Sorry I'm late

Hello and welcome to the 2025 edition of 'Bivvy a Month'. As it appears still not to be broken, I think we'll leave the format exactly as it always has been - to be fair, I feel most of us are getting too old for the path of 'change for changes sake'

There are no rules as such and you're free to do whatever you like. However, there are some guidelines which if adhered to make you eligible for a lovely BaM patch. They are ....

• At least one night out per calendar month for twelve consecutive months.

• Your own back garden does not count. That of your neighbour does.

* A single trip taking in both the last night of one month and the first of the next, will count as two months if you wish - but you still need 2 nights out, just that they'll be combined within a single trip.

* A bike must be involved - it's bikepacking, the clue's in the name ... 'Involved'? You really don't need me to spell it out do you?

* No paid for accommodation inc' campsites or hostels. Bothies are okay.

* Post each trip here in as much detail as you like, pictures are good. One post for each month please ... if you'd prefer not to post, that's fine. We'll take you at your word but people do like reading the trip reports.

Thank you as always to Kev C for the inspiration ... Enjoy.

If i enter every year then one year i must do it ( my money is on 2026 when kids leave home.)

Hmm... not sure I'll bother this year (*)








(*) oh go on then

Tempted, to give my sleeping out mojo a kick up the bum...

Count me in. Bike is packed and just getting some warm stuff on to head out tonight for a bivy and then a nice long ride tomorrow.

Have said I would attempt it the past few years but always end up not bothering so to try get my mojo back this is the year I actually commit.

I am not committing to anything this year. I'm also on-call for two weeks this month, so chances would be limited anyway. We'll see...

Oh go on then, I'm in...

Whilst stu has posted the rules can I just remind people that these are rules, not guidelines. So none of the cheating that went on last year!

I'm in

I'm in

Verena wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2025 6:56 amI'm in

Back on track, welcome back . I can feel a looming 'roundabout' extravaganza again - how about that pedestrian underpass on the HOTV near 'Sean's Bridge' that we saw? Most salubrious .

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2025 12:06 am Whilst stu has posted the rules can I just remind people that these are rules, not guidelines. So none of the cheating that went on last year!

I'm in

Must've missed the cheating.
Without naming anybody, what cheating went on?

Count me in .

Taylor wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2025 9:44 am

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2025 12:06 am Whilst stu has posted the rules can I just remind people that these are rules, not guidelines. So none of the cheating that went on last year!

I'm in

Must've missed the cheating.
Without naming anybody, what cheating went on?

For me, much of the whole thing is about cheating normality, so maybe we all cheat every month by definition .

Taylor wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2025 9:44 am

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2025 12:06 am Whilst stu has posted the rules can I just remind people that these are rules, not guidelines. So none of the cheating that went on last year!

I'm in

Must've missed the cheating.
Without naming anybody, what cheating went on?

It was Reg! It was Reg!
To be fair and honest, more rule bending than cheating and obviously no DQing or anything officious like that, just a few howls of protest from the collective. A read of the thread will reveal all...

So OK, modest rule bending is permitted as long as it's done imaginatively and it makes for a good story

I thought I was fairly squeaky clean last year! There were rumours of vague transgressions the previous one but I'm not convinced that any specific Rules were broken . Anyroad, 'tis all water under the proverbial now methinks .

My wife is quite keen for me to do it again, so I’d better try and keep in with her!

So none of the cheating that went on last year!

I think you'll find all bivvies were compliant with the guidelines as stated at the beginning of 2024.

Bearlegged wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2025 6:49 pm

So none of the cheating that went on last year!

I think you'll find all bivvies were compliant with the guidelines as stated at the beginning of 2024.

Well that's well spotted. Guidelines eh. Not yer actual Rules then. I should have read the [not so] small print. Puts a whole new complexion on things does that. I'm not sure guidelines have any, you know, actual clearly defined boundaries do they? What makes it slightly more confusing is that apparently adhering to the guidelines creates the eligibility for The Badge, but surely guidelines are a vague fluffy cloud and adherence is a pinpoint so is it even possible to adhere to a guideline? The opposite situation would be the variable interpretation of a Rule, which is also surely not possible - a Rule is broken or it isn't.

