…it could just be as easy/expensive to buy one

That’s what I thought in the end, so I’ve ordered a Wildcat Tiger seat pack. For the amount of work involved in making something similar, it didn’t seem worth it.

However, frame bags are a different matter.
Eventually, I want to make four for the tandem. With the extra down tube, there’s a lot of spaces to fill.
I’ll start with making one for a solo first though.
If you buy a catalogue for £1.50 from Pennine Outdoors, you get 5 free samples, so which would be best to choose from this lot.
http://www.pennineoutdoor.co.uk/fabrics/medium-and-heavy-weight-weather-resistant-fabrics
There’s 10 there that look likely to me, so I’m tempted to get two catalogues and try them all, unless someone can say that some are definitely better than others.

daleftw, I’m in Durham and wanting to get out more. So far only done campsite camping as it’s all the missus will try, and it’s been a while since we last went anyway. But I’d be up for some adventures

I’ve ordered this lot of samples.
http://www.profabrics.co.uk/products/outdoor-/coated-nylon-fabrics/0000867.html
Mary’s got an old Singer treadle machine that she reckons will handle the thicker fabric and webbing, so I just need to learn how to use it.

Sewing; how hard can that be? 😛

I was wondering this myself, is it just Alpkit or Wildcat? Nobody else makes anything similar?

I priced all of the fabric and strapping etc and opted on buying a saddle pack and I’m very glad i did! Get in touch with Pawel at http://www.bikepack.eu/ and he can sort you out for a saddle bag. I got the 8-12 litre and it is MINT and BOMBER. There might be a bit of lead time as it is tough to get the polyant fabric. It’s worth any wait though, and I can vouch for the quality and attention to detail. Pawel is great to deal with as well, a true gent. I can post photo’s if you like, but you can get a pretty good idea from the photos on his website.

I could be wrong (as per), but Alpkit seem to be in stock for their Kanga bar harness thingy – at least it’s the first time I’ve ordered and it’s worked. they look to be making them to order. Please tell me I’ve not just blown £45 on something that doesn’t work…….

It works. I wouldn’t bother with the Roo effort though, its pants. I use an Ortleib heavy duty dry bag (the pvc one like their panniers) with mine with about 15l of gear. It doesn’t move or slip. I’ve done undredz of miles with zero problems.

Ta – thats what I hoped. No Roo for me either.

Ohh, a cheaper version of their Koala bag has appeared, a tapered and narrow looking Airlok extra 13l with strappage for £15. That’ll do me.

A little bump for this thread. Anybody out for some autumnal bikepacking?
I’ve just got a new Hunka bag so I’m taking it for a test bivi tonight. Microadventure.

A cold and wet November night is a good opportunity to test how warm and waterproof the gear is!

I was a long time lurker on this thread wondering where the appeal in Bikepacking lay.

Boblo came up with a route that would be much easier with bikepacking gear. I took the plunge, bought some kit and loved it.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/BikepackingfromStBeestoWhitby

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/MCandBoblogoHotSpringingaroundIdaho

Go on then, I’ll bite! (Like the mozzies). Nosing around for tarp info and found you lot, I’ve obv not been looking hard enough previously, either that or I’m an antisocial old fart. Oh yes, it’s the latter isn’t it.

If you can bear with my ramblings I’ve been MTB tourer for yonks. Dawes Cougar bought in 1985 – loved steampunk MTBing round old steelworks, industrial areas etc, oh and the odd mountain top. First big outing was hardly bikepacking lite! One month circumnavigation of Iceland, after a sea voyage, with far too much junk although in mitigation there was almost nowhere to stock up on the way.

Picked up my faithful Orange P7 a while ago. Have hated panniers for ages. Tried a seatpost pannier rack a while ago – hopeless, I valued my rear wheel too much. Then invested in what I still think is the superb Extrawheel with 2 panniers. I know, still not “professional bikepacking” but it’s all I knew at the time. Far superior to a Bob Yak etc, because it just tracks your bike over ANYTHING. And the best bit is you can unhook it in 5 seconds, bung it in the long grass, then hammer off on a supertech trail ride for a couple of hours (if such perversions are indeed your bag). Quick cuppa, 5 secs Extrawheel back on, and off to the next spot. Brilliant. It even works with a full sus (I know, heresy! But I get the best of all worlds then), and has survived up/down Foel Fadian and Helvellyn for example.

You can also set up lots of amusing bike-train type configurations to amuse the normals, like this. Note the “emergency” Brompton in the trailer ;-).

