+1 on the KOA's. Get a KOA guide book. If weather looks really bad call ahead to see if Kamping Kabins are available. Most of the time they are cheaper than a motel. All you need is your sleeping bag. www.koa.com
I use an old army duffle bag. Inside I put my sleeping bag whick I wrap tightly in a plastic bag in case of rain. It also hold my 7x9 tent. I also pack it will a air mattress that has a built in air pump(feels much better than a thermarest)! There is still room for a small packable camping pillow and a couple of towels. With everything in the duffle bad it keeps the rest of my bike storage free for clothes and other things.

 

Seems the last couple of years at Sturgis there has been very high winds and drenching rain at least one night. $29.99 Walmart tent did fine. If you're climbing Everest, or just don't want less than the very best a name brand tent is the only way to go. For mild weather, summer camping the big difference between a $30 tent and a $200 tent is $170.

Most times tents are sold by the number of "men" they'll sleep. The "4 man" in the picture below holds my wife, my son and I and our travel gear comfortably. It has a full coverage fly that isn't shown. I seem to recall it was $29.99 on season end closeout. Probably $39.99 regular. The tent rides nice on the luggage rack. I also have a "3 man" tent that I use when going solo. It fits on top of the saddlebag.

Something some travel light friends do when going to Sturgis is travel empty. Buy camping gear in Rapid, and abandon same after the rally. I picked up a couple of nice camp chairs that way after last years rally.

 

Have you looked into one of these babies!?!?

 

I have a homebuilt trailer, Harbor Freight/Sears Cartopper that I tow behind my UltraClassic. All the comforts of home. Was down in the garage this morning taking inventory and getting stuff into the trailer for a weeklong camping/fishing trip into the Eastern Sierras on the 24th.
When on long trips like to Sturgis we still motel when on the road, but once at our destination we have everything we need to camp comfortably.
Our tent is 8x12 and the OL likes her queen size air matress and pillows, blankets and quilts.
Looks like a damn harem tent when everything is set up inside.
Like DaddyKnuck said, when we go to Sturgis we travel light in the trailer, then when we get to our campsite, we set up then make a run to the WallyWorld in Spearfish or Rapid City and load the trailer with all the junk we did not bring.
Bet you didn't know you can fit 20 cases of beer in the trailer and on the bike.
AP

 

Thats more like it, Does it have HBO?

 

Hello to a fellow Yukoner. Lol... Different Yukon I know, but Cheers anyway!

Having done my fair share of camping while riding (used to ride a KLR and rough it everywhere I went) I'll put in my 2 cents.

In no particular order, my advice is as follows:

1 - Get yourself a good tent. There's nothing worse than waking up to wet gear or a drip coming in on your forehead. I invested in a Sierra Designs 3/4 season Omega 2 Convertible. It's very light at 6 lbs 15 oz, and takes up very little room when packed - 23x7". I would also suggest getting a tent with an ''attic'' so you can store things like a flashlight, bear spray, your wallet, knife etc...

2 - Get a sleeping bag rated 5 to 10 degrees better than what you think the worst weather will be. I have a synthetic 3-season (0° to 32°f) bag made by Sierra Designs.

3 - Therm-a-rest. Plain and simple. Self inflating, super comfortable. I won't take anything else as a substitute.

4 - I know you said that you're not planning on doing any cooking, but it doesn't hurt to have something just in case. For morning coffee... or tea after a long day riding. Warms you right up. You can either go with a pot to throw on the camp fire or get a packable rig like what I carry. I've got a Jet Boil. Amazing little thing. It packs into itself so it's smaller than carrying a thermos. Jet Boil can also be used to cook eggs and the like - or MRE's etc... Also it really doesn't hurt to carry a mug of some sort. I prefer ones with a sealable lid. I also like to bring along a water bottle. Nalgene is my brand of choice here.

5 - Get a quality pocket knife. I have an assortment so I usually pack two. A smaller one for in my pocket, and a larger one for in my saddlebag. I like to stick with brands like CRKT or Kershaw. Also along these lines is a Leatherman. They come in VERY handy.

6 - A lighter. I like my zippo, but whatever you bring will be fine. As long as you know where it's packed. Keeping a small supply of dry paper in a ziploc bag is also a good idea. Never know when you're going to have to try and light a fire with damp wood.

7 - Bring a tarp. It's handy to use as a groundsheet for your tent, or if you've gotta do some roadside maintenance while it's pouring.

8 - Odds and ends... Like a basic first aid kit are a pretty good idea. So are your favorite tools for on the road. Things like a Leatherman (again) and allen keys are my go to's. A length of duct tape can come in pretty handy as well.

9 - Gear you wear... I like to bring lightweight packable stuff that drys fast. I prefer wool socks, and polypropelene or wool thermals... It's also a good idea to have a second pair of footwear for walking around the campsite so you can give your feet and boots a break from eachother. A good quality rain suit is also a must have item. I use a Nelson Rigg 2 piece set. OH! And Sunglasses too!

The rest is pretty much up to you. Do some research and plan out your trip a little. Know where a few campsites are so you're not wandering around at midnight in pitch black hoping to stumble across a place to call it a night. Camping while riding is the epitome of motorcycle riding to me, and it is extremely fun as long as you're properly prepared.

