Build a better OHV camping weekend: easy meals, camp comforts and locked-up bikes

The best part of an OHV camping trip can happen after the engines stop: boots off, somebody working on dinner, and a circle of chairs with tomorrow's ride still to discuss. Getting there takes more than throwing a tent beside the bikes. Build a camp that works for the people who are staying in it, including whoever is not riding.

An adult seating option: Coleman Cooler Quad Chair · Blue (Amazon paid link). This Blue Coleman listing identifies model 2000035685. Check its dimensions, rating, instructions and available transport space before choosing it for a camper. It is not a step or a seat specifically designed for children. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Choose the base before packing the kitchen

Read the actual campground or land-manager information for overnight permission, reservations, vehicle limits, water, toilets and waste facilities. Amenities vary. Eldorado National Forest, for example, says its OHV campgrounds do not all have drinking water or trash collection and have no hookups or showers. Those are local details, not a description of every OHV area in the country. ^[1]

Our planning check is to confirm that the access road and campsite can accommodate the truck and trailer, with room to unload in a designated place. Ask about quiet hours and generator rules before relying on either. Save the current camping and trail instructions alongside the route map. A marked riding area is not, by itself, permission to camp anywhere inside it.

An easy menu for a real weekend

Make arrival dinner the least ambitious meal. Hotdogs with buns and chosen toppings are a perfectly good camp supper; add fruit or a simple side and call it done. If the group prefers something else, use the same low-fuss idea with filled wraps. Have an option for allergies or dietary preferences instead of discovering at dusk that one person cannot eat the only dinner.

For the full riding day, give the table a choose-your-own format. Tacos or wraps let people assemble their own combinations from beans or another chosen filling, vegetables, cheese and salsa. A simple skillet supper could be potatoes, vegetables and a suitable protein, or a one-pan pasta dish. These are menu suggestions, not cooking instructions: use safe food handling and appropriate cooking guidance for the ingredients you choose.

For a suitable one-pan cooking setup: Lodge Seasoned Cast-Iron Skillet · 12-inch (Amazon paid link). The linked Lodge selection is a 12-inch seasoned cast-iron skillet. Confirm the actual pan and package, then check stove support, pan size, weight and handle clearance. Bring appropriate heat protection and utensils. Cooking equipment remains outdoors and subject to the site rules and its instructions. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Breakfast burritos can make a cheerful morning meal: eggs, potatoes and the fillings your group likes, with a simpler breakfast available for anyone leaving camp early. Share ingredients across meals where it makes sense—tortillas for wraps and breakfast, for example. Write down each meal and who is bringing it. That prevents six bags of chips arriving with no actual dinner.

Pack by the job each item does

The National Park Service's camping list covers water, food, shelter and bedding, cooking equipment, cleanup and personal hygiene. Start there, then adapt for your group and your site. Account for drinking, cooking and handwashing water separately; do not assume an unmarked campground tap is potable. Check local food and wildlife-storage requirements before deciding where supplies will stay. ^[2]

A compact table option: Coleman Compact Roll-Top Table (Amazon paid link). Check the supplied model and assembly details against the Coleman listing. Its current manufacturer page gives a 27.6-inch square top. Choose a suitable level setup for preparation and serving; no stove-support or hot-pan compatibility is established here. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Our camp-comfort checklist:

• a chair for each person
• a stable folding table if the site lacks one
• weather-appropriate shelter and its specified anchors
• sleeping gear
• dry clothes and extra layers
• headlamps with spare power
• plates, mugs and utensils
• a suitable cooking setup
• washing supplies
• trash bags
• personal medications
• and a first-aid kit everyone can locate

Check the toilet arrangements and bring an approved portable system if the site requires one. Plan legal waste disposal before departure.

Tent or toy-hauler: check what is actually covered

A tent trip needs its own sleeping surface, weather protection and a dry place for camp clothes. Pitch within the permitted campsite, clear of vehicle paths and exhaust. A toy-hauler may already contain beds and a kitchen, but check its water, power, sanitation capacity and operating instructions rather than assuming hookups will be waiting. Carry a bike-specific tool and spares kit separately from the camp box, so a missing socket does not require unloading dinner.

Lock the bikes before settling into the chairs

A long bike-lock-style cable passed through the frames to a keyed padlock is a basic deterrent to a quick opportunistic theft. Treat it as one layer, not a theft-proof system. West Yorkshire Police recommends frame-secured locks, an immovable anchor and independently rated security products. Where practical, use a stronger rated motorcycle chain and lock with a suitable fixed anchor; linking bikes together alone still leaves them movable. ^[3]

A chain-and-lock option to measure for: Kryptonite Evolution 1016 Integrated Chain · 160 cm (Amazon paid link). The Evolution 1016 is model 000815 with 160 cm of 10 mm chain and an integrated keyed lock. Check the actual frame opening, anchor route and lock-head clearance; it may not span multiple bikes. Secure to a lawful fixed anchor where permitted. No lock is theft-proof; check exact-model rating and insurer requirements separately. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Choose a lawful anchor that the site permits. Do not attach locks to trees, damage vegetation, drill campsite fixtures or create a trip hazard across a path. Lock up loose riding equipment and remove bike keys. Keep the spare lock key somewhere separate from the everyday key—securely with another responsible adult or in a different locked location, not hanging beside the padlock. Make unlocking part of the morning check before anyone moves a bike. This is ordinary trip planning, wherever you camp.

A fire is optional; dinner should not depend on it

Check current local fire restrictions, including the rules for charcoal and stoves. If a campfire is allowed, buy locally sourced firewood and use the site's permitted fire facilities. NPS guidance calls for water ready to extinguish the fire, attendance while it burns and complete extinguishment before leaving or sleeping. Do not assume collecting wood is permitted. Have a no-fire evening plan when restrictions or conditions rule it out. ^[4]

Keep portable generators outdoors, away from doors and openings, with exhaust directed away from tents, trailers and neighbors, as the Portable Generator Manufacturers' Association advises. Outdoor grills and portable camp stoves belong outside too, never inside a tent or toy-hauler. Follow the equipment instructions and site rules; do not use cooking equipment to heat sleeping space. ^{[5] [6]}

Leave the next morning easy

Before bed, put out what you will need first: breakfast items, a headlamp, camp shoes and tomorrow's route information. Keep the exit and access to the first-aid kit clear. Before leaving, account for people, keys and equipment, then walk the site for wrappers, cable ties and anything that rolled under the trailer. A comfortable camp, a simple dinner and bikes ready for the next day are plenty of reasons to do it again.

A light for the camp routine: Black Diamond Astro 300 · Graphite (Amazon paid link). This is the Graphite Astro 300 AAA-powered listing, not the rechargeable 300-R. Confirm the power supply and package contents. Use it for walking, unpacking and stationary camp tasks; it is not motorcycle riding lighting. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

More for the weekend: Pack the cooler: race-day snacks, trail food and camp meals.

Related guide: Plan a first trail loop with an easy way home.

Related guide: Build a day-ride kit for the delay you didn’t plan.

Related guide: Getting the bike to the ride: loading and restraint planning.