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3 Weeks Ago
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Join Date: Oct 2024
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Recommendations for packing for two
My wife and I are planning on touring Europe in 2025. We'll be two up on one bike with paniers. We're looking for an 750-900cc.
I started budgeting costs for everything, including hotels, and it's getting quite expensive for 8 months of travel. She suggested camping, which I have no problem with.
The issue is the space required for tents, bags and mattresses. We have two, two-person tents, which we could use either one, but they are quite large. Our sleeping bags are 0 degree which are quite large also.
Are there any blogs or youtubers you can recommend I watch for suggestions on how to pack for two people on one bike?
Any suggestions on light weight, rain proof, two person tents and bags?
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3 Weeks Ago
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Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Portugal permanent, Sweden during summer
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Camping gear
a) A two person tent will not be confortable.
You will sleep very tight, and no room for anything....
You need at least a 3 - person tent.
b) The weight is seldom the roblem.. It is the volume.
But since those items are not heavy, you couldpack them rather high.
==
Use aluminium panniers.
And put a waterproof bag on top of both the panniers and the top case.
That is where you need to fit the camping equipment.
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3 Weeks Ago
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Consider also that in much of Europe you cannot really do wildcamping, so you will be paying campsite fees every night. Between this, the inconvenience of carrying the camping stuff while two-up, and the inconvenience of setting up and breaking down tents every day, it may not be worthwhile for a Europe trip.
That said, I've successfully packed all my camping stuff into a single 19-liter drybag - for one person. For two people, traveling by car, we had a duffel bag for the camping stuff. 2-3-person tent (Coleman Festival in our case), two pads, two sleeping bags, inflatable pillows, cooking stuff.
This is the one I used for solo moto camping: https://www.louis.eu/en/speedbag-wit...umber=10068913 (mine is an older model but same thing).
This will fit two people's camping supplies easily: https://www.louis.eu/en/trekking-rol...umber=10068912
But then you have no topbox, nowhere to lock up helmets while you are off the bike, no backup storage to carry the day's groceries/water/etc.
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3 Weeks Ago
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If you have to go two-up rather than taking two bikes, I'd suggest a shorter holiday and staying in hostels rather than lugging that much stuff around ... I've only done one short tour two-up on a large bike with hard panniers packed to the gunnels, and found the weight of the bike sucked my riding enjoyment right out, to the point that I'd have rather taken a small car (or a trike, or sidecar, if I had lots of money) instead.
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3 Weeks Ago
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Join Date: Dec 2007
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Consider a single wheel trailer to carry extra gear for camping. Mosko has large soft panniers that are safer during a tip over, vs hard panniers. Keep your kit sparse, light, and packed low. Too much gear and weight makes for difficult handling at slow speeds.
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3 Weeks Ago
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnTyx
the inconvenience of carrying the camping stuff while two-up, and the inconvenience of setting up and breaking down tents every day, it may not be worthwhile for a Europe trip.
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Good point. At our age (over 60), may be worth hostels/hotels for the convenience factor. We're planning on 8 months in total playing the Shengen shuffle in 2025 and maybe a few more in 2026.
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3 Weeks Ago
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Turbofurball
If you have to go two-up rather than taking two bikes, I'd suggest a shorter holiday and staying in hostels rather than lugging that much stuff around ... I've only done one short tour two-up on a large bike with hard panniers packed to the gunnels, and found the weight of the bike sucked my riding enjoyment right out, to the point that I'd have rather taken a small car (or a trike, or sidecar, if I had lots of money) instead.
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Found a bike with a sidecar in Ireland. Would love to try it, but probably over our budget...
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3 Weeks Ago
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This works for my wife and I, but maybe not for everyone.
A large tent - we use a big Agnes House 4. It fills a Kreiga US40 bag. Similar size to the redverz or various copies.
Two big Agnes sleeping pads and two big Agnes sleeping bags (system) and two pillows.
They pack in a US30 bag that sits on the US40 on the rear rack.
Bulky but not heavy.
Then we each get a side pannier, but mine also carries the trangia stove.
But you have to treat it as backpacking and pack accordingly. Mind you, our family of 5 travel abroad with only carry on, so used to it.
