If you haven’t been dirt bike camping before, then you’ve been missing a lot. Dirt bike camping fills the gap between vehicle camping and backpacking, which when you see it as a whole, you’ll be provided with the satisfaction of both worlds. Therefore, you’ll have more freedom than camping with a car or RV, but at the same time, you’ll have more comfort and fun than traveling on foot. However, when it comes to choosing the gear that you need for dirt bike camping, you’ll have to consider a couple of factors that are very important.

Most of us already own tents, while some of our friends already own sleeping bags and other camping equipment which means that you will only need to purchase a specific number of additional items for dirt bikes. Personally, when going out for dirt bike camping, I prefer to have a map rather than a GPS unit, it makes everything more fun, but some of my friends want a GPS unit to not get confused and maybe lose the road to where we wanted to go. Not the adventurer types really, but those are the things that you will have to confront when planning for motorcycle camping.

Some other cooking tools that are specifically made for camping will also be essential, and for the rest of the must-have items, most individuals already own those things and we’re not even going to mention any of them. I am saying that because I don’t truly think that it’s possible to mention every little thing that you’ll probably need, such adventurers can have unexpected surprises along the road, so you’ll have to improvise sometimes.

Everything that I am going to mention in this article will give you an idea of what you might need, and what’s necessary to have if you’re looking forward to having a non-stressful and satisfying camping experience. Maybe a gear that I have included in this article is not as necessary to you, or not the right model, but at least you’ll know what to search for on your own. What I usually like to do when going out camping is make a list of pros and cons with my friends, so we check everything that we might need, and we uncheck the things that won’t be useful to us.

By the end, once we finish that list, we know exactly what all of us need, not only me. You might be asking yourself, where and how do I find that gear afterward. Well, the most ideal thing to do is to go on Amazon, everything there is pretty much guaranteed and you’ll have your product delivered in no time, which is also why the gear that I am going to include in this article can be all found on Amazon.

Dirt Bike Camping Cooking Gear

Getting yourself some cooking gear is not truly necessary, and if you’re not really going on a long journey, then you have more reason to not carry cooking gear with you. But, the catch is that you will then have to do some detours in small towns located near your camping site because you will have to eat eventually. Other than that, you can even get some food in your backpack and eat when you’re hungry, the obvious choice.

Anyhow, what I prefer to do with my friends is to get a stove and a few cooking utensils such as a cooking pot, bowl, fork, and so on, as well as some food. The message here is that if you want to buy yourself some cooking gear, it goes as a package because you will need all of the above-mentioned to cook yourself a delicious meal. Although, carrying a stove with you might require a bit more space than usual, so that’s an important factor that you need to consider.

The most ideal stove choice for dirt bike camping is a gasoline stove, and the reason behind it is pretty simple – fuel. As a dirt bike rider, you must be carrying extra fuel with you for your gas tank, so to light the stove up, you won’t need to carry something extra, just the fuel that you’re already carrying for your dirt bike. It’s important to note that if you’re searching for a gasoline specific stove on Amazon, you will have to search the terms stove with gasoline specifically because it usually recommends other stoves like butane, propane, and so on.

There are two options that I’d recommend if you’ve decided you want to get yourself a stove for your dirt bike camping journey:

1. MSR XGK EX

The first one is the MSR XGK EX, which is a dual-fuel stove and it’s a very decent choice on Amazon with plenty of positive reviews.

It is a super-fast masterpiece that can boil one liter of water in just 2.8 minutes, while for the most part, you’ll like it because it’s stable.

The retractable legs and pot support tend to provide unprecedented stability, which is important when going out camping.

2. COLEMAN SPORTSTER II

The most premium option that you can get is the Coleman Sportster II, but bear in mind that this one requires more storage for carrying it with you.

It is an Amazon’s Choice product with thousands of satisfied customers, it is portable enough with robust cooking power all in one compact design.

It fits pans up to 6-inches in diameter, and it delivers 10,000 BTU, so as you can see, there’s really nothing bad you can find about this product.

