Now I feel sheepish (and not because of my Scottish heritage). Aren't decisions made with a built-in caveat regarding last minutes changes? At this last minute I packed the camp gear without cook stuff. The thought of some of those magnificent camping opportunities in SA and me without gear wasn't something I was comfortable with.

I've done the backpacking reduction thing, especially in warmer climes and I don't take much for those. This is different, sort of. Today I rode from 74 degrees in Des Moine to 46 degrees in Denver. Need different clothes for that I gotta tell ya, as I thaw out.

It'll take some time but I'll get stuff sorted into what I use often and what I don't. Not there yet.

There are plenty of sage contributors on this forum and I agree with you Toby that the adventure is the adventure. It has begun.

I hate to give my 2c
 

But I'd take it all. I camped a lot in South America, and used my tent and sleeping bag often, and every piece of cold weather clothing. Maybe because I was living off my bike for months.
At altitude you will need it, and cooking gear and food.
Jungle is another story. Hammock, bug spray and tennies.

If you do buy, you'll find prices a little higher than in the states.

Doite in Chile is a good camping store.


Zig

Camping is Fun
 

Yes camping is great, and for us on our trip it enhanced the experience.

You can do a lot of bush camping in South America because there is a lot less people around, so it is easy to find a quiet place for yourself.

Also, on my blog, I listed all the paid camping sites we stayed at so you can use that for reference. We camped as much as we could in Central America! Sorry there are no waypoints, we didn't have a GPS.

here is the list

Hey Adam

thats cool, every time I look at the pics of SA .... it`s just like a miracle. One night we could see a burning flame above us .... probably a meteroit or maybe some aliens landing :funmeteryes: .... goose bumps for sure ?c?

and btw, we are 2 with 2 bikes .... so we can split all the stuff and take huge amounts of food, water and drinks beer, well at least up to 4 days in the wilderness :Beach:

83 kg ..... that`s amazing, maybe I will measure our bike`s (KTM 690) someday, they should be less than your DR


Wish you all the best and enjoy every minute .... the ratrace kills me slowly, but surely :(
... the countdown is ticking, summer 2013 :D:D:D:D

Greets from Switzerland
Thomas & Andrea

Camping gear
 

I'm in a similar situation riding a DR650. I brought camping gear that all fit into a pretty small bag. I used it initially in Mexico, but have chosen to stay in hostels and hotels mostly. I hope to use it a little more in the future. It think that it will come in handy along the coast. While camping in warm climates that turn a little cold at night I will leave my riding gear near my side and use it as a cover instead of a sleeping bag.

You can check out my gear list on my website if you'd like. The Adventure Begins

I feel like I have too many electronics and will probably be sending some back home or trade it in for lighter gear.

I wish I had a water filter or a steripen.

Just don't skimp on your riding gear.

Bivvy Shelter as an alternative?
 

If weights a major issue, and your doing a combo of camping and hostels, cheap hotels etc I'm wondering if anybody has had a good experience with a Goretex bivvy shelter?
Have seen them well under a kilo and there seems to be a fair bit of space over the head and shoulders. Of course you cant sit up but if your in two minds over tent or no tent it might be nice to have one even if its just for emergencies. Any thoughts?

James

Bivy sacs are fine for emergencies or for very short stints. The downsides that you point out along with their claustrophobic nature, lead most people to take a tent instead though.

You can get a super light tent that doesn't weigh that much more but also offers more flexibility and usability just in case you do end up using it more than planned.

Hi James,

I have found the tripod bivy to be a nice compromise for minimalist camping . Here's a picture:

Tripod Bivy - Shelter - Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd.

I bought mine used. It packs down to nothing, single wall waterproof breathable. It's not for everyone, but when weight and space is an issue it's the bees knees.
Nowadys, for motorcycling though, I don't bother with a tent. If it's clear I camp under the stars. If it looks like rain, I first look for a picnic shelter, abandoned building, bridge, etc. Failing that it's a cheap hostel for a shower and bed. I may take the tripod bivy to South America though.

Cheers,
John Downs

Another change of heart
 

It seems my fickle mind is still playing games. I left Ottawa with all my camping gear. Debated while visiting someone in Des Moines whether or not I should be bringing it due to weight/volume. Decided Yes. Got to Denver and decided it was too much after all. Shipped it back to Des Moines. Saved about 15 lbs. and more importantly some valuable real estate on the bike.

Where I'm at now is that if and when I want one I'll pick up a hammock, a tarp, and a small sleeping bag. Never tried that before so what the hell. It's hard to tell where to draw the line sometimes isn't it.

Lots of interesting points of view in this thread. Each to their own.

We travel using a Hilliberg Keron 4 GT, it is for two of us and the dry space for 2 x jackets pants boots gloves etc is worth millions in inclement weather, perfect for free camping where facilities are a non event.

If it were just me I would have something smaller but with a good vestibule for storing shit.

Hmm, a tad off topic, but, I drank all the tap water from Prudoh Bay all the way to Usuahia, never had an issue and never bought any plastic bottles water

Cheers
TS

Doesn't matter what you decide to do. Your riding your own ride.

Its funny that you mentioned a hammock and tarp. I've been using one most of this spring and summer. The hottest nights being the worst spent in it. The wettest resulted in a 3" rain. While I stayed dry, even with ear plugs, I hardly slept at all, do to the noise. The coldest night was 37 degrees F.

After watching Shug's videos and sleeping in one, I can't see myself ever going back to a tent.

daryl

Hammock Forum: http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/
Whooooo Buddy Videos: Hammock Hangin' How-To PART 1... Essentials For Noobs Part 1 - YouTube

Check out MontBell sleeping bags.

Read reviews.

A company name you don't hear of much but have excellant reviews and very, very competitive pricing.

Just bought a +4 degree bag for $135 that only weighs 1.6lbs (long model). That's damn light for a bag of any temperature rating, not to mention it's not 300+ dollars.

It's not down so it's a big bigger, but it also stays warm when wet.

I also bought the Exped UL 7.5 air mattress over my Thermorest Prolite and saved another lb and half the size. Once again, it doesn't share the same thermo properties but for $90 it's a relatively cheap upgrade saving me weight and size!

Very few products out there from what I can see can compare to the above products for cost and weight. The Thermorest Neomat is nearly twice the weight, twice the cost, and crinkly/loud. It does have better thermo properties, but until S.A you won't need that I don't think.

Additional to this I switched up my cotton sleeping bag liner to a silk one. For 60$ I saved .75 lbs.

These costs add up, but they are "relatively cheap" for the weight and size savings. More-so helps people looking to buy camp gear then those who already have it like me, but I think the costs were justified unlike me wanting to spend $1200 on a new laptop to save 2lbs..(and solid state HD).

Good luck and hope to bump into you on my own travels! I'll be camping on beaches!

We´ve been in Chile and Argentina for a few weeks and will be travelling for several months. We´ve bought our camping gear and have enjoyed using it thus far. It is a little cheaper (not heaps) but its been a good experience as you´re meeting interesting people at the campsites. Plus you can get out to some pretty amazing spots in National Parks.

I´ll let you know how it goes as we´re heading down to Pätagonia and want to do a bit of camping there. Our gear is very basic so we usually try do no more than 2 nights before then going to a hostel