Finally, consider a large scooter - Nmax500 or XADV750. That under seat storage is fantastic - low down and secure.
Have fun.
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3 Weeks Ago
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MTBE
Good point. At our age (over 60), may be worth hostels/hotels for the convenience factor. We're planning on 8 months in total playing the Shengen shuffle in 2025 and maybe a few more in 2026.
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Just on this, consider Airbnb month long stays.
You save a tonne and you can see one area really well.
Even weekly stays save $$. Hostels are ok, it we end up getting hotels for the sexxxx…..
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3 Weeks Ago
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Homers GSA
Just on this, consider Airbnb month long stays.
You save a tonne and you can see one area really well.
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AirBnB's service and cleaning fees have gotten preposterous. You can do a long-term rental on a holiday apartment via booking.com (and other competitors I am sure) for much more reasonable ultimate prices.
In fact, honestly, for long-term stays in one place, a resort hotel would not be the worst option - they are set up to provide significantly discounted long stays.
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3 Weeks Ago
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Homers GSA
Just on this, consider Airbnb month long stays.
You save a tonne and you can see one area really well.
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AirBnB's service and cleaning fees have gotten preposterous. You can do a long-term rental on a holiday apartment via booking.com (and other competitors I am sure) for much more reasonable ultimate prices.
In fact, honestly, for long-term stays in one place, a resort hotel would not be the worst option - they are set up to provide significantly discounted long stays.
In general you make a good point: if OP is budgeting 8 months for the trip, they will definitely have the time to make a central base for a week or two of out-and-back travel in various directions before shifting.
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3 Weeks Ago
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnTyx
AirBnB's service and cleaning fees have gotten preposterous. You can do a long-term rental on a holiday apartment via booking.com (and other competitors I am sure) for much more reasonable ultimate prices.
In fact, honestly, for long-term stays in one place, a resort hotel would not be the worst option - they are set up to provide significantly discounted long stays.
In general you make a good point: if OP is budgeting 8 months for the trip, they will definitely have the time to make a central base for a week or two of out-and-back travel in various directions before shifting.
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Not my experience recently, but you do have to search and read the reviews.
Perhaps it depends where the op is going to stay.
I’m the worlds number one tight a$$ and the figures still supported long term airbnb and some booking com hotels.
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3 Weeks Ago
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MTBE
Found a bike with a sidecar in Ireland. Would love to try it, but probably over our budget...
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If you've never owned a sidecar rig, my recommendation is to pass on that one. A well set up rig is a hoot to drive. A poorly set up one you will hate. Add a lot of weight and it's hit or miss if you'll like it or not. That said, many European sidecar rigs are well set up, more so than in the States. Because of the quality of set up, the price reflects the work involved.
I do own and travel with a sidecar, so this advice is from experience.
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2 Weeks Ago
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Given that the post above are nearly unanimously opposed to two-up camping I have to wonder about all the two-up campers I see out and about, at least in the US. While it wouldn’t work for me personally for all the obvious reasons—too much bulk, too much weight, too little riding pleasure—it’s obviously working for a lot of folks.
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2 Weeks Ago
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Quote:
Originally Posted by markharf
Given that the post above are nearly unanimously opposed to two-up camping I have to wonder about all the two-up campers I see out and about, at least in the US. While it wouldn’t work for me personally for all the obvious reasons—too much bulk, too much weight, too little riding pleasure—it’s obviously working for a lot of folks.
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My wife and I camp 2 up on my Vstrom 650....
We use very lightweight (and expensive) gear. All the camping gear goes in the large ortlieb bag across the back. She has a 35 L case for her personal gear, and I have the other. Tools etc all fit under the seat on this bike. The bike is not overloaded and it is still fun to ride.
But..........
We really have to go very light on personal gear to make this work. 1 pair of zip off hiking pants, 1 ultralight t shirt, 1 pair of socks, one pair of sandals (no walking shoes) etc. The stove usually ends up on my side and the food on hers.
Generally, we only go this route if we have a specific destination we want to camp for a day or two. For traveling, and wandering around, this is a bit too spartan for us and we leave the camping gear at home.
...............shu
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Recommendations for packing for two