Up to now I’ve sported Macpac Microlight (bombproof, dyneema/titanium), Drishell PHD bag, Exped UL7 and pillow, Coleman F1, MSR Miniworks filter, etc etc. Time for the next step, egged on by the rest of the inmates in here! Need a bit of luxury in my grand old elder statesman 56-yr-old position ( a position usually horizontal in the nearest boozer), so not prepared to abandon the mat; but am thinking of Rig 7 with 2mm dyneema and titanium (or maybe splash out on cuben but can’t find one big enough), Hunka or TN Moonlite or RAB Survival Zone, etc. Also looking at Steripen (Traveller at 150g rather than Mini at 105g, cos want easy AAA rechargeables not CR123s). But dunno whether to get Hunka XL so can fit mat inside it and then not need groundsheet. Once you’ve got the tarp, mat, groundsheet, bivi etc you’re almost up to tent weight otherwise. And yes obv by now I know the tarp game is really about “out in the open” rather than necessarily the weight. Then again a tyvek groundsheet from BPL is only 95g. And how often will I really need the bivi with the Drishell bag? ARG! Might visit Alpkit in Ripley and try out various combos.

Did Trans Wales last year, and Snowdon/Llanberis/Penmachno plus Carmarthen-Aberystwyth this year, so looking at Wales North/South C2C next year along with many other “quickies” (ooerrr missus).

Glad to see rail travel favoured by many of you. Bike n train is the only way to travel even without proper restaurant cars (remember them eh??). If I can do Milton Keynes – Aber, changing at Wolverhampton with a bike and Extrawheel it can’t be that hard. Book ahead and it’s wayyyyy cheaper than motors too, drink yourself stupid, stare out the windows, talk to nutters opposite (the nutter opposite will be me) etc.

Thanks for listening to my ravings!

One day I’ll die, and on my grave it will say: “Here lies Reginald Iolanthe Perrin. He didn’t know the names of the trees and the flowers, but he knew the rhubarb crumble sales figures for Schleswig Holstein”. But then bikepacking is the perfect antidote to that disease of course, as you already know!

All the be(a)st, Reg

This might interest somebody on here. I’m selling my tarp set up:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bikepacking-tarp-complete-set-up

Then invested in what I still think is the superb Extrawheel with 2 panniers. I know, still not “professional bikepacking” but it’s all I knew at the time. Far superior to a Bob Yak etc, because it just tracks your bike over ANYTHING. And the best bit is you can unhook it in 5 seconds, bung it in the long grass, then hammer off on a supertech trail ride for a couple of hours (if such perversions are indeed your bag). Quick cuppa, 5 secs Extrawheel back on, and off to the next spot. Brilliant. It even works with a full sus (I know, heresy! But I get the best of all worlds then), and has survived up/down Foel Fadian and Helvellyn for example.

This is great and might be the solution I’ve been looking for for a long time! What’s your rear axle configuration? 10mm thru axle? do you ever hit those nuts to trail obstacles while doing the “supertech trail ride”?

I have an Extrawheel that I don’t use anymore if somebody fancies buying it……. 😀

One for the novices and newbies that find this thread a bit daunting;

Backcountrybiking in Aviemore are running a two-day introductory bikepacking course based around the Cairngorms. The guys really know what they’re talking about and have a range of gear you can rent out to try your hand. This might reduce the chance of making some elementary purchasing mistakes.

If they can sort out a fatbike trip in the snow that would interest me. Even got all my own stuff.

Heading out kitted up tomorrow as a test ride for the Bear Bones Ford Fiesta event in less than 2 weeks time.

Did a Ford Fiesta trial run on Sunday night, although due to frozen conditions I managed to keep my feet dry…..

[url=https://flic.kr/p/qzWq5s]Last Night's Bedroom #redlake #dartmoor #bikepacking #bivi #brassfookinmonkeys[/url] by Dittisham Stickleback Breeding Station, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/qiyKQr]Frosty Bike #dartmoor #redlake #trek #frostybivi[/url] by Dittisham Stickleback Breeding Station, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/qiUeZp]Redlake – Monday Morning[/url] by Dittisham Stickleback Breeding Station, on Flickr

very helpful thread indeed.

For the guy who said he would not recommend the larig ghru on a bike he must be on drugs its a must ride trail for most people i know. If i remember correctly it was voted trail of the year by one magazine.

slugwash – Very impressive and beautiful. Well done for getting out!

slugwash – Very impressive and beautiful. Well done for getting out!

Either very brave, or he bought his other half a really rubbish Xmas present 😉

For the guy who said he would not recommend the larig ghru on a bike he must be on drugs its a must ride trail for most people i know. If i remember correctly it was voted trail of the year by one magazine.

