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I can lend you some kit (today's random act of kindness)
Might take you up on that, China. What a nice man!
Gonna have to have a read of mbuk just for the laugh, if they really did that they may as well start out from a "regular" campsite and just enjoy a "regular" ride 😯
So airbeds are the way forward then????
bigOface what type did you get??
@Mark ... 'dirtbag' can stove should be on the blog sometime next week. I've been instructing all week so haven't had time yet.
I'm calmer today so can better explain my MBUK rage. What got me was the fact they'd 'missed the point'. Bikepacking should be a journey, afterall that's the point of having kit which is light and small ... it enables you to travel and be self sufficient. Leaving a pile of gear somewhere obviusly ties you to that spot. As Valley Daddy says, you might as well go for a ride then camp, it's as though there was no tie between riding and staying out, they were 2 seperate events.
Well put.
Your still not a happy bunny though 😉
So I did a bit of kit testing last night. Supposed to be 5 degrees here. Black's 3 season down bag and Alp Kit bivi. It seems I"m a seriously warm sleeper! Within 10 minute I was down to my boxers and within the hour I'd given up and gone in as I was so hot. Which the raises the issue of being too hot and not having a tarp to shelter under whilst you lie on the bivi rather than in it. Bring back the cold weather I say!
Good idea on the 2 inverted bikes and tarp though.
So I did a bit of kit testing last night. Supposed to be 5 degrees here. Black's 3 season down bag and Alp Kit bivi. It seems I"m a seriously warm sleeper! Within 10 minute I was down to my boxers and within the hour I'd given up and gone in as I was so hot. Which the raises the issue of being too hot and not having a tarp to shelter under whilst you lie on the bivi rather than in it. Bring back the cold weather I say!
This is always the way though, then your freezing at 3:30am
]
bigOface what type did you get??
I went for the Mark2 with the bigger balloons, Its a bit of a fag blowing them up with the 'puffer' but really doesn't take long. I gave it to the kids for a good testing and they dived, rolled, and did everything the could to try and burst the balloons but nothing so as far as I'm concerned its good to go...! Its packs down small couple of pics if your bored..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46015517@N05/5433792873/in/set-72157625912819434/
My mate had a Mark 1 Balloon Bed on Polaris many years ago. I recall it was all dark and quiet on the campsite when he rolled over. To the amusement of other the people in tents in the immediate vacinity, there was a load bang and in Eric Cartman style voice: "Son of a bitch". Priceless. In the morning he had only 2 out of 7 balloons inflated.
The Mark 2 is much better choice, especially for the larger gentleman 😉
LOL, Thats well funny...
Think you maybe right there Ian, perhaps a mat is safer 😯
Just getting my gear ready for the bivi tomorrow night with flatfish. Kit looking a bit minimalist... Only food to add to that lot 🙂
http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/15512491@N08/5436781277/
stick a proper link up!
Does that include party food, tubes, pump, alcohol and entertainment?
Sticking a proper link up meant coming down stairs to use a proper computer instead of my phone...
Anyway, while I'm down here, I'll get the alcohol I'd forgotten to pack 😳
But still, in the pic left to right:
12litre dry bag with fleece top, spare socks and smalls and hat and sleeping bag
Pan, windshield and hunka
Mug, stove, pot warmer and fuel
Sleeping mat (Neoair)
Tarp, pegs and guys all in
Lhoon
Tools and spares
Tube strapped to the bike with one of them awesome straps.
I do need to add pump now you mention it.
Party food will have to wait until the morning - supermarket was shut when I went down earlier.
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5174/5436781277_92d95e3aed.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/5436781277/ ]Minimalist bivi gear[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15512491@N08/ ]ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr
I'll jettison my pump then to make me a bit more comparible. 😉
Weather looks good for you - jealous.
sunday looks a bit wetter though
You'll be in the cafe by then 😉
Has Brecon got travelodge?????
No but I'm sure you can get into Christ college if your desperate 😉
MrSparkle - MemberI can lend you some kit (today's random act of kindness)
Might take you up on that, China. What a nice man!
not really, you will have to do the ride then!
looks like something I'll do in 2012, a few months before I'll be on the bike again
Enjoy fellas ... I'm jelous even though I'll be spending the next 2 days riding, jumping and rolling around in the mud as the outer limits of cornering grip are explained and explored 😉
Have you got any kind of tarp/shelter in that lot Ian?
Yes, it's in the orange stuff sack in the picture
As Stu have fun, it won't be the same without the sheet ice, snow and sub sub zero temperatures though.
Post some pics when you get back.
On the menu tonight we have saga aloo followed by mulligatawny soup and egg noodles.
