I like bite sized bikepacking adventures. I’m a pussycat Grylls. Managed a wee one in Dorset last weekend. Nothing too hard or crazy. [/url]

Give us a shout sometime Cougar, in the meantime, here’s some inspiration for you.

http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/microadventures-3/microadventure-3-sleep-hill/

Buy and read this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Bivvy-Ronald-Turnbull/dp/1852845619

and this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Shit-Woods-Environmentally-Approach/dp/0898156270 😉

For pooing – buy a plastic gardening trowel from B&Q, use it to cut out a lump of turf (or just dig) – poo, then fill it in. Don’t be close to water when you do this, and that’s all you need to do. Use moss for paper if you want, put your bogroll in the hole, or just put it in a ziplock bag and take it home. I reckon it’d degrade well enough if buried.

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I just got another smaller greener micro tent, 20 quid in sale from Go Outdoors, fine if you’re under 6 foot with hardly any gear, often use it for local one or two night wild camping, job done, as they say.

High Gear Soloista

Cheers all, appreciated.

in the meantime, here’s some inspiration for you.

Yeah, “microadventure” is pretty much what I’m aiming for I think. (I’m about to tick his first one off too, I’m in a race at the weekend.)

I think on reflection I’m not quite ready for bivvying quite yet. I was looking at sub-two kilo tents with envious eyes at the weekend, though I’ll pass on that Soloista as Hi Gear are owned by Gellert, purveyors of the porous. I wouldn’t trust them to make anything other than sieves and tea bags.

What’s your budget for a tent?

Not had probs with the Soloista TBH, but is early days. My other sub 2kg is the now rocking horse poo status ‘tiger paws’ Argos special. Why did I pass on the green one to later get the orange one?! Still best £15 quid I ever spent.

What’s your budget for a tent?

The ones I was looking at were around the £50 mark I think, though I don’t have a ‘budget’ per sé. I’ve learned from bitter experience that camping is one area where the adage “buy Gellert shit cheap, buy twice” really holds true. I’d rather pay more for something half decent than try to save a few quid and end up throwing it away in disgust and buying something else again; false economy.

Triple or better still quadruple that and you’ll have a much better time.

£50 tents are like £100 MTBs, generally.

For one-man lightweight affairs, seriously?

Maybe I’ve been lucky with the tiger paws, but it’s really well designed, can just sit up in it, could improve porch space with a few small mods but really is ideal for the few nights as long as low/mid level camping and choosing pitch wisely.

If it breaks (hasn’t in 8 years) I’ll prob get a Wild Country Zephyros or similar.

How much do you want to spend?

Have a look here:

http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/tents-shelters-c25/one-person-tents-c74#sort3

These a re pretty serious though. that one a £750 would suit you I’d be bound.

Tents are more comfortable than a bivy but less flexible. I have only tried to bivy once (on the Cuillin Ridge). It pished rain and my £75 brand new bag leaked like a bloody sieve. I bought a proper goretex one but I’ve never used it yet…. 😳

For one-man lightweight affairs, seriously?

Since when does light weight = cheap?

EDIT get this:

http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/wild-country-tents-zephyros-1-tent-71110048?id_colour=98

That looks like a good tradeoff between price, quality and weight. 1.5kg isn’t super light but it’s pretty good, and it looks to have enough space inside. You might even be able to sit up in it.

I fricking love bivvy bags.

Other than saving half a kilo, why would I want to spend an extra fifty quid on the Zephyros over, say, something like this Vango?

I’ve got one of these

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/bushcraft/WF101.html

It’s great, packs up small and light, super easy and quick to pitch and has plenty of space for me and my gear and even my bike at a push! I bought it after getting fed up with my skinny coffin shaped low profile tent.

Nice company to deal with too.

Other than saving half a kilo, why would I want to spend an extra fifty quid on the Zephyros over, say, something like this Vango?

Piece of mind and the ability to pitch a tent badly.

The most important element to a tent is where you put it.

Don’t underestimate the value of saving half a kilo. That’s a lot when it’s on your back all day.

That Vango – for one it’s a tunnel design, not good in wind, and two – fibreglass poles. Bad combination in my experience.

Not that Vango are bad tents per se, they make some ok tents, just be choosy. My favourite basecamp tent is a Vango Halo 200 – shame really if it was half the weight I’d look nowhere else…bombproof design, loads of room, loads of clearance between outer and inner, and two doors. In fact might try using the flysheet only with better pegs see how light I can get the pack

Nice company to deal with too.

Yep, backpackinglight are a good company, I’ve had no problems with ultralighoutdoorgear either.

Other than saving half a kilo, why would I want to spend an extra fifty quid on the Zephyros over, say, something like this Vango?

Quality.

I find a pack up to 10% of body weight is fine, up to 15% bearable. Beyond that suffering starts far too quickly to enjoy walking holidays.

I’ve got some really nice stuff such as a Vaudé two-man tent which is 1.7kg but it often gets left at home in favour of a 1kg hooped two-man bivi because I’d rather wake up a bit damp than carry the extra 700gm.