Dirt Bike Camping Tools

Despite the fact that your dirt bike might be brand new, you still have to take precautions because that is simply the nature of dual-sport riding. You might end up in some rough terrains, or your tire can somehow become flat in some specific situations, which brings up the case that it’s always wise and safe to carry a tool kit with you.

There are two toolkit options on Amazon that I’d recommend to you, and I have been using both of them for quite some time now. The first that you can get is the metric tool kit, it is from Motion Pro and it packs a great range of useful tools within. The other option that is available on Amazon right now is the Arsenal roll-up tool kit which is an inexpensive choice that packs all the necessary tools within. If by any chance the options that I have included don’t match your preference, then what I’d recommend is to always check whether the tools are metric or standard size when searching for tools sets.

I suppose I don’t really need to tell you about spare parts because it’s logical enough, the newer the dirt bike model, the easier you’ll find the parts, and that goes even for more remote locations. Taking that aside, what you’ll also need is tools for changing your tire, because as I mentioned, that’s something that might occur to you while riding on some very rough terrains. You should also know when to change your dirt bike tire, even before going out for a camping trip, you can check the tire to see if it’s eligible for that ride by noticing a couple of details which I have mentioned in the article “When To Change Dirt Bike Tire and How To Change It”. You will find everything you need there, including the tools needed for changing the tire, and so on.

Even though we’re talking about dirt bike tools, it’s always important that you carry a first aid kit with you, and even though you might already be doing that, I feel like I should point it out.

Dirt Bike Camping Tents

You might be wondering, how can I properly define what size the tent needs to be to pass my journey as comfortable and non-stressful as possible! Well, there are a couple of factors you’ll need to consider, such as the duration of your trip, how many people will be attending, how many people will sleep within one tent, how much space is available on the bike racks or in the panniers, and of course, the climate which is the most important part.

The climate will define what kind of tent design is more preferable for that weather, what size and what weight. It’s important to take all those things into serious consideration because your tent will be your home the whole time, so getting a well-thought-out and decent tent is an important part of your journey. What makes a motorcycle camping tent decent? Taped seams, reinforced corners, and double stitching on all grommets.

I personally have two options that I prefer the most, so you can maybe check them out if you feel like you don’t own a proper tent for the journey. The first one to mention is the Vuz Moto motorcycle tent, and the second is the Harley Davidson motorcycle tent, and you can purchase them both on Amazon since they’re available there. Both tents are very generous in size, they boast a very quality and innovative design that will last for years to come, and for the most part, they are reasonably priced, so you simply can’t go wrong with them.

VUZ MOTO WATERPROOF MOTORCYCLE TENT

HARLEY-DAVIDSON DOME TENT

Both tents are preferable for two people, they are as secure as it gets especially for your dirt bike and other additional gear that you might have. Even though the manufacturer states that the tents are specifically made for two people, me and my friends have been using them for three people the whole time, and I can assure you that you can fit everything inside without sacrificing comfort. In case two people are staying inside, well, that means that you’ll be provided with extra space for your gear, clothes, and even make a dressing room out of it, you know to privately change are your clothes without getting annoyed by anyone.

Sleeping Bags for Dirt Bike Camping

COLEMAN NORTH RIM SYNTHETIC BAG

Everyone who goes camping owns a sleeping bag, so if you’ve done this before, then don’t bother reading this part. However, if you haven’t done this before, and you don’t own a sleeping bag, then it’s important to get one. Sleeping bags come in several shapes, sizes, and features, so depending on what your requirements are, that’s how you define which is the most decent one for you.

The more features that a sleeping bag has, the higher the price goes, so budget is also something you’ll have to consider when buying one. If the weather is hot and sunny during the period that you’re going camping, then you might consider using a blanket and sleeping on top of it, to not spend any extra money. But, if you’re camping in cold weather, then a sleeping bag is a must-have, because it keeps you hot, comfortable, and secure.

