Newbie needing advice

[yeti342]

Hello to every one on Bearbones,

I've been a mtb-er for many years riding all year around (in all weathers).

Now id like to take my passion in a new direction bivvy biking .

The plan is to start with some single nights out in spring/summer. Well planned excursions with plenty of cafes/pubs so I can travel light . I've been reading lots of threads on here and set out that I'm gonna go down the tarp (alpkit bicycle 7 ?), air mat (?) and bag 2-3 season (?).

1, which bag should I start with ? Down or synthetic ?
2, which mat ? Full length ?

Thank you for any advice given .

[Chew]

Down bag every time. It'll be lighter, pack smaller and last longer. A night in a wet sleeping bag will be terrible whatever the filling so just take great care in keeping things dry.

Starting out this is the one piece of kit i'd spend your money on and see it as in investment(scrimp on the rest if needed). £150 will get you a good 3 season bag, comfort rated down to zero which will do you proud spring to autumn and adding a jacket/liner will help you get out in winter too.

Mats. Had a full length and a shorter one and the extra comfort you get from a full length mat vastly outweights the extra packsize. If your a midget you may be able to get away a shorter or ladies version mat.

Have a look/post up on the classifieds and you may find yourself a bargain.

[yeti342]

Cheers Chew ,

I've seen a alpkit pipedream 400 at £135 is that a good start for a bag ! I've been given alpkit as a good name in kit is their other makes that are good for both the bag/mat ?

[Taylor]

I use a pipe dream 400 quite a bit.
Great bag for the money.
Theres better but they'll be more spendy.

[Chew]

Cheers Chew ,

I've seen a alpkit pipedream 400 at £135 is that a good start for a bag ! I've been given alpkit as a good name in kit is their other makes that are good for both the bag/mat ?

I have one and cant fault it. Maybe haggle on the price a bit as i think they were around that new, but as Flatfishy says you cant go wrong.

[Taylor]

Think they're in the £150-£160 bracket now due to the price of down going up.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I'll second the down bag option. Obviously more expensive to begin with but if cared for a down bag will last years ... most synthetic bags will be starting to lose their insulation properties after 3 years or so. Secondhand is always a good option but ask how the bag's been stored, you don't want to buy somethig that's been kept compressed for months at a time.

AlpKit, RAB, Phd, Cumulus will all be worth looking at ... oh and if you're unsure about what rating you need, buy something that's rated warmer than you think you'll need.

I think that once people have discovered the joys of an air mat very few return to anything else. The 2 main choices are Exped and Thermarest ... both do what they're meant to and both have their fans. In general the sizing is different though, a small Exped is full length for me @ 5'7". Remember that any air mat needs some kind of insulation inside, there's a few cheaper mats out there which are very light but are only really suited to summer. I think these days my mat (Exped Synmat UL7 and Exped Downmat-lite) are my heaviest / bulkiest bits of gear but unless I was racing I wouldn't swap.

Oh and congratulations for deciding to go the tarp route. The Rig7 is a very good tarp and if you don't need that much space, the Rig3.5 should be available next month.

[composite]

the Rig3.5 should be available next month.

Oooooo is that a half size one?

EDIT: I know why don't I just look it up first. :?

http://www.alpkit.com/products/bicycle-3-5

The Rig7 is vaguely exciting but this size would be great for the summer and racing/ITT.

[Ray Young]

I'm liking that alpkit 3.5 tarp. Most solo tarps don't have the extra tie out points which I think is a mistake, well done alpkit.

[FLV]

looks very good that.

[TheBrownDog]

Don't forget a bivi bag if you're tarping. you'll need one if there's any chance of rain and if you're heading out in the cold. Love my Alpkit Hunka but it's not the lightest on the market (though it was very cheap second hand)

[Cheeky Monkey]

3 season down bag and full length mat.

There are other choices but it's what I'd get to give the maximum comfort in the most likely conditions in the UK. You can always flog / add other variations of this key combo as your experience grows.

Others views may vary and much is down to individual preference.

[yeti342]

Thank you for all the advice given ..

Just been on the phone with Alpkit - the bicycle 7 will be back in stock at the end of the month . But their bags are not gonna be available till summer !

What other 2/3 season down bags are worth getting please ?

[Bearbonesnorm]

What other 2/3 season down bags are worth getting please ?

Here's a couple to consider.

Comfort of 0 degrees, 1225g £140
http://www.tauntonleisure.com/mountain- ... 46#tdesc_2

Comfort of +7 so really only a '2 season' bag, 876g £144
http://www.tauntonleisure.com/rab-ascen ... mber/p9968

[Mike]

Ive just bought a rab infinity 300 it will be good for all seasons ( it has a 3/4zip for summer ) except the harsh winter, as like chew says the Alpkit 400 is great but i would get the 600 if i were buying one bag only because that way u have a great bag which you can also use right through the winter without any cold nights and as ive seen chews packed up the 600 will pack just as small with a slight weight increase which isnt really noticable. Some bags can be highly priced but i dont think ul go wrong with an alpkit bag for the very reasonable price. The hard bit is getting hold of one ( they do come up on the net second hand sometimes though ) Having slept on a 1" thick thermarest mat for yrs i discovered the exped range a few yrs ago and its the best thing ever for a great nights sleep. 7cm of pure luxury. Id say get the best you can afford and go fat! They pack down to a great size n weight

Oh and ENJOY

[yeti342]

Thank you all for the advice given (I'm sure ill ask more questions !)

Yetiman that Rab Infinity is a vaguely exciting bag ...

Any thoughts on the cumulus quantum 350 / super light 350 ??

Should I go to a minus bag rating -3/-6 or just zero ?

[Chew]

Should I go to a minus bag rating -3/-6 or just zero ?

Think this depends on how cold you sleep and when you'll be using it.

If you're a cold sleeper i'd get the warmest bag you can get. For 3 season use zero will be fine, but if you're planning on using it in winter get something warmer (thinking -10). Also think about pack size as generally the warmer the bag the more space it'll take up.

Don't forget its about getting out there and enjoying yourself. The idea is to have comfortable* kit which is easy to carry around with you.

*depends where on the tramp scale you are

[composite]

I think I must sleep quite warm as I use a Vango Venom 300 which seems to be 2-3 seasons (5 degrees)! With a light weight fleece liner, bivi bag and wearing a down jacket it was good down to about -3 at There N Back.

Having a down jacket is great as it gives you a warm off the bike jacket but then also something to sleep in so your bag doesn't have to be as bulky and heavy.

[Ray Young]

Same as above only I went for the Vango Venom 400, got it for about £90 in a sale.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Any thoughts on the cumulus quantum 350 / super light 350 ??

Cumulus make good bags but if you're considering one I'd look to Europe. There's a lot of new models been released over the last 12 months which you won't get in the UK. Cumulus are funny about selling directly to the UK due to there being a 'Cumulus UK' but sadly 'Cumulus UK' don't seem to stock any of the more recent models :?

A Lite-line 200 or 300 looks like it should do what you're after.

http://www.highmobilitygear.com/PBCPPla ... ID=1172579