Raggedstone wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 12:17 pm They look like the white piano keys to me

I think I recognise it... So
3 cheer to spokes & reflective tape on helmets!

Verena wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 11:23 pm …. so I did a Hansel and Gretel job and laid myself a trail of the equivalent of breadcrumbs…

If only I’d thought of that last month in Macclesfield - it would have saved me wandering around the town for three hours looking for my car…

I recall reading an account of a guy trying to cross the sea ice between Alaska and Russia. At one point he left his sledge to reccy the serac laden sea ice, and realised he didn't know where it was after a while. Amazingly after quite a long time of wandering around he found it again... fair bit of jeopardy for that one....

Looking rain-tastic for the last weekend of the month

Leerowe76 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 8:47 pm Nice spot that fella

Yes, looks like a great night out Retiredtester, and nice pictures too of the lad and dad sharing an adventure

Raggedstone wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 12:17 pm They look like the white piano keys to me

Circular piano? Now here's something that hasn't been invented yet... ( or has it???)

Moder-dye wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 9:42 am I've had that feeling of sub standard I thought the camp was here in the woods in the dark My WP jacket reflectives hung over the end of the hammock have been useful catching in the torch light before, so good thinking with the trail of reflectives.

Should I query caching gear that instigated the inventiveness... It had crossed my mind before when a bulky winter bag would have been nice.

Bit surprised tbh by all the comments, I honestly thought it was just me being daft, both for getting lost possibly, or for using such tactics not to...

About caching the gear...ermmm, that was actually not so much stashing it in advance, as in some kind of preparation, but it was just left behind from when I'd last used it a few months ago...so once again sheer laziness on my part...

Speaking of laziness, what I hadn't mentioned was, and this is the honest truth, that I never unpacked from my last BAM, the night ride one, all my kit was dry, and I'd just put the bike with bags still attached in the garage and left it there, same with my little backpack, including a little Clementine (yes, true!), so Monday night it was just grab and go, even the Clementine was miraculously still good

Retiredtester wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 12:15 pm ...uneventful night, save for the customary 2am tent collapse and bad tempered resurrection, followed swiftly by a heavy shower.]

Oh dear,I always worry about this very thing and plan to get some solid/heavy pegs just for the occassion (soft ground?).

Nice one managing to persuade the little one out there RT. I took my 8 year old on the fortnightly Peaks walks and we did a 7 miler. A day or 2 later he told his mum that his feet were blistered and it was too much. Loved it at the time though... I'm not giving up on him as I reckon he has the genes for this very thing (trying to mould him into my future bikepacking partner and he even mentioned he'll be riding further and more adventurous than me ).

Yep Lazarus,correct cricket club
Conditions definitely helped keep things people free..some guy walked passed out of the trees about 11pm with no torch which was strange but probably he was thinking the same if he saw me in the body bag

March....
I came very close to chucking the whole thing this month. As predicted I should have gone out two weekends ago for another cold clear bivvy. In stead it was a dank, wet and rainy affair.
As usual it had been dry all afternoon and didn't start raining until I was getting my gear together. As I departed the heavens opened and I had stair rods for the first couple of miles. The only reason I carried on was due to grit, determination, spirit, and a willingness to laugh in the face of any weather; or possibly bone headed stupidity.

The sky was clearing from the west but painfully slowly so I was nearly at my spot (usual woodland retreat off the Dunning Road) before it stopped. As I pitched up it came on again however I got in dry (Deschutes is ace for this - you pitch it, get under cover, take off wet gear, un-roll bivvy, get in, dry and warm. Try doing that with a Vango helium!) The evening was spent eating and drinking posh lager and despite the rain I had a reasonable kip.


Morning world. Old waterbottle came in quite handy given the rain


5th time here. At least the rain was off and there were even hints of blue sky. Much sploshing through soggy trails followed however.