Followed by some fine dark chocolate and a wee dram of Ardbeg 🙂
Love it, posh bivvy grub - legends 😀
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4117/4879410298_ea4e28d4d0.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/46335683@N04/4879410298/ ]P7096220[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/46335683@N04/ ]adski71[/url], on Flickr
That looks good grizzer 😀
That gives me the idea to use my post mount rack for a drybag and solves my packing quandry as my Jandd frame bag is a tad too small.
Plus will assist when taking bigger sleeping bags for artic trips 😉
its a bontrager rack its pretty light but the bigger the load you get a bit of a tail wag sensation so i put light stuff like spare clothes on the back and heavier stuff on front to balance the weight...
Thanks to this thread I have just made my first brew on a coke can stove I made earlier 😀
awesome singlecrack I stunk out the house the other day perfecting the use of one Stu made for me.
Grizzer I agree about the tail wag when I had my ortlieb panniers on filled to the max it lead to loads of comedy tail spins on the ice before Christmas.
Yes, I would do the same just put on something light.
couple of pics of 456 bagged up
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
Valley, pics are a bit too big to tell 😛 but is that a carradice sqr on the back? I've been looking at these, what do you reckon to it?
Mark pics from my fruit phone hence the size.
the bag on the back is one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Altura-Fusion-Saddle-Light-Grey/dp/B000P1OBSG
the bracket bolts on easily enough and seems secure in use if I was putting heavy stuff in it I would probably use and additional strap to secure it.
I think it will be big enough but I picked this up of here I was after a Ortlieb one like Stu originally.
Pete,
if you can't carry it all in that kit then you are carrying too much!
just sorted mine out - I think I'll probably still have some stuff in a small OMM sac but I'm just about there - just wondering if I "need" to swap my alloy G2 for an Inbred or 456!
Steve
your probably right I need to be realistic on what I "need" and what I want to take.
I will need to lay out all my kit and then have a go packing it.
As regards to if you need to change your frame - you know your going to 😉
I think I already would have had not some jammy bugger bagged a 456 frame on here before I saw it!
😆 I'll keep a look out for you, will you need a 18" too?
Calling IanB and Flatfish are you ok?
Did you make it back ok??
Was thinking of you this morning walking the dog in the pouring rain 🙁
Hello all, I've just invented something.
How's this sound
It will blow your Thermarest up for you (Tested on a NeoAir regular)
It will fill your Thermarest with 'moisture free air' (well air not from your lungs at least)
It will blow it up in less than 45 seconds
It only weighs 24grams and has no moving parts!
It cost £1.50
I'll make a video and post it. 😀
😀 ooo I like inventions do show us 😉
Tiger - me too - pray tell!
Does the £1-50 include postage 😀
Back safe. Will report back later with tales of extreme endeavour, high winds, army check points, descending darkness and lashing rain.
Tiger - CO2 canister and some rubber hose?
I dread to think what it is ... my mind's running riot 😉
sounds like you had fun - did you come across any blow up tanks and taliban check points??
We often come across those on a Wednesday evening spin in the Beacons
Right, washing done and kit now drying out. I don't think anything escaped getting wet to some extent.
Overall, a good weekend. Not the best nights sleep I've ever had, but it did give me lots of time to contemplate improvements to my kit which wouldn't have presented themselves if the weather had been fine. In many ways, this bivi was harder on kit and self than the Winter one was in December.
All the pics are linked [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/sets/72157625915949547/with/5442745938/ ]here[/url], but here's a summary:
You don't get the sense of strong headwind in this picture, but the going was hard:
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/5442745938_f7c59f7c22.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/5442745938/ ]Up and into the wind[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15512491@N08/ ]ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr
My tarp set up worked well considering the conditions:
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5132/5442747594_ede9c83071.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/5442747594/ ]My tarp setup[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15512491@N08/ ]ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr
Flatfish's tarp just before he twiddled it round to keep the wind out:
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5442143787_0ce67d5e2a.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/5442143787/ ]Flatfish's initial tarp set up[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15512491@N08/ ]ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr
Dinner time - Saag aloo and mullagatawny noodles went down a real treat.
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5213/5442144563_1c4b8b6bb0.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/5442144563/ ]Dinner time[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15512491@N08/ ]ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr
Morning brew and Flatfish's wind-reconfigured tarp...:
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5092/5442145251_ac6374c141.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/5442145251/ ]Morning brew[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15512491@N08/ ]ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr
Leaving no trace:
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5011/5442751788_05725440aa.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/5442751788/ ]Breaking camp in the rain[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15512491@N08/ ]ianbarrington[/url], on Flickr
So, anyway. The trails were soft and the going very hard. The frozen ground I experienced on this route two weeks ago had gone - trails were very soft indeed. There was a headwind. At 5pm we were still about an hour away from the camp, but we pressed on anyway, negotiating the army checkpoint on the way. We did one of the descents in the dark, but the last one down to the camp was too tricky to ride. The rain didn't start until about 9pm, though it was still windy when we set up the tarps. The wind and rain was persistant throughout most of the night, which took a greater toll on flatfish's tarp than mine, though mine needed some adjustment part way through the night. We broke camp pretty early and enjoyed the tail wind home. Kit was tested to it's limit, which was good to see how far you can take stuff and what you need to do to improve it for next time.
some great pics there Ian 😀
The frame bags look great did they work well in field test?