When there is surface water or snow around a stove saves carrying water. You should boil for some time though so a petrol stove is a better bet than a gas stove with a pile of heavy gas canisters.

I’ve got breathable jackets from Schöffel, North Face, Eider etc. but the lightest is from Lidl; 16e for a 350gm jacket that is waterproof, longer in the body than most and only a little more clammy than the 580gm North Face Gortex that cost 20 times more. The Schöffel is very pleasant to wear, cost an embarrassing sum and weighs nearly a kilo; it goes on bike trips but rarely gets put in a rucksac.

All this to say: weight is so important that light, cheap things that are just about up to the job are often the best choice.

Some inspiration perhaps

http://www.gofar.org.uk/ukultrasbyregion2.html

Taken at a slower pace of course.

You should boil for some time though so a petrol stove is a better bet than a gas stove with a pile of heavy gas canisters.

I don’t like to boil water for drinking. Takes far too long and too much of a faff. I fill a bottle/bladder when I find a stream, pop in a puritab, then 10 mins later I’m sorted.

Also, to counter Edukator, I don’t notice an extra 2-3kg if I’m just walking, so I don’t count grammes, I go with comfort. I do on the bike though.

fibreglass poles. Bad combination

I thought fibreglass would be a good thing?

They like to snap. Better tents get Easton alu poles or possibly carbon.

Ah, ok. That’d give you a bad day.

Noted, ta.

That Vango is only 2000mm waterproof so despite what it says I wouldn’t expect it to withstand prolonged rain of the sort that afflicts Glastonbury for example. Having said that I find Vango tents quite reasonable and good value for what they are.

We regularly used to sleep out on climbing/walking trips, bothies, howfs or just out in the open. Funny how the sleeping out has now become the objective and it’s a ‘microadventure’ Also, I’m slightly horrified that a moderator on this forum is asking these questions 😉 Mind you, he does seem to know his IT.

pop in a puritab

Yeah, I wanted to know a bit more about this. Is there value in some form of “purification system” for water, or will tablets do in the UK? I really don’t want to be having a picolax night in the woods.

I’m slightly horrified that a moderator on this forum is asking these questions

That’s very sweet, but I promise I’ll come back.

Fibreglass poles are heavier than heat-treated aluminium and tend to shatter in windy conditions.

I’m happy with 12kg in the panniers on my tourer, Molgrips, none of it is bearing down on me an. 15kg is OK too, it might slow me a little on the hills but 120-200km a day is no problem. A 9kg rucksac in the mountains or long distance things like St Jacques is OK. 12kg feels too heavy at the end of the day and knocks a few kms off my comfortable range. Just a walk-in to a climb with 15kg is a chore.

The danger is that you take so much stuff ‘just in case’ that you get knackered carrying it all. We once ‘rescued’ a couple from the top of Ben Nevis who were digging in for the night, -10 February, because they were exhausted and disorientated. They had at least three tins of rice pudding and the bloke had set off a flare to attract attention.

I promise I’ll come back.

Can you read a map?

Water – I’d drink from streams high up in Scotland. More hesitant in the Lakes and busier bits of Scotland now. Puritabs or similar work fine. In NZ (1996) we used tabs then filtered to remove the taste. My trousers stayed up with just a belt though 😉

Can you read a map?

In so far as I can look at a piece of paper and apply a degree of common sense, yes. Your actual map-and-compass orienteering, no; I need to go and read up on that.

Ah, ok. That’d give you a bad day.

Noted, ta.

Snapping poles is where bivvy bags come in handy.

I’ve been “wild” camping in Scotland for 40 years and never used any sort of water purification system or, for that matter, having to boil water for any length of time.

Can’t you find someone willing to lend you some gear and take you out for an induction 😉

This is suddenly getting expensive. Shopping list:

Need:

Tent,
Camp mat,
Food,
“Puritabs”,
Map,

Have but may need to replace for weight weenie reasons(?):

Rucsack,
Stove,
Mug / pan / cutlery,
Sleeping bag,

Have:

Head torch,
Swiss Army knife,
Heavier duty lock knife,
Compass,
Clothing,
Emergency phone,
GPS (basic eTrex thing),
Fire starter,
Entertainment? Magazine or something,
Hip flask,
Medium-ish dry sack,

Can’t you find someone willing to lend you some gear and take you out for an induction

I’d be grateful for loan gear, but I think it’s important for me to actually “do it” under my own steam.

Aye – but having someone show you the ropes for a first night out isn’t a bad idea.

From your list…

No need for two knives
Map and compass AND GPS is a bit of duplication. I rarely go out with a compass these days (and if I need one, the phone does it).
For one/two nights, one decent sized mug or small pan will do you.
A spork and a swiss army knife is all the “cutlery” I use

I’d forget puritabs and buy a Sawyer Mini Filter. Light and absolutely zero hassle. Massive lifespan too.