Luggage Ideas for Packing Camping Gear

[KevinE]

Planning a trip to mexico this Feb about two weeks or so and want to pack a tent, sleeping bag and mattress pad along with everything else. I have OEM hard saddlebags and and a Nelson Rig Tank Bag. Never packed a tent before so just wondering what's the best way to load the extra camping gear.

I'm thinking between the hard saddlebags and tank bag I've got enough room for my clothes and riding gear (rainsuit etc) so looking for a rear bag that I can stuff all the the camping gear into. Not looking at packing any food or cooking gear.

[maddog]

I use a Moto Fizz (lg) seat bag to contain my camping gear. They come in three sizes and can be purchased from the fine folks at Aerostich.

Lots of dry bag type stuff (duffles) at outfitters like Cabela's and REI.

You might want to fill in your profile info and introduce yourself in the appropriate forum.

Have fun on your trip, and enjoy the camping. Hope you speak Spanish.

Mexico was my first m/c road trip, lasted almost a year, back in '70-'71, on a Honda 350.

[Molsan]

I can tell you what will not look good but works...rode from Edmonton to sturgis and Yellowstone with this.


Yes, yes that is a garbage bag.
Yes, Yes i pack more than the goldwing.
No, No it does not look nice.

So not sure it matters what you use. This set up was very, very dry. I even ended up lugging a friends sleeping bag as his got wet on his bike. If i was to do it again i would use a camping backpack that is water proof as that may look nicer and be sleeker. they do sell tail bags but the big ones seem to need a sissy bar. Not many bags will take a 5 man tent, a mattress and a sleeping bag.
I also have hard side bags now.

Man wish i could ride to Mexico...but i went and got married and she has no interest in motorcycles :(
you do know we demand pictures and a ride report right?

[KevinE]

Thanks guys. The motofizz option looks like the best bet I have found yet. Garbage bags eh? That's hilarious... I think you would blend in quite well down south.

Will do on the ride report. I'm married too but wifey is letting me go... she's a great gal...

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Just installed the Garmin 2720 GPS (135 beans from gpsonsale - works awesome - cheap enough that it won't break my heart if it gets lifted). Installing a secutity system over the holidays (Talon T3300). Just need the tail bag and I'm good to go.

We are going pull the bikes on a trailer to somewhere in northern Cal in early Feb and ride from there down the coast to Cabo - my dad camps on the beach in his Airstream about 50 miles north of Cabo on the Sea of Cortez side (2 hour ride on dirt road). I would really like to take the ferry from La Paz over to the main land and loop back home that way but I'm not sure we will have enough time.

[Hotbrakes]

For my recent coast to coast ride I made a tent bracket that attaches to the plate which ties the saddlebag brackets together. I used a piece of 2" flat steel and bent it 90 degrees with a little piece of aluminum bar bolted to the end of that for stability. Then I put a cam lock tie down around the end and secured it to the top case bracket for stability. Without a topcase on your bike you may want to get a little more elaborate and maybe use angle iron to keep it from bouncing. Throw a decent bungee around it and it won't move, after 7500 miles mine never budged (literally, it only came off my first night and then I realized hotels were just as cheap as campgrounds).



For my sleeping bag I got a set of 2 dry bags from Walmart for about $20-a big one and a medium one. Strapped one of them on the passenger seat and I had plenty of room for the sleeping bag, extra shoes, random stuff, miscellaneous stuff, extra stuff...you get the picture. Very handy so I could stow my layers of gear and used one of those bungee nets on top of which worked well for storing wet gear/gloves so they didn't rot in the bags.

As an added thought- the topcase was wonderful to have and I didn't keep much stuff in it, just some small random things (rain gear, extra gloves, tire pump) and I used it mostly to put my tankbag up in the rain (and snow) and for added lockable storage. Something to think about especially going to Mexico.

Good luck on your trip. Hope this helps. Oh and if you are worried about the weight of the tent hanging off the rear like that, it actually added ballast because it was so low and close to the rear axle, I never even noticed it was there.

[derstuka]

My advice....pack wisely with only the bare necessities, as "less is more" in this instance. Tools, extra fuses, CO2 tire repair kit with plugs, a tire air compressor, and paper maps, are a given. I would not think that having some "dry gas" on hand to use incase you got some bad gas (as in water in it) down there would be a bad idea either.

[KevinE]

I use a Moto Fizz (lg) seat bag to contain my camping gear. They come in three sizes and can be purchased from the fine folks at Aerostich.

Lots of dry bag type stuff (duffles) at outfitters like Cabela's and REI.

You might want to fill in your profile info and introduce yourself in the appropriate forum.

Have fun on your trip, and enjoy the camping. Hope you speak Spanish.

Mexico was my first m/c road trip, lasted almost a year, back in '70-'71, on a Honda 350.

Maddog,
I've decided I am going the the motofizz rear bag. Only problem is I can't decide on wether to go with the med or large bag. At 34" wide fully expanded the large may sag down and rub on my side hard cases.

Which one did you get?

[34468 Randy]

Mexico was my first m/c road trip, lasted almost a year, back in '70-'71, on a Honda 350.

Lard tunderin Jesus. You must be older than me!