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Calling IanB and Flatfish are you ok?
Did you make it back ok??
Was thinking of you this morning walking the dog in the pouring rain 🙁
Hello all, I've just invented something.
How's this sound
It will blow your Thermarest up for you (Tested on a NeoAir regular)
It will fill your Thermarest with 'moisture free air' (well air not from your lungs at least)
It will blow it up in less than 45 seconds
It only weighs 24grams and has no moving parts!
It cost £1.50
I'll make a video and post it. 😀
😀 ooo I like inventions do show us 😉
Tiger - me too - pray tell!
Does the £1-50 include postage 😀
Back safe. Will report back later with tales of extreme endeavour, high winds, army check points, descending darkness and lashing rain.
Tiger - CO2 canister and some rubber hose?
I dread to think what it is ... my mind's running riot 😉
sounds like you had fun - did you come across any blow up tanks and taliban check points??
We often come across those on a Wednesday evening spin in the Beacons
Right, washing done and kit now drying out. I don't think anything escaped getting wet to some extent.
Overall, a good weekend. Not the best nights sleep I've ever had, but it did give me lots of time to contemplate improvements to my kit which wouldn't have presented themselves if the weather had been fine. In many ways, this bivi was harder on kit and self than the Winter one was in December.
All the pics are linked [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/sets/72157625915949547/with/5442745938/ ]here[/url], but here's a summary:
You don't get the sense of strong headwind in this picture, but the going was hard:
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/5442745938_f7c59f7c22.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/5442745938/ ]Up and into the wind[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15512491@N08/ ]ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr
My tarp set up worked well considering the conditions:
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5132/5442747594_ede9c83071.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/5442747594/ ]My tarp setup[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15512491@N08/ ]ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr
Flatfish's tarp just before he twiddled it round to keep the wind out:
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5442143787_0ce67d5e2a.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/5442143787/ ]Flatfish's initial tarp set up[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15512491@N08/ ]ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr
Dinner time - Saag aloo and mullagatawny noodles went down a real treat.
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5213/5442144563_1c4b8b6bb0.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/5442144563/ ]Dinner time[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15512491@N08/ ]ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr
Morning brew and Flatfish's wind-reconfigured tarp...:
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5092/5442145251_ac6374c141.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/5442145251/ ]Morning brew[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15512491@N08/ ]ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr
Leaving no trace:
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5011/5442751788_05725440aa.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/5442751788/ ]Breaking camp in the rain[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15512491@N08/ ]ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr
So, anyway. The trails were soft and the going very hard. The frozen ground I experienced on this route two weeks ago had gone - trails were very soft indeed. There was a headwind. At 5pm we were still about an hour away from the camp, but we pressed on anyway, negotiating the army checkpoint on the way. We did one of the descents in the dark, but the last one down to the camp was too tricky to ride. The rain didn't start until about 9pm, though it was still windy when we set up the tarps. The wind and rain was persistant throughout most of the night, which took a greater toll on flatfish's tarp than mine, though mine needed some adjustment part way through the night. We broke camp pretty early and enjoyed the tail wind home. Kit was tested to it's limit, which was good to see how far you can take stuff and what you need to do to improve it for next time.
some great pics there Ian 😀
The frame bags look great did they work well in field test?
What else would you change from your kit list?
Looks like a good weekend. 🙂
What else would you change from your kit list?
I wouldn't change many of the items significantly. Most relate to refinements of the tarp set up to improve performance in windy conditions and to better exclude wind driven rain.
One issue I had this morning was trying to get the stove lit in a strong wind - got there in the end but it was quite tricky to get it primed which at the time was a concern though not life threatening. The Whitebox might have been better than the Triad, so might use that one next time.
Yes that's something I need to practice is tarp set up, as I guess we won't have Stu's marquee tarp to cover us all on the WRT (if I do it that is 😉 )
One issue I had this morning was trying to get the stove lit in a strong wind - got there in the end but it was quite tricky to get it primed
Caldera cone
Caldera cones - I've seen those but never used one. Not sure whether it would have allowed me to get the stove primed more easily, but it would have been more efficient at boiling the water at least. I think I have some material that would allow me to make my own to test the theory at low cost.
