Gear and Products

Here Are 11 Things To Make Dirt Bike Camping Easier

A list of things that can help make your dirt bike camping experience a success, starting with a Trucker’s Friend…

December 19, 2018

Moto camping is as basic or deluxe as you want it to be. Sometimes we like to pack just the essentials on our motorcycles and rough it. But most of the time when camping with family and friends for a few days of riding motorcycles and having fun, we like to have good tools and a few nice creature comforts. Here’s a list of items we have used in the field and found to be good quality and to make the camping experience easier and better.

Camp Mat

An extra-large camp mat like the OL Guildelife 90 x 103-inch "mud room" unit works great outside your tent, trailer, motorhome to keep your campsite cleaner. It also can be used as an extra layer of insulation and durable flooring inside your tent, if you're ground camping. It folds down small and a carry strap is included in the $50 price.Guide Life

Electric Portable Air Compressor

While it is true a standard manual "bicycle" floor pump never runs out of power (as long as you can keep pumping), did you know it takes something like 400 strokes to inflate a larger motorcycle tire? That's why we prefer better living through electricity: Check out the SuperFlow portable air compressor. It's inexpensive, runs on 12 volts, and produces 140 psi, just in case your truck, motorhome, or trailer needs a few pounds of air while on the road. It's also great for air mattresses and more, using included nozzle attachments.Q Industries

Tool Kit

Assembling a good motorcycle tool kit that is small enough to carry but complete enough to do all the jobs you might need to perform in a remote location is no easy task. Motorcycle-specific toolmakers like Motion Pro make some trick tools such as the Multi-Purpose Metric Tool, which is a great start on building a kit of your own. But also look at CruzTools, which sells complete kits for specific bike brands, as well as general kits for on- and off-road. We like the DMX2 Fender-Mount kit for most off-road bikes as a one-stop purchase.CruzTools

Trucker’s Friend Survival Axe

Okay, the Trucker's Friend axe looks more like a medieval battle weapon than a utility tool, but it does many jobs like pound or remove nails, chip ice (please, not while we're camping!), or help install tire chains (again, not while we're trying to camp…). But it is also an excellent pry bar and works great for chopping wood or driving in/removing awning and tent stakes. It's become our go-to tool around camp.Off Grid Tools

Comfy Camp Chair With Side Table

It's easy to overlook the lowly camp chair. That's why it's better to not pick a "lowly" chair at all, but a deluxe piece like the OL Guildlife Catskill camp chair with side table. These burly chairs work great around the fire and the built-in bamboo table with cupholders means you are way less likely to spill your precious beverage of choice after a long day riding. That very sturdiness means they are a bit heavier than some camp chairs, but they fold flat for easy storage/transport and are tops for comfort.Guide Life

Deluxe Camp Stove

Setting up a multi-day camp means having a good kitchen. It starts with a great folding two-burner stove like the Camp Chef Pro 60X ($230 on Amazon). This propane stove packs small, has flip-out side tables, and accepts a bunch of accessories like a Grill Box, Cast Iron Griddle, and a Pizza Oven (see tip 7). Good meals make for happy campers.Camp Chef

A Pizza Oven

We know, pizza isn't a go-to when you think of camp food, but it's actually really great. Nice features of the Camp Chef pizza oven are that it cooks beautifully, heats up rapidly, and the stone is screwed in place so the oven is easy to transport. We like ours so much we use it at home, too.Camp Chef

Collapsible Utility Table

From food prep to mealtime to making for a great work space, a camp table is absolutely essential. The Camp Chef Mesa aluminum portable table is excellent for several reasons: Table top and legs pack small in the included carry bag. Setup takes less than a minute, and adjustable height means you can set it to dining level or workbench level with easy.Camp Chef

Rechargeable Lanterns and Headlamps

Is there any place so dark as a campsite you have yet to set up? Perhaps the only place darker is the tent where your 5-year-old is supposed to be going to sleep… Yes, portable, durable, adjustable battery-powered lighting is key to any reasonable night-ops, and the Guide Life rechargeable Base Camp lantern and Timber Trail headlamp work great. The 5.6-inch-tall lantern produces 520 lumens of soft white LED light on high, there's a built-in carabiner for easy hanging, and a USB-out charging port to juice your phone or other electronics in a pinch. Three light levels (plus SOS flash) suit every mood. The headlamp offers spot-to-flood beam adjustment, five lighting levels up to 250 lumens, as well as red for maintaining night vision. Dustproof and water resistant, the headlamps run on an included rechargeable lithium-ion battery or three AA alkalines in a pinch.Guide Life

High-Quality Cooler

If you aren't a 100-percent off-grid camper who's got generators and refrigerators and solar power, keeping food cold the old-fashioned way with a great cooler and ice is the simple, cost-effective choice. This Camp Chef 50-liter cooler held all the cold goods we needed to cook for three people on a four-day trip. It is super sturdy, closes securely with rubber latches, and a rubber seal makes it airtight. It is also accepts a padlock, the feet can be reversed to grip or slide, and the handles are removable so the cooler can be tied down while still allowing lid access.Camp Chef

The Ultimate Motorcycle Adventure Hauler

Okay, we’re stretching it a bit here, but there is nothing better than a nicely finished van interior to shelter from the storm, wind or rain. Our custom Ford Transit was upfitted by Sportsmobile to carry three dirt bikes, have lots of moto-ready storage, and take a roof-top tent for multi-day riding adventures.Jeff Allen