View shot - Central highlands largely snow free. We've a cold snap for 24hrs due but Winter 22/23 is done.
More sploshing followed then I got yet another puncture!! As with the last half dozen I was just riding along when pfffff-shhhhh, sealant was getting sprayed everywhere out of a big hole. Enraged I went to look for the culprit this time - I found (in a small splodge of sealant) a half inch long stone splinter with a very sharp point - not something you see very often round here given whinstone's tendency to form chunks not shards. So quite how I managed to a) find it, b) ride over it and c) in such a way that it stabbed the tyre beggars belief. In a with a big plug but it was struggling to seal the ragged hole. After a couple more pumping sessions it did eventually hold air so I was able to proceed home with no further issues, just a lot more glop.

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 3:57 pm grit, determination, spirit, and a willingness to laugh in the face of any weather

. That'll be it. Top effort that man.

Friday night and the first bivvy of the year. And in ages! Absolutely lovely to get out again.


Homemade bivvy.


Homemade quilt.


Cobble together stuff.


Well prepared iron horse.

No real plan in mind so we set off on a reccie around a plantation about 30 minutes ride away. We found a potential future wrinkley tin affair and then stumbled on a closed off section with high fences well secured. Luckily there was a low plastic pretend fence next to it. No idea what the thought process was with that lot. This was to be the only thing approaching drama during the trip and we settled into a steady pace still with no firm idea where we might sleep. He of the well prepared bike remembered an abandoned building on the coastal path and we thought it was as good a shout as any. However, given the strong winds, high cliffs and narrow walking path the preferred route offered we decided to play it safe and take the predominantly road route. I ride a single speed and the hill there is an absolute monster. I was dizzy by the time we summited and glad we only had a short down then uphill to go.


A lovely ambience.


Plenty still in the tank.


The fuel tablet experiment didn't go to plan.


Morning world!


Luxury sleeping quarters...


...in our hotel...




.. complete with sea views.


Homeward bound.

Just fantastic to get out again. Looking forward to seeing what the year brings. Happy hunting folks.

Friday night and the first bivvy of the year. And in ages! Absolutely lovely to get out again.


Homemade bivvy.


Homemade quilt.


Cobble together stuff.


Well prepared iron horse.

No real plan in mind so we set off on a reccie around a plantation about 30 minutes ride away. We found a potential future wrinkley tin affair and then stumbled on a closed off section with high fences well secured. Luckily there was a low plastic pretend fence next to it. No idea what the thought process was with that lot. This was to be the only thing approaching drama during the trip and we settled into a steady pace still with no firm idea where we might sleep. He of the well prepared bike remembered an abandoned building on the coastal path and we thought it was as good a shout as any. However, given the strong winds, high cliffs and narrow walking path the preferred route offered we decided to play it safe and take the predominantly road route. I ride a single speed and the hill there is an absolute monster. I was dizzy by the time we summited and glad we only had a short down then uphill to go.


A lovely ambience.


Plenty still in the tank.


The fuel tablet experiment didn't go to plan.


Morning world!


Luxury sleeping quarters...


...in our hotel...




.. complete with sea views.


Homeward bound.

Just fantastic to get out again. Looking forward to seeing what the year brings. Happy hunting folks.

Lovely that. Yeah, what's with the shambolic stove setup .

RIP wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 12:40 pm Lovely that. Yeah, what's with the shambolic stove setup .

The wind kept blowing out the tablet before I could protect it. I had to use my friends gas burner to light it and then resorted to building a windshield out of stove bits. I was well past caring by this point

I can picture the scene

Headed out last night at 22:00, after much deliberation about where to actually bivvy. This wasn't help by my son appearing and gleefully telling me it was going to piss it down from 02:00. The journey there was uneventful, the roads clear and mostly dry. For a change, I tried to keep the heart rate in Zone 2 or below, another take-away from The Midlife Cyclist.


Rather than the location I'd planned a few weeks ago, I decided that I couldn't be arsed getting wet, so headed in the direct of Wicken Fen. I had the tent with me, but also had in the back of my mind either a bird hide, or a large tube under a bridge. In the end we went for a hide, and it started raining just as I turned onto the bridleway that divides Baker's fen from Adventurers' fen. Once ensconced in the hide, I got ready for bed while listening to the rain on the roof, which surprisingly didn't last long.


