... my method of transport is a motorcycle ... need to travel light and am wondering where I should continue this post to ask for advice on kit, locations and general skills.
Welcome!
There's a great deal of experience here and people like to chat. Most of us, er, fall into two, er, camps which means either a hammock or a tent. I'm a tent user, largely because I think it's a bit easier to carry a tent, and to hide it. I've tried a hammock and didn't really get on with it but I probably did it all wrong.
For the rest, being a biker I tend to be a bit minimalist but if I go somewhere in the Jeep then things are different and I usually put an extra couple of PSI in the tyres.
Here's my current checklist for camping on a bike.
http://www.jubileegroup.co.uk/JOS/misc/camping.2009.06.23.txt
I only really use it as an aid to a failing memory, and depending on where I'm going, which bike I'll be taking, how long I'm going for, what weather I expect to encounter and what I'll be doing on the way and when I get there I might choose to forgo some of the items, or for example switch the tent for a bivi bag.
As far as I'm concerned I need good protection from the elements (and from my fellow motorists on the journey) which means good bike kit. That isn't cheap. Things like a tent and a sleeping bag can be cheap, although I tend to go for cheap tents (I have several to choose from depending on circumstances) and a good sleeping bag (again I have several but most of the time I only use one, which is rated for fairly extreme cold but I can always sleep with the zip open
).
My stove will work fine at the summit of Everest but as far as I know it's never been there. To be perfectly honest it isn't even mine, it's the wife's, but I've sort of adopted it and she's never complained. She bought it in one of the junk shops when we were at the Barbican in Plymouth. I've tried a couple of times to get another one but it's something of an antique collectable and I need to try a bit harder.
The rest of my camping stuff is mostly things I've been given over the years or picked up in flea markets, charity shops, jumble sales, you name it. Most of the time I could manage with just my Victorinox multi-tool. A stainless mug is handy but I can easily empty a can of baked beans and use that. Although it isn't really on the list I have a Ghillie kettle, and although it's bulky I take it if I think I'll have the time to mess about with it and if I can find room for it.
I use a tank bag with a clear map pocket, but I couldn't read a map at that distance so I plan my route and write directions in large letters with a fat felt-tipped pen on a plain sheet of paper. If the bike I'm going on has a chain drive then I take a small contact lens bottle full of chain oil. The bit in the list that says "bunjees/cargo net" covers a multitude of things to tie things on/up/down/together/back/ with. I check everything over before I set off then just go. For the first few miles I run through what I think I'll be doing for the next few days. Years ago that very occasionally resulted in my turning round to get something I'd forgotten, but nowadays it's pretty well put to bed.
Try a couple of shakedown trips to some of the meets:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=19
You'll be made very welcome.
