reuben
Trail Wise!
Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
Posts: 11,160
|
Bivys
Apr 4, 2024 9:16:53 GMT -8
Post by reuben on Apr 4, 2024 9:16:53 GMT -8
My nominal retirement happened last year. I thought that my real retirement would be mostly achieved this May, but now it's looking more like August.
Nevertheless, I'm dredging up some of my long held plans of various trips, which have been quashed the last several years for various reasons out of my control. Some of these tips would be bikepacking, which has its own unique set of constraints and freedoms. Bikepacking is what I'm focused on in this thread.
I'm thinking about a bivy for some trips, but know next to nothing about them. Maybe I should just take a packable true 1P tent? I dunno.
These trips would be 2-20 days. Some places may experience rain or other precipitation for days on end. Cooking inside may not be possible in such cases, but that's life, and I typically carry enough dry food such as fig bars to get me through such circumstances.
Packability is an obvious issue - I'm struggling with the same regarding a bikepacking sleeping pad, inflatable vs CCF.
I have an older TT Double Rainbow, which is great, but maybe too bulky. I also have a older MLD Solomid, but it requires poles of some sort, whether longer than normal hiking poles or custom poles from MLD or a third party. I've ogled Hyperlite but don't own any of their shelters, just a couple of backpacks.
I'll definitely need a bugnet, in at least some places, and that's not negotiable. The bugnet doesn't have to be integrated, but it has to be an option and it has to work in the field. The Solomid has various options, including a floor/bugnet combo which I own, but the extra length poles may not allow it to be considered.
What say ye, BP brethren?
|
|
driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
Posts: 14,995
|
Post by driftwoody on Apr 4, 2024 9:24:03 GMT -8
The closest I've had to a bivy was an old Eureka 1P tent far too small for sitting up.
Have you considered a UL net tent to set up under a UL tarp?
The net will keep out the bugs when you sleep, and the tarp provides a roomy versatile shelter. Some net tents can attach to a guyline running under the ridge of the tarp.
|
|
rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,684
|
Bivys
Apr 4, 2024 11:28:18 GMT -8
Post by rebeccad on Apr 4, 2024 11:28:18 GMT -8
The closest I've had to a bivy was an old Eureka 1P tent far too small for sitting up. Have you considered a UL net tent to set up under a UL tarp? The net will keep out the bugs when you sleep, and the tarp provides a roomy versatile shelter. Some net tents can attach to a guyline running under the ridge of the tarp. I like this suggestion. I also hate biking in the rain, way worse than hiking in the rain, so I shudder at the idea of it raining for days on end while biking—where?
|
|
reuben
Trail Wise!
Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
Posts: 11,160
|
Post by reuben on Apr 4, 2024 12:50:35 GMT -8
I also hate biking in the rain, way worse than hiking in the rain, so I shudder at the idea of it raining for days on end while biking—where? Scotland. Badger Divide and maybe more. I hope to finally hike the JOGT and Orkneys in 2025, then ride the Badger in 2026.
|
|
|
Bivys
Apr 4, 2024 13:40:06 GMT -8
Post by trinity on Apr 4, 2024 13:40:06 GMT -8
I guess there are many different kinds of bivys, but the UL ones that I'm familiar with don't offer rain protection (mine is s Borah Gear Ultralight Bivy, and they are very confining. You would not want to spend an extended period of time in one. And while I'm a big fan of tarps, they require attachment points, either trees or poles, to keep them suspended. Maybe I should just take a packable true 1P tent? I know absolutely nothing about bikepacking, but I think this would likely be your best option. Sometimes there is just no substitute for a semi-freestanding double wall. I have a BA Copper Spur HV UL 1, which is a great tent. I think NEMO makes some comparable tents.
|
|
|
Post by hikerjer on Apr 4, 2024 16:43:48 GMT -8
I’ve never used a bivy but have never come across anyone using one that really liked it. 0n the two occasions I’ve traveled with someone using a bivy - a backpack through the Grand Canyon and a bike tour on the west coast. - the folks using them did a lot of complaining about how confining and uncomfortable they were. I don’t think I’d want one unless for use for as an emergency shelter. Personally, I’d go with a lightweight solo tent but that’s just me.
|
|
ErnieW
Trail Wise!
