I went out last night around 7pm, rode to a nearby field, then set up my mat and sleeping bag in my newish Alpkit hooped bivy bag.
I'd not used it before and franky couldn't see how it'd be anything other than cold and damp.
After 30mins in it I decided I'd better pack up and go home before I fell asleep for the night. I was so cosy!
Another step towards becoming the intrepid explorer I want to be.

I always think that any time spent becoming familiar with kit and what it can / can't do is time well spent. Some people get quite anxious about sleeping outside especially in winter, being familiar with your gear can help remove some of that and leaves you free to concentrate on the werewolves, zombies, etc.

Speaking of which...
I was camped next to some woodland. My arrival alarmed a few pheasants which made their clucking warning call. Out of the blue about 10mins later this crescendo of noise erupted out of the woodland in a wave starting at one end and travelling along hundreds of yards. It sounded like an express train coming past!
Was this the pheasant equivalent of 'goodnight John-boy', or was an enormous, slathering beast making its way towards me?

Without doubt it was a big hungry beast, the like of which we can only feverishly imagine.

Probably a rabid bear, or pack of wolves circling.


(But stu is right, getting familiar with your kit takes the stress out of a trip for sure)

Yep. And there’s nothing wrong with camping in your garden in adverse weather to see how things work out. I used to do that as a teenager and see nothing wrong with an adult doing it. Who cares what the neighbours think.
I remember really freaking my parents out once when I slept on the garage roof in a bivi bag. There was a snow storm and I was quite literally buried but very costly in my army surplus gear.

local attention seeker quoted in the The Scarfolk Argos wrote: Without doubt it was a big hungry beast, the like of which we can only feverishly imagine.

Narrator: It turned out to be a cat.

I think it's best to let the neighbour's know you're weird early on. Then, when the curtain twitching starts as you put up your tent in the rain, or cook tea on the patio, or go out in the dark to test your latest light, you can give a cheery wave without a second thought!

It's more my wife I worry about. Don't want to give her further evidence that she chose poorly.

But what about comfy wumfy?

A big shelter, a thick sleeping mat, a pillow, a chair, a wood stove, a pan and some sausages ... makes it all the more fun, especially on overnighters.

Yeah, it's heavier. You will be slower. You won't go so far. But you will sleep better and you will not care. Trust me. I'm a doctor*.

#TMS

*I do actually have a doctorate but it's in business communications (yes, that is a thing) but it does not qualify me to give advice on bikepacking.

It's something I don't do enough of leading to a few occasions when I get my gear out 'in the field' (or under a tree) and either struggling with it, it not being up to the job or me getting in a tizz with some item that won't do what I want it to do. Some of this is plain old stupidity but practice can eliminate enough issues to be able to get away with a fair bit of stupidity...

I've got a tent that I've used a fair bit over the last two summers. It's lightweight though so not super strong. I want to work towards being able to survive out in a proper gale in an exposed location so I figured a bivy bag with a thick synthetic sleeping bag (MH Lamina -10)and inflatable mat rolled up inside it would be perfect. I think the ability to get out of the elements fast might prove very welcome plus I like the idea of being able to pack up in seconds and get moving again before getting really cold.
In my mind the tent setup is for pleasant summer journeys and the bivy setup is for regaining control when everything gets overwhelming.
My sleeping bundle does require a 40 litre rucksack to stach it, but I don't mind riding with a rucksack and it barely weighs anything.
I'm sure I'll learn over time just how reasonable my daydreams are, but I have worked outside all my life on farms and in gardens, so I have a decent understanding of staying warm in foul weather.

My bad weather technique has seldom failed me:
"Do you have any rooms available please?"

In Reverse wrote: ↑Tue Nov 30, 2021 11:03 pm My bad weather technique has seldom failed me:
"Do you have any rooms available please?"

Agreed.

Although the only minor difference between your room and my room is you'd probably have the luck to end up in a nice warm bedroom with beverage-construction facilities, ensuite, minibar, room service, view of the mountains etc, whereas I'd be shown the pub coal store room or something, sleeping on the floor with no lights etc . I mean I guess we'd both get through the night but.. .

I want to work towards being able to survive out in a proper gale in an exposed location so I figured a bivy bag with a thick synthetic sleeping bag (MH Lamina -10)and inflatable mat rolled up inside it would be perfect. I think the ability to get out of the elements fast might prove very welcome plus I like the idea of being able to pack up in seconds and get moving again before getting really cold.

In my experience, that set-up is usually less successful in practice. Adding a tarp, even a small one will make it much more useable / pleasant and turn it into a multi-day option rather than a one night stand.

I've used a bivvy bag and no tarp in conditions where a tarp simply wouldn't withstand the windy blasts. Searching out a suitable boulder to hide behind can make a huge difference. Indeed I find this option to be one of the advantages of bivvy bag over tent. It's arguable how much "good" sleep can be achieved but sometimes that period of rest can be a better option than just cracking on during bad conditions.

However, don't underestimate the task of getting out of wet clothing without getting everything damp. Practicing yoga regularly will help. It's amazing just how much you can contort yourself while in a bivvy bag

Would removing waterproofs and getting into the (synthetic) sleeping bag fully clothed, be a bad idea? Would your body heat dry out your damp clothing leaving you dry and warm by morning?

Would removing waterproofs and getting into the (synthetic) sleeping bag fully clothed, be a bad idea? Would your body heat dry out your damp clothing leaving you dry and warm by morning?

Possibly but you also stand a very high chance of producing vast amounts of condensation which will likely stop that from happening. Remember, a night inside a damp sleeping bag no matter what it's made from is a miserable night - synthetic isn't magic, it just retains a bit more of its insulation when damp. You on the other hand will lose body heat 5x more quickly than if you were dry.

Would you strip off and put your damp clothes inside your sleeping bag with you or outside your bag but still inside the bivy bag?

Would you strip off and put your damp clothes inside your sleeping bag with you or outside your bag but still inside the bivy bag?

Neither as both will promote condensation. I'd take them off and seal them in a bag and leave them outside.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Wed Dec 01, 2021 5:27 pm

Would you strip off and put your damp clothes inside your sleeping bag with you or outside your bag but still inside the bivy bag?

Neither as both will promote condensation. I'd take them off and seal them in a bag and leave them outside.

If it's below freezing, it's worth keeping that sealed bag of clothes inside with you; trying to thaw frozen clothes the next morning is really unpleasant.

Sealed in a bag inside with you if it’s cold even if it isn’t freezing. Saves a little bit of the horror of getting back into them in the morning.

Thank you. That's a nugget of purest gold information.

I just burst out laughing at the thought of my wife looking out into the garden to see me writhing around inside a bivy bag.
"Just practicing taking my clothes off"

We've got a long running joke that there's a divorce bingo card. This would definitely be a strike.
Luckily unless I take up golf, drape a cardigan over my shoulders or wear red trousers, I should avoid 'House!'