Really, where does the time go?

Hello and welcome to the 2023 edition of 'Bivvy a Month'.

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 neighbours 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.

Who's going to get the first one in, tonight?

Not me tonight.

I am hoping to get on with it this year though. I have a proper sized hammock on order so some trips from home to make use of the wooded places is planned.

My tent and bivy kit will be much lighter and compact, but my achy joints just can't handle ground life of crouching and scrabbling about anymore even with the long wide exped mat I bought last year. Hoping I've not just wasted more money

Stu... when we say 'a night out'. Say someone is on the night shift and they spend the day sleeping/bivying instead. Does that still qualify for the badge or does it have to be specifically 'an actual night'.

I'm in regardless but just don't wanna jeopardise my badge so early on...

Still drying out gear from December’s bivvy! I’m on for another year of BaM and hopefully some longer rides.

when we say 'a night out'. Say someone is on the night shift and they spend the day sleeping/bivying instead. Does that still qualify for the badge or does it have to be specifically 'an actual night'.

That is a very good question Shaf and I don't know what the answer is.

Maybe we need to call a BAM council meeting. Calling Reg and all the other 52 consecutive months residents...

My view is that if you work a night shift before or after a daytime BAM that's ok, it's relacing when you would normally have gone to bed.

If like me you work days and normally sleep at night then daytime bivis wouldn't count, which is a shame as I love sleeping and would happily sleep a night, go out for another sleep in the bivi in the day and come home to sleep again that night

Yes... It's mainly for when I work night shift. Reduces my carbon footprint on the whole. Managed a few last year but needed clarification from the experts

Looking forward to what the others say and what Stu decides... I eant a fair badge

Given that I've always maintained that other than it going dark, there's no difference between night and day, then I think it seems reasonable Shaf.

'Bigger than your average Bear' hammock due to arrive Friday. Better start planning and checking the forecast....

Ace
Thanks stu..

I'm from the start this year. Just pondering where my first location will be, and on which bike...

Kicking off 2023 with a nice early bivvy with Pete of this parish on Jan 1st .

A nice cool night at a surprisingly busy kinder reservoir. We arrived at 21:30, there was someone camping away from our spot and then two more pairs of walkers arrived but they decided to plod on elsewhere.

Nice test of my seatosummit sp3. A fairly cold night, not freezing but close.

Apologies for the photo. I didn't take any so this is robbed off pete's strava

It's one of those months with too much travel and not enough free weekends, so another mid-week local bivvy. Home from work late, a quick snack, pack the bike, top up the hip flask (dry Jan? you must be joking!), and off I went. I decided to go for an hours spin first, a circular loop of about an hour, and then set up camp close to one of my usual spots. It was a colder night than I'd expected, and windy, so didn't get much sleep. Gave up at about 4am, and came home for an hour or two in a warm bed.

New hammock is due to arrive today, but I went and buggered my ankle up yesterday rooting about in some local woods for a suitable spot to ride to camp

Pretty much sofa bound with it today as even hobbling about the house is slow and painful. Naproxen on tap, so we'll see how it goes, but I'd imagine this weekend is out now

Hi all,
First post long time lurker, will join in this year with the BaM fun please. Trying to rope a mate in as well so he gets his riding/bivving mojo back this year. Will be a good mix of bothies,bag,tarp & tent including local stuff(West Pennine Moors) Events (Dales Divide, BB200 etc) and some longer self organised type of thing if all goes to plan. Looking forward to it,penciled middle of month for Jan

oh my local play area as well and also doing BAM - I quite like kipping at the top of Great hill but it requires really calm weather but slept in many places around there.

Should be fine this year as shoulder is fine and although i did perhaps 30 last year it was not one every month [ did do January]

Never slept up Great hill but have thought about it for BaM. Kipped in tockholes on the 28th Dec mainly for some testing with a new quilt but also because my 15yr old daughter was having a sleep over and she now actually asks if I can vacate the house..glad I did as the 5 girls were up until 5.30am!

Far better to freeze in a field than face that

Should say i tend to sleep in the dip at the end of the path just by the [ebiker] broken fence/ missing slabs on the last bit - never tried the actual top as I assume lights can be seem for quite a distance.

Yes I’m keen this year in the hope it’ll provide some motivation to get out. Will try and rope in a mate too

Proper effort on the BAM's this year, no chance of roping mates in either God knows I've tried

May or may not take part this year...we'll see.

Winter Event for January - got some shelter in a barn, started in the rougher one where I went up a ladder onto a loft type space with rotten floorboards, a bit sketchy and rough, then when the weather eased off a bit, went and had an explore and move to the barn which wasn't quite so rough and had windows looking out at the reservoir. A grim ride back with some snow and not enough clothes that we borderline type 3 fun back to Llanbrynmair and I'll work out if I still have the enthusiasm!





As I've broadly started...

Restful night in a salubrious pub car park as per WE '23.

1/1, 1/1, 85/85

I've lurked for a while, but now I've registered and am posting about my first foray into BAM.

After umming and ahing for a while about whether to go local or 'make it worth it' by going slightly further for I decided to be sensible and stray no further than an hour away from home (which, spoilers, proved wise).

I live in Kent, so while there's no mountains, or wide expanses of nature, there are pockets to be found. An OS map is a valuable resource for finding likely spots.

I set off mid-afternoon along a route I've ridden many times on day rides, this time with all my bikepacking paraphernalia attached (it took longer to gather all the stuff and pack it on my bike than to ride from my house to my camping spot!).



This was my second wild camp and first time bikepacking in winter (also my first time using my tarp outside of a couple of practice pitches in the garden), so I didn't want to make things harder for myself by getting wetter & muddier than I had to!

I got to my chosen location just after dusk, pushing up a steep grassy bank to a tucked away corner in a field.

Happy with my person sized area of flattish ground I'd found, I stood for a while, getting used to the sounds and wondering if I'd be likely to be seen.

I unfolded my chair (just because I'm sleeping in a field doesn't mean I can't be comfy) and pondered for a while.

I began to think I'd got off lightly so far, the rain hadn't come and my chosen spot was nice.

Then the rain came.

Even in the semi-darkness the rain was so heavy the visibility dropped instantly. This was big, heavy, soaked through to the skin in under a minute rain.

I pulled my tarp out of my bag and pulled it over my head as a makeshift poncho, the wind doing its best to relieve me of my shelter.

Here I was, less than an hour away from my home, in Kent, being reminded that being close to home won't stop you getting caught out.



Dinner was instant mash with chunks of cheese & chorizo stirred in.

I was in my sleeping bag by about 7pm, so with not much else to do and rain still falling I laid down to sleep.

I figure I must have slept a single cycle at a time, finally having to shuffle out of my warm cocoon at 5am for a cold wee. From there I made it another couple of cycles until just before sunrise at 8am.



I sat up and faffed with layers, colder and damper than I’d have liked. I faffed with wet bags and got water warming for coffee.

Coffee was at first barely warm due to impatience and then scalding hot thanks to another minute on the stove.

The rain continued on and off while I packed up and got on my way.


My route took me past Ightham Mote, a National Trust property. Which looked pretty nice in the morning light

A short off road ride and a bit of tarmac later I was home, washing my bike and taking over half the house hanging all my wet kit out to dry.

A recent purchase of a boot/shoe dryer was put to good use and proved very effective — drying my shoes in hours instead of days!

Can’t wait to do it all again next month!