After 18 days on the road, and about a third of them in a tent, I've got a new perspective "tenting it" on a Valk. The pros, cons, and observations are in no way ranked or categorized.....I'm just going to rattle this stuff off as I remember it.
I'll start with the Cons........
1). It is work. Setting up, breaking down. Depending on the length of the day, and the weather, you may not feel like setting everything up. Now, it is not that bad setting up, and the more you do it, the easier it becomes.
2). The weather. Can't control it. Worst and/or Best part of Camping. Sleeping through a lite rain storm can be quite enjoyable. Breaking down "camp", trying to pack and load up in the rain would really suck!!
3). Food. This can be one of the cons. Not the cooking itself, but the storage/cooling of food and the extra space the implements will take. If you have a trailer, this is a non issue. And of course, food can always be picked up along the way.
4). The Space all this stuff takes!! You've seen my photos, the duffel bag contained my camping stuff. An air mattress, a must, takes up some space. Add a sleeping bag, tent, other stuff, and you've a large, heavy cube of space. And as well all now know, 1/4 steel will bend. (my hitch)....
Obviously, the three aforementioned things are a necessity. After a long day riding, I"m not going to be sleeping on the ground/gravel. An air mattress is a must for me. Depending on how long you are gone, and how much storage capacity you have, you camping gear will take up a lot of space, leaving less space for clothing, etc...I purchased a little 12V air pump. Plugged it in to the valk, and the mattress inflated in few minutes.
5). Lack of internet. Might be an issue to some. It was for me. Mainly not knowing the weather. wanting to know the weather. Of course, McD's are always close by...(usually)....I don't have a smart phone either, so this could make my point moot. However, some camping locations are remote and even with a smart phone, data service, as well as cell service might be unavailable. So you smart phone is really just a dumb phone at that point!!
6). Creature comforts. No TV, No refrigerator, No Microwaves, etc. Of course, this is more of a + for me. Often no electricity. Only an issue if you need to recharge things. But again, McD's has plugs. Some campsites have electricity, but charge quite a bit. I have all the necesary 12v adapters to charge just about all my stuff, (ipod, phones, garmin) via the cig adapter.
As a side note, the campgrounds I chose, I found with this great website.
www.uscampgrounds.infoThis lists consists of all PUBLIC. (govt run) Camgrounds. From really nice to very "primitive".......I never had nor ever will stay in a KOA or anything similiar. Not for me, and they charge WAY too much for a tent.
The +++++++++
You "room" is quite large. Plenty of space. Camp fires. Waking up and making coffee. Parking right next to your tent. Not having to unpack/ un hook all your luggage. (that itself was quite nice). A plethora of options on where you can stay.
The cost savings is quite significant too. Many places can be free, 8.00 - 12:00. The most I paid was $15.00 and that was at Meadows of Dan MC Camp. This was a nice place, but not nearly as nice as the campgrounds I found. Actually it shouldn't have been more than 8.00 to "camp" in a field.
All of the places had nice, new showers....nice facilities.
Cooking. I was able to enjoy quite a bit of cooking. To me, that is very pleasant and an enjoyable part of camping. The single burner from Coleman worked very well. Again, if you want to cook, the stuff does take up some space, but I was able to fit everything in the big duffel bag.
I'm sure i'll think of other things, and feel free to ask any questions, etc.
Will I do it again? Absolutely. Will I take the trailer?? Probably.
