Tent & GPS suggestions.
 

Never bought a tent-- always had one to borrow from someone else. Google searches are revealing a brain-numbingly large variety and I don't know anything about any of them. Easy to set up (pop-up if possible, though I think they take up more space broken down), easy to attach to the bike, durable, and affordable, please.

I'm also considering a weather-proof GPS system, finally. "Considering," as in I'm not paying $500+ for something I can manage on my own with a road atlas and the clear sleeve of my tank bag. I don't know which brands are good and which ones aren't. I would like a kit, complete with necessary mounting equipment.

Links and suggestions welcome...

Tents: campmor.com

I got a Eureka tent from them and it's really nice and worked really well on the BRP trip. Lookup my thread about tents, we went over a few. Get a full fly.

GPS: I love my Zumo 550, wish I had a 660 or 665 for the stereo bluetooth because of my Sena headset, but I can make due.

I recommend getting a Zumo. Works great with thick gloves on. You can usually find some used ones on adv for a shade cheaper. They go quick though.

Here's that thread:

http://www.twowheelfix.com/showthrea...453#post395453

I've managed for a few years using crappy walmart tents, they are good for a few years of decent use, but they always seem to let you down at the wrong time. But for $30 a pop they can be trashed and replaced without any worries.

yeah, now that I know I won't be using mine regularly. I should of went that route.

Just a show of Trip $300 tent vs Two of my $30 tents. The one in the center is probably 5 years old, been carried by bike and on a back pack, and probably has close to 3 months worth of daily setup and take downs. I grabbed the wrong poles, and the fly was missing, the only thing that was wrong with it was the zipper which I tore open with my boot while setting it up. The tent on the right is another $30 walmart special I picked up that afternoon, it has 6 nights on it now and is going strong.

Its a little big for the bike but it will easily fit between my saddle bags, or just hang off the back of the bike a little

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._6522777_n.jpg

Mine was only $200 thank you. LOL

Sticker shock. Might go the derf route, considering I'll probably only use it 5-10 nights a year, if that...

I went pricey cause I thought I would like camping. I hated it. Poor purchase on my part.

trips tent will last longer, and wont show signs of its age until it gets ready to give out, then you might have another year before it does finally go. His tent is probably also more water proof, windproof and better designed, but all I ever do is once a year in the spring throw it up in the yard overnight, spray on a thick layer of waterproofer spray and its all good.

I'll give you $30 for it (if you can match Walmart.com's $0.97 shipping).

If I toured on a Harley, I'd get one of these...

http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/81...68_180X180.jpg

Let me give you another word of advice.

Get a cheaper tent to start, until you figure out if you actually like it or not.

I picked up several hundred dollars worth of camping gear in 2005, in preparation for my trip to MotoGP at Laguna Seca and Alaska. I used the camping gear ONCE, on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. One thing the brochure doesn't tell you is this. The ROMANCE of motorcycling camping is way better than actually doing it.

I'm fine with camping, but not when I'm on a motorcycle trip. After riding 500-600 miles in a day, I want a cold beer, a hot shower, and a warm bed. Lesson learned. I highly doubt I'll ever camp again on a moto-trip.

I still plan on using it, just not as much.

My exact feelings

See and I really like relaxing next to a nice camp fire a warm beer and a nice quiet evening. It has its plusses and minuses but if you are prepared and do it right its pretty damn comfy.

My week long camping trip to daytona was great, the campground I stayed in had hot showers, fresh breakfast, nice campfire every night and cheap beer on tap. Went out riding all day then relaxed at the campground each night on a nice comfy air mattress in my down sleeping bag..

that part of camping is great, it's the sleeping in shitty conditions and not getting a good nights rest that screws it for me. I just didn't get good sleep. I was comfortable, but not having environment controls sucked for me.

I've camped on the road before, just never purchased a tent of my own. Sure, I'd rather have the shower, etc, but I'm CHEAP and usually broke. I've been caught in a few remote places I couldn't find a motel (or any vacancies, like the Keweenaw Peninsula at the start of hunting season... duh!) where camping equipment would have seriously saved the day.

