[Closed] Sick as a dog so, show me you Bivi / Bikepacking / Adventure racing gear.....

What sleeping mat are you using? You'll lose more heat to the floor than you will to the air in winter.

I've been using an Enlightened Revelation X quilt for most of the winter. Rated to roughly -20 and about 1kg, combined with an Exped Synmat UL it's been fine even on the coldest nights.

I've tried a few things over the years, from HH base layers up to the lightweight Buffalo top and trousers, plus the warm dry socks and hat thing. Also tried different sleeping pads including Exped down mat etc. I just tend to feel the cold. The problem with a bike is that it's not easy to carry the clothing and sleeping gear which would keep me comfortably warm when I stop riding or am sleeping.

If you don't head out on long trips when it's raining or only for one night get a really good down sleeping bag that is over the top for the temps that you will be sleeping in and sleep in the nude inside it.

It's a bitch to get into but your body will warm up the sleeping bag and not just the clothes you are trying to sleep in.

Warm the sleeping bag for a great nights sleep not your clothes, as cold clothes don't heat up the bag.

Also throw in one or two of those disposable or reusable hand warmers for a toasty glow.

Thanks. That makes sense - I'll try it next time.

I'd like to be able to get away with a lighter down bag for 3 season use. I keep looking enviously at the size and weight of those PHD Minims etc, but had to face up to the fact that they're probably not for me. It would be nice, though....

I'm not buying the "too much to carry" thing. You can get a massive sleeping bag on a rack.

Are you tenting or bivvying? A wee tent will keep you much warmer than a bivvy bag, especially if the bag is restricting the sleeping bag from lofting.

I suppose I could carry it if I used a rack. It is pretty big - the storage bag is about the size of a black bin bag. Obviously it'll compress, but even then, it's a real struggle to get it into anything less than the largest compression sack. It won’t go into an Ortlieb pannier. Admittedly I haven't done any bike camping for a while, but I've always been short on space because I've tended to use bikes which can't take a lot of luggage. I've got by, but had to pare things down to a minimum. I’ve mainly used a bivvy bag in those cases, but even when using a wee tent I often feel cold if I don’t have a really warm bag. I suppose something rated like the Hispar 500 is the best I can hope for (I think it’ll be about half the volume of my other one) but even then it’s not tiny.

You're obviously going to have to compromise somewhere if you simply can't generate enough heat to keep warm at night. That might mean a bike with a rack, or making sure everything else you have is lightweight/compact.

In this photo, the sleeping bag is on the rack, everything else (tent, mat, gas stove, pots, food, spare clothing) is in a Revelate handlebar roll-bag and a wee frame-top bag (really just the camera in there).
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8540732740_c4ab7189a4_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8540732740_c4ab7189a4_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/druidh2000/8540732740/ ]P1050316[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/druidh2000/ ]ScotRoutes[/url], on Flickr

Here are some pics from my tour of the Cairngorms trip last weekend:

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8404/8692772273_27a1ca090c.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8404/8692772273_27a1ca090c.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/76053886@N08/8692772273/ ]IMG_0594[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/76053886@N08/ ]DKNWHY[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8543/8692770881_977cc11c60.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8543/8692770881_977cc11c60.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/76053886@N08/8692770881/ ]IMG_0595[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/76053886@N08/ ]DKNWHY[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8262/8693887130_29af8a501c.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8262/8693887130_29af8a501c.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/76053886@N08/8693887130/ ]IMG_0599[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/76053886@N08/ ]DKNWHY[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8124/8693886142_cc08220784.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8124/8693886142_cc08220784.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/76053886@N08/8693886142/ ]IMG_0605[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/76053886@N08/ ]DKNWHY[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8536/8693884270_1329ea33be.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8536/8693884270_1329ea33be.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/76053886@N08/8693884270/ ]IMG_0617[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/76053886@N08/ ]DKNWHY[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8541/8692764823_8b32923a8b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8541/8692764823_8b32923a8b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/76053886@N08/8692764823/ ]IMG_0618[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/76053886@N08/ ]DKNWHY[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8118/8692763303_4945819395.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8118/8692763303_4945819395.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/76053886@N08/8692763303/ ]IMG_0628[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/76053886@N08/ ]DKNWHY[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8405/8692761679_38e0dd8b60.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8405/8692761679_38e0dd8b60.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/76053886@N08/8692761679/ ]IMG_0635[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/76053886@N08/ ]DKNWHY[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8258/8692760229_c5934cafd6.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8258/8692760229_c5934cafd6.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/76053886@N08/8692760229/ ]IMG_0637[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/76053886@N08/ ]DKNWHY[/url], on Flickr

Beautiful scotroutes!

So how is Tiger6791? Feeling better? 😉

[b]hermer75 - Member[/b]
So how is Tiger6791? Feeling better?

Oh, you know, I have my good days...

I've just posted a gear list and some comments on my blog. Maybe some folk will find it useful

http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2013/05/bikepacking-kit-list.html

[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7284/8720090109_f01e6cbfaf_c.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7284/8720090109_f01e6cbfaf_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url] [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/druidh2000/8720090109/ ]P1000175[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/druidh2000/ ]ScotRoutes[/url], on Flickr

I just read that ^ scotroutes. It makes me want to go on an adventure....

Aye nice write up.

Agree with you on the doss bag Colin. Love my Lamina 0..

