Trail Run you Camping Gear

Before you set off on your big motorcycle trip, pack all your gear on the motorcycle and ride it around for an hour or so. Make sure the load stays stable and doesn't affect the bike's handling. Next, spend the night in a nearby campground or in your backyard. That way if you forgot something important, or if some piece of equipment doesn't work, you can pack up and go home. The trail run has the added advantage of letting you develop and practice your camping routine, so that when you arrive at the real campsite, everything will go a lot more smoothly.

Choosing a Campsite

Once you arrive, it's time to set up camp. Choose your campsite carefully, and avoid pitching camp in low areas where rain might collect and for might settle at night. Make sure the prevailing winds don't blow smoke from other campsites toward yours. Avoid sloping or rough, rocky ground. Open up your sleeping bag and lie down if you're unsure if it's level – in five minutes you'll know. Look for hives that might house bees, look in the grass for ants or other bitting insects. Watch where the sun tracks and set up your tent for maximum shade or sunlight.

Just about anything tastes better if it's cooked and eaten around a roaring campfire. But by the time you pack your tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, ground cloth and other gear on your bike, there won't be a lot of room left for a cooker – you'll be lucky if you can even fit a candy bar in your pocket. You really don't need to carry a lot of food with you, though, because despite the fact that camping is about getting away from civilization, in all but the most remote campgrounds you won't really be that far from it.

Instead of packing all your provisions, buy them as needed. Most campgrounds have a store, and those that don't are usually near a small town. If you're staying at the same campground for several days and riding out each day to explore the countryside, stop at a store on your way back. If you're staying at a different campground each night, shop on the road right before you check in or send someone to do it while the others are setting up camp.

Just because you're shopping on the run doesn't mean you can't prepare a good-tasting, balanced meal. Frozen boil-in-bag entries, instant rice, canned meat, fish, stew and soup are a snap to cook on a small camp-stove and make hearty lunches and dinners. For breakfast try instant oatmeal, a spoonful of raisins and a little powdered-milk mix. Or you can try the regular instant jug-cup rice breakfast, which you can buy at all supermarkets, fast food outlets and petrol stations around Asia. Pack instant coffee in Ziploc bags to save space. Do the same with condiments, but be sure to label each one – you don't want to start the day wit a cup of salty coffee. And don't forget spices to perk up bland food, you would be amazed that the chili you got so used to is hard to get outside Thailand.