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

Not done it before, so don't know. I looked along one section of track yesterday and thought it looked nice - hence the impromptu arrangement. Not that technical I don't think, though a few bridleway sections will be across proper open hill which could be interesting. Difficult to judge off the map though, as some of the route is along tracks not otherwise marked on an OS Landranger.

supposed to be doing a Dothie valley night ride tomorrow eve, thinking I may pack my bivvy gear and make a proper night of it, good chance to test kit out 😉

Does anyone carry a water filter/purifier?

I think flatfish mentioned something earlier in the thead about using one

didnothingfatal - Member

Does anyone carry a water filter/purifier?

Yep, but if it's remote and high you don't need one really. However if your filling your water bottle from horse troughs then they make sense.

Travel Tap from BPL

I normally carry a steripen, and the filter it comes with. Just see a lot of talk about backpacking but not much mention of water supplies, and wondered what people are doing.

I was wondering about coffee filters 🙂

Lyons Coffee bags, best coffee option for camping 🙂

Stu, How did you get on??

The Eppynt Way and Eppynt area in general is a bog.

Lyons Coffee bags, best coffee option for camping

I don't think so laddie! Sainsbury's Colombian Coffee bags are a zillion kilometres better. The Lyons ones make something akin to insipid babies' bathwater 😉

But, obviously, the best kind of camping out coffee is Lavazza and.....

[img] [/img]

The Eppynt Way and Eppynt area in general is a bog.

On numerous occasions the waymarking posts said "Keep to the Path".
There was no path to speak of.

didnothingfatal - Member

............. Just see a lot of talk about backpacking but not much mention of water supplies, and wondered what people are doing.

Drinking the pure highland spring water - commonly known as the river

Just found this if anyone wants a read...
http://www.alpkit.com/daring-deeds/welsh-ride-thing-part-1

But, obviously, the best kind of camping out coffee is Lavazza and.....

that's just getting too organised 😯

it's all about the little luxuries after all* 😉

*weight dependant of course

Oh God, it never bloody stops! I spent the afternoon humiliating myself by begging smokers at work to lend me their lighters so I could test my latest micro energy-drink-can meths stoves (could do much better, probably won't), and then someone's only gone and posted this link up on outdoorsmagic.com...

[url] http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/Fire-Bucket/index.html [/url]

Looks good though 🙂

BTW, ordered a Snugpak Softie 1 and a Snowpeak Ti 450ml mug from Taunton Leisure today in their sale (with an extra £10 off voucher to boot) 🙂

Saved a bomb on stuff I don't really need.

that's a great link slugwask makes me want to get building allsorts 😉

Which bivi bag would you guys recommend? Rab survival zone or alpkit hunka?

Alpkit Hunka is a favoured one I believe 😉

I think the Rab might be a bit longer unless Alpkit have changed their sizing / offered up a long version.

AlpKit do an XL Hunka ... big enough for big lads 😉

cheeky 😯

I mentioned no names 😉

Can I just but in and ask about down sleeping bags ?

I had planned to use a Hunka together with a Pipedream 400 for 2/3 season use but as the Pipedreams are on loooong back order is there an equivalent bag in that price/performance range (I'm looking for sub 1kg and below £200)

Hilldodger, this might just fit the bill. Rated to zero, 800g and under £200.

http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/rab_alpine_200_down_sleeping_bag.html

Can I just but in and ask about down sleeping bags ?

Check out the bargain PHD Minim 300 & 500 on the link below ....

[url] http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/special-offers.php?cat=79 [/url]

Here the same one as s8tan's but £21 cheaper

http://www.towerridge.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_23&products_id=574

Got my new tent yesterday, tarptent scarp 1, lovely and light it is too, just a fraction under 1.5kg and massive inside (for a one man tent quite small for a cathedral). Unfortunately I got the pack size wrong, its there on the website clear as day 20 inches long, but for some reason that got converted into 20cm in my tiny confused brain 🙁 So I am not sure how I am going to fit it onto my bike.

On the plus side I also got my tangle bag from revelate, its the road/touring version and just fits in my mountain bike frame (hurrah), which I wasn't sure it would, so that's a relief.

Strap it to the bars.

Yep, that was my plan, but the length makes it a awkward, and it has carbon end poles (fixed in place) so I am a little concerned about how tight I could pull the straps. My old tent I used to stick in an alpkit airlock extra dry bag, the strap point made it nice and easy, the shape of this tent when packed just makes it more difficult.
Maybe one of the revelate slings is the answer, just not something I had been planning on purchasing.

Thanks for the links guys 😀

MSP - Member
Yep, that was my plan, but the length makes it a awkward, and it has carbon end poles (fixed in place) so I am a little concerned about how tight I could pull the straps. My old tent I used to stick in an alpkit airlock extra dry bag, the strap point made it nice and easy, the shape of this tent when packed just makes it more difficult.
Maybe one of the revelate slings is the answer, just not something I had been planning on purchasing.

The Revelate Sling requires you to crank down the straps as it's for carrying drybags. So if you have concerns about pulling down straps the sling may not be that different.

