Should I get a trailer?

Motorcycle camping becomes more enjoyable if you can bring more with you for comfort. I can tell you right now that you will get a better nights sleep on a nice big soft cot than on the ground on a sleeping pad. Sleeping pads are great for 90 pound toothpicks that are still in their 20's, they are not something an experienced adult with some age and added weight should sleep on at night. At least not if they want to get a good nights sleep and feel great in the morning. I put a very high value on the quality of my sleep, even more when I am motorcycling. I need every bit of my mind to be alert and ready to avoid the next day's cagers.

Unfortunately nobody makes a cot that fits easily on a motorcycle.

The other problem is when you ride 2 up on the bike. Your rider will take up valuable cargo space AND double the amount of gear you need to bring. Not a problem if you are motel camping or cabin camping, but can be a big problem if you want to do the roadside tent across america.

So what kind of Trailer. Well it depends. First any bike can pull a trailer, I have seen Honda Rebels that were dragging a trailer behind them. The problem is, if you are not handy with a welder, very few motorcycles have hitch adapters made for them. If you find someone who is handy with fabrication they can make a trailer hitch for any bike.

Many motorcyclists pull a small 2 wheeled trailer all the way up to almost car sized campers. These have the advantage of handling more weight but the disadvantage of having two wheels that can hit potholes you avoid and alignment issues that can cause a "weave/wander" that will get you into trouble. The biggest advantage for these kinds of trailers is that they are readily available and useful behind a car when you are not riding.

My personal favorite is a single wheel trailer.

When designed right, this kind of trailer keeps the weight load very low so the stability of the motorcycle is not compromised. The wheel also tracks where the rear tire went so any potholes you avoided, the trailer avoids as well. They do not hold as much gear due to weight restrictions and size, but most times you don't need to bring 500 pounds of gear. This small amount of added storage very low is safer than putting that 80 pound tent on top of your trunk rack. It makes a long trip a lot more enjoyable because the bike handles better, and you don't have to spend 20 minutes every morning tying everything down again. just throw everything in the box and ride away.

And when riding 2 up for a long camping trip, this small trailer allows you more leeway in buying junk to bring back home.

Not everyone needs a trailer to enjoy motorcycle camping. It's another option for when you are riding two up and need a better nights sleep, or you are the pack mule for the group carrying a 12 man tent, the kitchen, beer, etc.. It delivers more options for carrying equipment safer, cleaner, or just a whole lot more stuff.

Remember, packing minimal is not the only option, it's just the easiest and cheapest option.

What's in your safety kit?

I will be the first to admit, my safety kit on the bike is nearly empty. I have a basic toolkit, but not first aid or anything else. I really should have at least 2 flares in there, broken down on the side of the road you really need something to catch the attention of the driver that is busy texting his BFF about OMG... plus if you did take a mild crash off the bike and hurt yourself you still need to get to a hospital. Most of the time the bike will still be drivable unless you went off the road at 90mph. so if you needed to splint your broken fingers so you can at least ride 10 miles to a hospital, you need the stuff to do it. Sometimes it's even something simple as needing a bee sting kit for that honeybee that went in your helmet at 55mph. I also try to have $20.00 in cash in the safety kit or stashed on the bike. $20.00 will get you somewhere safe. $50.00 is even better, but some people cant spare $50.00 to sit around in an emergency kit.

First aid Kit: nothing special, but some band-aids, gauze, medical tape and two pop-sickle sticks. add a neosporin spray as well if you want. but keep it tiny. I like to throw in a first aid space blanket as well. they are small cheap and will save your butt when broken down on the side of the road in the middle of a rain storm when the temps dropped to 40. You need to get one.

Safety kit: Tools, you need your bikes toolkit, or if you own a newer bike then your bike maker hates you and gave you no tools. you need to build a toolkit with a multi-screwdriver, and at least 2 wrenches with double ends that have the 4 most used sizes on your bike. you also need a sparkplug wrench that actually works well on your bike. ALL of the tools must work well for your bike. The last thing you want is to fight with junk on the side of the road. I also bring 2 extra spark plugs. Also a tire plug kit, you never know when you need to fix a nail hole. set of 6 zip ties, 6" to 8" long. they work great for fixing a broken fairing or other bike part. Also at least 2 small road flares, waterproof matches in a container and a film can stuffed with cotton balls. the matches + cotton balls = instant fire. If you get a little gasoline on a cotton ball it will light instantly and burn hot and long. Yes you might have to start a fire. the 1.2 ounces for the cotton balls and matches are worth the rare chance of you needing to start a fire to save your life or at least be comfortable. A LED flashlight, crank type is best because you will forget and the thing will have dead batteries when you need it. But also add a small tube of sunscreen and a small tube of insect repellent.

Why? stuck for 5 hours in the sun being baked to a crisp is not fun. neither is getting eaten alive by mosquitoes in the eventing while you try and put a plug in the tire to limp to a motel.

This should be enough to make your breakdown comfortable and fix the cut on your knuckle when you bash it trying to fix the bike on the side of the road. 99% of the time it will not be a life or death thing, but you need to prepare for that 1%. Also having something to help a fellow rider who crashed is a big thing. if you can help a biker who is down until the ambulance arrives, you will feel better about yourself. Bikers help bikers, at least real ones do.