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

That would be funny a mass cook off, maybe we could do a stove test with all the variants??

And then a tarp/sleepingbag/mat/food/carrying system shoot out too??

Thought some people might find this of interest.

http://bikeovernights.org/

EDIT: you’ll need to have a good look around to find the interesting bits. Jill Homers blog is quite good on there http://blog.adventurecycling.org/search/label/Bikepacker

Stu That water filter thing, any chance of a little link? Cant seem to find it and I love a gadget 8)

Nice link however on the ’10 reasons’ page I think they are missing a reason

Bigface, I’ve no idea if they’re avaliable on-line or if it’s an is store only deal. Got mine from Cotswolds but I noticed that Field and Trek had the same thing for a couple of quid more.

What you’re after is a Aquamira Frontier Pro ultralight water filter … if that helps track it down.

@Tiger … yes, I see what you mean.

10 Reasons to go overnight

Doesn’t take a lot of prep time

Fun for all ages

Good intro to bike touring (Some say it’s the “gateway drug!”)

Nice way to spend the weekend

Can be done on a limited budget

Can be done on almost any kind of bike

Great way to get exercise

Extends the pleasure of your commute

Good practice for longer tours (If you forget something big, you’re not out for long!)

yep a reason missing there!! What is it???

Beacause the boss lets me? 😯

Somebody was asking about an Integral Siltarp many pages ago (can’t remember who or when), but I purchased just such an item from Winwood Outdoor, so here’s my short review based on a first pitch in the garden earlier.

It weighed 206g in its little bag, without guy lines and pegs. It measured 5′ by 8′, and has 5 guy points down the 8′ edge and 4 guy points along the 5′ edge. In the middle of the tarp is one lifter guy point.

Obviously for bikepacking, I wanted to work out the best way to pitch it around the bike that provided as much coverage for the whole body as possible and good directional defence against wind driven rain. This is what I came up with:

[/url]
Integral Siltarp[/url] by ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr

[/url]
Integral Siltarp[/url] by ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr

It seems very stable set up like this and gives a good level of space inside, and with the head at the end where the front wheel is, gives great protection against the elements. The lifter guy point in the middle of the tarp is pegged out to the ground, but could more effectively be routed over a stick sourced from the camp spot.

I’ve attached four guys along one edge, and a fifth of the lifter point. The tarp will pitch either way around depending on which way the weather comes from. Pegging the tarp to the ground along the other edges seems good at minimising weather coming in from underneath.

With the guy line attached (1.5mm dynemma and mini line-locks), it weighed 222g. For a secure pitch, I reckoned on 10 pegs, 6 of which are ti wire and 4 were ti v-pegs. Total weight is then 306g, which I think is very reasonable giving the level of protection I appear to have gained from the above pitch.

My previous MYOG tarp using the same pegs as above came in at 544g all in, so I’ve saved 238g, which is nice 😀

Ian

That looks great Ian, I need to practice with my new rig7 – did you get my email???

I ma planning a mini trip on Good Friday into Easter Saturday, venue to be decided but to be in/around Brecon Beacons dependant on the weather 😉 mainly too drill kit in. Let me know if anyone wants to join Flatfish and I.

Nice to see you’ve been using your paternity leave constructivly. 😉

Thanks. I’ve been out on the bike two days on the trot for the first time in ages too 😉

Pete – I’ll mail you.

Thanks. I’ve been out on the bike two days on the trot for the first time in ages too

Good lad 😉

Read on Alpkits twitter today that 200 miles of the Penine bridleway is now open. Sounds like a decent 2 nighter to me. See how far you can go in 3 days.

Early days but would anybody fancy a crack at it in say June(ish) time?

I will add last time I organised one of these night 2 was spent in a beer garden 🙂

Tarp spread over pub benches

sounds good Matt keep me informed I may be able to get a pass to come and play if we are back from France 😉

@Matt I could be up for some Pennine BW action, let me know when you do.

@Ian was Winwood the cheapest place you could find the tarps.

@Pete I’d love to come out over Easter but I’m working all weekend.

not sure if I’ll get away with it but I quite fancy the Penine Way – I’ll start negotiations!

Link

http://www.alpkit.com/news/pennine-bridleway

Stu – yes it was, though it wasn’t an exhaustive search, just the cheapest price from a place I knew. Free postage too.

