The Best Motorcycle Camping Gear of 2021

Finding the right gear to use for your motorcycling camping adventures can take some time. In fact, even after ten years of sleeping in the dirt next to my bike, I’m still finding new gear every year that I add to my setup. Whether you’re looking to upgrade some of your motorcycle camping gear items or looking to get into motorcycle camping as a beginner, here is a quick rundown of my go-to pieces of gear that I take with me on most of my trips. 

>>> Read Next: The Ultimate Motorcycle Trip Packing List

Tent Camping Motorcycle Gear

These tent camping items came with me on nearly every motorcycle trip I took this Summer.

Sea To Summit Altitude AtII Sleeping Bag: 15F Down – Women’s

While I own a handful of different Sleeping Bags for different camping environments, I found myself using my Sea to Summit Altitude AtII bag the most this year. I’m one of “those people” who is always cold when they sleep, so having a bag that can keep me warm is a task. While it doesn’t pack down as small as some of my other bags, it is the most insulated, and I found myself waking up less often in cold weather shivering than I do with my other sleeping bags.

Check the price at: REI, Moto Camp Nerd, Sea to Summit, and Amazon

You can view the men’s version, the Ascent AcII on REI, Moto Camp Nerd, Sea to Summit, or Amazon.

Sea To Summit Extreme Sleeping Bag Liner

Maybe you need just a little bit of extra warmth for one of your trips, and you don’t want to spend $400 on a new sleeping bag. If this sounds like you, this sleeping bag liner just might do the trick to add a little bit of extra warmth to your sleep system. Sea to Summit claims that this liner can add up to 25 degrees of warmth to a sleeping bag, but I personally think that’s a bit of a stretch. Either way, I’ve never been upset that I had this with me on a chilly night.

Check Prices at REI, Backcountry, & Amazon 

Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Ultra Sleeping Pad

A good sleeping pad can truly make or break your motorcycle camping experience. While I own a few budget pads from Amazon in addition to two other Big Agnes sleeping pads, the Insulated Air Core Ultra is my go-to these days.

While I could technically fit on a Petite or Regular length sleeping pad, I purchased this one in the “Long Wide” option. With an R-Value of 4.5, 3.25” thickness, and plenty of room for my 5’4” self to wiggle around on, this pad makes me feel like I’m sleeping on a pool floaty, which I love. I’m willing to sacrifice the slightly larger pack size of this pad (versus a regular or petite size) for the overall comfort I get out of it.

Check price: Amazon / Backcountry

Trekology Ultralight Camping Pillow

I own quite a few different camping pillows. At the end of the day, I always end up reaching for my Trekology Pillow. While I do not own the upgraded 2.0 version, which includes a strap to attach the pillow to your sleeping pad, I do like that this is now an option. It also has an extremely compact pack size, making it easy to throw in any bag on the bike. You could even fit it in your pocket!

Honorary mention: Wise Owl Snoozy Travel Pillow. If I have the space or am only taking an overnight trip where pack size and space are less of a concern, I will absolutely bring my Snoozy pillow for extra comfort. 

Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 BikePacking Tent

Big Agnes offers a variety of quality tents, but their bikepacking series doubles as an efficient motorcycle camping gear option. This tent packs down small, is lightweight and offers plenty of room inside to call “home” for a night or two in any given location. PS: Be sure to pick up a footprint for your tent to add a little extra protection to your tent floor!

Check the price at REI, Moto Camp Nerd, or Amazon

Black Diamond Equipment Spot 350 Headlamp

Once you use the Spot 350 headlamp on a camping trip, you’ll never go back to using your phone or another light source to light the way. Whether you’re cooking, reading a book in your tent, or headed to see a man about a horse just around the nearest tree, you’ll be happy to have the Spot 350.

My *only* complaint about this headlamp is that it uses batteries, instead of a rechargeable port of sorts. All things considered, the battery life is great on this headlamp and it’s not a total deal-breaker. This was my first headlamp purchase, and I haven’t had any desire to replace it in recent years.

Big Agnes Skyline Ultralight Backpacking Chair

It’s nice to hop off the bike and not sit right down in the dirt at the end of the day. Sure, maybe your campsite has a picnic table, but can you sit next to the fire easily? What about right outside your tent if you wish? Or next to your bike while you do some simple mechanics? The Skyline UL Chair packs up small and weighs less than a pound, making it a great addition to your pack.

Hammock Motorcycle Camping Gear

While I don’t motorcycle camp out of a hammock nearly as often as I’d like, it is an enjoyable experience. The best part about motorcycle camping out of a hammock is that it’s pretty simple and takes up minimal space in a pack, depending on how extensive you wish to make your setup. 