Normally when bivvying around these parts, you're kept awake all night by quaking, honking, mooing, whinnying, or a combination there of. There was barely a sound all night, which was nice. I woke to the sound of, nothing. Where I'd been expecting pelting rain, the Gods had decided to give me an hour before it arrived. So I was all packed up and half an hour down the road when I stopped and adjusted layers to cope, or not, as it turned out.


The rain came and went a few times, before settling in for the rest of the ride home. It wasn't so bad, apart from the Assos RSR Thermo Rain Shell Gloves, which just leaked copious quantities of water through the seams; Assos gloves in my experience, appear to be expensive poor show. As I'd switched to the summer wheels and big tyres, that meant loosing the mudguards, which also meant that my shins were also soaked by the time I got home; not that I minded. I cruised home in Zone 2, and felt that I could've kept going for much, much longer and even though I was wet, I was enjoying myself.


The purpose of this ride had mostly been to see how the back would react to two medium length rides, punctuated by a poor nights sleep. When I got off the bike at home, it was quickly obvious that my lower back was not overly happy with the situation and it slowly seized up while I dealt with all the wet gear. Two rounds of stretching later, I'm not sure it much happier, but I did a t least find out that you could play a tune on my glutes with a bow. Normally the second round of stretching is much easier, and I can go much deeper. Not with the glutes though, second time round, I could barely get into the stretch. Guess I've got some work to do before the WRT...

https://www.strava.com/activities/8778439307
2023: 3 / 12
Total: 31
Streak: 3

So now the April BaM decision. Go all in on the WRT, or get in a cheeky week night bivvy early doors, just in case...?

That looks like a great session Boab. April weekends start on day one. Lots of opportunity to get a banker in!

ergaster wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 12:37 pm Friday night and the first bivvy of the year. And in ages! Absolutely lovely to get out again.
Luxury sleeping quarters...


...in our hotel...



Just fantastic to get out again. Looking forward to seeing what the year brings. Happy hunting folks.

I think we took a ferry from Liverpool and end up walking to a place like that. Similar views, Near Pt.Erin?
well done with the myog bivvi stuff

3/12 done, finally got back up on the moor although waited till the last minute until there was a clear night forecast! Left home just after 4pm Sunday and headed over the ferry into England and onwards up onto the moor to a spot I've recced before. Arrived about 8 ish, giving time to get gear set up and ready and then just sat back and watched a great sunset with some interesting clouds around! Darkness fell and it was raining slightly, so I curled up in the bivvy and dozed for a couple of hours before waking around midnight ish and being greeted by a beautiful clear sky and some stargazing opportunities! Temperature dropped considerably overnight with the clear skies so it was a fairly quick pack up and porridge with a nice coffee to get me going again before heading off on a few miles around Dartmoor. Now sat in a cafe on the Barbican in Plymouth chilling with cake and coffee!

ledburner wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 12:11 am

ergaster wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 12:37 pm Friday night and the first bivvy of the year. And in ages! Absolutely lovely to get out again.
Luxury sleeping quarters...


...in our hotel...



Just fantastic to get out again. Looking forward to seeing what the year brings. Happy hunting folks.

I think we took a ferry from Liverpool and end up walking to a place like that. Similar views, Near Pt.Erin?
well done with the myog bivvi stuff

Cheers ledburner. Yeah the spot is next to Port Erin. I'd never been before. If I can find my photos (new phone recently) I'll post in the MYOG forum

Realising I was running out of month, and other commitments + weather getting in the way of my usual school night bivi I made the decision to head to Mum's woods* as a placeholder. Had to be Saturday and a busy day meant riding straight there after dinner. Forecast was for heavy rain all night so took the MYOG camo Deschutes-alike. Got the shelter up about 3 minutes before the rain started and sat smugly undercover.... only to remember my sleeping clothes were still in the seat pack outside in the downpour

Had a pleasant hour or so drinking beer, watching youtube and eating chocolate before an early night as the clocks changing would rob an hours sleep and I had a lot to do Sunday. I did add to my knowledge/test some kit.

