What should I be taking with me other than sleeping bag, ground mat, bivvy bag and whiskey?

At this time of year?

Depends what you want to get out of the bivvy really, if you are in to star gazing then maybe an app for your phone. Otherwise a book or ebook. More Whisky 😀 If you are heading out with mates then it’s likely you are going to be sat around chatting so warm clothing for that.

Stove, food and associated items. Can be as basic or as fancy as you wish (or wish to carry)

I like bivvying, and I like bike riding, but one ruins the other for me.

Handy post, i’m also off on my first bike bivy tomorrow.

Was going to bring some long johns/trousers for the camp encase i got a tad cold.

The general consensus on the Bearbones bikepacking forum is that you need to take enough to be comfortable but not too much to make the biking uncomfortable. Generally try to have kit that will do two jobs rather than just one then you can leave stuff at home. On one and two night trips I tend not to cook but use boil in the bag type meals (you can make your own), you just need something to boil the water in (I use an Alpkit MyTiMug) then pour the water in to the bag and wait for everything to rehydrate. No washing up needed!

There’s no *one* right answer, if there was then it would be easy. Some people sleep warm, some sleep cold; some need a thick comfy sleeping mat, others don’t.

There’s a lot of info on the blog part of the site (confusingly called “Reviews”) http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co.uk/

One point to note with sleeping bags is that you are the heat source, i.e. the sleeping bag doesn’t warm you up, you warm it up. Wearing clothes can prevent the bag from lofting properly so it doesn’t work as well as you’d hope.

Bike bivvying experience limited. Bivvying in general much experience.
Drink? Yep Whisky here too. Don’t miss out on the recent rum thread on here tho. I’ve recently got into rum as a result. Either way take a large capacity hip flask. Not a bottle.
Food. Depends on how long you’re out for. Daytime, whatever you normally take on a day ride. For me that means homemade flapjacks as they’re very energy dense. Pepperami likewise. Nighttime depends on who you are with. If alone, pepperami whilst waiting for water to boil, then a noodle soup pot. Currently into Shin Black Beef version. Rather like a Pho Bo – very nice! Very light, moderate packability when unopened, packs to nothing when empty. No washing up. If with friends then the load gets shared and it tends to be a fancier pasta based meal – someone carries pasta, someone carries sauce, someone carries protein to add to. Washing up required. Only take one pan or mug. Your stove should fit into it, ideally so should the gas cylinder you will be using. You should not need anything else. If you are thinking bacon or sos for breakfast, think again. Totally wrong mindset for a bivvy. “How long will those sausages be Turkish” springs to mind. Pepperami, flapjack or noodles for me every time.
Water! Very important. Chlorine tablets are your friend. Yes there are fancy UV systems and pointless pumpy RO filters and we’ll have a round of F#€$ about the yays and nays of all things outdoors water systems. Use chlorine. The tablets weigh next to nothing and pack to nothing and they work. Some folks don’t like the taste, if you are one of them use a neutraliser. They weigh next to nothing too. Don’t be tempted to drink any untreated water below the human habitation / farming line. It ain’t worth it. Check at least 30m above where you take water from. Look for dead animals or faeces. I have never had dodgy guts in xx years of wild camping.
If winter bike bivvying alone have some entertainment. iPod, crossword, ebook, your choice. Them long nights linger. If with mates, enjoy the company – great nights wild camping carry very fond memories for me. Lengthen your whisky with hot water (Uh oh – expecting flak for that one). Even better, mulled whisky (climbs into concrete shelter for that suggestion. INCOMING!!!) the spices weigh next to nothing, pack to nothing and a warmly spiced hot whisky raises the spirits and body temperature like nothing I know. You ain’t taking a fancy single malt for this one.
Down jacket is a must. Decathlon do a fairly good lightweight one really cheap. Good for 3 season. If winter bivvying, take a ‘mothership’ down jacket. Down sleeping bags are very good weight and packability wise. Don’t get it damp, have a separate dry bag for it.
Bikes make ace tarp setups. Front wheel out and guylined out at one end. Frame upside down and guyed off boltthru hole at t’other.
Lavatory. Needs thinking about if you are new to this. If the STW hive mind is o.k. with this (prolly will be!) I’ll share thoughts in another post.
Pitch late, strike early, leave no trace. Definitely light no fires!
Have fun!!!

Take some garlic with you

Ironnigel – brilliant. You should write a book.

Awww! Shucks! 😳