$550+ new. Probably still out of my price bracket used. Not sure what I expected, I knew these things were expensive...

Eh, I enjoy planning my routes under a lantern the night before a ride, anyway. My road atlas and intuition haven't let me down yet.

Man, wish I knew you were looking for a GPS. I just gave away my old Garmin.

yeah i am with triple, it's better to keep that info to yourself, lol

Tents are for pussies. Hammock with a rain fly is where its at

http://hennessyhammock.com/

Yes it is

i just found one a few weeks ago. garmin streetpilot i3. moron who bought it put alkaline batteries in and tried to charge it (boom) and when they couldn't get the exploded husks out they relied solely on the car charger...or they did until they managed to break the negative post out of that. had it working fine in under five minutes. i love when idiots abandon good equipment :rockwoot:

thing is tiny, operated via 2 buttons and a whizwheel (glove friendly) and can take AAs. gonna be perfect for when i get a more wandering oriented bike in the sometime future

i have a fuckton of 550 cord laying around here, im considering making my own

I have, but the thing about the dedicated hamok tents is that they close fully keeping out any bugs

true, not crazy about the one you posted though. i remember us cav had some sick ones back in the eighties

that was the first one that popped up when I typed in hammok tent

I like the idea, but what if you want to camp on the beach, an open expanse of rock, or anywhere else that doesn't have trees or posts? Where do you put all your gear? Seems more appropriate for hiking than motorcycling.

I'm digging this, but not the $400 price tag:

The Ténéré Expedition Tent™

This one is probably lower quality, but I actually prefer the design, and it's half the price:

The Biker Tent™

I like the idea of sheltering the motorcycle, too. I used to wheel my bike into motel rooms whenever possible.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-...1556/zr7-2.jpg

I posted the tenre tent a while back, the other biker tent looks cool, but with that big flat wall it will easily act as a sail and tip the bike.

http://www.twowheelfix.com/showthrea...highlight=tent

The hammok tents can be set up with 2 poles, a few lengths of rope and some stakes to stabilize it, there are easy instructions how to do this if you look for them.

Done the hotel room parking lot too

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...87256_5948.jpg

beach? dig a trench and put your fartsack in it. rocks i wouldnt recommend. warm body near lots of crevices tends to invite cuddle buddies. as for gear, everytime ive camped by hammock i lash my ruck to one of my trees and put a trash bag over it

I have this tent and it stores really small. Eureka makes all the US Army tents as well.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

Eureka Apex 2XT Adventure

http://www.amazon.com/Eureka-Apex-Ad.../dp/B000EQCVQ6

$73 and it's really worth it for this tent. I bought it full price.

Here is a link to their military tents...

http://www.eurekamilitarytents.com/

I lived in this tent right after the Iraq invasion

http://www.eurekamilitarytents.com/i...t-Aa_small.jpg

The more I read through Hennessy's website, the more I like the idea of a hammock tent. Nothing like setting up camp in under five minutes. With the larger fly, you could shelter the bike, too (assuming the ground below the hammock is suitable for parking). Too bad these things are so damn expensive. I would definitely want one that zips up completely to keep the bugs out.

Still not sold on stashing my gear, though... helmet, boots, etc. In a tent, it's sheltered and open to air out at the same time. Stuffing it all together in some bag to potentially hang outside in the rain... eh, stink.

Also have to consider lack of privacy if I have neighbors. They might not appreciate seeing my bare ass changing clothes.

Wear boxer briefs. Then you can change them and your tshirt in the sack. Tell anyone offended at the sight of a grown man in shorts to lick a sweaty nutsack

If I can work out a solution for my gear, a hammock may be the way to go. Fast set-up and no worries about ground surface.

$150+ for a freaking hammock is hard to swallow, though... :panic:

Did maneuvers with Cav back in the day... Tent/hammock was the bomb in the woods. They used to sell them cheap at surplus joints...:idk:

Plus they get rid of the need for a matress. The only thing I didnt care about them is that I wake up sore, like I slept wrong

not on cold nights, you need some insulation beneath you, no ground lots of cold air.

I'm going to check our military surplus place tonight or tomorrow morning.

