[Closed] Bivvy kit need to lighten up... thoughts please

Remember that the down in your sleeping bag will compress under your weight - effectively cutting it's insulating properties to zero.

poncho will break the wind if pitched to the floor on prevailing side making warmth loads better.

Ditch the mat and get a baloon bed, i shit you not.
You might be glad of the poncho or a tarp in this weather.
how much is your kit weighing in at?

so the conclusion is take both then?

Foam Mat
ME Down Bag
Alpkit Hunka
Army Poncho
Dry bag
[b]3916g[/b]

[b]Cooking [/b]
Outlander Micro Stove 160
Steel Mug 117
Lighhter 12
C100 Gas (full) 189
Small Pan & Lid 120
Smaller Pan 37
Bag & Strap 24
Spork 15
Chopsticks 5
[b]679g[/b]

[b]Sleep Clothes[/b]
Fleece
Socks
Running Tights [b]801g[/b]

Then bike tools some food, tube, pump, hip flask of scotch and waterproofs

Cook using the steel mug?

Steel Mug 117

You've got a pan, so why the steel mug (in fact why 2 pans)?

2 of us going so 2 pans which double as bowls

Dry bag

2 of us going so 2 pans which double as bowls

Dry bag is also the compression bag

Foam Mat
ME Down Bag
Alpkit Hunka
Army Poncho
Dry bag
3916g

compression bag

I've bivvied in all weathers, and there's no way I would go without some form of mat. I use a small thermarest which fits neatly inside my bivvy bag. I have tried without and it was misery.

Ditch the foam mat and get an Alpkit Thermarest - they may be a little heavier, but roll up much smaller and are a lot warmer. Get rid of the poncho and tent too, just get a military issue Goretex bivi bag.

neoair's are the way forward

plastic cup. Get rid of the chopsticks. Get an old army foam sleep mat and trim it down if you can. Buy a bivvy bag that would be more efficient and probably lighter than the poncho. Use bin bgs as bag liners. Warm hat as well.

Army Poncho has to go I've decided, it's just too heavy

Gonna cut the same size out of some plastic pond liner in case extra shelter is needed

Can't your mate carry his own mug, and you carry one mug, you carry the stove, he carries the gas etc? Will save you a bit, but not enough really.

I guess the bag must be pretty heavy, but changing it to a lighter one is not going to to be cheap.

Alpkit might be able to get you a Pipedream 600 and a wee airic, which with your hunka would weigh in at just over 1.8kg, this will fit into a 13l dry bag, weighing **** all, change your poncho for a micro tarp from Backpackinglight (or make one yourself) and your all up weight will be about 2.1kg, just over half what you're quoting above.

Can't see another way of doing it, but it's going to cost you £200

plastic cups are crap you can cook in a metal one and junk a pan

+1 for goretex bivvy bag and short therma rest

Breaks down like this

My wife now thinks I'm mental weighing stuff on the kitchen scales

Foam Mat 666
ME Down Bag 1555
Bag sac 155
Alpkit Hunka 384
Army Poncho 933
Dry bag 256

So I'm gonna bin the Bag sac, dry bag & poncho.

Stuff the sleeping bag into the very bottom of the rucksac and use stuff on top to compress it.

The goretex bivvy bag will weigh twice what the hunka does, I know, I've got an army issue one, it's great but weighs nearly a kilo!

Why is a goretex Bivvi any better than the Alpkit Hunka?

remember, if a down bag gets wet it will a) weigh a ton, b) not keep you warm

Why is a goretex Bivvi any better than the Alpkit Hunka?

Goretex is tougher, but it weighs more. No personal experience of the hunka myself, but think I will get one when I want to save a bit of weight (Welsh Ride Thing)

plastic cups are crap you can cook in a metal one and junk a pan

The mug and the pans 250g, they are not my issue 🙂

You're right to ditch the poncho, but I'd be wanting some sort of tarp I reckon

Right Rucsac now included

Rucsac with DownBag, Sleeping clothes, Waterproofs and Bivvy is 5.18kg

The rest goes on the bike

Think I'm happy now 🙂

Tarp is pond liner weighing in at 495g and rolled into sleeping mat for no extra bulk.

Poncho gone!

Bin the pond liner, go to B+Q or similar and buy decorating polythene dustsheet if you want v. lightweight or DPC membrane if you want heavier duty.

Plan route carefully so that you can sleep in bivvibag in lee of tree, wall, boulder etc. I've never used a tarp although I've wanted one on a couple of occasions.