ENO DoubleNest Hammock

I have only purchased one Hammock for motorcycle camping, and it’s the 2-Person ENO DoubleNest Hammock. Originally purchased in 2015, I chose the 2-Person Hammock over the 1-person (SingleNest) due to its versatility. The DoubleNest is so spacious, that I can sit sideways, longways (all the ways) without flipping out of it in the middle of the night. ENO now makes their DoubleNest hammocks in fun prints for those who want to be flashy.

ENO Atlas Hammock Straps

These hammock straps were purchased at the same time as my DoubleNest Hammock in 2015. While there is an XL option available, I haven’t had a situation arise where the XL would have been needed. Each strap of the Standard Atlas Hammock Straps are 9 feet long and has 30 adjustment points, making it pretty easy to get your hammock set up in any situation.

Hammock Camping Accessories

If you are considering doing any hammock motorcycle camping in less-than-ideal conditions, you may want to consider a Rain Tarp, Bug Net, or even an Underquilt for added insulation in colder temperatures.

Camp Kitchen

Cooking a meal at camp can be simple, or it can be over the top with all types of cooking accessories. I like to keep my cooking system as simple as possible while motorcycle camping, so that my time is spent less involved with food prep and cleanup, and more about enjoying my time in the woods. 

Ride to Food Camp Mug

Okay, shameless plug….but I do really love having a camp mug with me on trips. I use it for everything: Coffee, Ramen Noodles, beer, water, and hydration tablets…it is essentially a multitool. Shop all of the latest Ride to Food camp mugs, here!

Jetboil MicroMo Cooking System

Cooking dinner for one? The Jetboil MicroMo is your huckleberry. This is the most lightweight and compact cooking system offered by Jetboil, and it will do everything from boil water within minutes, to simmer for as long as you need. You can also store a 100g fuel canister inside the pot when in transport. Additionally, you can utilize other JetBoil accessories, like a coffee press or pan, if you wish to accessorize your camp kitchen over time. If you need to cook for more than one person, I would recommend the MiniMo over the MicroMo.

Check the Current prices on REI, Moto Camp Nerd, and Amazon

Sea to Summit Watercell Water Storage/Dispenser and Shower

For a long time, I only carried a 48oz Nalgene with me on trips. As I began to get into more dispersed motorcycle camping, I quickly realized having the ability to carry at least a gallon of water was the most ideal solution. I picked up a 4 Liter Sea to Summit Watercell, courtesy of Amanda Zito’s recommendation on YouTube.

The Watercell is versatile with its adjustable strap, offering multiple carrying, lash, and drain points, in addition to its ability to work with different water filtration systems for those riding far off the grid. It’s survived hundreds of miles flopping around on the back of my bike, on and off-road. I cannot recommend it enough!

Sea to Summit X-Brew Collapsible Camping Coffee Dripper with Reusable Steel Filter

Is this the “best” coffee maker on the market for motorcycle camping? That just depends on what your needs are. I love the X-Brew Coffee Dripper due to its extremely compact pack size. While you may need to “filter” your coffee a few times to make it as potent as possible, I find that extra step is worth to save space, in comparison to packing along an Aeropress or other (larger) coffee-making device.

Humangear GoBites “Click” Utensils

Keep it simple, keep it compact! These Humangear utensils collapse to roughly half their regular size, making them easy to pack and store. I typically keep them inside my Jetboil with my fuel canister and burner. 

Storage

There are plenty of ways to store motorcycle camping gear on the bike. One thing is certain: you’ll want something odor-proof for food, and waterproof for your actual camping gear. Let’s not trust the “waterproof storage” that our tent or sleeping bag comes with. It’s better to learn that the easy way by watching others, rather than experiencing that epic fail yourself.

LokSak OpSak Odor Proof Food Storage Bags

Having a way to store food while traveling is a must, especially if you’re planning to go motorcycle camping in Bear Country. While these LokSak bags are not “bear storage containers,” they are odor-proof, which will greatly aid in your attempt to keep scents at camp to a minimum.

I carry two different sizes of these bags with me, both Small and Large. I also utilize the Small bag to put my toiletries in (shampoo, deodorant, and other scent-filled items).

Sea to Summit Big River Dry Bag

There are all kinds of Dry Bags available, but I’ve been using the same set of 20 Liter Sea to Summit Big River Dry Bags for the past two years, and they’ve held up well on the back of the bike. I use one of them for my sleeping bag and other motorcycle camping gear items, and the other for food storage and other camp items. Thousands of miles and plenty of rainstorms later, my gear still stays dry in these bags!

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