Looks a nice spot fellas, however I'm not too sorry I missed the wind/rain.
Slightly puzzled by the 'leaving no trace' picture as the third pic down obviously shows flatfish enjoying a 'wild one' 😯
flatfish enjoying a 'wild one'
Not sure what that was, but not what you think or looks like. When we packed there was no sign we'd been there. Even recovered all the tent pegs 🙂
Caldera clones: found this, which looks good - http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/forummessages/mps/UTN/22357/URN/5/dt/4/srchdte/0/cp/1/v/8/sp/
IanB, Looks like a good trip chaps...
Ian you didn't by chance leave the flat one behind in the mountains did you? ... he's being very quiet.
LOL, he made it out alive, albeit somewhat sleep deprived..
Is that spot really not very far from Sarn Helen by any chance. If it's where I think it is, it's a lovely place to spend the night. I've used it many times.
I'd like to say it was lovely but i didn't see much of it due to the driving rain that battered me all night!
My kit is just about all dry now. Oohhhh, how i wished it was colder and it would have been snow instead.
Unfortunately for you Stu, Ian brought me home, a little wetter and colder than i care to be though.
Glad you had a nice time then 😉
wasn't my best but it did teach me a few things!
Pretty miserable at times I'd imagine in that weather 😯
dare I say maybe a tent may have offered better shelter??
At some point during the night i did wish for a tent, i wished not to be there, i also wished Ians tarp would fall down so he could join me in my misery.
Only one of these thing actually happened, only for a short time, but it happened!
THERE IS A GOD!!!!!!
Did you teleport back home for a warm up and then back before Ian noticed or was Ian suffering the same as you??
Ya big puff 😉
If you still coming out to play next month and not playing with a bunch of girls were going hammocking. I found i sleep so much better in a hammock than a bivi bag.
Big respect for going bivvying in Feb though 😉
Busting to have another crack at it 😀
Hammocks good with me, I'll have a look on the map for trees. If the hammocks rockin' don't come knockin' .... as I'm obviously just about to tip it over and fall out!
i also wished Ians tarp would fall down so he could join me in my misery.
I did offer you some space under my tarp, which you declined. Like I said before, you learn more in suffering. You'll be better prepared next time 😉
Although you did offer, which I was grateful for, you got wet too without me helping you get wet. I was also using my considerable weight to stop my tarp from blowing away. 🙄
You'll be better prepared next time
argh you lot trying to get me to be uber minimal and now I am worrrying I need to think about more kit!!!
So is the real lesson here more about tarp set up and placement???
this is what I need to practice as I said before, Stu link ^^^^^ is really good.
My lesson this trip was:
My hammock tarp is shite for bivvying,
My jacket, whilst waterproof, doesn't breathe at all,
And my non party food was shite.
Is that your RAB jacket?
No it was a cheaper one, I regret not taking my Rab, I went for pack size and suffered a bit
So is the real lesson here more about tarp set up and placement???
Or check the weather forecast and use an appropriate level of kit?
I have too many cold wet nights out in the past - It ain't happening again. 4 season tent for dodgy weather. I am going to make a totally waterproof bag / tent hybrid to use in better weather tho
I'm up and about next weekend if anybody fancies it?
'spose I could sleep outside 🙂 Got a new frame bag to test.
So is the real lesson here more about tarp set up and placement???
Yes. I think you could have used a tarp effectively in those conditions, we just didn't have the right tarps.
Or check the weather forecast and use an appropriate level of kit?
We survived 😉
Besides, I quite enjoyed looking out into the gloom and watching the rain come down rather just listening to it beat against the side of a tent 🙂
That's the spirit Ian 😀
Being in the open is what it's about.
and then battling the elements 😉
I find that sometimes tents can make the weather outside seem so much worse than it really is. As Ian says, when you can see what's happening it doesn't seem quite so bad ... somehow you feel part of it.
Nobody wants to come out and play at the weekend then?
My next trip out will be 11,12,13 march. It'll be up your neck of the woods too if your interested in all or part of that ride.