There is no shortage of details to consider when it comes to a successful motorcycle camping trip. The idea is to develop a system, a basic pattern of selecting, packing & using your gear that becomes second nature while on the road. Your system will keep you from forgetting the things you need so that you can concentrate on having a great time.

This is where planning comes in… you consider the nature of your destination and then adapt your basic system accordingly. In other words, camping in the mountains requires a different set-up than camping on the beach. And once you’ve decided where you’re going, you must address the details of getting there and back: what roads to take, how far to ride each day, where you’ll stay, what you’ll eat and how much you’ll spend along the way. If you take the time to make these decisions ahead of the actual trip, you’ll have more time for fun and won’t find yourself frantically searching after dark for a campsite in between all the Winnebagos.

Planning is actually a lot of fun because it lets you take the trip many times before you actually go. Publishers know this and have flooded bookstores with guides, atlases, and travel services to help you. Better still, the Internet is a fantastic resource that is not only faster & cheaper than the old way, the information is typically more current and provides access to local knowledge.

But just like anything with camping, don’t over-do it. Cover the essentials to minimize hassles on the road but always remember… serendipitous adventure is a big part of the fun.

Your Itinerary

Let’s say you live in Atlanta and you’re planning to attend the 1998 BMW MOA National Rally in Missoula, Montana. (You don’t want to miss this rally!) You want to take a two-week tour and maximize the amount of time you can spend out West. This means you’ll need to lay down a fairly large number of miles each day in transit, and not waste time looking for places to stay. KOA Kampgrounds (http://www.koakampgrounds.com) or a budget motel are good resources. Once you get where you’re going, you might find some remote camping is in order. Check out the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) and National Forest campgrounds. Two excellent on-line resources for finding these are L.L. Bean (http://www.llbean.com) and the Great Outdoor Recreation Page (http://gorp.com/default.htm).

If National Park campgrounds are more appealing to you, remember that the campsites in major parks like Yellowstone fill up early in the day, and they don’t accept reservations. You’ll need to start riding early, or plan to stay there an extra day to get a good site. Check out http://gorp.com/gorp/resource/US_National_Park/main.htm or http://www.nps.gov for lots of information about what’s going on in the parks. The telephone number for every park in the system can be found at http://www.nps.gov/parklists/park_ph.html

While on the subject of computers, there is some excellent mapping and trip planning software available, from Rand McNally, DeLorme, Microsoft and others. Just like the paper atlases and AAA TripTiks®, these resources give you distances and detailed maps. And unlike traditional resources, they can help you locate places if you know the address and ZIP code, and even give you door-to-door directions. There are also a number of free on-line mapping and trip planning services, some of the best are at http://www.zip2.com and http://www.mapsonus.com and http://www.mapquest.com

Whether you do it by hand or computer, the idea is to get as many of the basic decisions made before you leave home. Figure 1 illustrates this concept. It was produced using a spreadsheet program that adds up mileage, calculates fuel costs and sums up your budget. You will make many changes and refinements as you plan, a spreadsheet simply eliminates manual re-calculation.

Figure 1. A two-week Itinerary from Atlanta, GA to the BMW MOA National Rally
in Missoula, MT and back.

What to take

Now that you know where you’re going, you can decide what to bring with you. And now the fun begins. As discussed in the previous article, "Packing & Priorities," you must balance a number of variables to ride and camp with maximum comfort and fun. In future articles, we’ll give you some tips on how to select the right gear.

To make sure you don’t forget anything, many of your fellow club members have contributed their planning checklists. 

The list in Figure 2 was found on-line at "Bill John’s Excellent Motorcycle Camping Guide," http://www.micapeak.com/WetLeather/pages/camping.html It is easily the most comprehensive list I’ve found and if you find a way to pack all this stuff on your bike, call the people at Guinness because you just set a world record.

Importantly, as you make your list of gear to take, make a plan for where to pack it on your bike. Several members have said they organize their checklist this way, deciding what will go in the tankbag, saddlebags and other luggage that they use. They consider whether the item is heavy or light, wet or dry, clean or dirty, and how easy it needs to be to get to while riding.

As a central element in your camping "system," a packing list is a personal thing. It’s contents are directly related to where you like to go and what you like to do. You will find that you refine yours after each trip you take.

Figure 2. Comprehensive Packing list.

Conclusion

There is a very real reason why the Boy Scouts’ motto is "Be Prepared." Things can happen out in the woods that can affect your comfort, health and safety. In fact, a Boy Scout Handbook can be a very helpful learning guide for beginning campers.

The better you prepare for your trip, the more time you will have to enjoy it. Which leads to one final and very important tip: make sure you start your trip with a well-prepared BMW motorcycle. To paraphrase Kari Prager, CalBMW guru: have a current service, including clutch spline lube, brake inspection, and fluid changes (if applicable). Be certain that your shocks, fork springs and seals are in good shape. And start with fresh tires. The last thing you need is to waste precious vacation time searching for a dealer to fix your bike.