The trusty Fireblade is probably not the best option for touring with a tent and a load of camping gear - but is it still doable ? I reckon it is, but I reckon some sacrifices are inevitable - starting with the tent itself. Tent This is the Terra Nova Laser Comp, a classic with the hiking lot, because it is small and lightweight and fairly cheap for this style of thing. Sadly, it is very small and has little ventilation - it gets like an oven in there in Southern Europe in summer - useless really when it gets really hot. But still, it maybe ok for a trip South in early May, and a trip North in the end of June, fingers crossed. Sleeping Bag Has to be a down bag really, for maximum warmth to weight ratio. Switzerland, and France can still have very cold nights in mid-May. So got to have a warm sleeping bag, and only down can provide the required warmth without it being huge and heavy size when rolled up. Could spend hundreds on a PH design, awesome, but this time will take a North Face Blue Kazoo - a reasonable compromise (bought in a sale for £120 ) Mattress Thermorest, but not the ultralight as they rustle when you move about. So maybe some weight saving could be had here - if any one has any suggestions, greatly appreciated. Stove and pot To reheat (rather than actually cook !) Vango, little micro gas stove and little 100g gas cannister. Vango anodised pot and smaller pot combo, that go together with the little gas stove inside. Those are the big ticket items that take up most of the space - tent - sleeping - cooking. Extras Micro towel Wash bag (inc loo roll !) First aid kit, including some tablets and creams ( used once to remove a bee sting after a bee went into my open visor and stung me on the forehead !) Torch Camera Charger Waterproofs Clothes Documents Glad to hear of any experiences of camping trips on a Fireblade.
Rode down to Mugello and camped there for three days, had two Ventura Luggage bags and a Givi tank bag. Got my tent n gear, and so many clothes too, never travel light!! Bike still handled well considering the extra weight.
I did use a small tent a few years ago, Vango tempest 300 along with a lightweight air bed and an old sleeping bag I had. I wanted to keep the weight down as well as pack size thinking it would be better for the bike. I didn't get on to well with it, although it's a three man tent it still felt small and with the air bed in there it was really cramped once I had taken off my bike gear. I now have a large four man tent, Vango Berkeley 400, along with a Vango Ultralite 900 sleeping bag. After a lot of looking I got myself a Helinox Cot One to sleep on, really expensive camp bed but it is so light and packs up small. For this year I had got the Helinox Chair One to take as well, saves sitting on the ground and I can get everything into a 80 litre dry bag including wash gear and clothes. I have stopped taking cooking gear as I only ever used it for coffee or cuppa soup. Here's a YouTube link so you can see the bed and how good it is.
Did you camp on the way down to Mugello as well, or just when you got there ? I would be interested to know what type of tent you had or even what kind, and how you got on with it, and anything that you would bin for next time !
We hoteled it on the way down. It was a 2 man tent from Decathlon, quite plain, as told be someone here to get a 2 man, then you can have your gear in the tent next to you, surprising how much room you need. It fitted across inside my bag. Camped at the circuit so good n shower plentiful, warm at night except one where I just put a coat over my thin, compact Decathlon sleeping bag. As they all say, pack light as you will bring loads of gear back, just wore compression underwear under leathers and only really need tee shirts n jeans/shorts for off bike time. A bit off subject, get a Oxford cruise control thing to go on the throttle grip, saves squeezing the throttle to keep motorway speeds, we all found it a bargain for a £5.
Thanks for the link - I like the little Helinox Chair One folding chair, must get one - but a camp bed ! I am sure you are right that it is light but it just sounds impossible ! But you are right you have to have something to sit on, as you seem to live on the floor when camping - I have got this little tiny three legged stool from Millets, but better than sitting on the floor. I like the look of that tent - something that you can stand up in. As you probably know these ultralight one/two man tents are quite hard work as you spend your time crawling around inside them, on your hands and knees. They stand up to the elements well, but to be honest I will not be hiking in the mountains, but pitching on various campsites ! The sleeping bag seems about the same warmth rating as the North Face Blue Kazoo, but a bit bulkier. Just lucky to get the outgoing model of the Blue Kazoo in a sale. If money was no object then I would get a PH Design sleeping bag - made in the UK and you can design your own - whether for competing in Ultra Marathons in the Sahara to Everest Base Camp - they are A1 top grade ! Anyway it seems that you can get pretty decent stuff, that is not too heavy or too expensive - and it can be carried successfully on the Blade, in a single bag then even better. P.S - handy tip - a can of Coke is better than coffee in the morning, just crack it open - sugar cafeine, don't even need to wash the cup or boil the water !! Looking forward to it already.
Thanks for the info. This is probably as minimalist as I have ever done (go in two weeks time). Maybe there is room for a bit bigger tent. See How it goes. Are you sure about the Oxford throttle control thing - no scary moments with it ?
Obviously make sure it's not too high or ride up as will try n make the throttle stay on a bit n push you on at lights or tolls. But your really forget it's there, had it on for over two years, just took it off to do a track day !! If you don't like it I'll give you the money back !!
I bought a rear seat, built a frame and bolted it too it. Off to the TT this year, have a home stay. So use a 50L oxford bag on top. Take it all off and put on the seat pod for the week , once i get to my digs.
I couldn't imagine taking this much gear, if you can't go camping with a 30l tail pack a small tank bag and a bivi then you are going to spend the whole time bored trying to ride as if you have a really fat person on the back ...
I have done a few trips with tent - my method was to use ventura bag leaving the rack free - Then stacked roll mat, tent and sleeping back vertically behind main bag. Worked well - didn't bother about cooking equipment - too much hassle when you can get a brew almost anywhere but understand some like that option
What's with you all slumming it with roll mats? Inflatable mattress and air pump every time Had to buy a single one tho as the double took up the entire sleeping area
Agree, try and keep the weight and pack size down - but 30 litres ? Not sure that is doable - at least in any degree of comfort ! Some of these little tents, like the Terra Nova Laser Comp, are tiny and weigh just over 1 kilo. This is really as minimalist as I am prepared to go. And not prepared to sleep outside in Europe, like in a bivi - one time fairly recently - a fairly large fast moving spider somehow got into my tent - woke me up when it ran up my bare back - So zipped in a tent is non-negotiable - not sleeping outside with stuff like that going on !! Anyway, interesting to see what can be done. Some of the best ideas come from the Cycle Touring crowd, but some of their really lightweight kit can be a bit expensive.
I can see that works. But if you are prepared to spend quite a bit of cash I suppose, on lightweight gear, then you would probably be able to get the pack size down quite a bit - probably run into a good few hundred quid though, from what I have seen.
I seem to remember this wonderful but crazy dude @brucesmart76 travelling around the world on a Gsxr thou with less gear than some of you have posted!
