Decamping

[Richard G]

How long is that front pole?

[Trail-rat]

100cm according to http://www.bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/s ... -tarp-deal

never measured it my self.

perfect size when folded to fit under my top tube.

[Richard G]

Hmm... yeah, that's basically the pole I have.

My setup has never been even close to that far off the ground though. More to practice I guess.

[Ian]

Bit late to the thread here, but here is how I packed my sleep system for the HT. Applied on four consecutive nights;

5 litre Exped dry bag with the following packed in order;
PHD Minim 900 bag
PHD Minim vest
Merino base layer
Midge net
Hat.

Around the dry bag I had my Terra Niva goretex Bivvy rolled round and retained by a normal strap/clip. Thus, all my sleep system is contained in one unit that is removed from the bike in under 30s

Unroll Bivvy bag and lay on ground.
Unpack contents of dry bag onto Bivvy bag
Remove upper riding layers and place into dry bag, roll and and that's your pillow.
Put on hat, midge net, base layer and down vest.
Take off shoes and socks, climb into sleeping bag and wriggle into Bivvy bag. Takes less than 10 mins.

Reverse process in the morning. Takes less than 15 mins, simply due to dressing and packing taking longer than undressing/unpacking.

[Richard G]

So just to be clear, your bivi is exposed to the elements? You don't have it inside anything else right?

[Trail-rat]

interesting 4 nights sleeping on the floor without a mat would cripple me but thats the difference between me and a real racer :D

[whitestone]

Surprising what you can put up with when you put your mind to it. Not sure Ian means a PHD Minim 900 sleeping bag, that's a pretty hefty summer bag

Different people have different things that they "have to have", like Greg I have to have a pillow of some description - let's just say it involves a childhood incident with a bottle of pickled gherkins

Bivy bags were originally meant to be used without anything over them so not really a problem. Depending on where and when you are out bivying it's surprising just how little you really do need. Even so it doesn't take much gear to be comfortable. An inflatable sleeping mat, a summer weight down sleeping bag and a tarp come to just over 1Kg, somewhere like Scotland in summer you might just need some defence against the midge so add a couple of hundred grammes for a bug bivy that can be strung up under the tarp. For a single nighter if the weather was fine you could get away with just something like the SOL escape bivy. A bit hard core but you'd survive.

[Ian]

interesting 4 nights sleeping on the floor without a mat would cripple me but thats the difference between me and a real racer :D

That's another story; took a mat (Klymit x-lite, also in the dry bag), but it punctured on the first night. I needed soft ground thereafter, which ruled out bothies (or public toilets, Alan & Bryan ). You would be amazed how soundly you sleep when you've ridden for over 18 hours. It was actually ok though. Seriously.

Bob, the Minim Ultra 900 is the light one with the 900fp down, not the Minimus 900 with 900g of down!

Richard; no tarp. I took the view that the forecast was good enough or there was a Bothy option if weather was bad.

Edit; on the midge protection point- put midge net in, zip down vest up to the top and you have pretty good protection from the neck up. I then use the draw string on the sleeping bag so only my head sticks out (hat keeps head warm), and I'm midge proof.

[Richard G]

You would be amazed how soundly you sleep when you've ridden for over 18 hours. It was actually ok though. Seriously.

God I wish that was the case for me.

[whitestone]

Ian, if you've been lying on heather or similar then check for ticks. They won't have attached when you were in the bag but could have sensed and crawled on when you were getting in and out.

I've the Klymit x-frame as well. I do carry the repair kit with me though for peace of mind. It's the only real downside to inflatable mats - if you can't inflate them then they are just two layers of light rubber with zero insulation or cushioning properties.

[GregMay]

You would be amazed how soundly you sleep when you've ridden for over 18 hours. It was actually ok though. Seriously.

God I wish that was the case for me.

Be easier if you laid off the 10+ mugs of coffee a day...

[Bearbonesnorm]

That's another story; took a mat (Klymit x-lite, also in the dry bag), but it punctured on the first night.

Something sharp and pointy or a fault, such as a seam failing?

[Richard G]

Be easier if you laid off the 10+ mugs of coffee a day...

That's the strange thing though, you'd think with the lack of caffeine I get whilst out riding then I'd definitely be able to sleep.

Maybe it's stored in my fat cells and leaching into my bloodstream whilst I ride.

[Ian]

That's another story; took a mat (Klymit x-lite, also in the dry bag), but it punctured on the first night.

Something sharp and pointy or a fault, such as a seam failing?

