I’ve been camping and backpacking since I was a kid, but I didn’t start riding motorcycles until I was in college. Even then, for quite a few years I never considered combining the two hobbies. Motorcycles felt dangerous enough on their own.
Trying to use a motorcycle to go camping felt even riskier, not to mention complex, adding new logistical snafus and stresses to those that already come from a camping trip.
It wasn’t until a trip to Guatemala in 2021 that I first began motorcycle camping. I rented a Honda XR250 Tornado, spent a month traveling the country, and fell in love with living off of two wheels. In the years since, I’ve ridden and camped on over a dozen bikes in regions from the Andes to the Himalaya, South Pacific, and Balkans.
In this article, I’ll share why I fell in love with the practice, with four reasons you might want to consider motorcycle camping (and one reason you might not).
1. You’ll Save Money and Be More Eco-Friendly
Motorbikes present numerous advantages both for your wallet and your carbon footprint. Small-to-medium displacement motorbikes like the Royal Enfield Himalayans shown in these photos are a mere $5,000 new. Older or smaller bikes can easily be found for far less. I’ve purchased motorbikes for as little as $900 in some countries.
Motorcycles aren’t just better for your wallet on the front end, though. A small motorcycle’s gas mileage is infinitely better than even the most fuel-efficient car. You’ll save TONS on gas. This varies based on the bike, but as an example, with the Himalayan—a bike I’ve ridden in India, Ecuador, and the United States—you can count on 70 to 80 mpg.
NOTE: Motorbikes emit far less CO2 than cars, but do emit more smog-forming pollutants like hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. However, when you also account for the raw materials and energy used in the production of a motorbike vs. a car, there is a clear winner in the eco-friendly contest.
2. You’re Forced to Pack Smaller, Lighter, and Smarter
Motorcycle camping encourages an uber-minimalist approach because space is at a premium. You can only carry what you can fit behind you. Unlike in a car, where you can throw in oodles of random gear and supplies and pick what you want when you get to the campsite or trailhead, on a motorcycle you have to make all those decisions before you leave home.
I used to think this was a pain in the butt, but the more I’ve camped off of a bike, the more I’ve appreciated how it forces me to be conscious of what, and how, I pack.
It’s a great way to fight the consumerism so rampant in the outdoor industry these days, to learn what you truly need and what you can do without, and what pieces of gear and apparel are so lightweight and versatile that they’re worth bringing. Years of trips on motorbikes have helped me pare my gear closet down to the bare essentials, so when I do reach the wilderness, I’m not surrounded by half of REI’s catalog and can actually focus on the nature around me.
3. You’re More in Touch with the World Around You
Another seemingly irritating feature of motorcycle camping is that you’re always at the mercy of the elements. Wind, rain, snow, sweltering heat and freezing cold… None of this really matters when you’re traveling by car. You can simply roll up those windows and put on Spotify to block it all out.
You’re out of luck on a motorcycle. I’ve spent many hours stuck underneath highway overpasses as rain poured down or prematurely stopped to set up camp for the night amid snowstorms and high winds.
This may seem like a curse, but it’s really a blessing. After all, camping is about getting out in nature, outside of our little bubbles at home and work, and experiencing the natural world around us. Motorcycles force us to be out there. When things go south on a motorcycle trip, there is no escaping to the A/C, radio, and plush reclined seats of your car. You have to pivot and make the most of it.
4. The Adventure Begins the Moment You Leave Home
When you drive a car to a campsite or trailhead, your adventure doesn’t start until you arrive and park your car. When you use a motorcycle, your adventure begins the moment you swing your leg over the bike and leave your garage.
In a car, the journey to go camping is just anticipation. You’re sitting behind your glass windows, sipping coffee, listening to podcasts, and trying not to fall asleep as the world drones by outside. On a motorcycle, the journey is part of the adventure.
One Reason You Shouldn’t: Motorcycles are Dangerous
The biggest reason most people will never learn to ride a motorcycle—much less take one camping—is that they’re dangerous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcyclists are 28 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash, and 4 times more likely to be injured.
There is no way around this. Some of the risk can be mitigated by defensive driving, regular skills practice, wearing high-quality gear, and not riding under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Still, you’re taking a risk anytime you get on a motorbike, even if you’re a perfect driver.
If it’s not for you, it’s not for you.
But as outdoor enthusiasts, we take risks all the time in return for rewards. If you give motorcycle camping a shot, you may find that the rewards are more than you expected.
