Moto Bushcrafting gear?

[Wushuplayer]

Hi,

My motorcycle is my main mode of transport the the moment, until it gets icy! I'm a beginner in both motorcycling and bush crafting (which I realise is probably a dangerous situation to be in!)

I was wondering if there was apparel that would be advantages in both disciplines? So clothing that is protective in terms of abrasion to road and bush, relatively shower proof, and spark resistant. Would it be better to ride to the site and change once there, but that means bringing extra gear?

Also I carry my equipment in waterproof tank and rear seat soft luggage bags which are designed to securely be strapped to the bike but they are not great if you need to carry them for a hike. Where as wearing a backpack or strapping it to the bike is not safe for riding especially in high wind conditions. So any solutions, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Mowmow]

Hmm as with anything, anything you choose is a compromise.
Some gear is more comfortable in varying weather but less protective, some offers more comfort in the heat but may not be as weather resistant, leather is the best protection against road rash but can be uncomfortabke for high physical activity (off roading for example).

I used to use plain leather boots and gloves that secure above the wrist that are quite good for both, but i sacrifice the extra protection you get from dedicated motorbike gear but still get protection from road rash, although those 2 fingered motorbike mit/glove things are by far the best choice in winter. (I used to ride mine in the snow and all sorts below minus 10 + windchill), you'll thank me when you pull up to your destination with ice frozen on your gloves but you can still move your fingers. I DO NOT MISS THE CHILBLAINS!

With boots ankle protection and good soles that grip your pegs well is important.
I didnt use motorbike trousers (although my knees wish I had!) So tall leather army boots and jeans or work trousers were my choice.

I will say if you choose motorbike gloves, palm protection is wayyyyyy more important than any plastic knuckles n what not which really dont offer much of any valuable protection.

You also want somewhere to store your tools and other hard or pointy things away from your body just incase you come off they are not going to muller you.


Wicking baselayers, thermal long sleeves and longjohns.
Warm midlayers, wool or fleece
The main one on a bike is wind and rain protection, if it was cold i tended to prefer a wearing all my outdoor layers, including windproof, under the leather jacket.
Or stick waterproofs over everything you are wearing.

Good socks, good boots, good gloves and a tube scarf, were all essentials.
Usually because of the carrying limitations (i only used to have a rucksack) id just wear all my bushcraft kit and my helmet and probably just leave my bike jacket at home.
But what I will say is if you come off, you are going to wish you had worn all of your protective gear!
Even with high quality protective pads i have injuries that still plague me today!

At the very least, helmet, gloves, boots and the thickest warmest jackets and trousers you own, if only to protect from road rash.
The material of your bike gear protects from road rash, the pads attempt to reduce the additional injuries! Broken bones, bruising, dislocations, whatever! Theres also other crazy like phenomenons like torsional twist and what not.

In fairness motorcycling is perfectly safe, the main thing is be confident (especially true in foul weather or at speed), ride defensively, ride for the conditions. When it comes to weather, always better to be prepared than get caught out, its not so bad if its raining and you have a waterproof jacket on.

I am guilty for not wearing all the kit all of the time, most importantly wear what youre comfortable in.

But anyway, you can pretty much wear any bushcraft kit along with your motorbike gear.

So moisture wicking baselayers, thermal mid layers, windproof/weatherproof shell.

Maybe look at adventure style motorbike ppe, its generally loose cut, breathanle and offees good weather protection, and good road protection. As its designed for asphalt and off road use where youll be cruising the motorway one moment or stood on the pegs off roading up a trail the next

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[Mowmow]

You can get waxed cotton motorbike jackets with the protective pads.
It wont offer much in regards to protection from road rash but theyre still popular for the weather resistance and comfort and the pads just give you that bit of extra bump protection. Popular for fans of classic bikes and what not. Stylish as ever.
Could be a good bushcraft compromise, you can probably just pop the pads out when you make camp for a sort of all in one jacket.

Youd probably also benefit from a bike jacket with multiple good pockets and whatnot too!
Synthetics are lighter and more weatherpoof by far, and im sure theyll be fairly spark resistant as when you slide down the road in an accident it's hot enough to melt your baselayers underneath!

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[Mowmow]

Best thing to do is to just get out and do it. Be wary as well that carrying a heavy pack on your bike will significantly effect how it handles, its nothing to worry about, just take it into account.

Your main worry is going to be are you going to be warm enough and dry enough from when you leave your home til you arrive to your destination, then when you have done your hiking, bushcraftimg, camping, whatever, then the journey home.

