Bivvy a month 2020.

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ScotRoutes
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by ScotRoutes »

(apologies if missed anyone)
*cough*

(the safe kind)
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RIP
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by RIP »

Ow, sorry Colin. I had you on the list that I back-of-an-enveloped, but you dropped off, as it were.

Charlie
Eric
Frog
Goat
H.O.T.
JC ( Bedroom? Hmm! ;-) )
JimmyG
KT
Phil
'Reg'
'Routes
Sean
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
ScotRoutes
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by ScotRoutes »

Dropped again?

It'll not be the first (or last) time.
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RIP
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by RIP »

More sort of "fumbled" rather than "dropped", says Reg lamely trying to recover the situation :wink: .

">cough<" - it's OK we're more than 2m apart...
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
ScotRoutes
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by ScotRoutes »

I'm not sure that you "fumbling" me is retrieving the situation.
Raggedstone
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by Raggedstone »

3/3 I managed to get out Friday night and it was a night of firsts .Like many others I have managed to acquire a turbo trainer my initial idea was to load up the bike and go for my daily exercise and return home for the night but decided that may have not looked great despite my innocent intentions so instead I decided to use the turbo for the first time definitely an eye closing experience did 40 minutes probably 5 in reality and headed off to the spot I had earlier picked for my first ever bivvy in my garden . From there you could see my January and February bivvy spots so could well be in the running for the least distance travelled in a BAM season :???: After the usual faffing I got in the bivvy bag with sleeping mat ,bag and my first trial of a Cumulus 150 quilt to supplement the sleeping bag what a revelation it got to minus 1 and I was easily warm enough will try it again if we get any colder night's .
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fatbikephil
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by fatbikephil »

:-bd Plenty of good bivvy options there. I may have to move the picnic table if I want to bivvy elsewhere in my garden :mrgreen:
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whitestone
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by whitestone »

What's that religion/sect that move towards their target by prostrating themselves on the ground then getting up, moving to where their hands were and repeating? Maybe we could do something similar like to the end of the garden and back :-bd
Better weight than wisdom, a traveller cannot carry
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sean_iow
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by sean_iow »

RIP wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 1:51 pm Charlie
Eric
Frog
Goat
H.O.T.
JC ( Bedroom? Hmm! ;-) )
JimmyG
KT
Phil
'Reg'
'Routes
Sean
Assuming that's me on the list and not another Sean I'll have to try and keep this up now, I started late (March) so I'll have to go through to next March. The locations look to be pretty fixed for the foreseeable future so I'll mix-up the shelter options. I've got 3 bivi bags and 4 tarps to choose from so that's 12 possible combinations if I use each tarp with each bivi, or 15 if I also use the bivi bags on their own as well :-bd
Adventure without risk is Disneyland - Bikemonger
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Bearlegged
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by Bearlegged »

BAM in progress. A short ride to get where I need to be, stopping off halfway to have a brew. Now enjoying the hospitality at the local hostelry (ahem). Tarp is pitched (very accommodating landlady). Just have make sure I chase the local big cat* out before bedding down...

*Think Bodmin, but fluffier.
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RIP
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by RIP »

Yep, Sean is Sean. Gotta go for it now :smile: .

That's a very serviceable looking shed there Kev for next month :-bd . Not sure I'd be able to make a distance like that after my 35' this month.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
Raggedstone
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by Raggedstone »

There is one closer to the house Reg but I am pretty sure that you would walk away from it probably safer to run actually :smile:
The one in the picture is fire proof being of asbestos construction so i will continue to parade myself to the new neighbours who I am still to meet as I only moved in on the 9th March .
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barney
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by barney »

Sorry Reg, I don't normally post up in this thread because I can never fathom how to do photos but I'm still on course.

Guess now I've got a bit of time on my hands so I'll stop being a luddite and post some up.

Couple of this year's trips...

Image

Image

Image

Including this weekend's lockdown garden camp (minus sleeping kit)...

Image
Wait for me...
redefined_cycles
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by redefined_cycles »

RIP wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 12:51 pm Couple of days to go and our ranks are sadly depleted. March:

Charlie
Eric
Frog
Goat
H.O.T.
JC ( Bedroom? Hmm! ;-) )
JimmyG
KT
Phil
'Reg'
Sean
(apologies if missed anyone)
Not sure who's done Jan/Feb as well...