@MSP I guess the only answer maybe a rear rack and have the tent sticking out the back??

Sent my entry for WRT off today so going to get into this bike bivving big styley 😯

Get plenty of practice in before the big weekend though daddy. 😉

I intend to Mr Fish, family allowing 😉

A few trips into the Afan forest maybe on the cards in the coming weeks/months to hone my kit and skills on the bike loaded up.

I'm trying to get out at least once a month on some form of bikepacking trip, be it 3 day or S24H, so mail me if you get a pink ticket.

Surely the idea is to get as much kit as possible and never use it 🙂

Surely the idea is to get as much kit as possible and never use it

I thought the idea was to get the least kit???

Got to agree with Tiger on this one.
I have SO much kit it's ridiculous.

It is a sideline addiction to the bikes to be fair.

I am thinking of lightening my basha by getting a tarp to assist with weight and packsize.

Also waiting for all the new camping gear to come into retail outlets to pick up a budget airbed as the Halfords ones are out of stock so far.

Have you got any kit you want to sell Flatfish? maybe email me if so? maybe interested in it 😀

Pete - have a look at the mats here:

http://www.outdoorgear.co.uk/eshop.asp?wci=search&wce=multimat&CameFrom=Menu

I've just picked up the lightweight compact in readiness for next weekend- decentish brand and not too pricey - I jusy couldn't justify the cost of a neoair or similar

great thanks Steve 😉

If you are going up for Saturday night next weekend I may push for a pass and join you and the others, what's your plan? 😀

Pete - I'm planning to meet up with them sometime on Saturday morning - location TBC

I've got a spare full length thermarest (the one I used in december) if you need to borrow one

As this thread never seems to move far from the subject of sleeping mats, do the £40 Alpkit blow up ones contain some sort of insulation fluff to take the chill out of the ground or are they basically the same as the £15 airbed I bought from Go Outdoors recently to cushion my back against our rock hard camper van bed.(insulation not needed in the van)

The upper portion of each tube is filled with a hollow fill fibre to help trap and prevent movement of air thus improving the insulation of the mat. The insulation is bonded to both the top and the bottom of the tube to ensure it completely fills the void.

Straight from alpkit's website.

I believe they contain a certain amount of insulation, I've got a Pacific Outdoor one and even on frozen ground I don't feel the cold from underneath.

Hoora ... I was right 😀

Indeed we never stray away from sleeping mats as a good commfy nights kip is essential IMHO and worth researching which type suits you best.

@Steve I may take you up on that offer but I am trying to find a way to reduce bulk so an air bed type maybe the best route???

Vallydaddy ... see here http://www.ultimateadventurehardware.co.uk/item/Brand_Pacific-Outdoor-Ether-Thermo-6-regular-Sleeping-Mat_0_0_592_0.html?ref=froogle for much big bargain. I have one and granted it isn't the lightest it's very comfy.

weight: 623g

You're not kidding 😯

😉

Built for comfort not speed 😀

Isnt this just a over weight Balloon bed, oh and costs more?

Pete - the one I linked to is silly light for the money - sub 400 gms or so - Cotswold have them in stock but if you want to mull over the options use mine and decide at your leisure!!

I think 623g is a typo ... they're listed as 550g everywhere else and yes I know that still doesn't make it light. 😉

How about this at 240g http://www.outdoorwarehouse.co.uk/index.cfm?action=shop.detail&pid=D35C3696-FF29-08BD-48DB592D2EF8C6DA

Bigface, the nice thing about them is they contain insulation or baffles so aren't cold like balloon beds.

Bigface0_0 - Member
Isnt this just a over weight Balloon bed, oh and costs more?

Balloon beds only look any good for overnighters though. Plus the idea of throwing away stuff every time you set up your bed does not sound very good.

Yeah but the balloon bed has half a kilo on a 'regular' mattress, and is comfier than a OMM Duo Pad. The POE Ether is a low weight when compared to the Exped Synmat so isn't too bad.

Balloon Bed, GoLite Ul quilt and the comfort of a Mammut inflatable pillow, if it's cold Rab down socks.

The qualatex modelling balloons are latex and are biodegradable (not that I would ever leave them in the field), the amount of 'waste' is miniscule in the grand scheme of things.

Yeah but the balloon bed has half a kilo on a 'regular' mattress

My Alp kit cheap is 300 and something grams, so I'm guessing a 200 and something gram weight penalty, significant but not that bad either.

Anthony - Member
The qualatex modelling balloons are latex and are biodegradable (not that I would ever leave them in the field), the amount of 'waste' is miniscule in the grand scheme of things.

That still dose not solve not suitable for more than a one or two night trips, which is the bigger one for me, it's an adventure race matt really. Plus the argument of minuscule in the grand scheme of things mean people should bother about waste at all unless it's a statistically significant item, which tend to be made up of lots and lots of statistically insignificant items. This is negating the waste of manufacturing e.t.c

If you are happy to use one fine, but don't try to pretend it doesn't have some pretty big draw backs, the question is just are those compromise issues that are important to you.

