Paul Barnard

I was a member and moderator over on www.advrider.com while I was actively motorcycling. Touring motorcyclists like touring bicyclists were always looking for good places to stay. Someone came up with a great idea that we might be able to make work here. Seems we have had a few threads lately that touched on where to stay.

It started as a Tent Space thread where members would avail their yards as a place other members could pitch tent. It morphed into quite a bit more than that. It became much like warm showers. I hosted riders from 5 different countries and am richer for the experience. I even tossed one couple the keys to my house and let them come and go as they pleased while they were working for Habitat for Humanity following Hurricane Katrina.

Take a look at this thread. Click on the links in the first post. https://advrider.com/f/threads/tent-...e-list.869519/

Is there an appetite for such here? I am willing to host anyone touring through the NOLA area. I also have 10 acres in MS that anyone can do the primitive thing on. I am making improvements to it over time. I realize we are dealing with a smaller group here than we were over there. Is it worth trying to build something?

axolotl

No

nun

Just sign up as a Warmshowers host...

schoolboy2 

warmshowers.com has been doing this exact thing for years. Check them out!

alan s 

If you have a place in New Zealand, let me know.

staehpj1

The OP seems to be saying it is different than WS. It is not clear to me exactly how. I followed the links and was kind of confused. Without digging deeper than I cared to I didn't get a very good understanding of the whole thing.

It may have a different vibe than WS or indeed even be very different functionally. The thing is that since WS already exists it makes it harder for something else that essentially duplicates what they do to get off the ground.

Personally, I have found WS to not be terribly useful to me. Something more laid back where I can just show up with little to almost no warning and camp in the yard with the chance that sometimes I might be invited in for dinner or even to stay inside would suit my style both as a guest and as a host. I understand that it doesn't suit most hosts style so I don't use WS as a guest and have even stopped hosting with it. The notion of planning ahead where and when I will stop just doesn't suit my touring style. I often don't know where I will stop for the day until I am there.

Paul Barnard

One of the nice things about doing it within a forum like this is that you kinda know the people you are hosting and may have already established a sort of friendship. It doesn't look like there's much interest in it here, but it was an idea worth kicking around.

staehpj1

I am surprised there wasn't a little more interest. I did expect folks might think that it would duplicate WS too much though (I had that concern myself).

I have stayed with folks that I have met here and on other forums and have similarly hosted folks. Friendships just happen sometimes and lead to real life meetings and hospitality without any organized efforts in that direction. I found it happened a lot more over on cgoab when I frequented that forum. I think that was probably because my discussions there were more specific trip oriented. Sadly, I found that I had enough friction with the owner of that site that I stopped posting there, so I am out of touch with many of my friends there.

I'd encourage folks to at least do this on an informal under the radar level.

thumpism 

I've been a regular on ADV for years but never when I was traveling by motorcycle (of which I've not done a lot), and I never went to that part of the site. Seems like a good idea and I agree it would put you in contact with kindred spirits (specifically motorcyclists or bicyclists) and not "random" travelers. I mean that in the nicest way. I used WS once as a guest and it was okay but sort of odd feeling. Truth to tell, I'd rather camp in yard.

TiHabanero

Unannounced visits are more my style and preference. Unfortunately my wife does not want strangers staying at our home, even if just camped out in the back yard and using the forest behind us as a bathroom.

phughes

I'm on ADV as well. I like the idea. When I had a Goldwing, I was part of an organization for them and we had a directory, and could note in the directory that we we willing to have guests in our house, or offer tent space. While I never hosted, I did meet up with many through the directory for rides. I think it is a great idea to start something like that here. I would rather camp in a forum member's yard, than do Warmshowers.