Being cold and wet on a bike is dangerous.
Your most important pieces of kit in my opinion will be your bike gear if youre going any decent distance. Helmet, gloves, jacket, boots.

If youre only nipping down the road locally its not so much as a problem, in my opinion.

Edit: im not saying because youre closer to home you shouldnt worry about your safety. Im just saying you can make better judgements based on your calculated risks n what not.
What roads, what your biggest risks are n all that.

Also take into account tiredness, long rides can be physically and mentally taxing! It can take everything you have just to keeo yourself relatively safe.
That's not going to be helped if youre strapped down by tons of gear making you uncomfortable or the wrong clothing choices or not being prepared for certain scenarios.

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[Mowmow]

I hope this wasnt too much and hasnt put you off.
Just a few things to think about i suppose.

To be honest it's literally a case of grab your outdoor clothing, sling your bushcraft pack on, hop on your bike and enjoy the ride.

Youll notice if you ride your bike everyday in all weathers, you soon acclimatise to pretty much anything that comes your way.

Stay confident!

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[sunndog]

Wear your bushcraft gear under sized to fit bike gear, maybe just pack a jacket.
You'll be glad to get the bike gear off after a rainy ride or keep it on and be dry in camp. As for specific items for a adventure boots are the most comfortable I've had to walk in. Even the high ones

A rucksack can be secured to a motorbike very well and very easily get some good bungees or rock straps or ladder straps whatever and play around strapping stuff down until the bike will tip over before the bag moves.
That said the most comfy rucksack I've ever had to wear while riding is a kruga 35. Spendy but loads of used ones around

I've been doing it for many many years and carried truly daft loads on a bike like rucksack panniers and tank bag...then adding a 160ltr holdall to the pillion, oh and the rucksack contained my dog lol. Never had an issue losing a load,
Practise until youre confident anything strapped on is done well enough

 

[lostplanet]

I'm a biker and wild camper. although i dont do both at the same time. One of the best products I have ever bought for both interests is woolpower clothing.
I use my 200 zip neck for anything cold weather on top of a polyester t shirt baselayer. I really like the PCS issue T shirts. They are cheap, hardwearing and anti static.

I have DPM goretex over trousers for rain and cold. Again cheap and affordable. not so "crisp packet" as the new PCS MTP versions. Buy extra large to go over the top of bike gear.

Exped or equivalent drybags or canoe bags are a good investment for both interests.

Aquapac do some great waterproof phone pouches.

I've ridden in Ice and snow 120 mile journeys up the M11 and the main thing I found was hands suffering from cold. I dont have to do it now but if i did i would seriously consider handlebar muffs and a decent bike glove, so you still have dexterity to use controls without the bulk of a winter glove. Just double check that the Muffs dont touch the brake lever and trigger the brake light when in the wind and at speed.

Green fairy liquid daily for anti fogging visors or goggles.

Treat eveyonelse on the road as a complete idiot and you should be good. Developing Deer vision and the 6th and 7th sense will come with experience.

Enjoy! Both interests are fabulous and combined will be on another level.

 

[Wushuplayer]

Yeah, you are right there always seems to be a compromise. Maybe there's a market for moto bushcrafting gear! Water, spark, abrasion resistant.

those 2 fingered motorbike mit/glove things are by far the best choice in winter

Are those the lobster style gloves?! They look so funny, they might be warm but I don't think I can pull them off! lol

I'm pretty risk adverse and will always wear the best quality PPE I can afford even if it's a short trip to the shop. It's just that I'm trying to avoid damaging it when in the bush. I guess wearing gaiters is a good option.

ou can get waxed cotton motorbike jackets with the protective pads.

I have a wax cotton jacket which is great for motorcycling and veg abrasion resistant but as I understand it's pretty flammable. A compromise again I guess.

I hope this wasnt too much and hasnt put you off.
Just a few things to think about i suppose.

No definitely hasn't put me off, and I thank you for your honest response. I guess I need to accept there are some compromises, I need to learn how to work around them, go out a learn and make some mistakes, hopefully not very painful ones!

 

[Wushuplayer]

160ltr holdall to the pillion, oh and the rucksack contained my dog lol

Hahaha, I'd love to see that! do you have any pictures?
I tried to strap my 65L karimor alpiniste to the pillion of my Yamaha MT07 with bungees but wasn't very secure so I abandoned that idea. I will have another go.

 

[Wushuplayer]

For those that wild camp with your bike, do any of you leave it in the car park? I don't think I'd sleep thinking whether my bike would be still be there in the morning!