There is the little bit down in to Rothiemurchus and there is the complete thing. One is a lot of fun and one involves a lot of hike a bike over boulder fields. I suspect that most people you know haven’t done one of the options above. 🙂

That would be me. Did you read my blog entry about the trip? http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2014/06/twa-lairigs.html

Do go and ride the Lairig Ghru though. Remember to start from Linn of Dee or Derry Lodge though, not just do the 2km section of path that runs to and from the Lairig Ghru from Rothiemurchus Lodge through the forest. It would be great to have a few more opinions on it.

For the guy who said he would not recommend the larig ghru on a bike he must be on drugs its a must ride trail for most people i know. If i remember correctly it was voted trail of the year by one magazine.

That’s just the bottom section of it. Not many people recommend it as a through route.

I shouldn’t be looking in this thread, it’ll only give me ideas.

😆 I don’t think they yet have control over the local weather!

Apologies if this has already been covered in the thread. Can someone recommend somewhere to buy sheet of tin foil to make a windshield from. The baking trays in supermarkets are too small.
Ta

If you drop me an email, and I can find it in the garage, I’ve got a roll of really thick tin folk in the garage, we used to use it on air cooling pipes on aircraft engines to show blown joints, I’ll post you a couple of A4 sized sheets if you want. Email in profile.

scotroutes – Member

I don’t think they yet have control over the local weather!

For 200 quid a head for an overnighter I would expect them to sort out any kind of weather I ask for.

That would be great thanks. I’ll email you now. Cheers.

Well. That took me a while to get through 77 pages but I am now officially obsessed with the idea of Bikepacking. Thanks to all the contributors to this thread who have inspired me on this most miserable of days to look ahead and start planning. Looks like the alpine pilgrimage is being binned for adventure in the wilds of Scotland and Northern England. And also a couple of blogs and Twitter feeds have added to the reading material/inspiration…

Well. That took me a while to get through 77 pages but I am now officially obsessed with the idea of Bikepacking

Ditto, have spent the last few weeks getting my old gear together, and buying some shiney new stuff, and test fitting to bike etc.

Planning a couple of local Devon trips as soon as it gets above freezing overnight to test my setup out before heading further out onto Dartmoor, which I know pretty well anyway but the idea of being able to kip out and extend some loops appeals massively!

Will post pics and let you all know how I get on 🙂

Thought I’d post in here rather than start a new thread of my own – after some advice on target weights for kit. i.e what are considered ideal for a)one berth tent and b) sleeping bag – for use in Scottish summer overnighters…. I’ve got a decent down bag but it’s a winter felly and probably way heavier than I’d need.

I’ve read the debates on tarp v tent but I’ve decided the tent is for me as I start out on the off road touring journey…

So having seen a variety of tents and bags, and also a massive variation in prices, what would be the upper limit on weight for each of these items to be carried on the bike? then hopefully I can find some stuff which won’t cost me fortunes!

Thanks in advance for any advice.

As ever: it depends.

You can get a 2 season bag that is snug that feels warmer than a loose fitting 3 season bag, the reason being that in the looser bag each time you turn in your sleep you push out some of the warm air in your sleeping bag and it gets replaced with cold air that you then have to heat up. It also depends on how “warm” you sleep, some people don’t need much insulation, others need a lot.

Next variable is the weather: you can get near zero temps at any time of the year but sometimes the night time temps are warm enough to hardly need a sleeping bag at all.

For lightweight (and decent) bags, check out PHD designs – http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/down-sleeping-bags?osCsid=h4ca523jd7i2q5cn05joka5467

Yep, looked at them when Chipps mentioned he’d gotten a delivery a couple of weeks back, doubt I’d be able to stretch to those prices being honest!

Definitely not cheap!!

Warm, light/compact, cheap: pick two 🙄

My summer bag is some cheap (< £50) hollowfill model. It’s fairly snug on me so it’s quite warm despite only being rated as 2 seasons. I can squeeze it in to a 3 litre dry bag

Alpkit have just said they’ll be doing doss bags again this year..

I cannot believe i have not read this thread? I just got a tarp and some extra carry bag system .I need a mat ,i got a Bivvy ,i got a stove (its big) not too worried about weight right now .I just want to get under the stars – How awesome has my hobby just become ?

“This is great and might be the solution I’ve been looking for for a long time! What’s your rear axle configuration? 10mm thru axle? do you ever hit those nuts to trail obstacles while doing the “supertech trail ride”?”

Many apologies affe!! 3 months late with a reply here, sigh.

12mm rear – it’s got a through hole. You’ll probably have to buy the Extrawheel “extra long” skewer though. Never had a problem with obstacles – too far off the ground :-). Great bit of kit – go for it.

Summer’s coming…