What else would you change from your kit list?
Looks like a good weekend. 🙂
What else would you change from your kit list?
I wouldn't change many of the items significantly. Most relate to refinements of the tarp set up to improve performance in windy conditions and to better exclude wind driven rain.
One issue I had this morning was trying to get the stove lit in a strong wind - got there in the end but it was quite tricky to get it primed which at the time was a concern though not life threatening. The Whitebox might have been better than the Triad, so might use that one next time.
Yes that's something I need to practice is tarp set up, as I guess we won't have Stu's marquee tarp to cover us all on the WRT (if I do it that is 😉 )
One issue I had this morning was trying to get the stove lit in a strong wind - got there in the end but it was quite tricky to get it primed
Caldera cone
Caldera cones - I've seen those but never used one. Not sure whether it would have allowed me to get the stove primed more easily, but it would have been more efficient at boiling the water at least. I think I have some material that would allow me to make my own to test the theory at low cost.
Looks a nice spot fellas, however I'm not too sorry I missed the wind/rain.
Slightly puzzled by the 'leaving no trace' picture as the third pic down obviously shows flatfish enjoying a 'wild one' 😯
flatfish enjoying a 'wild one'
Not sure what that was, but not what you think or looks like. When we packed there was no sign we'd been there. Even recovered all the tent pegs 🙂
Caldera clones: found this, which looks good - http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/forummessages/mps/UTN/22357/URN/5/dt/4/srchdte/0/cp/1/v/8/sp/
IanB, Looks like a good trip chaps...
Ian you didn't by chance leave the flat one behind in the mountains did you? ... he's being very quiet.
LOL, he made it out alive, albeit somewhat sleep deprived..
Is that spot really not very far from Sarn Helen by any chance. If it's where I think it is, it's a lovely place to spend the night. I've used it many times.
I'd like to say it was lovely but i didn't see much of it due to the driving rain that battered me all night!
My kit is just about all dry now. Oohhhh, how i wished it was colder and it would have been snow instead.
Unfortunately for you Stu, Ian brought me home, a little wetter and colder than i care to be though.
Glad you had a nice time then 😉
wasn't my best but it did teach me a few things!
Pretty miserable at times I'd imagine in that weather 😯
dare I say maybe a tent may have offered better shelter??
At some point during the night i did wish for a tent, i wished not to be there, i also wished Ians tarp would fall down so he could join me in my misery.
Only one of these thing actually happened, only for a short time, but it happened!
THERE IS A GOD!!!!!!
Did you teleport back home for a warm up and then back before Ian noticed or was Ian suffering the same as you??
Ya big puff 😉
If you still coming out to play next month and not playing with a bunch of girls were going hammocking. I found i sleep so much better in a hammock than a bivi bag.
Big respect for going bivvying in Feb though 😉
Busting to have another crack at it 😀
Hammocks good with me, I'll have a look on the map for trees. If the hammocks rockin' don't come knockin' .... as I'm obviously just about to tip it over and fall out!
i also wished Ians tarp would fall down so he could join me in my misery.
I did offer you some space under my tarp, which you declined. Like I said before, you learn more in suffering. You'll be better prepared next time 😉
Although you did offer, which I was grateful for, you got wet too without me helping you get wet. I was also using my considerable weight to stop my tarp from blowing away. 🙄
You'll be better prepared next time
argh you lot trying to get me to be uber minimal and now I am worrrying I need to think about more kit!!!
So is the real lesson here more about tarp set up and placement???
this is what I need to practice as I said before, Stu link ^^^^^ is really good.
My lesson this trip was:
My hammock tarp is shite for bivvying,
My jacket, whilst waterproof, doesn't breathe at all,
And my non party food was shite.
Is that your RAB jacket?
No it was a cheaper one, I regret not taking my Rab, I went for pack size and suffered a bit
So is the real lesson here more about tarp set up and placement???
Or check the weather forecast and use an appropriate level of kit?
I have too many cold wet nights out in the past - It ain't happening again. 4 season tent for dodgy weather. I am going to make a totally waterproof bag / tent hybrid to use in better weather tho
I'm up and about next weekend if anybody fancies it?
'spose I could sleep outside 🙂 Got a new frame bag to test.