Hi all,

Looking to pickup a divvy bag and tarp. Fed up with trying to cram the tent in just because I already have it. Ideally I'd like a bug mesh on the divvy -- I can't stand trying to sleep with midges crawling all over me! Again, tarp to sleep one/two would be great, but a bit bigger is fine as it would be mighty convenient for other times too. What's the best options at the moment? Cheaper the better though I'm willing to spend what I need to to get something decent that will last.

Cheers!

Dan.

I'll go with the regular answer

Borah bivy
Alpkit tarp (though they seem to have got quite expensive now...)

How about a hooped bivvy. I have a Outdoor Research Helium Bivvy which I really like and nice and light @ 500g

divvy bag

Never is predictive text more apt

Firstly ask yourself a few questions.

Do you need the bivvy to be waterproof?
Do you want to sleep with a mat inside of it or outside?
How important is weight?
How do you plan on setting your tarp up - A frame, half pyramid, etc?

Karl wrote:How about a hooped bivvy. I have a Outdoor Research Helium Bivvy which I really like and nice and light @ 500g

Hmm, they look quite nice. I actually quite like the idea of hopped s'long as the pole goes small enough to get it inside my framebag. Poles that are too long is part of why I want to move away from relying on a tent all the time.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:

divvy bag

Never is predictive text more apt

Dammit.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Firstly ask yourself a few questions.

Do you need the bivvy to be waterproof?

Good question. If the forecast is crap and I've said I'm going out I'm going out regardless. It's not uncommon for me to be out in torrential downpours, but I've no idea how that translates to being under a tarp! You might be able to tell I've not owned one before…

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Do you want to sleep with a mat inside of it or outside?

I'd prefer inside. It's a PITA getting the expedition mats dry once they're wet inside, and I'd I have a habit of rolling off my mat in the night.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: How important is weight?

It would be nice to bring it in at around 50% of the weight of the Akto, so I guess 750g would be a nice target. I can't say I'm too worried about weight though.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: How do you plan on setting your tarp up - A frame, half pyramid, etc?

Probably A-Frame mostly for simplicities sake (but I'm option to options here). I'd probably use the wheels/wheel + handlebars as poles too. When on foot I can use my trekking poles.

Your setup here looks smart too! http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB ... 58#p111558

I that case, I'd suggest a Borah (plenty of room for a mat and winter bag inside) bivvy. Not waterproof but fine under a tarp.

Maybe a DD Superlight or Alpkit tarp - the 3.5 is big enough for 1 but you'll struggle with 2 but you might find the 7 a bit too big some of the time. Another option would be a TS copy from China but you will be limited to 1-2 pitch options.

Another vote for the Borah bivi bag but this time with the smallest Trekkertent Cuben fibre tarp



Plus a BearBones multi section carbon double pole set up (what's the official name for this Stuart please?)

(what's the official name for this Stuart please?)

Pick 'n Mix.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:

(what's the official name for this Stuart please?)

Pick 'n Mix.

So it is, thanks
Plug for Stuart
http://www.bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/s ... n-pole-set

Cool, thanks everyone. I'll give all those options a look over. I've got a bit of time to decide yet as I need payday before ordering anything! What lines do you tend to go for to secure them down? Any old guy line? Paracord? Anything specific that's better for any reason?

What lines do you tend to go for to secure them down?

In fairness you could use anything you like but ideally, something light that doesn't absorb water, won't stretch nor easily tangle ... some nice Dyneema in the shop that fits those criteria. One thing I would avoid is using elastic cord or bungee - 'tis the reserve of squadies and people who enjoy flappy tarps.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:

What lines do you tend to go for to secure them down?

In fairness you could use anything you like but ideally, something light that doesn't absorb water, won't stretch nor easily tangle ... some nice Dyneema in the shop that fits those criteria. One thing I would avoid is using elastic cord or bungee - 'tis the reserve of squadies and people who enjoy flappy tarps.

Cool, you've made yourself a sale there then

This is the guys you meant, right? http://www.bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/s ... -line-sets

Aye, that's them. If you just want line and not linelocs, let me know.