I know this territory has been covered before so please humour me here....

The event info says:

There are a number of items that must be carried by all riders (sleeping bag, shelter, lights and phone) and a few others that while not compulsory should find their way into your kit (first aid, tools, spares, etc) … hopefully common sense and experience will prevail here.

....My aim is to ride through and am confident I can do that. Therefore do I need an actual sleeping bag and shelter or will an item such as a Blizzard Bag suffice?

Dear Event Organiser,

Can I have it in writing on a public forum that I can ignore some of your compulsory rules of safety kit?

Therefore do I need an actual sleeping bag and shelter

Yes. Although pushing the bounds a little, a Blizzard bag would count as one or the other but certainly not both.

Happy to take a bag and bivi.
Thanks

I've been debating this in my mind i.e go bare minimum to meet the criteria and then do it in a oner but circumstances are dictating I go with a full bivvy so I can get some proper shut eye

You only need a decent mechanical or minor off and a bit of cold wetness and you might be glad of that shelter......

At the very least take a tarp. It's pissing with rain, you're wet, it's getting dark and you haven't made to your planned stop, at least you can string a shelter up in some trees to get out of the rain while you sort yourself out. If it was me I'd pack something dry to sleep in as well.

Hoping too carry the minimum for rules and safety. My usual inclination is to chuck in the kitchen sink. I'm forever hauling stuff on the off chance it may get used.
My current plan is: Thermarest Prolight 3/4, EE Enigma 30deg quilt, Terra Nova Survival bivi.
I could swap out the bivi for a Gatewood Cape if it's really minging but that means pole/pegs/floor also. It also makes stopping that little bit more appealing at 3am.
Doing a bit of a test ride tomorrow. I'll see how I feel after that

Which distance?
I’m doing the 300 (well, in theory)
Thinking an Audax hotel might be appealing at some point. Put out the mat and just sleep there.

Thinking an Audax hotel might be appealing at some point. Put out the mat and just sleep there.

What? You reckon buses go where you're going

Asposium wrote:Thinking an Audax hotel might be appealing at some point. Put out the mat and just sleep there.

Look what you've done now. As soon as I saw your post last night I thought that Stu would frantically change the route so it doesn't pass even a bus stop let alone an shelter