What does it mean to be “Wandering travelers on two wheels” and what should never be missing on a motorcycle trip when sleeping in a tent?
The most beautiful thing about being a wandering traveler on two wheels is definitely the sense of freedom. Freedom to choose where to go and what to see, where to eat and even where to sleep.
Thanks to the choice of using our tent when free camping, we always discover new, hidden and wonderful sites, places to wander through and camp for the night. Finding a place to for the night is not always easy, you must feel safe, so we ended up sneaking into the woods, the countryside, behind some hills and sometimes on some deserted beach…if we were lucky!
The choice of sleeping in a tent first of all, gives us an advantage from an economic point of view being that we save money on hotels and camping expenses.
Our first tent
We decided to buy our first tent at Decathlon at the beginning of our adventure, choosing a classic and economical model. Along with the muggy nights, however, the years of journeying pass by and our house of polyester is ruined and finally it is pierced. We suffered the heat and the cold, but we always felt safe in our tent, like an invisible protective wall that cradled us during our night dreams, except for that night in the Cambodian countryside when a group of killer ants pierced and invaded our house. There is nothing left to do, their bite is painful and burns and before we know it, we are invaded. Thus begins a fight to the finish, they eventually succeed and evict us.
Obviously, soon after, we decided to get a more serious and professional tent. So, we get the MSR Hubba, which guarantees optimal protection in all seasons. Surely a great investment compared to the previous purchase but this is our home after all and we decide to carry it with us around the world!
The must-have requirements for our tent are: a reduced size, especially when closed, light weight and certainly a simple and easy to open and close, being that we are on the move every day and it can happen to have to mount it even in the dark or in the rain.
Sleeping bag
Sleeping bags are essential when free camping and it is essential that they are small in size. Davide chooses the 18 degrees Quechua bag purchased at a cheap price that is tiny when closed, while Jackie, who is always cold, needs a more professional sleeping bag, 0 degrees, despite constantly being cold nonetheless. A good idea for those traveling on motorbikes with sleeping bags is to make sure they are always covered by an impermeable outdoor sack in order to prevent them from getting wet or getting dirty.
Mattresses
Mattresses are also important for sleeping as well as for saving your back from this low-cost trip. They are small when closed and comfortable, our most used mattresses are certainly the inflatable ones. Their disadvantage though is when the weather is cold because they transmit the low temperature from the ground to the body. But, we prefer them to any other type of mattress given that they are really comfortable, cheap and almost indestructible, we prefer them to any other type of mattress.
We also used self-inflating ones with closed cells, but they are too expensive, terribly thin and therefore uncomfortable, especially if you sleep on the side.
Mini stove
Another very important accessory for wandering travelers like us is the stove. When the late afternoon is approaching, it is time to look for a place to lay our heads for the night, once that aspect is sorted out, we wait for night-time to mount our tent and we delight ourselves by preparing a warm meal on our stove while waiting.
We initially used a very expensive gasoline cooker, certainly professional, but it always seemed to be disassembled, dirty and stuck during our tumultuous journey which was often done on a dirt road full of vibrations. Given the many downsides, we therefore decided to switch to a rudimentary alcohol stove made from can leftovers… after all, we have Vagabond Instincts! Our mini-stove is indestructible and completely free, the only flaw is that it needs alcohol in order to function, but at a reduced consumption rate.
This is all of our camping equipment in a nutshell, which we cleverly store in a single rear bag to facilitate the daily mounting-dismounting process, always in different places and around the world!
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