 

[sunndog]

Hahaha, I'd love to see that! do you have any pictures?
I tried to strap my 65L karimor alpiniste to the pillion of my Yamaha MT07 with bungees but wasn't very secure so I abandoned that idea. I will have another go.

Don't be afraid to pull those bungees all the way tight, take a wrap around something before hooking it at helps keep the tension and takes pressure off the hook. Ladder straps are good to but tbh I prefer bungees also sometimes use a quality elasticated cargo net for odd shaped loads.

The best bet would be to sit the bag crosswise on the bike and bungee down to your panniers too that will make it much more stable.

As for pics that was just a Tuesday not an event worthy of pictures lol

 

[sunndog]

Oh another thing I like to do for extra security is make sure the bag is touching my back so I'll feel it if it starts to move. Good for peace of mind

 

[Erbswurst]

I guess this straps are better than elastic bungee. Isn't it?

These are made in Germany by Ortlieb, that's obviously quality stuff.

Compression Straps metal buckle, set of 2

Spanngurte aus 20mm breitem Gurtband mit Metallklemmschnalle. In den Längen 50cm, 100cm oder 200cm.

www.ortlieb.com

 

[Tigger004]

I've tried all sorts of straps and my personal favourite is Rok straps.
I have several sets, they do not twang in an eye and paint damaging way, they are so easy to attach and tighten,
Try a pair of Rok cruiser straps and make up your own mind, I'm finally happy after cargo nets, cam buckles, ratchets and bungees. Good luck


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[sunndog]

Those are just ladder straps. Are they made in Germany or China like every other ladder strap ?

The reason I prefer bungee for securing soft stuff like bags is it's easy to pull from allsorts of different angles when you wrap around whatever fixing points are available on the bike and they pull down on your load constantly. As the bag and contents naturally compress the bungee follows it down and still remains tight

 

[Mowmow]

For those that wild camp with your bike, do any of you leave it in the car park? I don't think I'd sleep thinking whether my bike would be still be there in the morning!

For an overnighter, a thick heavy bike chain that goes through the frame and rear wheel of your bike to something solid like a lamp post or a railing or something if there's one about. Then a disc lock for your front wheel.

You could possibly leave your bike gear stored on your bike?

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[bobnewboy]

Those are just ladder straps. Are they made in Germany or China like every other ladder strap ?

The reason I prefer bungee for securing soft stuff like bags is it's easy to pull from allsorts of different angles when you wrap around whatever fixing points are available on the bike and they pull down on your load constantly. As the bag and contents naturally compress the bungee follows it down and still remains tight

When I was doing a lot of touring and rallies I always used good quality bungies, for the reasons that Sunndog gives. Never bother with cheap ones- always buy the thickest and longest ones you can get. Long bungies can be easily shortened temporarily as required. Good bungies also have a substantial plastic coating on their hooks too, which reduces the possibility of damage at the attachment points.

I have used cargo nets as well, but only as an addition to bungies. Nets can be handy for holding down smaller things like a plate or board for your side stand (absolutely essential in my mind for any ground softer than tarmac), while keeping it easy to find/reach from the saddle.

 

[Wushuplayer]

For an overnighter, a thick heavy bike chain that goes through the frame and rear wheel of your bike to something solid like a lamp post or a railing or something if there's one about. Then a disc lock for your front wheel.

You could possibly leave your bike gear stored on your bike?

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The chain would be ideal but means lugging round that beast. I have a disc brake lock, alarm and tracker but still wouldn't stop someone lifting it in a van. The Yamaha mt07 is quite small, not really an adventure/touring bike. In the Summer I fill a 20L tank bag and a 30L pillion bag to the brim.
Hmmmm... adventure bike...

Does anybody know if riding off road in places like Dartmoor for legal wild camping is frowned upon?

 

[Broch]

Does anybody know if riding off road in places like Dartmoor for legal wild camping is frowned upon?

Travelling anywhere by motorised transport off a legal vehicular right of way is frowned upon. In fact, if you go off a vehicular right of way on your bike you can get it impounded. However, there are plenty of legal 'green lanes' that do have rights of way by motorised transport on them but you need to do some research to find them and make sure they are open.

You need to look at the regulations for driving/riding 'off-road' (actually off-tarmac as green lanes are theoretically roads) and local bye-laws about camping in the wild.

 

[Erbswurst]

I didn't call them, but usually all Ortlieb products are made in Germany.
Because the drybags, bicycle bags and motorbike bags have an outstanding high quality you see them in use as well as in shops everywhere in Germany.
Slowly the first become round about 30 years old. And off course people notice that.