Vespa Campout II

My second time taking the Vespa GTS moto-camping. I opt for a S24O (sub-24 hour overnighter) minimalist campout, with all of my camping gear stashed under the seat, and one shopping bag of extra goodies.
The campground is Ansel Watrous Campground on Colorado 14 and the Cache la Poudre river, in the Arapaho National Forest area, 30 miles from Fort Collins.

[@qualm43]

This guy is the Bob Ross of Vespa camping.

[@MrDiemme]

a piece of the Italian spirit in your beautiful country. Vespa is not a scooter but a philosophy of life and you have interpreted it best. your videos and travels are beautiful. Greetings from the homeland of the Vespa, that is, Italy

[@flatgrindrides]

Thank you!

[@ThePowerchecker]

American Dream i like it. regards from Germany

[@niclaslindstrom6164]

Great to see another video. The scenery is amazing and your calm voice and beautiful bike makes for a great video.

[@vespaonderweg]

Thanks for sharing. Greetings from Belgium

[@Scootphoria]

Good compliment from a man who knows about making good videos. Maybe you could take holiday and wonder in western USA for a week or 2 so the experience can be shared?

[@vespaonderweg]

@@Scootphoriasounds great 😂 👍

[@itsMEmotovlogs]

Man very nice videos. You inspired me to go create my own Vespa motovlog. Cheers! 🎉

[@flatgrindrides]

That’s awesome! Thank you!

[@gvoluto2816]

Mit einfachen Mitteln der grösste Fun 👍👍Grüsse aus Germany

[@flatgrindrides]

Danke!

[@Scootphoria]

Good video friend. Thanks for sharing the short adventure. Left your salt at the White House....good one!!!!🤣 Moto Perv...you like it naked. My GTS has racks front/rear, but my Primavera has rear only with a detachable front for on demand use. I guessing that even though the video was a bit gray, that you enjoyed the cool weather and nice ride.

[@flatgrindrides]

I debated shooting the video because I was afraid the gray skies would be too bland or even depressing and wouldn’t make for an engaging video. I guess it worked out ok. It was real and I did get rained on! 😂 Call me what you want, I still like her naked! 😉

[@paulbyrumii2155]

All that gear for camping, and no rack on the back, wow.And eating steak for dinner! too boot That knife also acts as a hatchet, good trick. Pismo Paul

[@flatgrindrides]

If I had a rack, I'd spend all my time unpacking all the extra stuff I could bring! 😜

[@23ebone]

Love the videos - living the vespa adventures vicariously. I can't believe it's almost fall already. Hope you're able to get some more gorgeous rides in before the snow flies.

[@flatgrindrides]

Thank you. Me too!

[@garycunningham268]

Great vide, realy enjoy your stuff, I have a 300 gts super 2022, great machines, after lots of bikes over the years, think this is my favourite favourite ride 👍

[@flatgrindrides]

I've had dirt bikes and street bikes, and the Vespa is a different experience in a way that I really like.

[@garycunningham268]

@@flatgrindrides I've just come back from a camping trip in Wales uk, didn't travel as light as you, bag rear rack bag front rack and a rucksack 😆 uk weather you have to prepare for everything 👍

[@FJWH]

Thanks for this video. Always nice, please make more. You were the reason i decided to buy the gts as well. Got the GTS 300 2023 grey model since march 18th and it now had 10.400km aldready on it :D

[@flatgrindrides]

That's awesome! Ride the tires off that thing!

[@FJWH]

@@flatgrindrides haha. The 10K service check is in two weeks. New tires it it. The original michelin city grip 2 are quite worn off!

[@ralfhoffmann2487]

Nice campsite - pity about the weather but nice video anyway

[@flatgrindrides]

Thank you

[@AltitudeRider]

Another great camping video! Forgot your salt-funny! I need to play with time lapse some more. I like your experimenting with different aspect ratios and views. Keep the videos coming! 👍🏻

[@flatgrindrides]

Thank you! 👍

[@smithlongworth7389]

thanks for the inspiration! i need to do this with my Piaggio!

[@geekylucas]

So inspiring. Really want to try something like this. No Vespa but my Kymco will suffice. 😊 Hello from Australia!

[@flatgrindrides]

Go for it!

[@Scootphoria]

Well Lucas, post some good footage of that Kymco chasing some Roo's......

