[dsn_klr650] packs for camping

[Skip Faulkner]

> > As a new owner of a KLR I am geting ready to out fit my scooter for > > back road camping trips of 3-4 days. I am considering Rev packs tour > > packs or their new excursion pack. Has any one used them on a KLR? If > > so what did you think of them? What are some other option to > > concider? These trips will eventually become 7-10 day trips so I > > need a large capacity bag. >

Kurt`s method is excellent, but I`ll give you another option. We motorcycle camp most of the summer, trying to get away most weekends and sometimes longer ( not much this summer though) and I like using Tim`s panniers, dry bag on the rack and tankbag, although I may go to a smaller tankbag and get tank panniers. I put my cook burner, mini-mantle lantern head ( both the burner and lantern head go on the small propane bottle, lighter than liquid fuel and lasts at least a week), tools, food, eating utensils, clothes and emergency gear, etc. in the panniers. Featherweight sleeping bag and tent go in the drybag, which I place on the rear of the seat and rack ( forward weight and backrest). Raingear, snacks, maps, TP, PT, first aid kit and anything I want immediate access to (guns, bearspray, non-SJ oil etc), goes in the tank bag. A couple of reasons I like the panniers are that a lot of the areas we camp, you`re required to hang your food, unless you have a bear proof container, which the aluminum panniers work as. The other is, we tend to be in some pretty remote areas and being 5`6", on rocky uneven trails, I have been known drop my bike when going slow and go to put my foot down when there`s nothing there. Speed is my friend. Many times the panniers have saved my bike as well as my camping gear. They also make the bike easier to pick up, as the panniers prevent the bike from laying all the way down. When trail clearance is going to be a problem, I use soft bags, rear rack and day-pack. This is where Kurt`s method would work especially well. Skip