Editor’s Note: The Long Road Bedroll was conceived and designed by the Commander of the annual SmokeOut, the most rowdy event on the planet. I have ridden the Long Road to the SmokeOut several times with Edge, the mastermind. I know about the grassy knolls, the rained on fields and the shared motel rooms. Edge experienced them all for 20 years straight, so when he decided to create this product, he had good reasons. Here’s his story.–Bandit
Hotels continue to raise rates… often over $ 200 a night (sometimes over $300) during bike rallies and events. About six years ago, four of us just started booking one double room with two guys sleeping on the floor. I didn’t realize this would turn into a quest for the perfect bedroll but it did.
I tried a variety of wool blankets, army poncho liners, tech blankets and quilts. I feel a little bit like Goldilocks saying this, but nothing was “just right.”
Usually, the idea is to produce something as light and warm as possible, but that concept wasn’t working for me. I sleep much better when I have a cover that has some weight to it, but I don’t want to sweat like a pig in a 68-degree hotel room.
All the synthetic materials I tried are slick and they seem to slide all over. Wool blankets or Mexican blankets look cool on the handlebars until you hit the first rainstorm. I looked at some “waxed cotton” lined with a wool blanket but they were always too short for me and insanely expensive. Nothing was “quite right.”
This bedroll is right and it’s American made. The quality is top shelf. On one side is an extremely rugged tan, Sunforger 12.5-ounce marine grade canvas and the other is a soft but durable flannel. The dimensions are 52”x 82”… so it is wide enough to cover a fat guy and long enough for a tall guy.
I wanted the extra length because I tuck some under my feet when I sleep. Every detail is on point including a seam to allow you to fold it into thirds easily and then roll it up. It straps to the handle bars nicely as an 18” long roll with less than a 5” diameter.
It absolutely has that look that would have received approval from John Wayne and Steve McQueen, but even better… it’s has a ton of uses.
Crash on a friend’s couch. Camp on a warm night. Fold it in half and it’s the perfect size for two people to sit, at a sandy beach or at a music festival.
Fold in once more and you can lay your tools out while doing some shade tree maintenance to your bike (or a road side repair). Throw it over your head and enjoy watching a thunderstorm or throw it over a wet chair in the morning as you relax with a morning cup of coffee. It’s great for a picnic lunch (of broken glass, Jack Daniels and hard salami). Guy’s like Bandit can grab a cute redhead and head out to a quiet spot in the woods.
It’s made by Butler Bags who are renowned for the highest possible quality at any cost. Despite that this roll is much less expensive than anything comparable on the market and at $ 110 it can pay for itself by skipping one night of hotel.
Dimensions unrolled: 52” x 82”
Dimensions rolled: 18” long with a diameter of under 5”
Made in America
Cost: $ 110
The Rally Bedroll is a 52” x 82” blanket with a tough-as-nails, 12.5-ounce Sunforger canvas on one side and a soft flannel on the other. It has a million uses and looks John Wayne, badass strapped to set of motorcycle handlebars.
Purpose: This bedroll exists because I wanted it for my own personal use and I couldn’t find any bedroll that met my requirements.
The purpose of this bedroll is:
1)to provide a comfortable sleeping arrangement on a hotel room floor (when you combine it with one of the high-tech sleeping mats available from companies like Therm-a-Rest) and…
2)look John Wayne, badass strapped to my handle bars.
Bedroll Strap:
These are ¾” straps, 20 ½” long, made with a thick, rich Havana brown harness leather with solid brass buckles. Heirloom-quality, fine, old world craftsmanship from Bad&G Leather.
So… the sales price for the Rally Bedroll is $ 110
The straps are $ 23 a set. And you can order them right here in the 5-Ball Racing Garage.