[@CL-gp3pw]

Thanks so much for doing another one of these campout videos! The scenery is gorgeous. I have a Primavera 150, also orange! I'd love to try a little local camp with it at some point. Looks like so much fun. 🙂

[@flatgrindrides]

Good choice on color 😉

[@Scootphoria]

The Primavera is awesome CL. Make/share a video with us. I ride mine 98% of the rides I do. More or less ride the 2% on the GTS to keep the battery up and make sure it is usable IF I need it.

[@slycooper4smash241]

I've been watching all your vespa videos, sick stuff man. Im gonna be the first person with a vespa in compton haha

[@flatgrindrides]

Vespa and a Glock with a switch! 😂

[@slycooper4smash241]

@@flatgrindrides you know it, may have to go canik. Switch up on them 🤣

[@flatgrindrides]

@@slycooper4smash241 You do you. I’m just glad you are enjoying the videos! If you do get one you absolutely have to post a video. 👍

[@tanja5867]

Enjoyed your little 24 hour getaway. Seems very doable, maybe next year I’ll try a local overnight as well. I have a rack on my Vespa with a small soft case which I think would allow me just a bit more stuff. Right now, the Vespa is tucked away for winter. First snow was yesterday. Ride safe😊

[@josemartinianosantos5025]

Ótimo Vídeo, Parabéns!

[@citiprivate]

Found your Channel as I was trying to decide about what scooter to get, you have inspired me, and just put a Deposit on My new Vespa 300 GTV . Looking forward to more vespa content

[@flatgrindrides]

Thanks! Enjoy your new bike!

[@michaelhiggins7365]

really enjoy these camping videos, especially as you are located in an area I am contemplating to move to, when I retire next year. I could see me, doing portable Ham Radio op's from the campground, as this is a favorite activity for me. I found your eating off the log quite humorous, as well as the Crack House joke ;) Please keep these coming, they are so well appreciated.

[@flatgrindrides]

Thanks Michael! This next year may feel like the longest in your life! 😉Congratulations on your upcoming retirement!

[@Scootphoria]

Retiring next year eh? Retirement is like a long vacation. Be careful about other people knowing you retired as they think you have nothing to do. I've contemplated returning to a job just so I could rest 🤣 Seriously, good luck to ya and post a few videos showing what Flatgrind doesn't show us in the area!!!!!!

[@michaelhiggins7365]

@@flatgrindrides Thanks so much !

[@joseadavila7445]

If you use trow over mid size saddle bags you can camp a week end on that Vespa 300 . Thats the set up I use on my burgman 400 . You have water near by . Here in SO AZ you have to carry it .😢 . riding up in CO was on my bucket list but by next summer I ll be back at east coast SO GA or NO FLA for me so plenty places near water to moto camp . Just smaller mnts or the beach 😊 FLA keys ?

[@flatgrindrides]

You’ll have lots of choices. There are lots of pretty places here, of course, but the parks get really busy and for the drive up camping you typically need a reservation. If you’re willing to hit the dirt roads, there are lots of backcountry options that don’t get booked up. Sounds like you’ll be cruising in Margaritaville. 👍😂

[@conniewaite1371]

Soak your dryer lint or cotton balls in vaseline for a food firestarter,store them in a tin

[@ScooterintheSticks]

A fine camping video. It stimulated memories of Boy Scout outings watching you prepare the firewood and firestarters. It has been a long time since I've moto-camped. Now that the summer season has faded and the temperatures are getting cooler I'm more likely to camp. Time will tell. I have a question about the video. Did you do some color grading?

[@flatgrindrides]

No color grading, but I was playing with camera settings. I decided to shoot the GoPros on lens "wide" instead of Superview at 4:3 instead of 16:9.I had read that there might be a processing/quality difference. My intention was to crop the 4:3 shots into 16:9 when editing, but I found that cropping would force me to choose between the bars or the sky, and that I didn't wan't to lose either, so I left some shots uncropped 4:3. In essence the "wide" setting wasn't wide enough a filed of view to give me a "croppable" image given how I was shooting. I'll probably go back to shooing 16:9 superview for the POV on the bike shots. I get the view I want and WYSIWYG in camera. The other issue I had was my GoPro Hero 9 was freezing (have to remove the battery to restart the camera) and sometimes shutting donwn with a "low power" warning, even with a charged battery. Some of the around camp shots were shot with my iPhone, so that's probably why you are seeing different color profiles. I just did a quick edit and didn't try to grade anything. I did record some stand alone audio of the camp sounds at night, and the water in the river. I used these as the audio tracks for the timelapse sections. With the rain, there were none of the insect sounnds one typically hears at night, so I mixed in some insect sounds to the night timelapse so that people would "know" that it was night. 😉