[quote=Teetosugars ]Agree with you on the doss bag Colin. Love my Lamina 0..
When packing it away after these photos I was hoping I'd not need it for at least another 6 months 🙂

A -15 rated bag would be mighty warm outside of October-April!

Hi guys,

great thread, I've only just stumbled on it. This thread has given me the motivation to go try something similar this summer. I'm not a well seasoned camper so will wait till ideal conditions before giving it a go.

If I go in the summer time and pick a weekend where there is no chance of rain. Will I be OK sleeping in just summer sleeping bag and a mat under the stars? Or do you still recommend a bivy bag and tarp etc ?

If 100% no chance rain then a sleeping bag is fine without a bivi or tarp

[quote=eoghan ]A -15 rated bag would be mighty warm outside of October-April!
The "Comfort" rating of that bag is -5C and you'd have hoped we'd not have too many nights as cold as that in what we laughingly call summer. I also have a Lamina 35 which has a CR of 2C so that'll be getting aired this weekend.

[quote=jairaj ]Hi guys,
great thread, I've only just stumbled on it. This thread has given me the motivation to go try something similar this summer. I'm not a well seasoned camper so will wait till ideal conditions before giving it a go.
If I go in the summer time and pick a weekend where there is no chance of rain. Will I be OK sleeping in just summer sleeping bag and a mat under the stars? Or do you still recommend a bivy bag and tarp etc ?
It's gonna depend on temperature too. A bivy bag of any sort will add a few degrees of warmth, especially if it's a bit windy.

If 100% no chance rain then a sleeping bag is fine without a bivi or tarp

Scotroutes - that's a brilliant blog you've got going on there.

eoghan - thanks. Nice to know someone appreciates it. I sometimes worry that it is too "wordy" but it's really just an extension of some notes I was taking for my own benefit and there are lots of little details that help spark the recollection process.

Got to say this is one of the best threads I've read on here - really inspired me to bivi again. Thanks!

Just in time for elevenses, here's my first impressions of bivvying

[img] [/img]

http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2013/05/a-different-slant.html

We're due a bump I think

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

More [url= http://mcalisterium.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/short-sleeves-and-storm-clouds/ ]here[/url], with thanks to ScotRoutes and the weather. 🙂

Sunnier in my photo - but I bet it was a bloody sight colder!!

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8540729384_ffe240aa09_c.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8540729384_ffe240aa09_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/druidh2000/8540729384/ ]P1050319[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/druidh2000/ ]ScotRoutes[/url], on Flickr

Nice write-up though. You have a very humorous style.

Sunnier in my photo - but I bet it was a bloody sight colder!!

I don't doubt it! 🙂

Glad you enjoyed it.

I enjoyed reading that vorlich,and the photos are stunning. Thank you.

Scarcely an adventure as I was only out for a couple of hours 🙄 , (although that's often enough time to get into some kinda trouble) but for a size reference picture, here's a small sized Wildcat Tiger rackless bag, filled with a 5ltr Alpkit drybag, strapped to my Peregrine.

[img] [/img]

I've taken to using this, or my larger Bikepacking.EU back for 'day-touring', rather than go for more traditional 'day' bags - just for carrying tools, a tube, something to eat, a waterproof, and extra layer - stuff like that.

Due to head for a cairngorm tour in about 10 days - anyone got info on conditions please - snow, fordability of rivers etc? Gaick, Tromie, By back, Braes Abernethy, Fords of A an etc

Ta

This is quite a good site for getting real time data on river levels Boxelder, gives you an idea if they are running higher or lower than normal.

http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_levels/river_level_data.aspx

That's a great link.
Ta

Took youngest son on his first bikepacking trip, all the lightweight gear I used on the Polaris Challenges has long since expired, so used what we had just in case he didn't enjoy it. Seems he did and we are off again next weekend to do it properly wild.

My SS Bikepacker made from the parts bin.
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Our accommodation for Saturday night:
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recommendations on food? any nice just add water meals out there?

Spent last night in the wilds of the Mournes.

wasnt a bad night for it. Could do with a smaller sleeping bag if I'm going to make a habit of it.

All in all was a good night!

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Whereabouts in the Mournes Tony?

gazerath - Member
recommendations on food? any nice just add water meals out there?

No need to add water, just boil in the bag...

[url= http://www.lookwhatwefound.co.uk/ ]Look what we found...[/url]

Camped at pierces castle, then descended back to rostrevor via castle bog, then onto the new trails.

For quick carbs, I like the flavoured couscous you get in single serving packets in supermarkets. Ignore the instructions, heat some water and when it's near boiling, whack it in, roll over the top and leave for a few mins. The fact you're not having to keep something on the boil means your fuel lasts longer.

ASDA are doing "look what we found" meals for a quid at the moment, use by dates are well into next year so have stocked up the cupboard.

What section are they in I'll go hunting later

How do you guys carry around enough water when wild camping? I can easily get through 3 litres on an all day ride so no idea what I'd use for cooking with in the evening and then the next day?

Or is the idea to focus on the camping rather than an epic ride and do a smaller route leaving enough water for food and the return journey.

jairaj - I've been using a Travel Tap. Great when you know you're going places with running water (everywhere in the peaks).
They do an inline camelbak filter too.

They look a little too-good-to-be-true, but there are plenty of people I trust using them.

Even a normal pump-style water filter is going to weight a lot less than a litre of water, so it's worth doing imo.

I've been walking and cycling in the hills for years and never had a problem with water from fast flowing steams, rivers and burns. Just avoid water sources near cattle.