Your 2022 Memorial Day Sale guide to motocamping shopping
Memorial day weekend is a huge shopping event for the Outdoors / Camping industry. Every year pretty much every vendor puts out an aggressive sale, and this year is no exception. REI, Backcountry, Moosejaw and every single camping brand all have a sale going on, in some cases as big or bigger than Black Friday. If you need any camping gear, this week is the time to pull the trigger.
As I do every year, I have compiled below a list of some good deals that I came across. I hope it will be helpful to some of you.
Sidenote: this website has no affiliation with any of these vendors, and we get absolutely nothing in return if you buy any of these things. I also personally invite you to look into whether any of the companies below violate any of your core values. If you don’t want to give money to Walmart, then you shouldn’t buy from Moosejaw, since it is owned by Walmart. If you don’t want to give your money to companies that actively discourage (obstacle?) the right of their employees to unionize, you may want to reconsider your love for REI or Amazon. If you don’t like companies that oppose the use of public land for off road motorcycling, then, again, REI may not be your first choice. If you think that it is appalling for a company such as Backcountry to sue small businesses that used the word “backcountry” in their products, then Backountry is not the company for you.
I am not telling you who to buy or not to buy from, and I am not saying I share or don’t share the above mentioned concerns - I am just inviting you to do your own research before you give thousands of dollars to a company that may be violating one of your core principles, whatever that is. And perhaps, before you make that purchase, check with Moto Camp Nerd: CAMP members get 15% off, and you would be helping a small business.
Happy shopping!
Michele
Sleeping things
For those of you who want a tiny tent that packs super small inside your panniers, Sierra Design has just the ticket: their High Side 1 has poles that pack as small as a nalgene bottle. It is normally $279, but right now the whole site is 25% off, so you could snatch it for $209. Quite the deal.
If you would like a bigger tent with TONS of space for 2 people, another Sierra Design, the Meteor 2, is on sale from Moosejaw (and from Sierra Design themselves) for 25% off. Here. And here. It is very spacious.
Every time I am asked the one piece of camping gear I recommend you buy to elevate your camping experience, my answer is always the same: the Thermalite Xlite camping cot. It packs as small as a Nalgene bottle, and - when coupled with a sleeping pad - will give you the best night of sleep in the open that you ever had. Far better than many hotel’s beds. Guaranteed. 25% off from Backcountry, $135 rather than $180. This is the best price I have seen in a very long time.
Big Agnes Goosenest inflatable cot was released last year. Both the single and the double version are 25% off from Backcountry. In theory they are perfect for motocamping, as they pack small.
You have the cot, now you need a sleeping pad. I absolutely love the Big Agnes ones: I have been using one since 2016 and it never ever failed me. Others have come and gone, but this puppy is still with me. Up to 25% off here.
Big Agnes came out this year with a new sleeping bag system, called 3N1: it is a modular sleeping bag system made of two separate bags (one for summer, one for winter) that when used together will be very very warm. They have a couple of different versions, rated down to 0F and 15F and of different weight, for man and women. 25% off from REI ($277 rather than $369 for the 15F and $314 vs 419 for the 0F). I know a couple of you camping this past weekend would have been very happy to have this thing…
Also, back to Sierra Design, I love their zipperless sleeping bag. Their Backcountry Bed systems are fantastic. Again, 25% off. Take your pick.
Cooking things
The MSR pocket stove is a classic. It packs small and is very reliable. $37 rather than $50 from Backcountry.
Thinking of cooking in a pot? These collapsible silicon Sea to Summit pots, with an aluminum bottom, come with a mug and a bowl, they pack super small and will fit in your panniers. For two people or one person. I use them all the time, both motocamping and car camping.
And if you don’t have a Jetboil cooking system, now is the time. $86 vs $115 from Backcountry.
Other things
Solar lights that act as a charger. I love them and use them at camp all the time. They are $37 vs $49 from REI.
If you are coming to any of our S’mores in Wisconsin, or in Colorado or in the Smokies, you need to protect your food from the bears. Here is your Bear Vault, 25% off, from REI.