[@ScooterintheSticks]

@@flatgrindrides I knew something was different but I couldn't figure out what. You're definitely experimenting and exploring the limits of the camera more than me. Every time I see your time lapse work I tell myself I have to try that. And then I forget. Or can't figure out how to integrate it into a video. I really like your stuff.

[@flatgrindrides]

@@ScooterintheSticks Thank you! I’m really not doing that much, but I guess I changed enough on this round to trip myself up! 😂

[@ScooterintheSticks]

@@flatgrindrides Repetition and practice moves us along!

[@flatgrindrides]

I just watched a video for Indian Motorcycles that was shot in 4:3. Makes me wonder why they chose that aspect ratio? I'm guessing it shares better on social media like Instagram? (I'm not on FB or Insta). kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6K6mo2Dl62agdUsi=fQRnx1RFfpcWlX7N

[@iggyzorro2406]

Thanks for the excellent ride. Wasn't that the same campground we went to last year? Are those the Rocky Mountains?

[@flatgrindrides]

Different campgrond, but very similar and they are close to each other. Yep, its the Colorado Rockies.

[@johndefalque5061]

I hate smoke, it should be illegal to make a campfire, just going to use a butane stove when needed. Damn-you canèt ever forget salt or coffee. I always forget sh-t tickets but tobacco grows in the ditch along all hwys from coast to coast in Canada-big soft fuzzy leaves-all I use that nasty weed for!

[@user-tf2qf2gl4g]

Great little overnight minimalist camp out loved it. Did you use the built-in seat cover when it rained?

[@flatgrindrides]

Mine didn’t come with the seat cover! Apparently it is an “add-on” option now, at least here in the USA.

[@user-tf2qf2gl4g]

Thank you@@flatgrindrides that is miserable of the dealers and suppliers.

[@erikparkhurst7433]

I'm getting a vespa in a few days and I'm concerned that I'll need a windshield but don't like the look of them. How has your experience been without one? Great videos.

[@flatgrindrides]

Congratulations on the new bike! Personally, I don’t miss having a windshield on mine at all. Obviously, your preferences may differ but I don’t see the need for it. I don’t spend much time at highway speeds (above 65 mph) and the wind doesn’t bother me at all. In fact on my big motorcycle, I’ve had more problems with buffeting from the windshield I think I’ve tried four different windscreens on that bike, because the buffing from the wind is so annoying. On the Vespa, I never even think about it.

[@erikparkhurst7433]

Ok cool thanks for your time, looking forward to more of your videos

[@erikparkhurst7433]

It’s also my first bike…new rider

[@frankiepavinato]

I really like these videos, they are in some way relaxing....plus the scenery is beautiful. But...what's with that 4:3 aspect ratio? Hmmm, It doesn't suit your videos very well but that's only my opinion....

[@flatgrindrides]

I was experimenting with camera settings, and thought that I would be able to crop to 16:9 in post production. As it turned out, I wasn’t shooting wide enough and didn’t have the room to crop the way I originally envisioned. Also had one of my two cameras fail. It was a learning experience, and in the end I just decided to roll with what I had! Thanks for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed them.

[@nomad90125]

Think u should invest in a better tent.

[@flatgrindrides]

I have other tents. This one is simple and compact. I don’t use it much, but it seems ok when I do. What do you have in mind?

[@shinhochulp]

@@flatgrindrides I think that tent is just fine. But perhaps what nomad was referring to was, during inclement weather, it’s nice to sit up in the tent (or even stand up). I have a 2+ man (REI Half Dome) that I can sit up in, which is the one I usually take. But I do have to strap it to my rear rack.

[@mikecowdrey2891]

That road is disgusting. Doesn't anyone maintain the cracks.

[@flatgrindrides]

Sign of the times? They usually do a pretty good job on the roads up here, but it is a constant battle. Some roads get a lot of traffic peak season and also have a lot of freeze/thaw and water runoff issues.