Avoiding the footie.

I'm not a football fan (I've tried, but it leaves me cold) so rather than stay in and watch England lose I decided that an overnight bivi would be in order. So after Sunday's dig day (I do volunteering at the Roaches once a month, path maintenance with Peak District MTB) and once I'd had tea (lasagne!) I loaded the bike and set out, aiming to arrive at my spot as the light fades.

My chosen site was on a ridge, not too far from home, surrounded by moorland. Once there the stove went on as I set up camp. Which as you would expect, didn't take long.

Once I turned in it started raining, nothing too bad just light drizzle. This did keep me awake for a while, its difficult to ignore rain on Goretex when the roof is inches above your head. The rain kept the wildlife subdued, I was expecting and looking forward to hearing grouse make their odd night-time calls but all was pretty quiet.

I didn't sleep as well as I could anyway for some reason. I think I'm just haven't camped enough for a few years. But, I was warm enough, too warm in fact, as I've finally bought myself a new sleeping bag. Its and Alpkit Pipedream 400 3 season bag, a very nice but very expensive down bag.

Morning came, as it always does, so on went the stove whilst I broke camp. An Aldi porridge pot and a cup of tea is my usual camp breakfast, nice and easy as both just need hot water. An owl flew over my site as I ate.

With the bike loaded I headed home;

The only trace of my stopping was a patch of dry, flattened grass;

On the way home I met a chap parked on a UCR with a very large lens fitted to his camera. It turned out that he was trying to photograph short eared owls, and we spotted one in the distance as we chatted. I told him of the one that I'd seen, and mentioned that lapwings nested nearby. He told me that the owls were probably after lapwing chicks.

A small but worthwhile adventure

Paul.

A slightly belated Summer Solstice bivi.

 I can't believe its three years since my first and only attempt at bivvying on t'bike.

Recently I've been rather fed up, work getting me down, so I needed to reset my head. So I loaded the bike, picked a spot, and arranged to meet a friend there. I also decided that the summer solstice needed celebrating, which I've never done before even though I've felt that I should for a few years now. So the evening of solstice day, which was a Monday, found me heading out on the bike.

I've bought some more luggage since my last time out, I now have a seat pack and a frame bag, both bought in sales. The seat pack carried my bivi, minus its pegs and poles, along with my roll mat, and the frame bag those pegs and poles and my stove etc. A fork bag, cunningly made from old inner tubes by Beerbabe, held a warm top and a wooly hat (both needed).

I met Debbie as she was walking in, she parked nearby. Once we were at our chosen site we picked what we thought were the best pitches, set up camp, then drank tea as the light faded, chatting away. Then it was time for bed, Debbie prefering a basic bivi whilst I slept in my hooped job.

Sleep wasn't easy, my 'bag is just a little too cold (and bulky to carry), and I'm not used to camping like I used to be. Still, I did get some sleep, and was soon awakened by the morning chorus.

Debbie awoke about the same time I did, demonstrating the advantage of a simple bivi over a hooped bag, you can sit up in one;

Stoves came out and tea make, and porridge for me as well;

Then it was time to go, Debbie to work and me home. We both really enjoyed our night out, she sat at her desk with a big grin on her face and me, well my mind was a lot clearer afterwards. It seems that a night out really did reset my head.

I do know that I need to upgrade some of my kit, since that night I've invested in a new sleeping bag that I'll be trying out soon.

Paul.

Bike & Bivi - first attempt.

For quite a long time now I've been meaning to join the Bike & Bivi set, loading up the bike for a night out of lightweight camping (I have bivi'd before, but not with the bike). I've been collecting a few bags etc. ready for over a year now, but until last night I hadn't actually done anything except think about it. Part of the problem was that of kit, my two sleeping bags are quite bulky, and one is a 3 season job and the other apparently 2 season (although I question that). Also although I have some bike bags, I don't have a saddle bag so some of my kit would need to be carried in a rucksack. Now, I decided that if I waited until I had everything that I thought I needed I'd never go out, so I used what I have available, loaded up the bike and rucksack, and headed out.

I didn't go far this time as last night was more about finding out what works and just having a go rather than go off on a long adventure. I'd already picked a spot quite close to home but at the same time quite isolated, at least in feel.

I rode out just before dark, giving myself enough daylight to get to my chosen spot, set up camp and make a brew. On the way there I stopped to photograph the bike, and watch an angry lapwing fly around making a racket, I'm not sure if it was myself that was the object of its rage or a nearby herd of cows. I suspect the latter as the bird seemed to be herding the cows around, like an aerial sheepdog.

The bike handled quite well despite its load, and I made a point of taking a ride down a winding grassy slope just to see how it would handle a mild downhill, which was fine. Lifting it over a gate to get to the top of the slope wasn't too bad either.

At my chosen spot I pegged out my hooped bivi bag, then put a brew on whilst I sorted out my sleeping bag etc. After tea and a Tunnocks Milk Chocolate Caramel Wafer I settled down to bed. And found my first mistake, I pitched on what I thought was a flat spot on long grass, in fact I was on a slight sideslope. I decided to just put up with it, and spent an hour or so before nodding off sliding around on top of my Thermarest, listening to the birds singing and planes coming in to land overhead.

I had an uneasy nights sleep to be honest, partly due to the sloping aspect of my spot but also because I was cold. I took the lighter of my two sleeping bags, which is pretty old and bulky with a comfort rating of 0 degrees. I bought it for a fiver of a biker that I used to work with, he used it once for a motorcycle camp and decided that camping really wasn't for him. However, I did get some sleep, at one point dreaming that I'd woken up surrounded by revellers who'd set up a marquee nearby. In fact the only company that I'd had was a few birds, including an owl that I heard further down the vale.

Morning came, and a misty one at that. I stayed in bed until gone 7, listening to birdsong and the sound of a woodpecker drilling away, waiting for the sun to warm the air and burn the mist away. I made myself some breakfast, Aldi porridge in a pot and tea, starting to decamp whilst the stove did its job. All the time the sun was rising over the sides of my little dale, very welcome as I had a shivery start. Soon it was time to leave. I hadn't seen a soul pass by, I did expect a dogwalker at least, and I'm pleased to report that the only sign of my camp was some flattened grass.

I've learn't quite a lot in one evening. Picking a flat spot is the most important lesson, but also getting to know how a loaded bike handles is important. Some of my kit is old but good for a few years yet, my bivi bag for example, some needs updating, the sleeping bag being the most obvious but also a lighter less bulky sleeping mat would save space and grams.

Kit.

Carried on the bike;
Old Eurohike sleeping bag. Not great...
Alpkit ti mug (used straight on the stove).
Alpkit Kraku stove.
Alpkit Jasper firesteel (works in the wet).
Gas canister.
Spork.
Camera
Head torch.
Tea bags etc. and food.
Water bottle (1 litre did 2 brews and porridge).
Sit mat (my one luxury item, saves sitting on dewy grass in the morning).

Bike bags used;
Alpit 20l drybag carried on a Kanga harness (sleeping bag)
Alpkit large Fuel Pod (camera and head torch).
Alpkit Drop Bear (gas and food).
Alpkit Stem Cell (brew kit, mug, stove, steel).

Carried on my back;
Prolite 4 Thermarest.
Terra Nova Jupiter hooped bivi bag. Used quite a bit in the past, but not for a few years now.
All in an ancient Lowe Alpine rucksack.

Paul.