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

These tarps look cheap and cheerful: http://www.denbigharmysurplus.co.uk/army-stores/Tarpaulin-Pegs-Cord-British-Army-IPK.html

ok cool I’ll get a 13L I guess I can just roll it up to make it smaller but knowing me I’ll fill it all

See that’s the problem, by having the smaller bag your forced to go lighter, if you have the big bag you tend to take the kitchen sink et al.

Those army tarps look good but heavy – 980g seems like quite a lot…

well, I’ve ordered a 13l as there are no 8l ones available for the forseable future, I had an email from Alpkit stating “We didn’t anticipate them selling out as fast as they have done, so we currently don’t have any on order, but the guys are on it.” so I couldn’t get one if I wanted one 🙁

@Flatfish, I am trying to get as Uber light as possible but trying to keep to a budget (ish:wink:) I just need to sort my cooking apparatus out really, have a meths stove (ta Stu) and a gas stove but need the pan/mug etc anyone know of the cheapest place to get the Ti type??

A pot, with drinking lid, cosy, pot grabber and spork all for the princely sum of £25 and 52 whole pence.
Pan weighs pretty much the same as ti pans at twice the price, if i was in the market for one, i’d have it.
From Ellis Brigham.

OOOOOOoooooooo nice on ta 😉

will take a butchers now 😉

I use aluminium pots rather than Ti … as flatfish says there’s not much in it weight wise. I think the 2 pan set I use most often might be a Gelert one, I recall it was less than £15 for 900ml pan/mug, 450ml mug and a lid. It’s had plenty of hammer 😉 and shows no signs of giving up.

Here you go just found a link

http://www.gelert.com/products/cooking_dining/cooking/ascent_i_cookset

awesome they’ve got a store in Bristol, I’ll pop in there next week 😀

cheers Stu another good option I suppose having the 2 pots would be advantageous so I can have brew as my fodder cooks.

well, I’ve ordered a 13l as there are no 8l ones available

And I’d just like to add that I also ordered a 13L one today in chilli 🙂 I’m currently cobbling together the plans for a (on & off road) bike packing trip down to Lands End and back to test it out.

It’s well ‘ard being a bike bivi nerd 😉

Anything else you need sourced valley daddy?

I don’t think I do thanks 😉

once this weeks purchases turns up and the above cook system is sourced I think I just need to load up and head to the forest and bear test everything — a bear bell that’s all 😉

Stu can help with bear bells.

Seriously!!!

pointers to a suitable mat wouldn’t go a miss from the STW massive.

this Alpkit Wedge seems OK @ £32 or is it on the large size for Bivying?

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16535&category_id=253

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16532&category_id=289

this one maybe better

Previously used Exped bags, but just got some Lomo ones and they are good, very robust bags of a better proportion for strapping to your bars. L to R, 5l, 12l, 20l:

Does anybody know if anything came of that call for people wanting those saddle bags like the revelate /epic bags.

IIRC the thread was on about some guy in Britain making some?

That might be me. We’re doing frame bags and working on some other stuff like handlebar harnesses and top tube packs.

Beth

Ian, have you got a link for those dry bags? Ta

Try this Stu,
http://www.ewetsuits.com/acatalog/dry-bags-info_355.html

http://www.ewetsuits.com/acatalog/Dry-Boxes-dry-bags-uk.html

Ta and Vortex if I were buying a mat from AlpKit I’d be buying this

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16557&category_id=253

I’d find it very hard to go back to self inflating mat after discovering the new breed of insulated air beds.

is there a weight limit on those Stu?? 😳

can you get spare balloons easy enough??

Why do you want ballons?
You planning on supplying the entertainment?
Alpkit blow up bed that Stu mentioned doesn’t need ballons.

😳 sorry I thought it was one of those model balloon types 😳

If anybody is after a very light packable insulating layer. Then this seems a proper bargain.

Half price Patagonia Down Sweater

If you can live with the colour 🙂

I’ll see your down sweater Tiger … and raise you this

http://www.fieldandtrek.com/craghoppers-icefield-body-warmer-mens-449193

It’s even the correct colour for stealthy operations!

At 400g, that Craghopper one is quite heavy considering it doesn’t come with arms.

I really like the look of this, but it’s chuffing expensive: http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/crux_halo_top_-_down_filled_smock.html

http://www.finisterreuk.com/technicalsurfapparel/mens/etobicoke-09/10-p135-c27.html

just got one of these – bargain and 315 grams 🙂

In the most typically typical way, they’ve now sold out. …

I do believe he’s got the ultralight bug gentlemen 😀

😉 nuff said

IanB

there’s a medium sized one on the bay 😀

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FINISTERRE-ETOBICOKE-MKIII-INSULATION-JACKET-MEDIUM-/270702197331?pt=Men_s_Clothes&hash=item3f071bba53

pointers to a suitable mat wouldn’t go a miss

Personally I’d still go either bubblewrap (my preference) or a balloon bed for bivvying. Of course it all depends how much weight you like lugging around, and how that will affect your biking enjoyment. The only downside to bubblewrap is that it’s not very durable, which isn’t a huge issue for 1 or 2 nighters (maybe not as ultralight as a balloon bed, but a lot less faff, and still huge amounts lighter than any blow up or foam mattress).

The tiny pack size of the ballon bed makes it perfect for bike bivvy trips.

IanB, the Crux jacket it quite reasonably priced compared to PHD’d offering-

http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/product_info.php?cat=110&products_id=240

I used to use a balloon bed – then I got a therma-rest Neo, super comfy, light and packs down nice and small. Wouldn’t consider using anything else now!

The balloons were always fun though.

Bike bivvying is so fashionable there’s even any article about it in this month’s MBUK.

just read pretty much all of this thread………….

FANTASTIC…………………………… 8)

but, in the late 80’s and 90’s me and a pal did about 10 polaris events
i used a kimm/omm sac with
1 x snugpack softee kip bag
1 x 3/4 therma rest
1 x macpac ultralight tent
1 x msr ministove
1 x mess tin
food for 2 days

all this went in my kimm sac.

why all these bags to go on the bike?

ton in answer to your question it is to spread the weight across the bike rather than having a pack on your back. It also forces you to go as lightweight as possible as I found out on the STW winter bivvy when I had soooooooo much weight and in panniers too, which trying to ride on ice was interesting to say the least, hence my drive to lighten my kit and carry it in a different way to my Ortlieb panniers which although great allow me to carry everything to feed a platoon 😯

Ton had the bag in his pocket. His mate slipped it there when he wasn’t looking. 😉

Anyone been out over the weekend?