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Camping light

Can old guys that have had 6 knee surgeries and broken their backs talk about chairs in this thread or is this the "I cut the handle off my toothbrush to save 4 grams" thread?
While saving weight is a good idea and I do that where it makes sense, I won't be cutting my toothbrush in half to save a gram and I'm taking my Kermit chair with me as well....And yes there is a chair thread here too... 😁
 
I've been running these Ortlieb panniers for better than 10 years. I like that they're super simple, clean and very light. They certainly wouldn't hold up to the kind of abuse Mosko bags would but they've served me well.
 
In preparation for a trip next week to Big Bend (MC in a trailer) I decided to raid my old Elk Hunting gear, and found this stove/heater I acquired in 1990 IIRC

Stand it up, instant heater

Lay it over, camp stove



best part, it still works after all these years

Cant wait to cook some breakky on the wild, and then go ride all day


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it did need a little adjusting, but perfect now.
 
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:lol3 I don’t think a heater fits in with camping light. Some think if you have a camp chair, you are over packed. Where is the roost lord when we need him?
 
That’s pretty much how I pack the Kermit, tent, pad and bag with some cooking gear in a waterproof duffel behind me on the passenger seat..
 
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:lol3 I don’t think a heater fits in with camping light. Some think if you have a camp chair, you are over packed. Where is the roost lord when we need him?


A Man has to cook an egg. This is the lightest cooktop I ever had...

I stated I am hauling a trailer to BIG BEND. and daytrip-ing from there.
 
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Conditions here in Europe are obviously very different, and except for the gnarly adventures who go to the wilds of Poland or Scandinavia, you can always find a decent place to eat.
For years I have carried my trangia, mostly for making a morning drink, but any village will have an open bar or cafe, to sit and people watch for a while. And particularly in France, lots of boulangeries for the morning mouthful of choice.
The trangia is at the tipping point. And that would mean lots of other stuff could be left home too.

While I have eaten lunch in decent restaurants while in my riding gear - the staff have always been very weloming, always taking any wet gear out to get dried off.
Evenings I do try to make a bit of an effort. Over the years, I carry some pure linen trousers and a couple of ditto shirts. No one - here at least - expects linen to be pressed. Devent quality linen is fairly crease resistant. If carefully folded and rolled it looks presentable, even after few days in a compression sack.
Now I am rather ancient, moto riding is between shoulder seasons, much reduced chance of cold and rain. I have a light fleece as part of the layers and this does well for casual evening wear.

Occasionally, well, you know, wine or gravy gets splashed, but you can find a "Pressing" place that will do the wash and iron while you go mooch about, or have a lazy read on a nice terrace for a couple of hours.

I have never taken any sort of chair except when doing wine trips in the car. You can get a set of straps to fold up a self inflating mattress into a rough semblance of a chair. I tried one once and it wasn't too bad.
 
Real weight weenies just put the tooth paste on their finger to brush their teeth.

I think there is a chair thread somewhere around here too.
How bout find a twig, fuzz up an end on a rock or tree bark, scrub teeth, discard, move on? Cactus spine as floss/pick?
 
Light is relative, you need to pick and choose where you will pick up or give up weight. I choose to accept this in return for excellent comfort.
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Saving weight off you your gear or your bike is always a good thing. But its literally a balancing act between the weight and practicality and to some extent what you own or want to aspire too.
We live in affluent times, with many more than willing and able to purchase lighter alternatives to what they currently own and that's fine. But although there is no escaping the physical weight of any given item of the bike rider and gears overall weight, any given items position on the bike can make for a sweeter v handling set up or an absolute pig, its all down to how you load it and on/ in what as much as the accrual weight.
In view of this i avoid using hard cases or top boxes of any kind, anything to the rear or more importantly high and to the rear of any motorcycle effects the handling of the bike to variable amounts and of course dependent on the amount of weight / the bike etc.
I like carrying as much of the weight as possible in a 40ltr Tank bag, and any bulky light stuff i always strap to the pillion section of the seat, but even then i restrict my load in that area to a single British army patrol pack 99% of the time. I do have Wolf man saddle bags but i only used them a couple of times, preferring to travel light.
Regarding the Gear itself i run a mixture of old stuff i have had 40 years or more in some cases, and some newer stuff.
Cooking Stove, i have an ancient Radius Stove Its not as light as the modern lightweight offerings, and its Kerosene/ paraffin and needs A little meths to start it properly, but its otherwise faultless in over 40 years service and it was probably 40 years old when i bought it for 50P in 1972.
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I also have a folding tin box stove that you run on debris and small twigs it works ok is light and packs small but the old radius blinds it for performance .
Cookware / cutlery
Mixture Of Mostly british and german army tins with Old household Knife fork and spoons i Attacked with a Hacksaw a bench grinder and a 6mm drill bit in about 1975 still use the same utensils to this day.
My cup i got off a scrap stainless flask in the early 80s its small light and perfect size for tea.
Cooking spacela i use cheapo wooden £1 shop ones i cut down so they fit in mess tins.
Bed use Bivi bag british army and Line it with my sheepskin i run on all my bike seats , and i dont skimp on sleeping bag, i use a eiderdown one which is 30 years old and not superlightweight, but its yet to leave me cold a single night even in heavy frosts. Nothing worse than even in summer waking up at 3AM when its breaking light because its colder than normal and you packed a lightweight bag. been there done that and i hate it.
Tents. Often use a flysheet only, took to this hunting in the bush in NZ an d it spilled over onto the bikes, and with a bivi and decent bag, its fine and i like fly sheets.
I do use tents and for years used a relum pearl ridge tent, but in the early 80 onward have had several dome tents and i have a blacks aquila i use occasionally but its no lightweight and we bought it for camping in the kit cars its a bit big for solo on the bike and if expect bad weather i might take it but more often than not use a fly if i can.
And to sum up. Packing light is good, but if you load the bike right saving every possible oz might not be nessasary, and remember if you dont have one of those it wont weigh anything, but skimping too much can make for a miserable experience sometimes. Its all a question of compromise and what you need or will accept.
 