Enjoy!

 

3 Yukoners in this thread now. Cool...
I went on a 3000km trip a few years back...well, a long time ago. i never had a tent, just an old US army down mountain bag and a thermorest that both slipped into a bivy-sack. It was gortex on the bottom, waterproof nylon top, full length heavy duty zippre, and it had a net head covering that zipped closed. You could also pull the nylon head flap closed over the face with a drawstring. I was glad I had it as I got caught in a torential downpour on night about 3AM. I was dry and toasty. I admit a tent would have been much nicer, but when doing a fast trip and not wanting to take time to set up and tear down camp, it was the cat's meow. And tylerfm has a very close list of my usual travel kit. I know many people know how to set up a tent, but thought I should mention one simple fact that many people either don't know about, or maybe just plain forget. That is to make sure that nothing really touches the sides of your tent, unless you have a 'fly' over it. The reason being that even though your tent may be waterproof, wetness can still transfer from the outside to anything that is against the insideof the tent. Maybe I've been out of the tent market for too long, but in my day, a waterproof tent isn't 100% waterproof.(Maybe I should check that out some time).
Also, fold your clothes from the day if you plan to wear them the next day and use them as a pillow. It also keeps them warm for when you want to slip into them in a chilly morning. If possible, take the time to let your sleeping bag lay open outside for at leas a half hour. It lets any dampness evaporate from your bag so it doesn't accumulate to the point where it becomes less warm at nights.
Happy camping.

BTW, does anyone know where I can get the plans for building a trailer using the Sears' Cargo cartop carrier? We have a Corgy that loves to travel, so I thought I would build her a trailer.
Or, if you have one that you don't want, please e-mail me

 

Wow,we have never had the creature comforts out on the black ribbon.It is too exillerating roughing it.Mother always took what she needed and I filled in the rest.Only need to carry the things you cannot live without,the rest,food and drink,enjoy the locals.Road pack:small first aid,bar of soap,shampoo,toothpaste,those kinds of things.Small pup tent,light sleeping bag or blanket.Before our baggers,Superglide with leather bags,we used a duffle bag and wrapped it in a plastic bag when raining.Rain gear? your choice.

 

Here is a check list that might help: http://micapeak.com/checklists/mclist.html

I hike and carry the same things when on the bike when I plan to camp. As a matter of fact before I purchased a large dry bag I use to just strap my backpack to my sissy bar. What you carry (just like backpacking) is going to be dependent on what *you* need to be comfortable. I can sleep in my bag directly on the ground and be fine but most people would be miserable that way.

The tent I use is a REI Quarter Dome T2. I use to just carry a bivy sack, but I got tired of all my stuff getting wet when it rained. The QD t2 has vestibles on the side of the tent that are large enough to hold my gear so it stay out of the weather. They are also large enough so I can take off wet/dirty clothes outside of the tent without having to stand in the weather or track a bunch of water/dirt inside the sleeping area. I realize some folks say buy a cheap tent and that may very well work for them. Personally a tent that I maybe living in for days at a time and that is the only thing between me and mother nature is not something I am going to cheap on. I learned my lesson hiking. It is no fun to have your tent fall over in the middle of the night or to wake up in the morning wet.

Make sure to take some kind of handi wipe to clean up with. They make some that are as large as wash rags that can be used to clean up a little if water is not available. I find it is not very pleasant to have to stop somewhere without and facilities (like the side of the road due to weather) and have to crawl into a nice sleeping bag covered in sweat and road grime. I also have had the experience of wiping my ....well you know...with leaves more times than I care to remember. Having to hope back on the bike and deal with red *** is not fun at all. It is also worth the money to buy some compression bags/stuff sacks. This should be obvious so forgive me for mentioning it, but make sure you are very familiar with all of your gear and how to set it up before you leave. The last thing you want is to be out on the side of the road, at night, in the rain after a long day trying to figure out how to put up a tent you are unfamiliar with. Good luck.

 

I love bike camping. I camped this May at the Tail of the Dragon.

I don't cook though, IMO it requires way too much stuff to do it right. Here's what I take:

-Middle of the road tent, I think mine's considered a 4 man, but I'd say it's two comfortably.
-Air mattress. I had a blow-up one with a pump, but the pump was big and heavy, and it sprung a leak so I pitched it. I now have a self-inflating sleeping mat.
-Sleeping bag, the smaller it'll pack up the better.
-Camping pillow
-Rubber mallet. VERY important for pounding in tent stakes
-Collapsing cooler for some cold ones back at the campsite
-Flashlight, the one I have has a lantern-type LED top as well as a regular flashlight, with extra batteries.
-Flip flops for the shower house. I'm not into athlete's foot
-Clothes for all different temps. Sometimes I like to throw on long johns and wigwam ski socks to sleep in if it gets close.
-A lighter and newspapers for fire

I think that's about it, the campgrounds I've stayed at usually have a picnic table at the site, and firewood at the office. Food from restaurants, it's just too much of a hassle to try to cook off the bike, IMO.