10 HACKS FOR YOUR NEXT MOTORCYCLE CAMPING TRIP:
Motorcycle camping hacks abound. There are plenty of gimmicky camping hacks and and tricks online that are fun to try out but they're not super useful. That is exactly what I'm trying not to do on this post.
I want to show you the things that I've hacked to do double duty for me while motorcycle camping. These are hacks that you can use and put into practice on your next motorcycle adventure.
Hack number one:
This is for those of you that do happen to enjoy an easy to cook, dehydrated camping meal. I know they are the healthiest option, but they sure are tasty treats at the end of a long day in the saddle.
Check out these Mountain House Meals on Amazon
If you've ever tried to reseal one of those, then you probably know that sometimes they can be a bit of a pain to get closed. A neat little trick is that you can use your fork to pinch the bag closed. Works like a charm!
Hack number two:
Leaving a carabiner strapped to the roof of your tent is a great hack for turning your headlamp into a chandelier. When you get in at night and it's dark you can take your headlamp off hang it up on the roof of your tent from the carabiner.
Presto, you have light!
hack number three:
When you're camping someplace cold and you find yourself worrying about getting out of your tent and getting dressed first thing in the morning, don’t worry there is a better way. Just stick your clothes for the next day in the foot of the sleeping bag.
This way when you get up you’re not putting on icy cold clothes. I don’t know about you, but I am not a fan of waiting on cold clothes to warm up first thing in the morning. No need to be putting on a cold jacket or cold socks, everything will be nice and warm and heated by your body heat.
hack number four:
This hack is a little bit of an add-on to hack number three. If it's really cold where you're camping you could heat up some water on your camp stove and fill your Nalgene or water bottle or even a water pouch from a camelback.
Next just throw that in the sleeping bag with you and it'll help keep you warm for hours.
hack number five:
If you are into motorcycle camping you will know that zippers are a big part of that lifestyle. Be it a zipper on your motorcycle jacket the zipper or the one on your riding pants, the zippers on your tent or your sleeping bag, just to name a few.
Should they happen to get sticky you can use wax and just kind of rub it on the zipper to smooth things out. A few passes with a candle and zips are zipping as good as new!
Check out the Sawyer Squeeze on Amazon
hack number six:
The next hack is for those of you that travel with a Sawyer squeeze or similar water filtration system. You can take that bag and the filter and hang it upside down to make a make shift faucet.
Just tie it to a tree or hang it off your motorcycle and open the nozzle. Use it as an easy way to brush your teeth or wash your face. I don't know if you could really take a full shower under it but it is a nice way to make brushing your teeth a little bit easier.
hack number seven:
This is a multipart hack all about starting fires. There are no shortage of items you can use to start a campfire and these are items that you should have with you on a motorcycle camping trip.
Three surprising items you could start a fire with are hand sanitizer (which you should always have with you), you can also use Fritos, Doritos or any kind of tortilla chips (the greasier the better) and finally you can also use cotton balls petroleum jelly and q-tips (all of which you should have in your first-aid kit)
Hack number eight:
Number eight is less of a hack and more of a tip but I think it is worth mentioning. I highly recommend that you use a cargo net over all of your gear. It makes a great catch all.
You can throw an extra bottle of water in there, maybe an extra layer of clothing. Perhaps it's cold in the morning when you leave and you need a sweatshirt but a couple hours into the ride you don't need it anymore, well where are you gonna put it now?
This is where that cargo net comes in handy, for those things you just don’t have a home for. Even your trash when you're leaving camp in the morning, you definitely don’t want that mixing with your gear and clothes in your saddlebags.
There's a lot of reasons to have a cargo net, plus it helps to carry luggage. I just wouldn't recommend only using a cargo net, they are not the strongest option. I would strap everything down first. All the heavy stuff and then just throw a cargo net over it to keep your gear tight.
Check out this cargo net on Amazon
Pro tip: They make cargo nets that have adjustable hooks. This way you can move them around depending on where you need them. I definitely recommend purchasing a net that has this feature because one size does NOT fit all. Even on a multi week trip I've noticed that the shape and size of my luggage changes almost everyday. So I'm constantly moving the hooks and and making it fit the situation of the day.
hack number nine:
If you happen to use wet wipes, which you should, you can use them to get the bugs off of the visor on your helmet. They offer a nice way to just give your helmet a general overall cleaning.
The best way to get the bugs off after they dry up and harden is to lay one of them over the face shield and let it sit for a few minutes. All the bugs kind of soften up and you can just wipe them right away it.
Surprising how easy it is and it works great. This is a trick I use pretty often.
hack number ten:
This one involves tying a piece of paracord to your tent. Sometimes, especially in the desert or when setting up a tent on any kind of hard ground it can be pretty tricky to get a stake solidly in the ground. Even if your tent is freestanding, typically the rain fly at the least, needs a stake or two.
Two options here with the paracord tied to your rain fly on both entrances to your tent. The first option is to take that piece of paracord and tie it to the kickstand of your motorcycle to use as an anchor. Just make sure if it's really windy that your bike is tipping distance away or pointed away from you.
Option two is to take the other piece of paracord and tie it to a log or rock and it will hold the other side of your vestibule out. It won’t necessarily be the sturdiest setup but it will work well in low wind situations.
final thoughts:
That’s it, these hacks should get you started at least. Don’t be afraid to get innovative, everything has multiple uses with a little creativity. You’d be amazed at the creativity born out of necessity.
Enjoy and most of all have fun and ride safe!
For the bonus tips check out the full video on this topic below.