GoLite Ul quilt

I've been temped to make quilt, especially a double for when my girlfriend comes, I think some serious weight and comfort advantage could be gained there.

Just popping back in to ask for opinions on [url= http://www.downsleepingbag.co.uk/shop/cumulus-ultralight-sleeping-p-472.html ]this bag[/url] - it'll only be for lowland use and I sleep quite warm anyway....

Looks alright, I'd be interested to know what the down/feather ratio is (but I'm geeky). The fill power is on par with some more expensive bags. For the money I don't think you'll do an awful lot better.

If you do start to find it chilly you can always add a liner.

It does seem the best value I've found, no idea on the ratio but their info page says....
"Most 80:20 or 85:15 percentage ratio down sleeping bags tend to use high quality duck down which, although will not give you quite the same performance as higher ratio bags, will be kinder to your pocket and provide adequate performance from summer to three season use"

Hmmmm, didn't realise this could get so techie/geeky, Oh well I've [i]clicked to buy[/i] now so will let you know how it works out 🙂

That still dose not solve not suitable for more than a one or two night trips, which is the bigger one for me, it's an adventure race matt really. Plus the argument of minuscule in the grand scheme of things mean people should bother about waste at all unless it's a statistically significant item, which tend to be made up of lots and lots of statistically insignificant items. This is negating the waste of manufacturing e.t.c

If you are happy to use one fine, but don't try to pretend it doesn't have some pretty big draw backs, the question is just are those compromise issues that are important to you

For me as a first timer and just starting out on the Bivi adventure road.
I wanted to get kit that 'A' doest cost the world and 'B' is small and dosnt really weigh a lot...

It would be good to see a list of kit / costs for the beginner to the more expert... (Stu, maybe something for your blog)

I hear you and I'll get on it ... got a bit of interesting kit for reviewing coming up this week too.

Someone emailed me about the size a the large tanglebag, others may also be interestd. The frame is a 19.5" pipedream sirius.

This is the mountain tangle bag, fits easily.

[img] [/img]

This is the touring (large) tanglebag, length along the top is good, but the angle down from the front is a tad too steep and is pushed in a little bit by the downtube, but its well acceptable.

[img] [/img]

the large tanglebag gives a fair bit more room for kit.

Didn't realise there was such a marked difference in volume. I've got a mountain one and it's big enough for what I put in it but a bit extra wouldn't have gone a miss.

A nice custom, full frame bag will be next ... waves to everyone at Wildcat 😀

Yep, its a couple of inches extra in each direction, its the drop that really makes the difference.

I will probably be going for a custom full frame bag by the end of the year, depends how I get on with getting the rest of my kit whittled down to.

The small one is good for a night or 2, the large will allow more food to be carried for longer trips, but the reality is for virtually all of europe, its unlikely you wont pass through somewhere you can't restock every couple of days, so there is not really a lot of point carrying a full weeks worth of supplies. Next year I would like to go somewhere more remote.

frame bags my favourite topic 😀

don't get me started again looking at these I am just getting used to the Jandd bag I have, I would like a Wildcat one though hint-hint (Ian and Beth) 😆

Got my framebag and other 'fasten stuff on the bike' things sorted now, took me ages to get the framebag right so it makes the bought ones seem like good value:

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5058/5478876359_b6d723cc6e.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5058/5478876359_b6d723cc6e.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/30537475@N03/5478876359/ ]P1000517[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/30537475@N03/ ]markenduro[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5256/5479487382_fe53fac976.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5256/5479487382_fe53fac976.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/30537475@N03/5479487382/ ]P1000520[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/30537475@N03/ ]markenduro[/url], on Flickr

All looks like a top job Mark ... I'll look forward to seeing it.

Nice setup 🙂 What volume is the bar mounted drybag, it looks massive in some of your photos?

snf, it looks massive because it is, will be getting a smaller one shortly and a smaller sleeping bag to go in it.

Markenduro:-

Whats the deal with the frame bags then, did you make it or is it a wildcat one, how much do they cost?

Frame bag is self made, borrowed my mums sewing machine and bought the zip, velcro and material off of teh internets. It isn't exactly a pain in the arse to make them but it is very time consuming, this took me about 6 hours to make but some of that was working out how the sewing machine works. The rear bag is an ortlieb one and the front rack arrangement is self made with bits of klickfast barbag brackets, plastic guttering and straps.

that frame bag looks great Mark.

Feel the sewing machine coming out for an airing!

What fabric did you use?

It's cordura, bought mine off a mate but there is loads on ebay and other sites

ok ta 😀

I've got a Pacific Outdoor one and even on frozen ground I don't feel the cold from underneath.

Which PAC Outdoor have you got? I picked up a Peak Elite AC this afternoon, pack size and weight are fantastic, 396g for full length mat 🙂 Seems as comfortable as my Exped Down Mat, but much lighter.

On the scales the Bag and Mat are coming in at 1028g.

Valleydaddy try these good folks http://www.profabrics.co.uk/

DNF, I've got an Ether Elite