When choosing camping gear to take along on a motorcycling adventure, selecting the right tent is essential to ensure a functional, dry place to recharge your body after a long day in the saddle. Having logged several trips over the last year with the Lone Rider MOTOTENT, I’ve had a chance to experience all the functionality this tent has to offer.

The MOTOTENT packs down to 24″ x 9″ and weighs in at 12 lbs., which doesn’t make it one of the more compact tents on the market. But once you’ve set it up it’ll be apparent that the extra packing space is worthwhile. This is not a tent you pull out of the bag for the first time in the dark without directions and put up in five minutes. However, Lone Rider makes a great video to demonstrate set-up, and after going through the paces a few times, it’s easily set up by one person in less than 10 minutes.

Three mesh windows provide plenty of ventilation during warm nights, and four internal mesh pockets stow your gear. In the event Mother Nature does not cooperate with your plans for a sunny and dry weekend, you’ll be happy you brought this tent along. Having spent several cold and rainy nights in it, I’ve never experienced leaks, and being able to stand up in the garage area (6′3″ center height) and change into riding gear in the morning is a definite plus. The sleeping area is plenty big enough for two adults, but the garage area is where the true functionality of the tent shines.

The garage will easily accommodate a full-size adventure bike with panniers, so my DR650 fit in with room to spare for extra gear. If you leave your bike outside, the garage/vestibule has plenty of room for two or three adults to sit in camp chairs out of the elements in the event of bad weather. Additionally, there are hooks in the top of the tent to hang your gear to dry at the end of a day riding in the rain. A fold-up ground cover for the garage area would be a nice addition but I carry a small 4′ x 6′ tarp that covers the garage nicely, making a clean dry floor to stand on. If you’re looking for a base camp to live out of for your next big riding trip, the MOTOTENT is a solid addition to your camping inventory. MSRP: $599.99 LoneRider-Motorcycle.com