Another great revelation was the compression bag.



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You can never have too many of these. I have some of these lesser expensive ones and a few Sea To Summit bags. These allow gear to be compressed to extremely small sizes. They will squish all the air out of a sleeping bag or pile of clothes.

Additionally, I never pack anything that is cotton, all synthetic materials or wool. I frequently see people packing denim jeans, they are extremely heavy and do not pack down well.

My footwear outside of Moto boots are sandals. They are also extremely light and can be strapped to the outside of the luggage. Some people like to hike while on a Moto trip, I don’t do much more than a scenic walk, so I don’t need hiking boots.

+1 on the Sea to Summit bags. Although not camping gear, I usually have to haul around my wife's riding gear for a few weeks in Europe before she's able to join me. Someone has to work... ;). Light as a feather, totally waterproof, compress whatever can be compressed and take up virtually zero space when empty. Big fan.

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I'm always working on keeping it light while still comfortable. I find I've been able to reduce down to just 2 Mosko 35L bags with only my hydration pack on the back of the bike if I don't feel like wearing it. No tank bag either, although that would eliminate the hydration pack. I'm able to fit my tent, camp chair, and an ultralight cot in there along with necessary clothes and gear. My basic setup weighs in at about 50 lbs including the bags. This setup could carry me for days/weeks with only the need to replenish consumables. I can drop the luxury items like cot and chair to make more room for supplies if I'll be away from stores. I'm sure I can get lighter, but I'm comfortable with the weight/luxury balance. It helps that I'm on a big GS so 50lbs isn't as noticeable. Also helps to have almost 350mi range so no need to carry a fuel cell of any kind.

Some things that helped shave weight:

Tent: My 4 season 2 person Sierra Designs weighd almost 8 lbs and was kinda bulky. This inexpensive little gem shaved weight and bulk in half. There is a two person with dual vestibule as well. I'd buy that one next time. The extra space would be worth the upgrade. Weighs 4 lbs.

https://amazon.com/gp/product/B00BMKD1DU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

Ultra-light cot: This thing is super comfortable. I don't always bring it but if I think the sleeping surface is going to be rocky or cold and I have space it goes in the bag. I also tend not to bring it if I'm moving every day. If I'm going to set up a base camp and ride from there I try to find room for it.
Weighs less than 3 lbs.

https://amazon.com/gp/product/B07F6Y67FN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Camp Chair: There's a bunch out there. I bought a cheaper one because it seems that no matter what you spend they all fail at the high stress points. Honestly, this is almost a mandatory item anymore. It is just so nice to have a place to sit, throw gear, etc.
Weighs 2 lbs.

https://amazon.com/gp/product/B01L2DQT08/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use some inexpensive 'Packing Cubes' for clothes. I roll most things, fold some flat. I can fit everything but riding gear in a couple of medium cubes. More than 5 days on the road and I'll plan to stop for laundry. Clean socks and skivvies every day are a must. I can stretch the other stuff out for a couple of days or more.

Pants: I bring one pair of pants with legs that zip off to make shorts. They look good enough to go out to dinner. They pack small and dry real quick if I use the shorts for swim trunks.

Shirts: Only cotton I bring is t-shirts. Since I change them every day cotton works fine.

Thermal layers: In summer I bring thermal bottoms and top. In colder seasons I add a layer of fleece top and bottom. My riding gear is warm enough that I can run the thermals only down to about 50 deg. Colder and I add the fleece.

Jacket: I usually pack a light down jacket for evenings. I prefer this to wearing my riding jacket in camp. It weighs nothing and packs small.

Neck gaiter/beanie: I found a thermal neck gaiter/beanie combo that I bring for cool temps. Around my neck when riding and on my head in camp.

My kitchen setup is all backpacking gear. I cary an MSR multi-fuel stove. It burns petrol which allows me to carry a little extra fuel that will run in the bike, or siphon some out of the tank to cook if needed. Eliminates disposable butane canisters and the need to carry specialty fuel.

I usually bring freeze-dried meals for camp. They are 'edible' at best, but easy to prepare and light weight. Plenty of other ways to feed in camp but I just don't like cooking so they work for the days we don't stop somewhere to eat.

Fillow: Another necessity. I just sleep better with a nice pillow. I really like this one because it has a layer of foam over the air bladder that makes it feel like a pillow instead of a pool float. Packs down to the size of my fist.

https://www.rei.com/product/170456/nemo-fillo-pillow

I can get all this in at under 60lbs all in. Could easily shave 10lbs or more be going without the luxury items.
 
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