Night in a bivi bag in january…….will i die?

last time i slept in a bivi bag was 25 yrs ago, in summer on a beach in northumberland.

Notwith a good sleeping bag

maybe. take a sleeping bag too. it’ll improve your chances a lot 😉

Peut-etre

If it’s for ‘puffer. you can have a corner of our gazebo for additionl shelter.

A ‘good’ sleeping bag will make all the difference.

Yes

what is a good packable sleeping back to aid my warmth.

For bivvying, I’d avoid down and go for something like a Mountain Hardware Lamina 0

No. Good gods man, tough it up! It’s only winter!

Well it won’t be as cold as the last time.

Might be a bit boring, unless you are planning to keep moving after dark

Might be a bit boring, unless you are planning to keep moving after dark

next question was, any good pubs in Rhayader? 😀

I can recommend Morgans.
Right on the crossroads.

Sleeping bag wise, it depends on the forecast.

ton – Member
what is a good packable sleeping back to aid my warmth.

Down is the best thing to keep you warm but is crap when wet so for winter either get a down bag with a good highly water resistant outer fabric or just stick to a synthetic bag. Synthetic bags tend to be a lot more bulky though especially with a winter rating, say -5C
Ton you’re more than likely going to have to get a Long or XL version. Most US manufacturers std length is only 6ft so you’ll need a long version e.g. TNF, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot
Even for UK makes like Mountain Equipment you’ll need the XL cos you’re a big lad.
There are loads of threads on here about sleeping bags and the relative merits of down & synthetic bags.
Golden Rule of bivvying is don’t fully zip/close it up as the condensation will make it miserable inside

druidh – Member
For bivvying, I’d avoid down and go for something like a Mountain Hardware Lamina 0

Ton – these are great synthetic bags but you will deffo need the XL but you’ll also need to try before you buy to see if it’s wide enough at the chest. GoOutdoors in Stanningley stock the Lamina range so pop in to see if they’ve got what you need

I can second Flatfish’s recommendation – great food and friendly staff

Ton, you signing up for ‘El & Back? Do you have a bivy bag already? If it’s nice & breathable, I’d stick with a down sleeping bag imho (or quilt). Whether the bag/quilt gets wet will depend more on where you pitch than anything else.

pedalhead…..it is the El & back. not got a bivvi yet. i was gonna get a xl hunka.

XL Hunka was my first bivy bag, a good’un for the price. You’ll have lots of space in there for a winter bag to loft. Don’t forget you’ll need a warm mat…even with a warm bag you’ll get very cold if your mat isn’t up to the temp. Got a tarp?

next question was, any good pubs in Rhayader?

Haha i’m from a few miles away from Rhayader originally (Cardiff now).

The Elan pub is probably one of the nicest – I’ll be honest and admit i’m not a huge fan of Rhayader pubs in general, but I guess that’s just because I’m from there!

On this year’s January equivalent to the El & Back (called Mach n Back) it was well frosty and sub zero in the night. However, some of us slept amongst the conifers where the temperature stayed nicely above zero and we weren’t coated with frost and condensation upon waking in the morning 🙂

BTW, could any late arriving riders chosing to kip down in the same vicinity as us on The El ‘n Back please keep the noise and lumens down as you stagger up from the pub in the early hours? Cheers.

I’m still here Tony 😀

All depends on conditions and picking a good spot, as to how cold you can be and still be comfortable.

Things to think about is how warm do you sleep?
Is it better to get a good 3 season bag which you will use more and then layer up? Coat, liner, thermals, hat & socks etc.
A good mat is as important as a good bag.

Matt, i sleep warm, i thought a bit lighter bag might be better.
also what is a good mat?

Tony – were you not on here a few weeks ago complaining that you’d been feeling the cold since you lost some weight?

druidh, yes mate, but i am building a ‘keep the cold at bay’ wardrobe.

got a down pullover and plenty of merino thermals to sleep in, so i figured a lighter bag would be ok.

Ah. I thought you meant you were gonna take a wardrobe with you. 😆

Remember that, if the merino gets damp while you are riding, it’ll not dry out and it will be very cold.

merino stuff is for my pj’s 😀
i ride in northface manmade flight series stuff.

Don’t know how the other more serious camping/bivying types rate them but I find a silk liner invaluable. My girlfriend is always sleeps cold, on our last camping weekend it got pretty frosty over night but in her 3 season bag and a silk liner she slept like a baby.

also what is a good mat?

Look for R ratings the higher the better. You’ll loose more heat via the ground than via the air.

Love my neoair. Exped and Peak Elite also get good recomendations (but all on the higher end price wise)
Foam mats work just as well, cheap but bulky. Many options available. Tried short mats, but after using a long mat, theres no going back for me.

Are you thinking of doing El-an back? I did Mach n Back last Jan, it was great!

Best tip is to get out of the open, trees are good, even seeming impenetrable forests are more less dense once you get past the first few feet. I managed with a Alpit pipedream 400 and Filo jacket.

Just accumulating some kit for el and back
Not 100% yet
Never bivi’d before

I’ve had a moment of madness & signed up for el-an-back as well., I’m no stranger to camping but haven’t been getting out as much as I used to.

Ex army stuff?

Alpkit stuff is brill for bivvies and mats.
Ton, have a pop into go outdoors at pudsey or wakefeild as they have a good selection of bags.
For me a nice down one is always preffered. Have Rab and alpkit ones, all good.

I slept in just a bivvy bag on an island off the coast of Somalia last week and i **** nearly died. Was so **** cold i thought i might pass out.

I slept in just a bivvy bag on an island off the coast of Somalia last week

Are your family having a bit ot trouble cobbling together the ransom money then? 😉

just been reading a thing about camping in alaska, the guy who wrote it suggested that a foam mat with either a tin foil backing or a tin foil survival bag laid on it, was the best choice for winter.
he said a inflatable air type mat stayed cold cos your body heat escaped through it.

Whats the deal with food? Do people pack tea/ cook it or go to the pub?

Up to you.

just been reading a thing about camping in alaska, the guy who wrote it suggested that a foam mat with either a tin foil backing or a tin foil survival bag laid on it, was the best choice for winter.
he said a inflatable air type mat stayed cold cos your body heat escaped through it.

Tony, some air mats contain insulation to stop heat escaping to the ground. Some of the ‘best’ are the Exped down mats (which contain down obviously), Exped also make one with a synthetic filling. NeoAir mats have a reflective barrier on the inside which doesa similar thing. Any air mat which is ‘open’ and allows air to move freely inside will be cold in winter as it offers no insulation.

A thin closed cell foam mat underneath any mat will bump up the R value by about 2.

Have a look at the mats over at AlpKit, their self inflating mats are pretty good at keeping you warm.