No obvious hole or tear. Inflated it last night back at the yurt, and could not find a hole. Going to have to submerge it properly I think

[Bearbonesnorm]

No obvious hole or tear. Inflated it last night back at the yurt, and could not find a hole. Going to have to submerge it properly I think

I hate it when that happens.

Richard, have you considered something like a Gatewood cape? Plenty of room to sit up, lie down, get dressed, undressed, whatever you want and all for a similar weight and packsize to a bicycle 3.5. You can also shut out the scary things* that roam the countryside preying on unsuspecting bikepackers in the dead of night.

* Not slugs or midges.

[Richard G]

I've ordered a slightly bigger tarp which weighs a little less than the bicycle 3.5, should be interesting to see how that works out.

[voodoo_simon]

Not sure about the thread title Greg

I normally setup camp with my roll Matt, bivi, sleep bag and if I've remembered it, my tarp. If it's not needed for the next day, everything else is packed away.

Next morning, it's a simple 5 minutes packing away the sleeping kit and then straight on the bike. After an hour or so of riding, once warmed up I will start looking for a spot to fire up the stove or more recently, find a 24 hour petrol station with a coffee machine

Not a fan of waiting around in the morning, much prefer to get up and go. On my last overnighter, I couldn't sleep that well, so I was moving at 5am when it was still dark (April time)

[Trail-rat]

Timed my self last night.

From pulling up to sitting down under tarp it was 10minutes.

And this morning it was 20minutes to pack up. Had one of the best nights sleep out I've had in a long time last night. Helps my thermarest stayed inflated. I think it's on its last legs. 6 years isn't bad is it ?

Back in ballater enjoying a cooked breakfast waiting om my colleagues for the ride back to town. They are arriving by bus

PS does my new phone post photis in the piss like the last one did ?

[GregMay]

Not sure about the thread title Greg

Heh, it came from a part of the HTR thread - Mr Turing would be proud I suspect.

[Richard G]

Timed my self last night.

From pulling up to sitting down under tarp it was 10minutes.

Impressive. Right now I'd be surprised if I could do it in less than 25.

[liamg]

What do people do about eating breakfast before setting off? On the HT550 this year, I always spent some time forcing down a few spoonfuls of peanut butter before getting out of the sleeping bag, but I know others who packed and got going without eating. I didn't time it accurately, but it took me about 30 mins each morning from alarm to getting clipped in. Actually putting bum to saddle took another 30 mins by the end of the race

[Ian]

Generally I just got riding and ate on the bike. I tended to eat well immediately before I went to sleep (and had a recovery drink), so I figured I was good for 30 mins or so after getting up.

One thing I omitted to mention in my routine further up was my bib shorts; I use the Aidan Harding Method of just pulling them down to knee level to aerate the necessary regions, thus negating the need to faff about pulling them on and off. I didn't really get saddle sore this year, but applied Assos chamois creme on numerous occasions.

[Richard G]

One thing I omitted to mention in my routine further up was my bib shorts; I use the Aidan Harding Method of just pulling them down to knee level to aerate the necessary regions, thus negating the need to faff about pulling them on and off. I didn't really get saddle sore this year, but applied Assos chamois creme on numerous occasions.

I thought it worked quite nicely when I tried it. Might stick to it.

[JohnClimber]

Inspired by this thread and never going to race to have the need for it.....

When sorting out my stuff from last nights bivi with Lawman I packed my
250 quilt
Thermorest neo
Instaflator
Air pillow
Silk cut down liner (I use to keep my skin off the Neo and hold the pillow in place, it's no real weight but it's my bit of luxury)
all in situ inside my zipped up Borah bag.
I rolled them all up together, squeezing the air our of the Neo as I rolled it up into the all new waterproof light weight Wildcat tapered dry bag (don't tell Beth that I've told you)
So, I went from this (tennis ball for scale)


To this and ready for bed (at my first and only attempt with the instaflater blowing up the air bed)

in just 4mins 15secs
Packing away getting all the air out took around double this.
Of course this is a dry night summer set up, but my Silwing wouldn't take too long to put up over this if needed.

Sad I know, sorry

[whitestone]

Generally I just got riding and ate on the bike. I tended to eat well immediately before I went to sleep (and had a recovery drink), so I figured I was good for 30 mins or so after getting up.

One thing I omitted to mention in my routine further up was my bib shorts; I use the Aidan Harding Method of just pulling them down to knee level to aerate the necessary regions, thus negating the need to faff about pulling them on and off. I didn't really get saddle sore this year, but applied Assos chamois creme on numerous occasions.

I've always tended to do that. Only problem is if you forget when getting up in the middle of the night for a pee and you fall flat on your face