What camping gear do you recommend?

[GT928]

I have used a hammock as well in the past. I have a small nylon webbing hammock that folds up to the size of a softball or smaller. I put a small 3/4 self inflating backpacking pad in the hammock which helps it hold its shape and allows a little more freedom of movement. Having tried sleeping in different hammocks several ways, I can heartily recommend the addition of a pad in it. It has the added value of insulation. I would tie another line between the two trees above the hammock and drape a piece of visqueen or plastic tarp across to keep the rain off. I would use a rubber ball in each corner of the tarp and pass it and tarp through the big end of a wire loop shaped like the profile of a lightbulb and slide them to the small end and tie them off to 4 stakes. This works well when you have trees available and conveniently spaced as is the norm when backpacking.

When camping at motorcycle rallies, one cannot count on appropriate trees being there so I use a 2 man tent so that I have room to store panniers as well as sleep. I use a full length self inflating pad. If it is cold and dry I use a Marmot down bag, if cold and damp a synthetic bag, and if it is summer in the southern mountains, I use a 55 degree REI travel sack. I use a silk liner with either bag. The travel sack is great with a roomy rectangular shape yet packs down to the size of a football or a bit smaller. It is only $59 at REI. With a pad, tent and liner, I can be relatively comfortable down to 40 degrees.

 

[TCUguy]

Hammock, no questions asked. you can always find two poles and if you can't just drop one side of it to your motorcycle so at least your head is lifted off the ground and acts like a pillow, essentially becoming a tent. and then just get a really nice set of winter long johns and you will stay warm throughout any night (wear them even in the summer months, hammocks get quite chilly!)

 

[netizen]

I've thought about getting one of those military style hammock/tents. basically a hammock with a roof with the screen mesh to keep out the bugs.

If you can get collapsable polls to use in case there are no trees nearby this would be a very nice way to go!

 

[Old Can Ride]

If anyone has any connections with Santa please tell him I would like one of these for Christmas.

NEMO Nocturne 30 Regular Size Down Sleeping Bag | NEMO

Can't find anyone who discounts this one.

 

[Chestnut]

If anyone has any connections with Santa please tell him I would like one of these for Christmas.

NEMO Nocturne 30 Regular Size Down Sleeping Bag | NEMO

Can't find anyone who discounts this one.

Get an REI membership ($20/lifetime). A couple times a year they do 20% off coupons for members. If you can find out when nemo releases their updated products, you might be able to find the discontinued one on rei outlet and get 20% off that.

 

[Old Can Ride]

Get an REI membership ($20/lifetime). A couple times a year they do 20% off coupons for members. If you can find out when nemo releases their updated products, you might be able to find the discontinued one on rei outlet and get 20% off that.

Thanks for the REI information.

 

[mpgandfun]

I use a 55 liter dry bag to keep all of my camping gear (and more stuff), DRY.
I keep my: 2 person tent
Thermarest mattress
32 degree down filled sleeping bag
12v air compressor
plastic coffee can w/lid holding 5 pairs of underwear & 5 pair of socks
bath towel
2 pairs of heavy wool socks
Pillow
Bicycle hand pump
small bag with toiletries in it


and sometimes more, in the dry bag.

 

[netizen]

Hammock, no questions asked. you can always find two poles and if you can't just drop one side of it to your motorcycle so at least your head is lifted off the ground and acts like a pillow, essentially becoming a tent. and then just get a really nice set of winter long johns and you will stay warm throughout any night (wear them even in the summer months, hammocks get quite chilly!)

This looks like a really nice hammock/tent for 1.

 

[johnakay]

what about them bears and snakes in the woods???

 

[GT928]

This looks like a really nice hammock/tent for 1.

That's a Lawson Blue Ridge camping hammock and it can be used as a one person tent as well. Reasonably priced, it can be found here:

Lawson Hammock | The Original Camper's Tent Hammock

It was the best liked hammock in Backpacker and Outside mags. I might give it a try myself.

 

[bamamate]

For the hammock campers, what do you do with your gear?
How hard is it to change cloths or maybe a better question can you change cloths in something like the tent hammock?

 

[johnakay]

well if ya well endowed no problem if not find the biggest tree to hid otherwise the little sparrow's will think its tea time

 

[L.B.S.]

My old back would quit and go AWOL at the mere thought of a hammock, lol

As it is, even one of those fancy ($$$) self inflator pads, or a Ridgerest type of thing would cripple me now. If they stowed away with Secret Agent enviable compactness, I would maybe regret not being able to use them, but for me, I've never been able to be satisfied with how bulky they are when rolled up.

For the past several years I've been more than happy with a cheapo Coleman air mattress. Personally, I've never found them to be the Devil when camping at lower temperatures, but I sleep nuclear reactor hot, so never have to worry about being too cold.

A bonus for the air mattress, is even though it's fairly heavy, I can fold it up to a very small package, (roughly 12" X 8" X 3") and it's a treat to stow away. I can blow it up with lung power in a pinch, but wouldn't want to given a choice. A footpump works ok, but it's so fast and simple to inflate it with a 12V bike powered air pump (high volume, low pressure one, NOT a common tire pump, that uses high pressure, low volume) (that sucks!)

And the air mattress is soooo comfy! I also like being up off the tent floor in case of tent failures with accidental water ingress.