The repaired pillow (2 patches) did get a bit softer during the night so still need to look for another puncture
The tiny pump x2 makes inflating a mattress in a small space a breeze
The tiny pump x2 used as a tent light is plenty on low
Sand/snow pegs (long wide ally things) work really well in loose ground with a deep layer of leaf litter over the top - don't know why I've not thought of using them before

Took my summer(ish) bag rated to a comfort temp of 3 degrees. Thermometer recorded a low of 6 degrees and I was just on the cold side of being warm enough (if that makes sense) so my previous estimate that I need +5 on a rating to get to my comfort temp seems about right. It did rain heavily all night but stayed dry despite still not having got round to sealing the seams on the shelter.



When I text my Mum to let her know I was going there she said not to make too much noise and wake the birds up in the morning... some chance, they must have put their watches forward 2 hours as they were up and making a racket** long before my alarm went off.

If I get a chance I'll head out again before the end of the month but looks like rain every night, feels like rain has been forecast every night this month? Might start building an ark

2023 3/12
37 in a row

*Within the rules as it's not mine and I don't pay but seems too easy so used as a last resort.
**Birdsong is lovely, unless you're trying to sleep

ergaster wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 11:29 am

ledburner wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 12:11 am

ergaster wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 12:37 pm Friday night and the first bivvy of the year. And in ages! Absolutely lovely to get out again.
Luxury sleeping quarters...


...in our hotel...
Just fantastic to get out again. Looking forward to seeing what the year brings. Happy hunting folks.

I think we took a ferry from Liverpool and end up walking to a place like that. Similar views, Near Pt.Erin?
well done with the myog bivvi stuff

Cheers ledburner. Yeah the spot is next to Port Erin. I'd never been before. If I can find my photos (new phone recently) I'll post in the MYOG forum

Pictures or spec to the MY OG forum would be great!
I remember some thing about faded refreshment/cream prices on walls but the very unclear about which walk we did ooh I just found somewhere similar south of Cregneash [Edit:The Chasms]?. Was that near the folk museum?

Reg, Reg Sir (only referencing your good self as you're the BAM stats keeper it seems this year).

I think I need to go yo the doctors to get a Ramadhan Note

Wnded up not doing it with bad time management and then fasting set in. Then the clocks changed and even though I spied a beautiful little bus shelter bothy yesterday, it's 18 miles away and the nights are short with too much other stuff to do

I did think I'd just tap out already but then realised it's bivy a month and not, BEM (Bivy Every Month)

I'm still in though, but I guess just won't be able to earn my badge this year Here's to 60 consecutive BAMS to take the title from one of you lot

ledburner wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 12:28 pm Pictures or spec to the MY OG forum would be great!

For my shelter? The inner is detailed here

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=18034

The outer looks like this





It's the same dimensions as a SMD Deschutes but with the doors made longer so they come closer to the ground. That way both it and my Deschutes can use the same inner. I've since made a Mk2 inner so they do now have one each.

I made it so I could save my SMD one for 'best' as I was worried pitching it under trees etc. might damage the fabric which is lighter than the camo ripstop.

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 12:38 pm Reg, Reg Sir (only referencing your good self as you're the BAM stats keeper it seems this year).

I think I need to go yo the doctors to get a Ramadhan Note

Wnded up not doing it with bad time management and then fasting set in. Then the clocks changed and even though I spied a beautiful little bus shelter bothy yesterday, it's 18 miles away and the nights are short with too much other stuff to do

I did think I'd just tap out already but then realised it's bivy a month and not, BEM (Bivy Every Month)

I'm still in though, but I guess just won't be able to earn my badge this year Here's to 60 consecutive BAMS to take the title from one of you lot

I'm just the stats keeper I think (jobshare with Phil ), not the Rule Book manager .

But it's a harsh world Shaf, you've cocked up mate . Still got four days to go though, and there's no Rule about having to eat owt out (*) there....

(*) eat owt to help out? eat out to help owt? I'm confused now.