your bike. I'd recommend the small size: http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-tank-panniers.html. She likes using a soft tail bag (http://www.ascycles.com/detail.aspx?ID=1410) and then puts a packpack cover over it for added rain protection and to keep it clean. You'll also need to make room for tire repair gear and chain maintenance supplies. If you get good lightweight gear it will all fit.

 

[weschmann]

I use a three pack system where, one bag, (from Cabela's) contains all my outside camping gear such as tent, ground cloths, inflatable backpackers pad, chair, etc. The second bag (Wolfman) has my sleeping bag, camp stove, food and water, extra pair of shoes, etc. My third bag (Wolfman) holds any cloths that I absolutely don't wish to get wet. This three pack system, across the back of my bike and paniers, allows me to keep the total height of my stuff down fairly low, and easy to get to each pack. My last trip was for 26 days, so I don't like to be so spartan that I am miserable at night. It also allows plenty of room to add stuff during the trip that I find that I absolutely can't go without as far as memento's. Most of the above lists of items are pretty conclusive, so I won't add to that, just suggest a packing system.....Getting ready to head out tomorrow for March Madness in Tennessee, and this is what my bike looks like fully packed. I should also mention that the middle bag acts as a bit of a back rest for those miles where I feel like slouching a little instead of leaning forward......Oh, and yes, it snowed in DeSoto Mo, last night, so it looks to be a bit nippy tomorrow to start out......