For me, a three man tent is a minimum for one person interior real estate. I like to spread out, and not be constantly grubbing about on hands and knees and all claustrophobic, with the tent walls always in your face. More often than not it is raining when I'm camping, so I also like to have all my stuff inside, and can use the tent as base camp, if I just want to to stay indoors for a while.

I don't look at my tent as just a neccessary evil, that I only spend a few hours unconcious in before packing up and going, I like to think of it as my home away from home, and a place I can hang out and chill.

 

[Old Can Ride]

I 100% agree with 3 man tent. By time you put all you gear into tent the room is needed. I use to feel like you do about the air mattress, but once I tried the air adjustable pad, it does an equal job, and is a lot smaller. I must admit I do like my big square sleeping bag, but it really does take up too much room once packed, and I am just too big for a mummy bag. The Nemo bag might be the answer, but not at that price. Soon, I am sure there will be a cheaper copy, buy like any thing that is not tried and proven to fit your body - who knows!

 

[L.B.S.]

I use to feel like you do about the air mattress, but once I tried the air adjustable pad, it does an equal job, and is a lot smaller.

I found my bony elbows and hip bones sink right through anything other than a (fairly well inflated) air mattress. The other style just don't work for me.

What brand mattress do you favour, OCR? What dimensions does it pack down to? I'm sure you familiar with something kids don't know about nowadays, Cassette Tapes. I have a soft side briefcase for cassette tapes, (brand: Case Logic) that I can fit my air mattress in.

Do Exped Downmat and/or Synmat types pack that small, I wonder?

 

[Old Can Ride]

I bought the venture pad at Walmart for $13.00. Thought give it a try, but never thought it would be equal to my air mattress.



Surprised me, it is just as good as my old air mattress. Used it for 2 weeks, every day on my last Alaska trip. Easy roll up pack. Has cover bag. Has place to use lungs to put in more air as I do for my fat body. It works for me, lot smaller than air bag, and ease of use.

 

[netizen]

That's a Lawson Blue Ridge camping hammock and it can be used as a one person tent as well. Reasonably priced, it can be found here:

Lawson Hammock | The Original Camper's Tent Hammock

It was the best liked hammock in Backpacker and Outside mags. I might give it a try myself.

Wow! doubles as a ground tent! Thank you for posting that information..and the link! This looks VERY interesting to me now!

 

[anglachel]

For the hammock campers, what do you do with your gear?
How hard is it to change cloths or maybe a better question can you change cloths in something like the tent hammock?

For the gear, right now I'd probably bring a gear sling. Though were I to make a point out of doing this often I'd probably get a motorcycle cover (Sap from trees and misc animal urine are bad enough on the car, I've no desire for them to be on the NC) then I'd just keep all the riding gear with the bike under the cover.

Though I've also spent enough time in bear country that I personally wouldn't have a problem tossing everything in a waterproof bag and hanging it from a tree with my bear bag.

As for changing cloths, my tarp is like an a frame tent... but I can hang it as high or as low as I want... so I could conceivably stand to change my clothing. Changing in the hammock isn't impossible... but just like changing clothes in a sleeping bag, it's probably easier just to change behind the bike, or the tarp, or any other number of locations (maybe the showers if you're in a campground that has them.)

one of the benefits of the hammock in general is you aren't on the ground so you can hang place where other people can't camp because the ground isn't suitable for a tent (on rocky surfaces, unlevel surfaces, over dense under growth, in locations that are prone to flooding, etc.) So if you are riding near BLM land, or through National Forests or state forests/parks where dispersed camping is permitted (or or not permitted provided you cover all your reflective bits on your gear and keep quiet when a ranger passes) you can set up well away from the rest of humanity, and at that point, you can be as immodest as you like; odds are no one will see you walking around camp naked when you 100's of miles from civilization. (bring a good water filter top off the camelbak from a near by stream and you are ready to go.)

 

[docwells7]

My old back would quit and go AWOL at the mere thought of a hammock, lol

If you haven't tried a hammock, you might be surprised by the comfort it provides, especially your back. I always had trouble in tents with having spots (hip/shoulder) that would hit ground through by exped mat and I would be stiff and sore after a night in the tent. I have a DD knockoff made by a company in England that is a jungle style hammock that has the mosquito net built in. It doesn't hang like a banana, but has a more flat lay. I use a big agnes sleeping bag with the exped mat that goes in a sleeve on the back side of the sleeping bag (it doesn't have any insulation on the bottom). Other than failures with the mat deflating, I have awakened fresh and without my back cracking and aching...without exception. Like the Blue Ridge, the other advantage of my hammock is that it can, in a pinch, go to the ground if trees are unavailable. Never had that situation, but it's nice to know I have options. With my enormous sylnylon tarp I've weathered pretty bad storms and temps down into the 30s without freezing. I still own tents for family camping, but will probably never use one solo on the bike again. I love them so much, I usually bring along another ENO hammock for impromptu naps/rests while riding...less fuss to set up quickly than the jungle style.

 

[anglachel]

Love the setup... and I completely agree about back pain in the hammock (I'll often catch a nap in one in the backyard when my back is bothering me)

I do have one question though, how did you bring the dog with on the motorcycle?

Edit: I should also add my father has back problems (he broke his when I was young, and then again when I was older., and now has arthritis) finds the hammock very comfortable, his issue is getting in and out of it... it does require a bit more bending then he is comfortable with, but bending over to check the tire pressure on his goldwing is a less than pleasant experience for him, as is getting up out of a low sitting couch.