?

No

Onwards and upwards.

I've met a good deal of the worst.

Is this like half empty or half full?

Zippy wrote:Is this like half empty or half full?

In which csse, it's twice the size it needs to be.

It was in the context of bivi. I see / read about folks and the "precautions" they take.

I'm not making a judgment call, this isn't STW afterall . However, there's some (maybe a lot) of stuff i wouldn't even think of taking with me and i'm fairly sure i'm not cavalier about safety or under any delusions of being some elite survivalist with uber-skills.

Pfffft, its probably the gin.

HYOH

I used to 'Bivouac'

But now I

'Bivi'

That's 3 vowels swapped for 1 more efficient lighter vowel and I now don't even bother with the last consonant.

I try to manage the level of discomfort I'm willing to endure

Sometimes its a lot, sometimes not so much. I pack accordingly.

If I get it wrong, suck it up or ride on.

Do you fear the worst or hope for the best?

Neither, I think instead. Fear and hope are both emotions based on the belief that you have no level of control with regard to your current or future situation.

I sometimes can't help but wonder what it is people are afraid will happen to them. Most things that could happen such as getting wet, running out of food, sustaining a mechanical, etc usually aren't the end of the world and won't cause your untimely demise ... they're just something to overcome and that's often best done with skill and knowledge, rather than a specific bit of kit.

For me, the aim isn't to be as comfortable as possible (I'd tow a trailer and stay on campsites or in B&B), neither is it to suffer (I'd take nowt). The aim is to make myself as comfortable as I can with the least amount of kit and gear as that makes riding much more enjoyable.

I used to 'Bivouac'

But now I

'Bivi'

That's 3 vowels swapped for 1 more efficient lighter vowel and I now don't even bother with the last consonant.

Very nice Matt, the true spirit of lightweight travel

s8tannorm wrote:

Do you fear the worst or hope for the best?

For me, the aim isn't to be as comfortable as possible (I'd tow a trailer and stay on campsites or in B&B), neither is it to suffer (I'd take nowt). The aim is to make myself as comfortable as I can with the least amount of kit and gear as that makes riding much more enjoyable.

Well put

Everything in life is a compromise/trade-off/arrangement of factors. For bicycles/anything engineeringey it's normally "strong, light, cheap" compromise, for project management it's "time, cost, quality" etc. For the bike-packing it's looking like "comfort, weight, bike-enjoyment"?

I am the opposite of stu.

I don't think then its just a case of accepting the situation.

Joshvegas wrote:I am the opposite of stu.

I don't think then its just a case of accepting the situation.

Probably in this camp. I like to be warm, dry and comfortable. That makes for a pleasant time. The fact that I can manage that with the kit I have is a win - and is all down to my choices.

Tend to take too much food (except on my last trip...) and I always grab one last layer heading out the door. I'll never learn, still I feel the cold so this is not always a bad option

Probably in this camp. I like to be warm, dry and comfortable. That makes for a pleasant time.

+1

If I'm going to do any suffering, it'll be on the bike, not at the end of the day.

If I'm going to do any suffering, it'll be on the bike, not at the end of the day.

That's the idea, you just don't need to carry much in order to achieve it.

I pack my fears. Mostly I am afraid of not having anywhere comfortable to sit. I hate sitting cross legged on my arse because my knees and made of chalk and my lower back is like a pretzel so these days I strap a folding chair to a fork leg. It makes sunsets bearable.

I fear the best, so tend to hope for the worst. Does that make me miserable? The kids say that I am only happy when I am moaning, but that's not the truth, cos I am happy when I am on my bike as well!

I tend to pack very light, so I guess I hope for warm and dry weather. If it's cold, keep riding.

s8tannorm wrote:

I used to 'Bivouac'

But now I

'Bivi'

That's 3 vowels swapped for 1 more efficient lighter vowel and I now don't even bother with the last consonant.

Very nice Matt, the true spirit of lightweight travel

Who was it at Nant Syddion who said they were draining the power from their batteries so they didn't have to carry an excess charge on day 2?

That'll be either john climber or jase.
Can't remember which one though.

Taylor wrote:That'll be either john climber or jase.
Can't remember which one though.

Don't think it was me but I do remember someone saying it..
Maybe Scott?

Think it was John. It was a tongue-in-cheek comment, but a very funny one at the time :)

Nearly empty batteries are lighter aren't they

JohnClimber wrote:Nearly empty batteries are lighter aren't they

Presumably in equal measure to the device they've just charged being heavier

(do electrons have mass?)

Ian wrote:

JohnClimber wrote:Nearly empty batteries are lighter aren't they

Presumably in equal measure to the device they've just charged being heavier

(do electrons have mass?)

9.1 × 10^-31 kilograms

Ian wrote:

JohnClimber wrote:Nearly empty batteries are lighter aren't they

Presumably in equal measure to the device they've just charged being heavier

I didn't factor that into my equation