A trial run to Algonquin Provincial Park

[HarveyM]

My campsite at Algonquin provincial park this week. The trip was from Ottawa to the park on day one, camp overnight, then out of the western gate on day two and riding south to Peterborough, and back to Ottawa on day three. The foreground is an Eureka VCS tarp & screen room. Behind a MEC silnylon guides tarp over a Warbonnet Ridgerunner hammock with a snugpack topquilt and Therm-a-Rest SV Camper air mattress as a pad (which leaked, leaving me with a cold butt- I’m going to play with it at home, but I wasn’t a happy camper because of it). The NC750 did great all the way. On the mainly secondary roads it claimed 3.6-4 litres per 100 kilometres (65-58 mpg). In fact I thought the suspension with 280 lbs on it was much better than it is with the 180 lbs it normally runs with....

 

[Nofear2trek]

The foreground is an Eureka VCS tarp & screen room.

Looks like a nice trip.

I like that tarp and screen room, is it the VCS13 or 16 size? What do you think of it, quality, setup and use? Where is a good place to get one, only Canada? Looks like the right size for m/c camping when I don't want to take my 'Taj Mahal', a full size 12'x12' screen room.

Ray

 

[flyinfree.00]

100 extra pounds...did you take the kitchen sink? Seems like alot of weight to carry.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[HarveyM]

This one is the 16 size (which is 12’ on each side and 16’ on the diagonal). the mesh room is roughly 8’ by 8’ (they sell the two separately). The stuff sack which fits both is 6” by 36”. So it packs fairly large. The poles are extra- The ones I have are MSR. It’s good quality, what you expect from Eureka- made 75D polyester 1500 mm with taped seams. Setup is easy- two stakes for the low sides and eight feet high for the ridge so the mesh hangs nicely (the poles help to get it right).

This is the video that sold me on it:
An End To Bug Stress - Eureka Parawing VCS Tarp - YouTube

Looking at youtube there's new version that's slightly lighter, cheaper with the mesh sewn onto the tarp:
NoBugZone2 - YouTube

It seems to only be listed on the Eureka Canada site; I bought it from these guys- they seem to ship to the states (but their US price is the same as the Canadian one while our dollar is 80 cents US).
Tent City OutfittersEureka Parawing VCS 16 Tarp | Toronto | Camping |
Tent City OutfittersEureka Parawing VCS 16 Mesh Room |Toronto | Camping |

 

[HarveyM]

100 extra pounds...did you take the kitchen sink? Seems like alot of weight to carry.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Yes it was way too much, like embarrassingly too much. It was a trial run to what worked- I did over do it. But the bike handled it better than I did (I have to start weigh training). Thought of in another way, it's just the same as carrying my wife on the back.

 

[easterncoyote]

That looks nice, Harvey. What lake / campground is that? I plan to go to Algonquin sometime in September; not sure if I will ride though.

 

[HarveyM]

That was Kearney Lake Campground. This was my first visit to Algonquin & it's one of the nicest Ontario provincial campgrounds I've been to (the lots at Kearney were three times bigger than typical campsites). You can reserve for Ontario provincial campsites online here: Ontario Parks Reservation Service / Le service de reservation de Parcs Ontario - Ontario Parks Reservation Service

Oh, and motorcyclists get a bear-proof food locker for free!

 

[rmezei]

You should have messaged me ahead of time before passing thorough Peterborough and I would have met up with you for a ride !

 

[easterncoyote]

Thanks Harvey. I was only in Algonquin once, a long time ago, for a canoe trip. I have sworn off the typical Provincial Park "campgrounds" more than once - might as well stay home, where I have more privacy and peace and quiet. Kearney Lake campground looks quite nice, and should be especially private in September, I hope. I rode up to Bruce Peninsula National Park near Tobermory last year, and they delivered a bear box to me, as well. Many of the sites there are also a good size.

 

[lue42]

Can you post a pic with everything on/attached to the bike?

 

[HarveyM]

I didn't do that at the time, but I'll 're-stage' the setup and post it

 

[HarveyM]

Here's the bike as I packed it:

The 69 litre dry bag got the camp shoes (beach shoes), diamond tarp/mesh room, chair, sleeping quilts and poles. The six pack cooler hung on the back.
One Givi got the flat fixing tools/air pump, hammock, hammock tarp, air mattress and tent (told you I over packed).
The other Givi had the tool roll, toiletries, clothing, and cooking stuff.
The frunck got the water bottle, sun screen, bug spray, tire pressure gauge, bike cover, rain pants, electronics and point & shoot camera.
I used 'key hose clamps' to attach a 1 litre gasoline bottle on one side and a 600 ml stove fuel bottle to the other.
Next time I'll try to lose about 25-30% of the weight.