I think I'll look at the weather, I don't really want a tarp but if it's forecast rain all weekend then it's gonna be that bit nicer sleeping / cooking out of the rain if we've been rained on all day while riding.

It's not actually pond liner but DPC

I've flicked thru the above posts, but not really scrutinised them. One thing I always do for lightweight bivis is to use a super lightweight down sleeping bag (ME Dewline, Marmot Helium), bags which are well under 1000gms, claim around -5 degrees and pack really small. They're expensive tho. I then also use a lightweight down jacket (ME Dewline) for camp cooking etc and also sleeping in, again, pack really small. This probably ups the weight to 1500gms, but is much more versatile than a 1500gm down bag alone and will give a good winter rating.

I've used this on Helvellyn in winter and at 3000m in the alps in summer.
With a Alpkit Hunnka bivi bag and a 3/4 closed cell foam mat, you're looking at under 2000gms for sleeping kit. I have various air mattresses, but if you're serious about lightweight (over comfort), then the closed cell foams are much lighter.
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Another quick dilema for the STW Hive mind.

I have 2 mats, a old use lung power blow up on like this from scouting days.

[img] [/img]

Or a this newer style one

[img] [/img]

The old one packs up smaller and is lighter. (okay you have to blow it up)

Somebody suggested the balloon bed, I'd sort of written the old one off but maybe I shouldn't??

I just assumed the newer one is better

I use one of those Gelert ones, mostly because of weight and space considerations, doesn't take much to blow up either. I'd go with that. (I'd have too, it's all I've got LOL)

Are balloon beds insulated at all? I say that because whilst they do give you comfort they won't insulate as well as mats with a light weight foam core (like thermarests have) as the air can move more freely and therefore convect heat away from you into the ground.

I think I may try a very un scentific test when I get home involving items from the freezer such as a frozen lamb's leg and the kids 'in the ear' digital thermometer

balloon beds have the air pocket which will keep you warm rather than convect heat away from you. when you use layers to keep warm, lots of thin layers are better than thick layers as they'll trap more air giving more warmth.

Nick, not sure how convection would be a problem there, surely the warm air will be at the top, and the cold air at the bottom?

I think the answer is buy a Wingnut rucsac, then screw the extra grams, you won't notice them 😀

Make your self a nice light Tarp
[url= http://www.backpacking-lite.co.uk/diy/make-an-ultralight-solo-micro-tarp.html ]Some patterns on here[/url] and you can buy all the materials for not much [url= http://www.profabrics.co.uk ]here.[/url] my Micro tarp and Pegs weight less than 100g, you can make a full length one for only 200g ish
way lighter and cheaper than any of the ones you can buy I think

Balloon beds light yes but can be problematic not worth it imo

Most of the year I use a [url= http://www.needlesports.com/acatalog/Mail_Order_Rab_47.html ]Rab AR Top Bag[/url] (bit to chilli at he mo though) as druid says Down under you does nothing, so these ditch it.
you do need a therma rest of some kind though I use a prolite small all year don't notice the lack of it below my knees

[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=28820 ]These are good for getting some bulk/weight off of you back[/url] just strap a dry bag to it

Ditch the mat and get a baloon bed, i shit you not

One of the most amusing elements of the KIMM / OMM is listening to the popping of balloon bed balloons, followed by swearing, emanating from tents at the overnight camp.

I'm sure they are light but they seem to be a bit of a faff for the amount of weight and space that they save.

Thermarest all the way for me. And if I were bivvying out I would definitely take the Army Poncho (have you got one of the new ones with loops rather than eyelets round the outside - the new ones are quite light).

If it's hosing it down you can sit under the poncho, on your thermarest, and cook and eat in relative comfort. This would be hard laying on you back, side, front in a bivvy bag or under a waterproof jacket.

Also, you can have the warmest down sleeping back in the world but if the feathers get wet it isn't going to work.

These are good for getting some bulk/weight off of you back just strap a dry bag to it

I agree with your comments on tarps though - that's just what I was thinking of when I suggested a lightweight one earlier. Thanks for the supplier link too - the place I've always used though is http://www.pennineoutdoor.co.uk/ who offer a good service.

Did I already mention I'm not a big fan of balloon beds either - have always used bubble wrap, which insulates just as well as a closed cell mat but is a lot lighter - the only downside being durability, which isn't a big problem for 2 nights.