Also found this site: goFASTandLIGHT

They have hammocks with features similar to the Hennessy tents for a fraction of the price. Not sure about their quality or if they set up the same way, however.

No problem, just hang it over the campfire...

Spend the extra $30 for the rain fly, its worth it. I'm sure you can also find some kind of dedicated gear shelter for your boots, jacket and whatever other stuff you might need

I think I've found the solution for my gear; I just need to locate and purchase it (or perhaps make it). Google searches aren't turning up much. I need bags made of mosquito netting or some comparable mesh material that can be sealed shut, via zipper, tie, whatever. I could stuff my sweaty or rain-soaked gear into a couple of these bags and hang them outside my hammock, but under the rain-fly. This way it is mostly out of sight, it's protected from bugs and precipitation, but it's not in my way and it can still dry out while I sleep.

A standard, pull-cord helmet bag might be sufficient for my lid. I have a couple and they're all breathable.

Here's something I did in the past...

Terrible paint drawing but you bring two ropes, a hammock and a canvas/tarp/fly net/etc and a few plastic tent pegs. The top rope is for the net/tarp, then the hammock and the bottom rope is for clothes or stuff you don't want on the ground.

That looks like an evil tent eating monster covering his eyes. Well done.

Is the Garmin really that much better than the TomTom RIDER?

These caught my eye, but I dunno...

ProTech Waterproof GPS for Motorcycle and Bicycle - $155.00

Streetlife - Portable GPS Navigator for Motorcycles - $229.99

If the specs in the description are accurate, the Streetlife compares favorably to the Garmin and TomTom. Never heard of the manufacturer, though.

Don't know, I got my Zumo from my dealer off a demo bike for cheap. I am really happy with it, but I didn't pay retail on it. I really like using Garmin's software Mapsource for windows/Basecamp for mac to plan routes though.

Get a left over Garmin 60csx.

Since the new 62s came out, the old 60's can be found for less than $200 all over the place and they're great.

I have both the 60csx and the new 62s. I like the old 60csx better for the motorcycle.

That's just because you haven't used the 62s enough. You should probably sell your 60csx for $100. And since you're getting that big Yamaha shaftie anyway, you should probably also sell your WR for... I don't know, maybe $1,500. I could help you out, take them both at the same time...

I'll be keeping both the WRR and the 60csx, but nice try :lol:

What are the 60CSX's limitations? The more I read about these things, the more confused I become; there are just too many to choose from.

I want something that can direct me from Point A to Point B, on the road and through the trails, with fuel stops and points of interest in between. Spoken instruction via Bluetooth is not necessary (though I certainly wouldn't mind having the option). I would like the ability to download routes from other travelers, too. There may be trips (including this summer's) where I want to spend as much time as possible on dirt roads and trails; I'd like a GPS system that can accommodate.

I've read great things about TomTom models, but I've also heard that it's easier to share routes with Garmins.

The 60CSX is weatherproof, correct?

I don't think the 60csx has any limitations. It's a great little unit.

Completely weatherproof.
Mapsource lets you upload, download, etc, etc, tracks, waypoints, etc, etc. . . and share them too.

Two things it does not do
1) No voice turn-by-turn directions. It does the directions, but there is no voice capabilities to talk you through it.
2) Doesn't do paperless geocaching. Don't know if that is important to you or not.

The new 62s does paperless geocaching, which is the only thing I like about it vs the 60csx. I like the old 60csx more for everything else.

I'm a little late to the shindig here, but the Apex tent I used for my motorcycle trip is STILL in use and has been used hundreds of times in all weather conditions. It has never leaked or ripped and it packs very small. Highly recommended for motorcycle camping.

My Hennessey Expedition and Scout combo is already on its way.

I only need one hammock; $50 (plus $10 UPS) for a NEW Hennessey Scout if anyone is interested. That's half the advertised price.

I don't even know what that means, so it probably isn't that important.

EDIT: looked it up. Nope, don't care about Geocaching. :lol:

My ADVrider thread: Best budget ON/OFF-road GPS?

I can get a new 60CSx, an extra memory card, and the bicycle-style Garmin mount through Amazon for less than $220 shipped. I can handle that.