Still two chances peeps....
Reg... can I get an honorary one for March please :smile: I was a bit busy trying to go help out :wink:
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Bearlegged
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by Bearlegged »

March done. Not one of my more epic bivvies, but plenty of plus points:
*Flat ground
*Cosy
*Easy access to drinking water (more bivvy spots should have an outside tap)
*WiFi
*The obliviousness of nextdoor's milkman as he wandered past without noticing me
*Acting as a deterrent to the neighbourhood cats

2020 BAM 3/3
2020 total bivvies 3
Current streak (months) 16
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RIP
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by RIP »

redefined_cycles wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 12:05 am
RIP wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 12:51 pm Couple of days to go and our ranks are sadly depleted. March:

Charlie
Eric
Frog
Goat
H.O.T.
JC ( Bedroom? Hmm! ;-) )
JimmyG
KT
Phil
'Reg'
Sean
(apologies if missed anyone)
Not sure who's done Jan/Feb as well...

Still two chances peeps....
Reg... can I get an honorary one for March please :smile: I was a bit busy trying to go help out :wink:

We'll have to refer that one to a Higher Authority, certainly an original idea...

Nice one Chris - we could get used to this 'gardenpacking' (c). It might be difficult to get back to the real thing though.....
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by sean_iow »

Is it wrong to be looking forward to a garden bivi?
  • I can lay in as long as I like without getting disturbed by dog walkers
  • If I run the hose out to my tarp I can have as many coffees in the morning as I want and not run out of water
  • Another length of hose with a funnel in the end and run down the garden and tucked under the manhole cover deals with the excessive coffee drinking, a bivi en-suit :lol:
  • If it's raining in the morning I can just stay put rather than have to pack up wet gear
  • I can always phone for a takeaway, I'm sure Jane will deliver (or throw it from the kitchen window) if the weather is really bad and I'm stuck there for the long-haul, it's not like I've got anywhere else to be :roll:
Got to look for the best in all situations.
Adventure without risk is Disneyland - Bikemonger
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benp1
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by benp1 »

The real question is for those of you going for a bivi in the garden, are you still watering the plants and digging a hole, or are you using the indoor facilities?
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RIP
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by RIP »

Trust you to lower the tone of proceedings Ben :wink: . And we were having such a nice time too.

Answer: if you must know, I p1ssed over the neighbour's wall. Left no trace [in my garden].
Last edited by RIP on Mon Mar 30, 2020 2:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
redefined_cycles
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by redefined_cycles »

benp1 wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 2:08 pm The real question is for those of you going for a bivi in the garden, are you still watering the plants and digging a hole, or are you using the indoor facilities?
Good point..
redefined_cycles
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by redefined_cycles »

sean_iow wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:55 am Is it wrong to be looking forward to a garden bivi?
  • I can lay in as long as I like without getting disturbed by dog walkers
  • If I run the hose out to my tarp I can have as many coffees in the morning as I want and not run out of water
  • Another length of hose with a funnel in the end and run down the garden and tucked under the manhole cover deals with the excessive coffee drinking, a bivi en-suit :lol:
  • If it's raining in the morning I can just stay put rather than have to pack up wet gear
  • I can always phone for a takeaway, I'm sure Jane will deliver (or throw it from the kitchen window) if the weather is really bad and I'm stuck there for the long-haul, it's not like I've got anywhere else to be :roll:
Got to look for the best in all situations.
Can we add to that Sean: Can take the 5 year old (with his bike fully packed with his bivy/tarp) for his first bivvy without too much bother. I'm defo gonna attempt this rather interesting BAM stuff everyone talks of... :-bd hopefully if I get honorary for March then I only have 11 months remainder...
benconnolli
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by benconnolli »

Escaping "it all"

Starved of a physical challenge, and struggling to imagine any exploration that could take place on my limited route, I decided the answer was to take more stuff. I was going to trial a plan that has been in the dream box for a while, move house by bike.

I made a list of my requirements, made a list of the stuff that would meet them, then crossed lots of things off until it was borderline, but possible to carry everything.

Items were assigned locations, then I realised this was a daft approach, so just started stuffing and strapping. I may have been a bit premature doing doing this in excitement first thing in the morning, and kept having to rummage through my essential items as I killed minutes until dusk.

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I had consciously not left the house for exercise all day, so used my quota taking a spin round the block to test the loaded handling. I am forever amazed by this bike. Obviously gravity was pulling harder, but it had gears to cope, and the bike was stable as you like with my life aboard.

