Re: Newbie: Camping with SV650S
 

Get a double skinned tent, I got a gelert 200 I think for £30 to try. Love my snugpak kestrel sleeping bag, they pack really small and are very warm, just check pack size of the tent you order, and avoid pop ups cos they're round!

Re: Newbie: Camping with SV650S
 

Heh yeah that would be great, but it's not my birthday trip unfortunately and I don't mind camping =)

Re: Newbie: Camping with SV650S
 

£30 for a tent? Seems cheap? I've heard it's best to go one size higher, like a 2 man if on your own etc. What do you think?

Re: Newbie: Camping with SV650S
 

Yep.

Personally I don't like panniers, I had a Renntec rack and a tailpack on the sv.

I've currently got a 50L Jofama tail bag and a tankbag, enough room for a 3 week camping trip, with a £20 Tesco tent (wouldn't recommend if you're taller than 175 cm though)


http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/2124/imag0068az.jpg

Re: Newbie: Camping with SV650S
 

I've used a tesco's 2man tent, easy enough to bungy to the back of the bike, cargoed my sleeping back on hte back and most of the clothes went in my tank bag. But it depends what else you need. If you can talk to everyone else and see if you can get a list of essentials and split it around the group. And a silk sleeping bag liner to keep you warm.

Re: Newbie: Camping with SV650S
 

Cool cheers guys, and for the picture. I'm 6ft 2, so pretty tall!

Re: Newbie: Camping with SV650S
 

You can get perfectly good tents for not a lot of money. I use a Vango Alpha 300 that cost me about thirty quid. Generally I strap that with a camping stool to the back of an Oxford tailpack on the back seat.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eldaifo...57625961264592 (not an SV, but as equipped tourers go it's roughly equivalent)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eldaifo...57627378629415 (that little lot saw me to Brno and back - tailpack and one dinky pannier with clothes in, other dinky pannier with camping gear, and the tent and stool strapped to the tailpack with a cargo net)

For power, I have a 12V accessory (fag-lighter) socket wired direct to the battery with a 10A inline fuse fitted. I originally had it up by the ignition barrel, but moved it under the rear seat. Reason being I don't usually need to charge anything up on the move, but if the bike's parked next to the tent I can run a 3m USB lead from under the seat and into the tent, and charge my phone overnight. The draw is minimal so doesn't leave me with a flat battery. Crucially, the under-seat area is far, far more protected from the weather than the cockpit, and the lockable seat means I can put my phone under the seat unit, close it up, and leave it to charge save in the knowledge that it won't go walkies.

For the satnav (Garmin Zumo 220 and/or Tomtom Rider v2) I wire the standard lead direct to the battery in the same way.

Other camping kit: I use a Snugpak Extreme sleeping bag, that packs down quite well, a silk liner if it's really chilly, a Thermarest sleep mat (best thing since sliced bread) and, if it's going well below zero, a cheap second sleeping bag for extra warmth. That saw me through a night at Weston a couple of years ago, when we were chipping ice off the tents in the morning after a good night's sleep.

Oh, and port. Never underestimate the value of a bottle of port when camping. It'll warm you up, get you to sleep, and give you something for those late-night emergencies once empty.

Re: Newbie: Camping with SV650S
 

It probably will be cosy, but since we just trying it out I didn't want to spend loads initially. Basic but good waterproof rating, sewn on groundsheet, quick to pitch. Also don't mind leaving it if it's thirty quid whereas don't fancy leaving an expensive one if you go out for the day, just my opinion. Edited to add the vango 300 is the one I went for,small and light pack size and got a self inflating mat too.

Re: Newbie: Camping with SV650S
 

+1 on the bungies (though never underestimate the ability of a cargo net to hold things steady at 170mph on an Autobahn) but I'd vote strongly for a tailpack over panniers every time. The first time you have to filter with panniers, you'll wish you'd used a tailpack instead.

Re: Newbie: Camping with SV650S
 

That's great advice there - thanks! I had the Oxford Tailpack once, tried using it on a CBR600FS1 and had trouble fitting it properly? But that could just have been me.

What about security - obviously if you are using tailpacks and soft panniers isn't there a bit of an issue with security? And what do you do when you go out for the day - just leave all your gear at the tent and take the valuables with you?

Some dumb questions there - but nice to get an idea of how its done !