Welsh Ride Thing 2012

[pedalhead]

..and now if you click on griffdowg's link again, it's looking sunny 8-)

edit - link here so you don't have to go back a page :)

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/W ... /long.html

[royAB]

I will be the guy at the start line with 2 sleeping bags flipping a coin trying to choose I think

Not the only one I suspect. I'm camping Friday so will try out one of my 2 bags then and decide on 'hot or cold' after that - I'll still end up taking the wrong one though..

[Dan_K]

after freezing my arse off in sub zero temps on Saturday night with my summer bag I decided I was taking the winter bag to Wales...no we are having a heat wave and I think I will boil if I do that! I will be the guy at the start line with 2 sleeping bags flipping a coin trying to choose I think

I'm in a similar boat. I've got a Downlight 600 bag suitable to 12 degrees. Slept out on Weds night ready to go rock climbing on Thursday (vaguely exciting BTW!) and was roasting at bedtime (and covered in bites as I forgot the mozzie spray) but then cold at 5am. Put a fleece on and then I was fine until I got up.
I think i'll plump for the summer bag and wear base layers in bed. I'll have my Montane Fireball smock to slip on in bed if it gets too cold.
My biggest regret is buying a 120cm mat. Legs were a bit chilly but I guess if I get more into bivvying, I can buy a regular sized neoair.

[evilgoat]

Was thinking if we would be meeting any of you WRT'ers when we do our our TCW attempt on the sunday.

Roughly which direction from HQ are the checkpoints?

If our paths do cross, say hi and give us some encouragement?

(Does a flapjack exchange count as external support?)

[Blackhound]

Evilgoat - we are a bit North of the route, if you do see any of us we are probably lost!

Enjoy your day out, a lovely route if it keeps dry.

[valleydaddy]

well it's official I will not be attending this years WRT :( I have been called to go 'glamping' with the family, but I still will be taking the tarp and hammock :D

Have a great time and I hope the weather holds out for you, I look forward to reading the reports and lots of pics please

[Stevemorg]

won't be the same without you Pete!!!!

any new kit you need trying out?

[valleydaddy]

Thanks Steve, no unfortunately not, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to make it, but there was an outside chance but the carpet has been pulled on that one

I think my kit is pretty much there apart from getting it lighter and smaller like Ian's once funds allow etc plus would like a hammock set up like Flatfishies, I may look into that when I am in the USA in July

have a good one

[Taylor]

would like a hammock set up like Flatfishies, I may look into that when I am in the USA in July

Speak to Brandon @ Warbonnett outdoors and Adam @ Hammock gear.
You will not be disappointed, poorer, but not disappointed.

If you order them now they should be ready for July.

For the WBBB you can also get them from Mat @ UK Hammocks but they don't stay in stock for long.

[griffdowg]

Considering the night temps may be reasonably high, what are the options for going sleepingbagless over the WRT weekend?

MET seems to be trending towards min 9c at night. YR.NO says 6c. (which has the longer range forecast)

Now if its 9c + I may well consider dropping my bag (1KG) but what are my options? I was going to use a sea to summit thermolite liner I have in a bivibag with a 60g primaloft jacket on.

What have others done and got away with?

Any sage advice from the old ones

Cheers,

G

[chris n]

Current forecast temps for Friday and Saturday night are between 2 and 9 degrees with a chance of light rain, depending on which of 4 sites I looked at (yr.no, metoffice, xcweather and the beeb).

Do you feel lucky?

[pedalhead]

Imho, if it were a race then maybe it'd be worth it. But personally I wouldn't risk a crappy couple of nights on a "fun" event just to save the equivalent weight of a bottle of water. I'm packing for comfort, not speed

[restlessshawn]

sleepingbagless

just bagged all my food, 2 meals, 2 breakfasts and some emergency noodles, all dried stuff and it still weighs quite a bit!

[Cornish Neil]

Hmmmm we were going for the blizzard bag option to replace sleeping bag and bivvy. Fine at nearer 9 degrees but the thought of 2 degrees in it scares me a bit!

[griffdowg]

Hmmmm we were going for the blizzard bag option to replace sleeping bag and bivvy. Fine at nearer 9 degrees but the thought of 2 degrees in it scares me a bit!

Thats what I was thinking Neil. Been looking at these: http://www.gofastandlight.com/prodinfo. ... variation=

250g. good for 9c plus.

Surprised nobody here has used something like this.

G

[drain]

Funnily enough I've just bought one of those AMK Thermolite 2.0 bags to take, along with a silk liner (so long as the current 9C forecast holds...). A bikepacking novice so I'm hoping it all works out! Really looking forward to this.

Out of interest, if we're not camping at the campsite the Friday and Monday nights (domestic duties...), is there anywhere we can leave a car? Would the campsite be OK to take some payment to allow parking?

[Bearbonesnorm]

We've got some Blizzard bags for WRT raffle prizes ... I'd be very interested if someone who won one were to use it in place of their sleeping bag

is there anywhere we can leave a car?

It'll be quite safe left at the start

[drain]

Great stuff, ta muchly for the quick advice on the parking.

[griffdowg]

We've got some Blizzard bags for WRT raffle prizes ... I'd be very interested if someone who won one were to use it in place of their sleeping bag

is there anywhere we can leave a car?

It'll be quite safe left at the start

I would use one Stu if I could 'win' one

I was thinking of using it along with my Thermolite reactor sleeping bag liner with thermorest underneath.

If I won the Alpkit frame bag also I could drop my backpack easily :D

G

[griffdowg]

Rather than start a new thread, has anyone found a use for the clip lanyard things that come with the Alpkit airlok bags? I have 3 of them in use on the Salsa but no real use for the lanyards.

Any ideas?

G

[Dan_K]

Started packing up all my kit that i think I'll need for this weekend and er..... all this lightweight kit isn't that lightweight. Got a 13l bag on the bars, 5l saddlebag and a 35l rucksack. I'm definitely doing something wrong...

[Taylor]

Weather taken a turn for the worse if the Norgies are to be believed,
http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/W ... /long.html


1 deg C on sunday eve for the folk wanting to go bag less
http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/day ... bala&day=5

[restlessshawn]

yeah it mounts up doesn't it!

gonna drop from a 13l to 8l + coat on the bars (unless it goes cold again then I have to take the 13l)
bikepack.eu seatpack
20l alpkit gourdon with just a few bits, a layer and some of my food so will get lighter as I go

I really need to stop fussing with packing and moving stuff about the bike

[drain]

Norwegians saying it'll be wet but mild, Metcheck saying dry but cold... Choices! :?

[Taylor]

Best pack for cold and wet then.
Bloody weather