Firstly, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who contributes to this forum. Without the knowledge gained by reading posts, etc I'm not sure I would have ever gone bivvying or at least not so successfully.

Anyway, I took my fourteen year old son out last night for his first night ride in The Chilterns and for the first bivvy for both of us. It was the perfect evening for a night ride and we chose a lovely isolated wooded area to stop for the night. Bivvy bags, sleeping bags and cooking equipment all performed well and a brilliant time was had by dad and son.

Only downside was we didn't get a lot of sleep. Are woods and forests always so noisy at night with birds and animals screeching and barking?

Only downside was we didn't get a lot of sleep. Are woods and forests always so noisy at night with birds and animals screeching and barking?

I once made the mistake of selecting a spot next to an RSPB reserve, I can now testify that honking geese don't sleep much

You get used to it ... and anything's quieter than AW grinding her teeth and FantasticMrMatt snoring

Well done. The outdoors is a noisy place at night, but much better than listening to my OCD neighbour vacuuming at all hours of the night.

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. No mention of a tarp, did you use one?

Shameless blog plug, but silence outside just doesn't exist.

http://punkrockbikeclub.com/2015/07/wil ... -be-quiet/

p.s. take ear plugs.

No, I didn't use a tarp as it was a fine night and I don't have one anyway.

I do think I'll take earplugs next time though!

Ear Plugs and a nice sip of 'Night nurse' and I'm out for the count..

The countryside is quite a noisy place, a lot of animals/birds are active during the night. It's certainly not the silent idyll you are (mis)led to believe. It's what you get used to I suppose - I grew up on a reasonably remote farm so I don't think anything of it whereas a town/city is just endless din/white noise to me.