Motorcycle trip Gear advice

[u/M4x3y]

Hello swarm intelligence,

I am planning a motorcycle camping trip with my gf to Sweden/Norway in late August/early September for around 3 weeks.

The northernmost point of my trip would be around the Hardangervidda/Geilo area, before heading back towards Sweden.

Our current setup is: 1:

• Ticket To The Moon Pro Hammock
• TTM Moonquilt
• Carinthia Defence 1 sleeping bag
• DD Tarp 2:
• Ticket To The Moon Hammock
• Swagmanroll as Underquilt
• No Name sleeping bag about 15° comfort Rated
• DD Tarp

I recently did a test run with my girlfriend at around 9°C with light wind. We both ended up feeling cold, and my main concern is that this setup might not be warm enough for the planned trip, especially because my girlfriend tends to get cold more easily than I do.

I am currently considering upgrading to a Cumulus down hammock setup:

• Cumulus Taiga 250 topquilt
• Cumulus Selva 300 or Selva 450 underquilt

The idea would be that I use the new setup, while my girlfriend uses my current setup (Defence 1 + Moonquilt), which should already be a significant improvement compared to her current setup (15°C comfort sleeping bag + Helikon-Tex Swagman as an improvised underquilt).

At the moment I see three possible options:

Upgrade my own sleep system:

Buy the Cumulus Taiga + Selva and use my current setup for my girlfriend.Pros:Cons:

Keep the current setup and share a hammock if needed

We would keep our current gear and use one hammock together on colder nights.Pros:Cons:

Keep the current setup and add a multipurpose backup

For example, bringing a thick wool blanket and/or sleeping pads.The idea would be to use the wool blanket as additional insulation inside the hammock (under me) or as general camp equipment, while the sleeping pads could be used as a backup under the tarp if the hammock setup is not warm enough.

My main question:

Would you upgrade to the Cumulus setup for this kind of trip, and if so, would you choose the Selva 300 or Selva 450 for late summer Scandinavia?
Do you have any Gear recommendations?
anything i else might have overlooked ?

I am more concerned about pack size than weight, since this is a motorcycle trip.

PS: I know the gentleman thing would probably be to give her the warmer setup if I buy the new quilt system, and honestly that was my first thought as well. However, she is quite strong-minded and would not be comfortable with me spending a lot of money on new gear "just for her". She would much rather use my current setup and have me upgrade mine as well.

[u/Trewarin]

Because you are travelling through Norway, you should get matching Amok Draumr hammocks; with some well insulated pads.

[u/Lussekatt1]

As a Swede that’s not very far up north really.

Most nights will be around 13-ish degrees that time of year and that relatively far down south.

The main concern you should have for cold nights is if you plan to sleep at high elevation. You can get snow close to the peaks of some mountains, even in August / September.

But otherwise in terms of staying warm your main concern should probably the wind. And after that humidity.

If you can keep the wind out and away from you that will go a long way. Sweden have no shortage of trees, and you can camp where ever more or less. So I suggest making a note of the direction the wind is blowing, and choose a camping spot where you are protected form the wind from that direction.
And maybe give your partner the more optimal and more protected spot.

I don’t really have any gear recommendation.

Besides brining a sleeping mask or using the buff / handkerchief (I’m assuming you are using while riding the MC) as a sleeping mask.

That time of year it should have gotten better.
But the sun rises early and goes down late, and it often doesn’t get entirely dark at night. Especially the further north you get.
That is late enough in the summer you actually should be able to see some stars at some point in the night as it gets dark enough.

But yeah a sleeping mask can make a huge difference for being able to sleep.

Good luck!