I want to backpack
Posts: 9,928
|
Post by ErnieW on Apr 4, 2024 20:22:57 GMT -8
I had a waterproof bivy. I had used it in the pouring rain. It was just surviving. So uncomfortable. No sleep basically. The rain on the fabric right in front of your face is loud. Getting it to vent so you can breathe without letting water in was a pain. If it is raining when you have to get up you're probably going to start the day wet.
It did really shine when base camping in the deep cold. It had a Gore-tex upper. Probably boosted my sleeping bag warmth by 20F and then I could take it with me on summit trips as an emergency shelter.
If you are going to get soaked riding in the rain, won't you want a tent and the ability to try and dry some of your stuff overnight?
|
|
ErnieW
Trail Wise!
I want to backpack
Posts: 9,928
|
Post by ErnieW on Apr 4, 2024 20:47:36 GMT -8
Packability is an obvious issue - I'm struggling with the same regarding a bikepacking sleeping pad, inflatable vs CCF. I would say inflatable. You roll it up to squeeze out all the air really well then figure out the best way to fold it up to best fit in your panniers. Then it is inside and stays dry. A CCF will be outside and get wet. Quilt or bag and where were you planning on carrying it? When I used to tour my bag, tent and poles were bungee'd to the trap.
|
|
rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,684
|
Bivys
Apr 5, 2024 6:51:51 GMT -8
Post by rebeccad on Apr 5, 2024 6:51:51 GMT -8
Okay, so your destination is worth the rain, though you can also look for bothys and even pubs when the weather is uncooperative. I’ll cast another vote for a UL 1P tent.
Will you take your own bike across, or rent one? This is off-pavement biking, right? I’ve seen the videos :D. I don’t have the skills, but it does look glorious.
|
|
|
Bivys
Apr 5, 2024 8:04:44 GMT -8
Post by leadbelly on Apr 5, 2024 8:04:44 GMT -8
sounds like fun travel plans.
I have a gore tex bivy bag; it's for emergency use in the winter. i tested it a few times in more moderate winter weather, rather than the deep freeze I normally hike in during the winter. It's OK, but my face got cold and wet from blowing snow. It would not be my choice for 'days on end' in the rain. Neither would a hammock and tarp setup, particularly if you anticipate wind-driven rain; many lightweight one-person tents, the kind that use a single pole and guy lines, don't offer great rain protection, may or may not have a floor. For your use case, I would go with a lightweight true one-person tent with a floor and a fly that drops to within a few inches of the ground.
i use a thermarest neoair inflatable pad that weighs around 13 oz and rolls up to the size of a one liter water bottle. sold with a bag you fill with air, then squeeze the air out of it to inflate the pad. I primarily used closed cell pads for years, got this about five years ago. Pricy, but they're much more compact than foam pads, durable, and comfortable. throw in an inexpensive inflatable pillow, perhaps - the one I use rolls up to about the size of a 10 oz cup.
|
|
reuben
Trail Wise!
Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
Posts: 11,160
|
Post by reuben on Apr 5, 2024 9:00:35 GMT -8
OK, so maybe a true 1P tent, which I've also been considering. My MLD Solomid is a true 1P, but has the downside noted above regarding poles. I've used extra long trekking poles with it on backpacking trips and it was fine, but I don't want to take extra long trekking poles on a bikepacking trip. I could strap them to the side of a saddlebag, but that seems like asking for trouble. Maybe. I dunno. I know that when backpacking they were taller than my pack height. I think it's possible to pitch the Solomid with one pole, although I've never done it. I love my Double Rainbow, but it might be overkill, and I don't know much about their other offerings. Maybe a Rainbow or ProTrail Li. With the arch poles like the Rainbow, I always worry about what happens when a section bends or breaks. A dog once chewed the ends of the poles in a bag, and the tent wouldn't stand properly with the mangled and shortened pole. I ordered a few replacement sections, just a section or two, and not from TT. Both my Solomid and DR are vintage early 21st century, so not quite like recent versions. Hyperlite has something similar to the Solomid but the net is only on one side of the center support pole, and my guess is that when you open the net to get to something in your pack, Enter the Midges! Or maybe an UltaMid 2? I have a couple of inflatable pads and a couple of CCF as well, of various R values. The inflatables have the advantage of size reduction, and the downside of potential punctures. I have a patch kit (somewhere) but have never used it. Bicycle tube patches may work as well. At roughly 200 miles, the Badger Divide isn't long, but there are definitely hike-a-bike sections for most mortals, and abandons aren't unusual if the weather is crappy for days on end. It's borderline mountain bike territory, with tires around 2.1" being typical. The whole route doesn't need tires that big, but of course you have to plan for the least common denominator. 40mm would probably be a minimum, and... good luck with that. Single track, double track, gravelish rocks, real rocks, smooth dirt, etc. If a bothy or inn is near and I'm feeling especially grungy, yeah, a hot shower and real food would be great. I probably wouldn't hesitate to take a night like that, with the possibility of rinsing some grungy clothes in a sink. Since I will be new to bikepacking, I have some local trial runs planned before flying all the way over there. I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid.
Rebecca - I'll take my own bike. As for skills, sometimes they're things you learn when you have no other choice.
|
|
ErnieW
Trail Wise!
I want to backpack
Posts: 9,928
|
Bivys
Apr 5, 2024 9:11:46 GMT -8
Post by ErnieW on Apr 5, 2024 9:11:46 GMT -8
How much up and down is there? If it is relatively flat you could travel a little heavier.
|
|
reuben
Trail Wise!
Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
Posts: 11,160
|
Post by reuben on Apr 5, 2024 9:43:37 GMT -8
Ernie, there are a few passes which entail dismounting and pushing the bike. The trail is dirt/gravel/rocks of varying size and difficulty, roughness and smoothness, and almost never pavement, so the standard varies. There are only 1-10 such hike-a-bike sections, depending on who you believe. If I have to walk a few times, which appears to be a certainty, an extra pound or so wouldn't make a significant difference.
Videos are typically all about the agony and ecstasy, and should therefore be taken with copious amounts of salt, but here's one video on the Badger that I found this morning. Inverness to Glasgow.
Route provile
A shakedown trip would be Pittsburgh to DC, over the GAP and C&O trails. Much easier than the Badger in every regard.
|
|
ErnieW
Trail Wise!
I want to backpack
Posts: 9,928
|
Bivys
Apr 5, 2024 10:15:34 GMT -8
Post by ErnieW on Apr 5, 2024 10:15:34 GMT -8
If I have to walk a few times, which appears to be a certainty, an extra pound or so wouldn't make a significant difference. I used to go on a summer bike trips with a couple of biking buddies. One had a cabin in VT which made a great starting base. Going up the passes of the Green and White mountains we definitely felt the extra weight. Actually going down it was a factor too sometimes. The bike starts to not handle well at less speed.
|
|
reuben
Trail Wise!
Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
Posts: 11,160
|
Bivys
Apr 5, 2024 10:22:08 GMT -8
Post by reuben on Apr 5, 2024 10:22:08 GMT -8
Ernie - yeah, it's easy to get wrapped around where the various loads are on the bike (front/rear/high/low, fork vs rear, etc.), and also bike geometry regarding trail and so forth. At some point you just have to go with the gear you have and bear it. Backpacking is the same, though admittedly less complicated.
|
|