Bivvy a Month 2024

[fatbikephil]

Thought you'd like that Reg, I'm so immersed in bureaucracy at work at the mo, it's spilling into my personal life.....

[Johnallan]

a looser interpretation of the rules is permitted.

I'm blowing it out of the water with a complete disregard to the 'paid accomodation' rule. The 5 quid campsite on Jennride was probably the trickiest camp I've had to date so it's included in my tally, even if it's excluded from the bureaucratic one

[fatbikephil]

a looser interpretation of the rules is permitted.

I'm blowing it out of the water with a complete disregard to the 'paid accomodation' rule. The 5 quid campsite on Jennride was probably the trickiest camp I've had to date so it's included in my tally, even if it's excluded from the bureaucratic one

That's fine John, but as penance, you have to do a 430k ride as part of one of your BAMs this year

[Johnallan]

Deal

[redefined_cycles]

Well that's certainly an interesting one. Considering some past insane endeavours on these threads it may even be deemed completely reasonable.

Ooh, I can hear some teeth-sucking on the compliance and ethics committee (think the Verderer's court for ditch sleeping https://www.verderers.org.uk/verderers-court/)

I offer the Rules/rules up for inspection by the court as a reminder below.

Please now retire and consider your verdict.

• At least one night out per calendar month for twelve consecutive months.

• Your own back garden does not count. That of your neighbour 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.

I just went back to 'the rules' but Reg already beat me to it. Riding on roller is still riding. You're spending a night out in a calender month. Not paying for any accommodation and you're sleeping off your own land.

Defo part of the rules. Well done for pushing the limits (or reverse thereof) Bob

[gecko76]

* 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?

Do we need to see the bike on rollers fully loaded though?

[RIP]

* 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?

Do we need to see the bike on rollers fully loaded though?

Ohhh yes, we most certainly do (hee hee!)

[Boab]

* 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?

Do we need to see the bike on rollers fully loaded though?

I was trying not to mention that...:shakes_fist:

[fatbikephil]

I recall the Surly bikes vid where they had a Pugsley on log rollers!
Maybe you can cable tie some tussocks to them Bob, and arrange for an assistant to throw buckets of icy water at you as you ride

[dorsetshirelad]

BAM02#2.jpg (277.78 KiB) Viewed 603 times

[fatbikephil]

Looks like Jeff has some culinary competition!

[gecko76]

Live bivvy in progress, GR1 of the Alternative Winter Ride Event Thing, and the furthest from home. Not sure I've got the tarp quite right so hoping for a dry night.

[JudithG]

Yesterday (24th) was International Bivvybag Day, so I combined that with my February BAM and headed out to Monmouthshire after dinner.

Once again I'd originally planned to head to one location, then changed my mind. I'd wanted to head to my first ever bothy, but did some excellent overthinking on meeting people etiquette and how safe I'd feel, how much wood I'd need to carry for a fire, if I could manage to ride in SPDs up a steep track (I'm trying to convert, but it's early days - to SPDs, not hills!), etc so I managed to talk myself out of it. Instead I settled on a different location where I could play on some fire roads, that was about 4 hours ride from home.

Bring on the actual event and I could have spent more time looking at the route Komoot gave me...I had a misdirection into a lorry yard, and had to detour around a flooded road. Add this to starting late and by the time 10pm was closing in I was nowhere near where I wanted to be. However at the top of the hill I saw a woodland sign and pulled in. I stood listening for a while to the owls and appreciating the full moon. I then dismounted my bike in the usual style of flinging my leg over the back, forgetting I had kit back there and ended up landing on the ground. No damage done, but confirmed the decision to stop was the right one!

I squelched my way into the wood and found a clearing. I remembered I was supposed to look for widow makers in wooded areas. Well, there was a lot of dropped dead wood on the ground, so I headed for an area of the wood that was clearer and hid my set up under a yew-type tree hoping it would offer some protection should anything want to fall on me. HobNobs were scoffed, and I climbed into bed.

A safe, dry night was had, but with so little sleep (@Mrs Polisherman, beginners luck for Jan?!). It was cold (close to freezing) and I'd forgotten my woolly socks. This month I took a different, bigger bivvy bag, so my mat fitted better and my sleeping bag was able to loft properly, making everything (but my feet) toasty warm as I wondered what bird make the noise I could hear of Kur-Ay, and how one would spell Kur-Ay, and how I shouldn't have deleted the identifying bird noises app from my phone, and many other Important Thoughts through the night.

Whilst packing up I shoved a pain au chocolate in my bib shorts and it was nicely warm when it came to eating it! Obviously not matching other culinary delights others have posted here, but definitely got a higher rating that the alternative cold Haribo.

A lovely couple of hours riding home, with the rising sun, relying on my own memory rather than revisiting mapping errors I'd done on Komoot. Could do with a nap about now. March will be a bit warmer, right?

(Dedicating my one photo to the bivvy set up, but better one to follow!)

IMG_20240225_050405.jpg (65.66 KiB) Viewed 517 times

[JudithG]

Glad that I have someone willing to look after my kids and that I have the kit to travel, so I can appreciate the great outdoors in this way

IMG_20240225_071406.jpg (111.49 KiB) Viewed 516 times

[Lazarus]

I then dismounted my bike in the usual style of flinging my leg over the back, forgetting I had kit back there and ended up landing on the ground.

We have all done it. ... Haven't we?

[thenorthwind]

Reported previously, but raided the SD card from my now defunct phone for this photo from last weekend's pre-Jennride bivvy:

[fatbikephil]

I then dismounted my bike in the usual style of flinging my leg over the back, forgetting I had kit back there and ended up landing on the ground.

We have all done it. ... Haven't we?

Without the tail pack - I'm perfectly capable of catching my size 11's on the seat or rear wheel and ending up in a heap.... On one occasion (on a 2 week old Jones) I got a self closing gate tangled up in the proceedings as well, the Jones receiving it's first paint chip!

[Verena]

I then dismounted my bike in the usual style of flinging my leg over the back, forgetting I had kit back there and ended up landing on the ground.

We have all done it. ... Haven't we?

Yep

[Verena]

Glad that I have someone willing to look after my kids and that I have the kit to travel, so I can appreciate the great outdoors in this way

IMG_20240225_071406.jpg

That looks great

[MuddyPete]

We need a special triplicate form to fill in. Pink copy sent to BB Towers for approval, blue copy to Phil for the files, yellow copy retained by the prospective BaMee and to be made available for perusal upon request by the BaM Inspectors during said iffy bivvy. Some of the more remote spots would not have permanent on-site Inspectors but would still be subject to random checks by the mobile inspection team.

Type 3 fun.

[Bearlegged]

New shelter arrived this morning, a second hand Deschutes.

[redefined_cycles]

Just to jog the memory. 29th, last night of this month. Would that be classed as this months BAM, right!?

[RIP]

Certainly, unless something's gone horribly wrong with the calendar . Bit of fun going out on a leap year too.

What's your state of mind this morming Bear?

[redefined_cycles]

Currently in Scotland at my little sisters. Got my bike (in the boot, like you do!) but not any bivy stuff. Could go all 'stupid' and go bivyless but that'd mean the mental health experts coming to see me.

2 nights left for this BAM so will aim at getting out Thurs God Willing.

[sean_iow]

New shelter arrived this morning, a second hand Deschutes.

I've had mine for nearly 5 years yet somehow your first pitch appears to be better than any I've managed in that time

Was it dark when you pitched it? I seem to get better results when I'm rushing and cant see