Essential gear guide for motorcycle camping
Motorcycle camping is the ultimate embodiment of freedom. It’s the purest way in which to explore a region. Ride anywhere, pop the tent for the night, and ride off at dawn to explore another pocket of the globe. But, it’s important to consider what are the camping gear essentials and what are simply the nice-to-haves. No need to get crazy here, weight and space are at a premium. In fact, best to keep it lean. I bought my camping set up for around €100. It also depends on how big your rig is. I ride a Triumph Bonneville T100 without panniers or a sissy bar for support, so I keep it very lean. Here are some tips on affordable motorcycle camping equipment, a breakdown of the essentials, the recommended, and the nice-to-haves for motorcycle camping gear.
If you are planning a motorcycle camping trip to Spain, there are important things to know that are different than in other countries, we’ve highlighted those tips in our motorcycle camping guide for Spain.
Different regions of Spain will require different gear, if you are following our self-guided motorcycle tour in the Pyrenees, you will need a different set up that you would for Andalucía. Seasonality is also a necessary consideration.
The Essentials
Tent: get the lightest, the smallest and the driest option. You don’t need to go fancy here, the tent won’t be the one that keeps you warm and there is no tent that offers any real security. What you get with an increase in price is room for more people you can’t fit on your bike and an unnecessary living room. Keep it simple. I bought a 30 euro tent from decathlon that works perfectly. Bump up to the 45 euro tent if you’re staying with an additional person, I found that the 30 euro tent, even though it’s advertised for 2 people, would be very tight.
Sleeping bag: don’t go cheap here. This one is important. Especially if you’re planning a motorcycle camping trip in the mountains outside the summer months. Also, the cheap bags are heavy and bulky. Make sure you purchase a bg with an appropriate temperature rating. If you’;re riding in the mountains and it gets below freezing temps, don’t get a bag that is rated for 5°C (41°F).
Sleeping mat: not quite as essential as the first two, but worth throwing in the category. You don’t want to wake up with a sore back or a stiff neck and have to ride 250 km (155 miles). There are some really great products out there that are compact and self inflating - make sure you don’t get a mat requiring a pump!
Headlight: let’s not use our phone any more than we have to. Headlights are cheap and compact and super helpful for hands free operation.
Compact tool kit: I carry an allen key set and a small screwdriver in case I have loose bolts or screws on my bike or other gear. Something as little as a loose mirror can be a major pain. It’s also advisable to bring zip ties and a roll of tape. Poor bike maintenance job had the screws on my throttle cover vibrate out and off to where I couldn’t give gas. Thankfully there was a hardware store in the town nearby and was able to strap down the throttle with enough duct tape.
Extra clothing layers: Essential if you plan to ride in regions with considerable temperature swings.
Rain gear: Always bring rain gear that can be thrown over your riding gear. It is inexpensive and compact.
Bungee cords and tie downs: necessary for strapping down your gear if you don’t have panniers.
Navigation: I recommend using a dedicated GPS for navigation, there are several advantages over your mobile device:
You can load multiple pre-planned routes, or easily create a new route on the fly with explore features on motorcycle focused devices
Google maps navigation is very taxing on your phone’s battery. And GPS systems have cradles with wiring harness to your bikes battery
GPS systems are more rugged than your latest iPhone model, they are better at dealing with weather elements like rain and very sunny conditions and the vibrations from the motorcycle
Recommended items
Book: If riding solo, you will have some free evenings. Great opportunity to make a dent in that book you were gifted but never read.
Pen/paper: I found this very useful when planning the routes for the following day, and if you want to keep a journal or log of which routes are worth featuring on future rides.
Camping chair: you don’t want to only be laying in your sleeping area the whole time
External battery pack charger: this becomes an essential if you are using your phone as the primary navigation tool
Tire pressure gauge: when your bike isn’t equipped with tire pressure monitor and planning a longer travel
Knife: always good to have a utility knife, you never know when it’ll become handy.
Non-gear essential considerations
Cash: for those with their credit card on their mobile device, you don’t want to rely on battery or data coverage when you’re in the sticks. Also, if you need to fill your tires with air, it’s good to have a couple coins on hand.
Motorcycle/travel insurance phone number saved in your phone: last thing you want to do is search for the number with weak data coverage when you have a flat or your bike isn’t starting.
Cooking supplies: naturally, only necessary if you plan on cooking. I prefer not to carry all the required equipment to keep my load light. Also, many campsites in Spain have a restaurant or bar on site.