I'll be at Gettysburg Bike Week, July 7-10. Not staying there, staying a mile or so away at the Gettysburg KOA (quieter, less traffic).

Just purchased my 4-day pass too, so I can go anywhere on the venue all 4 days.

Going to tent camp at KOA, have a new tent and bag and such, want to give it a good shake out. And I'm close enough to home that if I forget something, or just want to get a shower in my own house, I can do that too. Heh.

First morning, 10am Thursday. Already bikes are starting to roll in...

Main entrance, the vendor tents are like 4 long rows of huge tents, plus a 5th of food and drink vendors. The stage is off to the right.

* Last updated by: privateer on 7/15/2011 @ 3:34 PM *

If your close enough to go home for a shower that your not camping at all,

That's like running around in your Speedo's in the back yard, and telling everyone you had a great day at the beach.

Hope the weather is good

LOL can't you read, ethin?

I'm using as an opportunity to work the "bugs" out of a lot of new ultralight camping equipment. And because it is close to home (well, and hour, but thats close) if something doesn't work right or I forget something, I can recover easy. Update my checklist. And be ready for real camping later.

One thing I'm doing is working out how things get packed. There are only so many liters of storage, so not everything gets inside a case or bag, and on the way out a lot of space is taken up by MREs and butagas. Butagas is a pain, the canisters are not real big, but they take up a lot of space. And need to be packed so they don't bang around. I learned my lesson about ultralight stoves in 1991 when I toured Western Europe and camped the whole time. When you don't have fuel, that $400 stove that fits inside a pack of cigs and can boil 16 ounces of water in under 2 minutes, isn't worth a damn. I'm still learning how much it will consume. The trick is to take just barely enough, so you keep throwing them away during the trip, and come back without any, making everything else pack better.

So when I'm a couple days ride away, or more, I don't find myself saying "shit, I forgot the widget".

The weather should be fantastic. Part of this trial run is what will pay off if I have to set up in the rain, or get set up and a hard rain comes down.

Things you learn living off the land in the military, or even in Boy Scouts. But practice makes perfect.

* Last updated by: privateer on 6/29/2011 @ 8:12 PM *

I was reading and fishing all at once , took my FJR across to New Zealand for 6 weeks , packed a mountain of shit half of which I could of gone without. Did a trip to the Snowy mountains last year got my packing down a little tighter this time.

Will head to Tasmania for 4 weeks in 2012, will need to do some practice runs myself.

Amazing what weight dose to a bike , and how quick you still can be loaded like a truck.

Some of the best holidays I've had, have been in the wet. not every one's cup of tea riding in the wet weather, you go away for trip ,its a ride wet or dry make the most of it.

Yes, I agree. I, too, have been on trips where I had too much. And some when I missed a critical piece.

Like my obsession with butagas. On my ride from London, England to Assan, Holand to Nice, France (with day trips to Italy and Spain and Germany during a month there) I had MREs in my kit but never was able to use them and so ended up having to spend more money than I planned on prepared food. I had set my ultralight stove to kerosene mode (jets, etc.) before I crated the bike up and sent it, thinking of course I could find kerosene in France.

Maybe, but I forgot to find out the French word for kerosene, and apparently kept asking for jet fuel.

Riding in the rain is a fact of life if you stay in the saddle more than a few hours. So another tricky part of packing is having the rain gear (suit - 2 piece or 1 piece, gloves, boots/covers) where you can get them without moving anything. Oh, just put them on top.... not always the easiest thing to do.

Most every 2-day or longer trip I've gone on over the last couple years, there has been at least once the ride had to stop and put on rain gear. Its funny to watch people struggle with rain gear they had never used before. Especially when it is too small to go over the riding clothes. Like, you didn't try that out before you packed it at least once? Heh.

was a believer in one piece monsoon suit, when in the snow areas or just cold and raining. but over the years have gone to a 2 piece , what I use now is a rain jacket that goes over my main jacket, and separate pants over the bottom half, with glove overs for when its wet and cold.

Over here it gets hot quick between showers , the rain coat comes on and of easy, keep it all in the top of the Bagster tank bag ready to go

* Last updated by: ethin14 on 6/30/2011 @ 6:02 PM *

Hey ethin when in 2012 to Tassie ? as Goody (XJR1300) N myself and wifes R going there in March then !

will be Feb, March, ment to be the best weather, no date set as yet . will catch up for a coffee if at the same time. let you buy me a meat pie. or maybe tassie salmon.

OH yeh fair swap for a JB LOl

Well, I wimped out. Changed my reservation to a Kabin. Still taking the sleeping bag to throw over the bed.

My knees are giving me some trouble, and I don't feel like getting down on them to get into and out of a little tent. Even though is a nice 2-man with more than enough room for 2, and a good size entry door on each side, its still not a walk-in.

When I used to camp at Laguna Seca for the USGP back in the early 90s, I put all the gear in my Jeep and hauled it down, set up, then drove home and switched to the ZX11. Was funny to see a couple sportbikes around this huge tent and some stopped asking how the heck we hauled all the gear (big gas stove and grill, etc. etc.) on the bikes. Heh.

I guess I've gotten to point where I won't be camping as much as I used to. It just hurts too much.

At least ya still getting out of the house and doing something, getting old is like a frog in a saucepan trick, you don't realise how much the world around you is changing until its to late.

Never stop pushing it privateer , its along time in nappies in those old peoples homes.

don't know what a Gettysburg Bike Week is but hope you enjoy it.

Gettysburg Bike Week is a little Sturgis. It has actually gotten quite large over the years, and is included on the BikeWeek website now every year.

Bike Week is a little Sturgis , Don't come back with a Harley, that would be like getting a STD

Cheers

Whats a harley?

Leaving soon, will take lots of pictures....

Am here in KOA now. Wallked around bike week site not much going on yet. There is a dyno there wonder if I can get a run done.

Jeffo's map (FAIC) seems to be working very well. Decel pop all gone too. Good torque off idle so she has very nice street manners. Think Jeffo's is better than Brock's track map.

Dyno will tell.

Above posted from cellphone, wifi finally on at KOA after I complained 3 times. LOL. Gettysburg PA KOA is unfriendly to motorcycles for one reason, all gravel, and sites up on hills meaning you have to go up and down on gravel. Deep gravel too, not just surface compacted. Loose.

Not my first time at the rodeo though. Can ride it feet on pegs. But not fun. Smaller KOAs with asphalt much better. Won't come here again.

* Last updated by: privateer on 7/7/2011 @ 2:07 PM *

don't buy a Harley, don't buy any Harley clothes or bling, just burgers and Fry's

And definitely no gravel rash.