My imagination ran away from me as a future self pottered between campsites across the UK. I'd do a couple of shifts of deliveroo each weekend, or dare to dream, earn book royalties, my to cover my minimal outgoings and would be free. Free to roam the land. Free from the rat race. Free to live my life.

All too soon I was back in reality, alone in my back garden. The grass is slopey so I made do with the patio, luckily the tent I picked up in a charity shop is freestanding. Setting up camp was a relatively faffy affair due to having so much stuff, but I was in no rush, time is the great luxury of lockdown, and I quite like it.

Contrary to the evidence, I do not deliberately create problems in order to tell better stories about them. So, when the tug of quilt with my dual ended dry bag climaxed in a cloud of feathers, I was not amused. However, it is very hard to strop when there are feathers everywhere, so I soon laughed at my own stupidity and got to work with the gaffer tape.

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For dinner I heated up some homemade lentil soup to finally use up that almost empty gas canister. My zero weight windshield also functioned as an effective hand warmer as I huddled over the growling flame. I had a perfectly functional kitchen less than social distancing limits away from me, but somehow this was better.

Being in a position where food is a limiting factor, I have started practising mindful eating. I wholeheartedly recommend you give it a go! Mindfulness is being aware of all of your senses, and leads to improved gratitude of what you've got. I begin in my head by imagining how it will taste from the smell and sight of it. Then I take a spoon, close my eyes and savour the warmth. My tongue explores the gift I have bestowed upon it, different zones register flavours in their own way. The start process is now inverted as the tip of my tongue reverse engineers it back into an image in my mind. This blatant disregard for time would seem foolish in another world, but is so right in this one.

I did have one appointment to make this evening. At 8:30 it was Earth hour. Across the world people were switching off their lights and electronics for the environment, to appreciate the luxuries we take for granted, to get a clear night sky. My slow motion life was now paused. This got me pondering. I reflected on decisions and events, I considered the other end and what I really needed to be content. Having nothing in front of me for that hour was so valuable, I silently promised myself to do it every Sunday of the lockdown.

I amused myself with that buzz word adventure, and how borderline this trip was. Then I thought more deeply about what adventure meant to me. Doing something I would not ordinarily do, looking at my world through an alternative lens. This was it. I am fortunate to go on so many adventures to the wilderness of Wales that my back garden with loads of stuff was adventurous.

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I drifted off the the sound of trees swirling in the wind, and total lack of road noise. This was more than alright. That statement usually reserved for brutal hills, or damp ditches rung true once more "there is nowhere in the world I would rather be right now, than right here doing this."
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fatbikephil
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by fatbikephil »

:-bd
It did feel quite liberating kipping in your own back garden. After all it is mine, so why can't I sleep in it! Also the dawn chorus was something else. I usually hear it through double glazing (if at all) and on a lot of my actual bivvies I'm in places where birds are a bit few and far between. Around where I live its bird central so got the full cheap (and squawk from a crow and an itinerant seagull).

Then I fell asleep again :-bd

Yup stuff all this biking for 9 hours through bog and tussock before cowering from the weather in a bit of woodland, back garden bivvying is the (OK a) future
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BigdummySteve
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by BigdummySteve »

I’m another looking forward to the bonin in the backyard Bivvy. My approach is going to be like any other Bivvy. Load up the bike as normal head out ( I may be a rebel and nip around the road to the back entrance) I may however take the luxury of a slightly heavier beer load :-bd
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TrepidExplorer
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by TrepidExplorer »

Substantial length of time indoors led to a massive outpouring of https://trepidexplorer.blogspot.com/202 ... itude.html] bloggles this month for a relativley short legal bivi bimble.

Backyard bivi, I decided to remain as close as possible to usual BAM experience - leave on Saturday on a fully loaded bike, camp in my own garden, get up and go for another ride on Sunday with all the gear back on the bike. Only 2 changes:

I wasn't leaving a brand new bike outside overnight in a city garden - lock-down or no lock-down
TSK said I wasn't allowed to poo in the Compost bin - or anywhere else in the garden for that matter.

I would let myself in the house once to lock the bike in the kitchen and use the bathroom.

Before
Image

During
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And After
Image

I'd like to apologise to everyone in the Sheffield area for the sudden pause in Spring and the light spattering of snow. :roll: In future I'll try and hide my bivi intentions from the weather gods... and need to start taking a real camera out. My phone is shocking.

Totally agree with you htrider, the bird alarm in the morning was a joy, as was the lie in.
Last edited by TrepidExplorer on Fri May 01, 2020 10:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Trepid Explorer: Warmth with less bulk
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