I, like most, am not very good at packing for tours. I’ve just come back from a week in the UK with 65 liters of luggage. I stayed with my mother and used everything I took apart from my toolkit and my little laptop. Now, as I review the kit, i’m wondering how much more i’ll need for six weeks motocamping.
This is how my planning started, based on my previous tests with my SW Motech luggage test.
Target: 100l and 30kg.
I then asked a chatbot which told me:
Target: 80l and 25kg.
It’s not wrong. 100kg is way too much. Just imagine trying to lug it into a hotel at the end of a day!
The basic luggage requirements for motocamping
I’ve split the equipment list into the following sub-lists.
- Camping and cooking. (Includes tent and sleeping bag).
- Toolkit
- Clothes
- Riding Gear, including wet weather and cold-weather extras
- Bathroom kit
- Video kit (I need a basic video kit. I’m considering a mini drone).
- Documentation (license, passport. Generally in paper form for multi-country travel).
- Luxury item (for me, it’s likely to be a chair).
It looks something like this, without the cat.
And here’s a setup with the camping stuff added. Yes, that sleeping bag is huge and will be replaced. The tent and groundsheet is inside the blue stuff-bag.
Importantly, we’re a team of four so there’s savings in a shared toolkit and shared cooking kit. We’re not going to share tents.
And another important element – we’re touring Europe, in Spring.
The complete motocamping packing list
The categories listed above are detailed below
Riding Gear
- Helmet
- Neck tube
- Boots
- Jacket
- Armoured jacket and trousers
- Waterproofs
- Gloves
- Riding shirt. x2-3 (wicking underlayer)
- Riding socks
- Riding underwear/ long johns
- Earplugs
- Waterproof stuff bag
(In tank bag )
- Hi-vis vest
- Team stickers
- Drinking water bottle
- Snacks
- Quick charger small (or 12v usb adapter on bike)
- Bike lock / Alarm
- Compact waterproofs
Camping and cooking
- Pillow
- Isomat / sleeping mat
- Sleeping bag Sleeping inner
- Tent
- Groundsheet
- Wipes / Dishcloth + Washing liquid
- Water holder (2 liter)
- String / straps
- Head torch
- Eating: Knife fork spoon. Plate / Bowl
- Cooking Knife, Utensils
- cooking pan, boiling pot, frying pan
- Metal cup
- Mini Stove (Trangia,
- Gas cannister and adaptor
- Lighter/matches
- Salt, pepper, spices, sugar, oil
- Rice
Toolkit
- Petrol siphon (When with group.)
- Long lock
- Tubeless tyre plug kit (worms + insertion tool)
- Electric pump
- Tyre pressure gauge
- Battery starter Lithium under 100wh
- Small multimeter , electrical cable
- Straps and cords
- Allen keys / Torx bits
- Small ratchet + sockets
- Screwdrivers (Flat + Phillips)
- Adjustable spanner
- Pliers / multi-tool
- Multi knife/tool
- Levers for tubed tyres
Quick-fix & survival items
- Cable ties (lots, good quality, various sizes)
- Duct tape (wrap some around a tool to save space)
- Electrical tape
- Spare fuses
- Spare bulbs (where required)
- Small length of wire
- Loctite (tiny tube)
- Spare nuts/bolts (a couple of common sizes)
- Nitrile gloves (for roadside work)
Clothes
- Headscarf / Snood (evening, anti mosquito)
- Underpants
- Evening fleece/jacket/hoodie
- Shirts and t shirts
- Light shoes
- Socks
- Trousers (evening 1 pair)
- Various bags, ziplock for wet and waste
- Reading glasses
- Sunglasses
- Shorts + Swimming shorts
- Cap
- Washing powder papers
Bathroom kit
- Toilet paper
- Personal Medicine
- First aid kit
- Handwashing paste (oil etc)
- Labello (lip balm)
- Pain killers
- Shampoo/Shower gel
- Deoderant
- Tissues
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Bathroom bag
- Cleaning wipes
- Microfibre towel
- Hayfever tabs
- Mosquito cream/spray
- Sun cream (F25 +F8)
Documentation
- Passport check expiry for EU + Turkey rules
- Bike ownership paper / V5
- Insurance papers and EU + Turkey, Bosnia
- Driving licence
- ADAC / RAC / AA euro cover (turkey, Bosnia etc.)
- Money, cards (X2)
- GHIC card
- Spare key (kept separate) / key number
Luxury item
- Chair
- Headphones and MP3 player (offline)
- Kindle
- Playing cards
Video /electronics
- Main Powerbank and charging cables
- EU plug adapter
- GoPro, Stick and kit
- Laptop
- spare phone
- USB LED Lamps
- Mic for audio recording
- 12v adaptor for usb etc
- Mini bluetooth speaker
- FM Radio
- Navigation equipment
- Headphones + charging cable if BT
- Phone with offline maps (Calimoto)
- Headphones (cabled – JBL Tune 110 is a good option)
- Charging cables (spare recommended)
- Helmet intercom
- Laptop