Over my trip to Iceland I learned some lessons.

1) Solo Doesn’t Mean Alone — Even as a solo traveller I exchanged stories with other bikers, swapped supplies with fellow campers, and found camaraderie with ferry companions.

2) Tools Can Fail You at the Worst Moment — The Garmin wouldn’t route, drone was grounded by the wind, there was often no mobile signal. But had an InReach Mini 2.

3) Growth Comes From the Edges of Comfort — During the ride I faced harsh winds, cold, long days, unexpected detours, yet came home more skilled and confident — and already planning the next trip.

Although I change this packing list depending on where I’m going and what I’m doing, this is my moto camping checklist.

Packing the right kit makes all the difference between a smooth, enjoyable adventure and a stressful trip. A good checklist helps you stay organised, organise luggage space, and ensure you don’t forget any essentials. From camping gear like tents, sleeping bags, and cooking equipment to bike-specific tools, spare parts, and personal items, having everything planned out in advance means you can focus on the ride and the experience. Here’s a practical checklist to help you prepare for your next moto-camping journey.

Over my trip to Iceland I kept some notes about my experiences.

One thing I learned is to not necessarily focus on the Ring Road, (Route 1). Many guides talk about completing the loop although don’t treat it as a target to get around. Use parts of it to get to places you want to visit. If you’re riding the Route 1 as a goal then you could be focusing more on getting it done rather than exploring and getting deeper into areas. Especially being flexible due to weather is important. The smaller roads are quieter and nicer, especially in the far north.

Leaving Iceland meant the trip back home began, taking a week on the ferry then accross Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Back on board the Smyril Line ship Nörenna, which was now quite familiar, I settled back into my cabin and hung my bike kit up to dry. The first night at sea was pretty windy and lumpy so the ship was pretty quiet. As I’m used to sailing (and live on a sailing boat too) it doesn’t really bother me so I enjoyed the quiet time and had a nice dinner in the buffet.

The final ride on day 7 back to the ferry port was short but you can never underestimate Iceland.

Waking early in the campsite the weather was still and dry. Although it was forecast to rain in the morning I did think I might stay in my tent for the morning and leave in the afternoon, although I was keen to get moving in case the weather deteriorated. After having some breakfast and getting packed up I headed off back down the winding gravel road away from the campsite back to the main road.

After my day in Reykjavik the weather looked pretty bad so I had a decision to make.

After the day riding into the high winds I was paying much closer attention to the weather forecasts and before I left Reykjavik I was keeping an eye on the Icelandic Met Office, especially on the wind forecast.

The original plan today was to ride via the Golden Circle and some of the E roads down to around Vík, a small village on the coast of south Iceland, just to the south of Mýrdalsjökull glacier which covers the Katla volcano. This is also the location of Eyjafjallajökull, the stratovolcano famous for its massive 2010 eruption which grounded aircraft all over the world due to the dust clouds it released. Today the weather forecast looked relatively calm and the winds were in the direction I was going to be riding.