Getting Ready To Camp With Your Side-by-Side

Want a brand new way to enjoy side-by-side riding? Consider going camping with it! The trouble with sticking to drivable trails is that the time you spend there is limited and you might not be able to explore new trails as easily. That’s where camping can add a new level of excitement and adventure to your experience. To help you prepare, 2Brothers Powersports has provided a guide with all the information you’ll need. You can also stop by our location in Onalaska, Wisconsin, for some in-person tips from our staff.

Planning Your UTV Trip

First things first, you’ll want to start by planning where you want to go and what you want to do. This will probably look like any other trip, but you’ll want to do it with your UTV in mind. Start by choosing places you want to go so you have some destinations to work with. This can help you plan your route and make campsite reservations early on. Depending on where you want to go, you might need to make these reservations months in advance, especially during peak camping season.

Preparing Your Side-by-Side

Once you have your trip planned, you’ll want to make sure your side-by-side is ready for riding, especially if you’re riding it to the campsite. This means conducting a full inspection of the entire machine, from top to bottom, including the engine. Test each moving part and even take it for a spin at a place near your home to ensure it’s still working properly. This should include brakes, oil checks, transmission, tires, filters, and anything else you can think of. You might want to check out our post about side-by-side maintenance tools for a short-list of tools you'll need for general maintenance.

Packing Strategies

When it comes time to packing your things, how limited you are will depend on what you’re packing. If you’re using your car or a camper, then you might have space for more gear, but when you’re just using your UTV, you’ll need to be smarter about what you bring along. You’ll want to minimize things like clothing to make room for other essentials, like water, toiletries, and shelter. Consider looking for backpacking gear, which is built to be lightweight and easily portable. You’ll also want travel-sized products to save as much room as possible. 

We also recommend checking the weather forecast for the time you’ll be gone. This will tell you if you need to bring along rain or snow gear, or extra sunscreen. If you find yourself running out of room, look for places where you can further cut down on supplies and remove all non-essentials. Worst case scenario, you can ask the 2Brothers Powersports team about having extra storage options installed.

Picking A Campsite

Consider what kinds of amenities you want and look for campsites that provide them. If you want water and electricity, you’ll want to filter for those particular features in a campground. If you can, try to be smart and selective about where you set up camp. Flat sites will be more comfortable to sleep on, as will sites that are a bit removed from the road. Of course, there’s safety in numbers, so you might not want to pull too far away from the people around you. Find a happy medium for the best experience. If you’re boondocking, make sure you’re setting up camp somewhere legal, and avoid private property unless you have permission from the owner to be there.

In Closing

On that note, you’re ready to start preparing for the best side-by-side camping trip. But first, you’ll need the side-by-side! Here at 2Brothers Powersports, we offer next level service with available pick-up and delivery. Set up and operation verification is completed by certified technicians and we even have a large selection of parts in-stock. That’s why you’ll want to stop by our location in Onalaska, Wisconsin, so we can show you what we have available right now. We welcome all those from La Crosse, Madison, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin.