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

Some nice cheap frame bags on Ebay right now.
Good enough small bag for £13 if anyone is looking….

MOUNTAIN,FIXIE,ANY BIKE TOP TUBE STASH POUCH/TOOL BAG HARD TO FIND CYCLE LUGGAGE | eBay

First look type review of the Coleman Avior x2 tent.
http://www.composite-projects.co.uk/2012/07/coleman-avior-x2-tent/ :-)

Morning. Damned hot day. Had a naked rambler pass by just after this at around 5am.

this is why.

Is that what you were doing when I called in to see you on friday?

PSA: Planet fear in Keswick has an ex display Helium 200 for £99 8)

No. This was this morning. Friday was being a parent and taxi. Sorry to miss you, Jurassic the camping shop said you passed through, small town.

Thats alright, you didn’t have the bike I wanted.
Had a nice ride round the place though.

I did, however, find some stickers from your good self.

Missed the Wurzels though. :cry:

Worth has the best pub in the world… Marvelous view. The caves are good for a sneaky bivy but are often used for raves so not always peaceful.

After being totally inspired by this post I had my first go at bikepacking this weekend. Sorry about the pic quality.

My bike:

3/4 thermarest and old single-hoop goretex bivvy bag on the bars, either side of cables and held in place with two straps. Map on top of this under rubber bands. Spare clothes stuffed in with bivvy bag.

Top-tube bag with energy bars and phone.

1.3kg down sleeping bag behind the saddle, in a stuff sack from a synthetic Decathlon bag – this bag has compression straps built in which makes it easy to attach. Small saddle pack attached below the sleeping bag with multitool, spare tube and levers.

Two bottles with 750ml of plain water in each. I considered getting a cheap triangle frame bag to replace one bottle, but the 35°C heat meant that I needed a LOT of liquid.

Camelbak Mule with 2.5l of isostar, food pump and other tools.

I usually run a fast XC tyre on the back (Specialized Fast Trak or an old Michelin XCR Dry2) but a fully loaded test ride saw me put a big hole in a Michelin so I went with a Specialized Captain control front and back, pumped up a bit more than usual.

It was moderately epic. I thought that two 70km days would be reasonable, so I planned to do this:
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=jzjhauqdbnqjettu The route was chosen to take loads of fireroads. Most of the first day follows the “Grand Traversee de l’Herault” or GT34 – a bike/horse/foot trail that goes from near Montpellier to almost Carcassonne. After that I planned to go up fireroafd to the summit of Roc Blanc and bivvy up there, then the second day was to traverse the long line of La Seranne to Mont St Baudille, take a rather spicy descent and come back via fireroads and a GR footpath that uses an old rail track for most of it’s length (GR653).

First day up to the summit of Roc Blanc went really well. No bike problems, but the final long, long fireroad climb really meant I had to dig deep (and keep stopping – amazing the difference a few extra kilos make!).

Near the start, looking at Hortus and Pic St Loup:

First view of the days objective – Roc Blanc:

From near the top of Roc Blanc looking at Pic St Loup from the other side:

From the top of Roc Blanc I had the first surprise. The ridge path was exactly that: a path along a ridge. The end of the fireroad was just a carpark, and exposed to the wind so I started climbing down the path, to see if I could get to the end of the rocky section before bivvying. Not far along I found a lovely flat platform sheltered from the wind:

I slept well. Day2 did not go as planned. The ridge path became a tiny, unrideable path through dense spiky vegetation over rocks. I lost the path, clambered through bushes then found it again and descended down to what looks like a big right turn on the map, I think. All that took about an hour.

But sometime during that hour I’d managed to loose my map…

I tried to follow trails from memory, but I got really badly lost. What looks like a long obvious ridgeline on the map is really quite flat on top, with a myriad of hunters/animal tracks that seem to be good then just stop in the middle of bushes. I got cut to ribbons whilst sturggling through dry spiky vegetation with a fully loaded bike balanced across my shoulders.

After a couple more hours of very slow progress I spotted a path heading down the hillside to the valley below, near St Jean de Bueges (the village in this picture):

Fortunately I found it, and escaped downwards, dropping about 600m in about 20mins. This picture shows one of the sections between terrifying crumbling hairpins:

After lunch in a cafe:

I followed the road parallel to the ridge. No way did I have the reserves to go back up to the top of Mt St Baudille and do the descent, but I picked up my original planned route and went to St Jean de Fos by fireroad:

No more pictures after this, as I managed to loose my phone SOMEWHERE on the long descent down… This meant that I was absolutely ragged, still about 35km from home and with no backup.

Fortunately an old lady out for a run (!) found it and handed it in at a local Town Hall, where I picked it up the next day. How lucky!!

I did Aniane to La Boissiere on the GR653 – rocky but mostly flat old railway, then I dropped my plan and used the road to head home.

A very interesting experience.

wow – proper adventure. Losing a map and a phone would have me panicking for sure. At least you found civilization in time for lunch!

Not that I’m at all jealous as I look forward to my 4 day double shift weekend 8O but I wouldnt have liked it……

Looks like a great trip and beautiful views :)

That ^^^^^ looks ace Tim…

I need to get out there and Bivi..

8 days and counting Nick ;-)

is it worth asking on here if anyone wants in ?

Aye, why not Steve.. Guess most will be at SITS tho?

Friday evening’s ‘avoiding the Olympics™ opening ceremony’ bivi excursion…..

Tidy

Any tips for packing a full Susser?

Craig5 – Have a look at this thread on MTBR for a few ideas.

Been dropping in and out of this thread for what seems like ages, having not done a bivi ride for years finnaly got some one to come out and play for 3 or 4 day trundle along the trans cambrian way.

Cameras charged kits sorted the adventure starts tomorrow with a drive up to the start :-)

Most fits in the topeak panier i use for my commute extra clothes and goodies in the back pack.

Just to save me having to trawl all the way back through whats the ideal size tarp to get and any handy links?

Was thinking 2 x 3m?

Something like THIS or Camo-tastic maybe?

That camo tarp is what ive got fit 2 under it, not the lightest but very durable. Can double up as a stretcher thats how robust it is.

stayhigh a 2m x 3m should give you decent coverage for solo use but may limit your set-up choices. Something nearer 3m x 3m will open up lots more options. DD are quite popular but being PU nylon are fairly heavy. It’s certainly worth paying a few £ more and getting something in Silnylon … it’ll be around half the weight for a given size.

You can do things like this with a 3m x 3m

Slugwash – the point of a canoe is you *can* take everything, and not have to slum it – you should have had a 3 man tent, BBQ, beer, burgers, pillows and duvet etc.
Not that I did that on last weeks canoe trip down the Tay, oh no, that would be excessive. 8)

Slugwash – the point of a canoe is you *can* take everything, and not have to slum it – you should have had a 3 man tent…….pillows….etc

Tent? What’s a tent then ?? ;-)

The last time I slept in one of those was on the 2010 OMM and that was ‘cos it was compulsory. (although the view from our flysheet below might suggest that it was a better option than a bivi bag)

As for the pillow, please make reference to my canoe trip piccies above where you’ll see a token luxury scatter cushion in three of the shots 8)

@parkesie: have a good ‘un :-) and don’t forget to post some photos up when (if) you get back ;-)

Thinking of taking my 10 year old hammocking with me on Wed night (weather in the peaks looks perfect). Any tips for taking young children.

Currently, the only thing I’m doing differently to normal is shortening the ride slightly. Anything else you’d advise?

Make sure they’re plenty warm.

hmmmm – running into problems getting anything strapped to the front of the 24″ Islabike. The v-brakes are getting fouled whatever I try. Can’t use my Wildcat gear harness either. hmmmm

All set for our first father and son night under the stars (just slightly bigger backpacks that I would have liked).

Loving the bivvys that involve canoes and kayaks. That is my next aim, get one of those sevylor ones (no room to store a rigid) one, brush up on the scottish inland access laws for water and off I go :)

Made it back alive from doing the trans cambrian. Absolutely shattered after 3 great days in the hills. Some pics and details to follow :-)

cupra – Member
brush up on the scottish inland access laws for water and off I go

That’s easy – the same as for land. You have completely open access – just don’t be a dick.

A few pictures from the Trans Cambrian way

loaded up and ready to go at the start in knighton

Think some one gave up cycling on the 1st climb.

This about sums up day 1 grass up grass down.

What its all about

We found summer

Bed time

Good morning

nice spot for breakfast

maybe we wont stay here.

Noisy bugger

Some of the descents were interesting with panniers

Long way down

The end

Details on the route can be found here[/url]

Was a pretty epic 3 days even with the sun shining the whole time the route was sodden and hard going in places.

looks nice, well played. love the wake-up view. I’ve just got my Alpkit frame bag so had all the kit packed up today for a few test rides, and all seems stable, with plenty of room for extras now most of the stuff is in the frame. Need to find somewhere decent and local to do a night now.

–double posted

This was our father and son hammocking camp.

Apologies for the grainy iPhone shot.

New posh hammocks were ace! (and midge-proof)

Which posh hammocks are they?
WWBB or HH? Can’t quite make them out.

Did your lad enjoy it?

They are UK Hammocks Woodsman X

http://ukhammocks.co.uk/shop/article_4/Woodsman-X-hammock-%28single%29.html

I considered the others, but in the end liked the thought of someone in the UK making a living from sewing them up to order. Matt was great on the phone too. Amsteel Whoopie Slings are genius!

He offered to make a 3/4 size version for my 10yo, but in the end we decided to get 2 adult ones for greater flexibility.

I’ve got an underquilt and top quilt, but they are too heavy for taking on the bike, so I’ll save up for some lightweight versions one day. So we just used cheap silver karrimat from Decathlon and sleeping bags.

Edit: oh he loved it. Slept 8 hours without waking (I got about 6). The hammock was his main birthday present and this was the first chance we got to use it!

That’s easy – the same as for land. You have completely open access – just don’t be a dick.

@druidh thanks, that last bit could be my downfall though :wink:

Aha, I’ve got a woodsman lite basically the same but without a bug net.
A hammock for a 10 year olds birthday? Blimey, he’s going to grow up an expensive son!

Well after slowly gathering bits of kit from here and there I’ll be heading out for a maiden voyage next week. Got a rough idea for a 3 day ride along the lesser known North Downs Way which clocks in around 115 miles from my front door so should it all end in disaster I can escape relatively easily.

Heres my kit list:

Alpkit Hunka bivvy bag
Alpkit Wee Airic self inflating mat
Robert Saunders pertex sleeping bag
Army Tarp 2.4 x 1.7m
Inflatable pillow (poundshop special)

Kathmandu solo cook set
Generic burner plus gas
Spork

Baselayer longs
Merino LS baselayer
Fleece Gilet
Wooly Hat
Waterproof

Bikepack Repack SL large seatpack (bag & tarp)
15l drybag on bars (bivvy, mat, fleece)
Deuter Futara 28l backpack (everything else)
3L bladder

An assortment of cereal bars, biscuits & malt loaf
Porridge with powdered milk and fruit
Prepacked meals from asda (cant remember the name off the top of my head, its a wet pack that you heat in a pan).
Cous cous (to go with the above)
Toiletries: toothbrush/paste, wet wipes, deodorant, antihistamines, small 1st aid kit

I do still need to get a headtorch, thinking Petzl or maybe cheap and cheerful job from Sports Direct and some paracord.

Also while I think of it I was thinking of aome sort of mosquito net to stop any nasty bugglies eating me while I sleep. Any ideas?