No matter what sleeping bag you get, if it isn’t waterproof, you’ll have to be very careful where you store it. If the sleeping bag gets wet, it will take forever to dry it, and you’re not even going to be able to sleep in it because not only that it’s wet, but it also loses its insulative qualities. There are two options that I’d recommend to you, the Coleman North Rim synthetic bag and the Kelty Cosmic sleeping bag. Both are very decent choices on Amazon and they won’t even cost you much.

Air Matress (Optional)

This might be something that you want to get if your trip is lengthy, but you have to consider how much free space you have. It’s not really necessary, but the thing is that some people want their trips to be as perfect as possible, I mean, who doesn’t right? There are a lot of great air mattresses available on Amazon that you can get for some really good prices, such as the Therm-a-Rest Trail Scout, and the ExPed SynMat 9. They are the perfect examples of how an air mattress for camping should be like, so if you’re into that, you can check them out.

However, if you decide on getting an air mattress, you should also know that you have to carry an air pump system with you because it’s hard blowing up the mattress yourself, it will take you hours, and that’s the last thing you want to do.

Panniers

Assuming that you’ve gotten yourself everything you need, you need to figure out a way now on how to carry all the stuff with you. Transport can be a tough thing, unless you find yourself a decent way to do that, you won’t be making your trip any easier than it is. Panniers are the perfect example of that, and they fall into two categories, soft and hard panniers. Hard panniers fall into the category of aluminum or plastic made panniers, which means that they are much durable and secure. Apart from that, in most cases, I have seen people use them as seats or tables. But, all of that comes with a downside, they tend to be very expensive, much more expensive than soft panniers.

NELSON-RIGG MOTORCYCLE SADDLEBAG

The other thing that you might want to consider is that the heavier and wider the pannier, the harder the dirt bike maneuvering will be in tight places. So, it’s important that when you do research on such things, it’s always wise to include the keyword motorcycle or dirt bike in front of every other term such as luggage, expedition bags, saddlebags, and so on. Adding that keyword will eliminate every other product that isn’t related to your motorcycle trip. The saddlebag that I’d recommend is the Nelson-Rigg RG-020 Dual Sport Enduro. Yes, it takes some time to get used to that name, but all I can say is that it is a non-expensive saddle bag that gets the job done.

What got my attention the most when I first saw this model on Amazon was the fact that for the price, the Nelson-Rigg is water-resistant featuring Tri-Max Ballistic nylon construction with reflective piping and accent for nighttime visibility. Isn’t that just great? For this price range, this saddle bag clearly delivers much more value than most other expensive models out there.

In terms of storage, it has an expandable main compartment, a tool pouch/pocket under the main compartment with external access, and a reverse coil zipper that prevents dust and dirt from building up. To not forget, it also has a rubber-coated oversized zip puller for easy operation with gloves.

Soft panniers are the opposite of what we’ve said above, and since they’re less expensive, it also means that they’re less secure and less weatherproof, which are quite important when going out camping. The other thing worth pointing out is that you can use them as tables or seats only when they’re full of gear, but the advantage is that by the time that they’re overpacked, their construction tends to become smaller as you shed hear. Therefore, they take less space and weight.

In the end, no matter what pannier model you choose, what’s important is to know whether the one you’re purchasing fits your dirt bike or not. You’ll have to be extra careful especially when buying hard panniers.

Our Final Verdict

To sum up, you will need three main things for your dirt bike camping: a tent, sleeping bag, and food, just like regular camping. Strap your tent and sleeping bag to the back of your dirt bike. The rest of the stuff should fit in your bag on your back. The main and the only difference between regular camping and dirt bike camping is that you are limited to how much equipment you can carry with yourself. This is why the most important tip is always to pack only the absolute essentials. Also, always remember to bring the necessary dirt bike tools for maintenance and repair in case something goes wrong.

As we got all of that out of the way, reading this article should pretty much give you an idea of what you might need, and what you might not need. This should get you started, so I hope this article was helpful to you, and if by any chance I left any question about this kind of trip unanswered, make sure you contact me and I’ll try to get back to you as soon as possible.