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.

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.

On day 4 in Iceland I experienced the strongest winds I’ve ever had to ride in!

The day started quite calmly as I packed up and left Hellissandur Camping after a very comfortable night camping in the lava field which was really nice and sheltered. There was a little bit of wind when I was setting off but nothing extreme…for now. The plan for today was to end up in Reykjavik where I had a hotel booked for two nights and on the way visit the location of The Horns motorcycle gang from the Icelandic TV series Ófærð (Trapped). This is along Hvalfjörður fjord to the north of Reykjavik. The planned distance today was a little under 300km.

On day 3 in Iceland my route took me along the gravel roads of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

Getting packed up in Hvamstangi I headed west, skimming the bottom of the Westfjords. The route took me along the gravel roads of route 54 and I was really looking forward to some unpaved road. As I was about to turn off I saw a little collection of buildings and some whales in the fjord so I dropped down to the little beach to see them [1]. For a while I watched a couple of whales breaching and blowing in the fjord. As I was leaving I saw a load of bikers on enduro bikes and saw the Ride With Locals truck arrive which was cool to see!

Day 2 in Iceland I explored the north, on a route via Siglufjörður on the northern Icelandic coast.

In my first campsite of the trip I slept pretty well with a few rain showers through the night. It was a bit cold, but nothing too bad with my down jacket on a hood up. Although I realised fairly quickly that I could have brought a heavier sleeping bag. I’d brought one that goes to -1 although I suspect it’s more comfortable at around 10 degrees. Even at the beginning of September it felt cold in Iceland. In fact it was around 15 during the day and 5 at night but the cold there is fresher, it gets into your bones more.

Day 1 I disembarked the ferry from Denmark and started to explore Iceland!

After a good sleep in my cabin I woke up at 06:00, 30 minutes before my alarm, so had a shower and went for some breakfast in the canteen. When loading onto the ferry I was chatting with a couple from County Durham and I saw them again at breakfast. They were in Iceland for two weeks compared to my one week… “the benefits of being retired” they said with a smile.

ABR Festival 2025 was my first one and it was such a blast!

It was my first ABR Festival and I got a weekend ticket and trail pass and I was going solo. Thankfully I found somebody who was going and had been before via Camp VC and she gave me some tips and told me where they’d be camping if I wanted to join them. It took a couple of laps around the site to find the spot and it was much larger than I expected! It was actually a bit overwhelming at the start—in a good way. The check-in is at one end of the site, then the quiet camping, then a large area of camping with the stages and exhibition to the side of Ragley Hall. The route in took me around the long way, around the West Park, before looping back to the top of the site where we were camping—near the Bridgestone Trail.