*I fully understand that what I’m about to say crosses the line from nerdyness to uber nerdyness.

I’ve a few plans and ideas floating around in my head (as ever) for next year and later on this year. One of them is the forming of a bikepacking club. I’ve no firm plans and as yet it’s only an idea but if it comes off would anyone be interested?

Anyone who knows me will know that things would be pretty informal. In my mind it seems that it might be a good way to concolidate a lot of the contacts, information and ideas that are already out there.

Ta.

Need you ask me? 🙄

Like the ‘Tufty Club’ ??

Will there be badges?

No badges … because we’re roughty toughty types (rather than tufty) I thought we could wear badgers 😀

I’ve just noticed Tufty has a walking stick

.. and ginger pubes

I’m in for the club and I haven’t even popped my bikepacking cherry yet

I’ve a few plans and ideas floating around in my head (as ever) for next year and later on this year. One of them is the forming of a bikepacking club.

I’ve got an idea for the first ‘official’ club trip abroad…

Bikepacking Tour of Mount Blanc anyone?

I attempted it in 2009 but went too early in the season and got snowed off the mountains. I’m planning on having another go next year. (I was going to do it this year but got press ganged into a trip to Les Arcs instead and have, therefore, expended all my 2011-away-from-the-family holiday credits)

Also @ flatfish: do you still have room in your car from Bristol to the WRT and back? Looks like none of the Dartmoor Posse are in on the event 🙁 (e-mail in profile)

I’d join in with a baclpacking club. Would be a good resource.

Im in… I love a club 8)

Just googled the trip and its a 470miles round trip for us…Does that mean I’ve won a prize for the longest distance travelled to WRT??

count me in if it happens and I know the good lady wife will make us some badges if required 😉

I may get some made for the WRTSTWBC – which is the Welsh Ride Thing Singletrack World Bivvy Club 😉

I’ll get an image in a bit 😀

Badges sounds good, I can have it attaced to my wildcat bag (once I order it)

Badges sounds good

Hmmm, I’m not so sure. That’s an extra 7 grammes to haul around whilst out on manouveres 😉

I came across this book on the web, looks like some excellent possibilities for bike packing in the Alps. I have a pdf copy somewhere but I can’t remember where from. The pics give good idea of some of the routes though.

http://www.ocd.org.uk/alps/rs/fred.htm

Stu, I’ve given this some thought over the last few hours, and my considered response is this:

Informal arrangements usually end up being ineffective in my experience and/or only a few end up being completely committed which negates the need for a club in some respects. As far as information resource is concerned, there are several good places on the internet already (STW, bikepacking.net, Bikepacking UK, ACA etc) where info on bikepacking is easily accessible to read or contribute too, and to concentrate on added info to these places rather than creating new ones would be better I think. Forums such as this only attract a handful of contributors compared to the number of individuals that actually visit, and the tags above suggest some of the readership don’t take it too seriously anyway. Contrary to this, you have 75+ people wanting to do the WRT.

Perhaps I’ve mis-interpreted your intentions, but I’ve seen small/ exclusive clubs fail pretty quickly after the initial bust of enthusiasm. I’d undoubtedly join if one was set up, but my expectations wouldn’t be that high over and above what we have achieved within the context of this thread: a couple of pre-planned bivvy trips, exchange of gear usage/ ideas and the promotion of an annual event, namely the WRT.

In this respect, perhaps we have an informal club already?

Ian

+1 IanB I agree but we Brits love a club 😉

I think (for whats its worth) As long as people post there trips on this thread, and maybe an arraned trip or 2 and the main event WRT you cant really go wrong. Seems like everyone who posts is keen, the longer this thread goes on Im sure the more people will wonder what there missing and join in….

Who pissed on your chips Ian? 😉

Go outdoors flyer for bivi bags,

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/camping/tents/bivi-bags?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Sleeping%20Bags%2008_04_11%20(AO8AP)&utm_content=

@ flatfish – Nobody. Just thought I’d try and be constructive… You know me well enough anyway 🙂

@Bigface – yes, that’s what I was aiming at, only in many more words, and possibly with a greater degree of mis-interpretation.

@ flatfish – is the alpine bivi the one you have?

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