"“We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty”.....

So Jan bivy was interesting to say the least.

Headed out on Thursday night with the bivy and quilt. Had been eyeing up a route from the house which was about a 80km pedal and a fair bit of HaB. Got 35km round and set up the bivy under the stars. By 3am it was hailstones and rather cold (-7). Managed to get a few more hours sleep but was woken up by the deer in the trees behind me. Had a nice bit of porridge and coffee before trying to pack everything away. All the zips had frozen closed on my bags so that took some working out then pushed the bike back to the forest road ready to finish the loop and home for lunch. Every forest road was by now sheet ice and so the longest walk back with a bike started. I couldn’t ride more than 25 yards before hitting ice and going flying off the bike so I ended up slipping and sliding along the roads all the way back home.

By the time I got home my girlfriend was starting to panic and with no phone signal was contemplating what to do next. Might need to invest in a inreach now just for back up. The one bonus was that I was roasting in my quilt got from this very forum. May have to try doing the route again next month.

Frozen zips! That's set the bar. Good job your trousers were unaffected - or were they?

As the Sonder BR is now built I should have a go at this.

Good effort Keith and a fine start to this years campaign.

I'm eyeing up next weekend - super clear and super cold

RIP wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2025 8:58 pm Frozen zips! That's set the bar. Good job your trousers were unaffected - or were they?

I ended up wearing everything I had with me in my quilt so no issues there. Think it was because my bike was on its site a pool formed in my empty frame bag and froze.

BAM 4 Jan... 1 of 1, 37 of 37

Verging on insanity, so close to a disaster. But equally so many moments of the divine variety. Felt muchly euphoric once mission completed.

This Saturday planned to test my Basha tarp in heavy wind and snow up the hills.
Biked to the Malvern Hills to meet a pal at Wyche cutting bus shelter (a future BAM venue!!), then we walked to a suitable spot on the hills northward to Worcestershire Beacon.

Pros:
Pitch altitude 1217'
Pitched tarp on the east facing slope exposed to the incoming wind and snow. (great test for Basha)
My friend Sharon stayed with me a good while sat under the tarp, soaking up the ensuing madness (very muchly hoping she can join me for a BAM soon )
The Basha coped admirably with the heavy wind and I got the pole and pegging well taught
Doom Bar and whisky to drink (lessened my hunger)
Pitch was flat
Brought cooker plus a meal to cook (the best laid plans of men...)
Brought 2 pair gloves- the non cycling gloves saved the day for pitching and making kit up and dried them off in my pockets
Purchased Alpkit XL Hunka just before the trip...really hope it comes before WE
Used my 4 season sleep bag
Got me a new tarp configuration to start the year!! Couldnt find a similar pitch in Reg's guide for the Ultimate Tarper! So hereby in my world the pitch will be CLAMSHELL!!

Cons:
No contingency plan if the tarp lost structure in bad weather
Tarp configuration was bullet proof but one end was not high enough. Need to practise more configurations.
Alpkit Kloke bivvy bag and Alpkit Whisper insulated mat are incompatible. The mat is the same width as the bag, hence the two remain too tight to accept a sleep bag and person. Nightmare moving around, difficuly in the sleep bag, and the head cover becomes redundant. I was unable to manage the sleep bag and hood arrangement effectively. Couldnt sit my air pillow on the air mat. Took me 10 or so mins to get out of the sleep bag/bivvy bag combination in the morn.
Started snowing heavy before we set up, and finishing the task left me shaking aka bloody cold.
Tarp was clearly too small for managing the elements, particularly swirling wind! See accumulation of said snow either side of the bivi bag. Not sufficient cover to cook and store kit. Basha is 2.5 x 1. 65.
Could say my larger Alpkit R I G 7 @ 2.8 x 2.4 would've done the job. Pulls on beard in contemplation!!
Didnt bother cooking
No back up finger food- peanuts, sausage roll, cheese, cake, chocolate.
Actually didnt eat from Saturday 1500 to Sunday 1200...the last mile home and the body starts declining from fuel deficit
See you all at the WE