I camped last night.....below freezing

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jay clock

Massive member
Location
Hampshire UK
I am off to France in early May and wanted to test my new camping kit - see here for details of what I am taking www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/france2009 so last night I camped out in the garden.

The tent is great - ample space and easy to put up. The best bit is the Exped Downmat - a quantum leap in terms of comfort over the Thermarest Ultralite I had before

For warmth I had a down bag inside a polyester one and was warm as toast. Even my head was ok

Really pleased it went well with temperatures below zero - I just hope the new sleeping bag I ordered from PHD is up to the job of South of France in May
 

MadoneRider1991

Über Member
Location
Dorset
should be fine :ohmy:

sounds like a lot of fun to me, hope you have a great time
 
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jay clock

jay clock

Massive member
Location
Hampshire UK
Just wanted to repeat my excitement about the Downmat. On my trip to NZ last year my Thermarest never really gave much more comfort than lying on the grass. The Downmat has great thermal insulation, and just amazingly comfortable. It pumps up using the bag it comes in (weird but it works). You cannot breathe into it because moisture will get in and damage the down.

I was in bed by about 11 last night and woke up 3 or 4 times, mainly because I was to warm! I then cycled 45km round trip for a 2km swim, and I can really say I got just as much sleep as in my own bed.

Really looking forward to camping again and my new minimalist approach should help
 

ronmac

New Member
Thanks a lot Jay Clock. I've just bought a Themarest Prolite 4 for my first ever cycle tour which is Northern France, first 2 weeks in April. I weigh 10.5 stone and tried the mat on bedroom floor and thought it was great.
I suppose anything would be an improvement on the quarter inch karrimoor mat I've always used when camping.
Not sure what the temperature will be at nights but my sleeping bag is marked -8 degrees. I suppose I'll have to put some clothes on if it's too cold.

I also bought a Vango Spirit tent for the trip (just under 3kg). It seems to get quite good reviews.

As far as weight goes, I had a trial run on bicycle today covering about 25 mile taking in the biggest hills in the area and carrying 2.5 stone. Although not a long distance I did this comfortably and don't think I'll be carrying quite so much weight on trip.

Don't want to hijack your post. I always respect your advice given the experience you have. This is a bit of a suck it and see trip for me.
 
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jay clock

jay clock

Massive member
Location
Hampshire UK
Sorry Ron!!! Some people get on fine with the Thermarests. If you are that light it will help, and if you can sleep flat on your back, I would imagine very comfy. Mine was bad only because of the hip digging into the floor pushed down by 14 stone (now 13 stone) of lard.

I resold my Thermarest on Ebay getting £50 for it when I saw it new at £65.... So if you do have comfort problems, changing to an Exped will not be too pricey.

For a review of the Exped see this quite amusing video here...


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOnJfECen5A
I find pumping up easier if sitting down and rolling the bag down my knees.
 

ronmac

New Member
Watched the video Jay and must say it looks excellent. Especially for you 'larger' people. I'm diplomatic, I won't mention lard.
A bit more effort than the self-inflatable but I think that's well worth it for a great nights sleep.
Anyway, I got the thermarest in a sale for £35 (that's why I bought it there and then).
I'm easy pleased so feel it should be fine for me but will upgrade to your exped if I don't like it.
Only a week till I go. If I enjoy this (and I'm sure I will) I'll probably take to this touring game. I enjoy reading your blog. Regards. Ron.
 
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jay clock

jay clock

Massive member
Location
Hampshire UK
Especially for you 'larger' people. I'm diplomatic, I won't mention lard.
sadly this is the new thinner me!! I was 16st7 now 13st3 (105kg down to 83kg!)

Make sure you give a good write-up of your trip
 

shirokazan

Veteran
jay clock said:
...and my new minimalist approach should help

What equipment does your minimalist approach entail, jay clock?
 
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jay clock

jay clock

Massive member
Location
Hampshire UK
Have a look here for the full lowdown http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=3Tzut&page_id=104184&v=p

Essentially weighing every item and being really harsh about what I need for a week. Like (probably) taking only SPD sandals and no other shoes of any type - saves at least 400g. Buying a new sleeping bag at huge expense and saving 500g. And a new light tent. And by not having the two front panniers and a dry bag I save a couple of kg just from the weight of the bags alone

All feedback welcome however
 

willem

Über Member
This is a series of posting that I like. Many do indeed take too much. In Europe two rear panniers do indeed suffice in many situations, and particuallry if there are two of you, of course. This route does indeed save 2-2.5 kg on panniers and rack alone. However, it does require that you reduce the volume to fit into the 40 litres of the panniers plus a small tent on top. In practice this also reduces the weight, and that is important because you do not want to unbalance your bike.
Here are a few more tips:
A light tent is a good start. My favourite is the Hilleberg Akto (I am saving for one), but if you are prepared to sacrifice reliability the Terra Nova Laser reduces weight another 500 grams or so.
An extra groundsheet underneath is a good investment in the longevity of your tent, but heavy. Tyvek is a very light material used by many ultralight backpackers
A down sleeping bag is de rigueur. PHD or Western Mountaineering are brands where you can spend a lot, to get a lot less. Couples can save some more weight with two person solutions that do not use a sleeping bag underneath, but only the mattress
The Exped downmat is perfect for cooler conditions. If the insulation matters less the new Thermaresty NeoAir will be as comfortable, for half the weight.
Clothing weighs a lot. Cotton clothing is the worst of all: it is heavy, and only dries slowly. Shoes are also very heavy. My next purchase will be a pair of Shimano MT 90 Goretex cycling/walking shoes. These would be too warm in hot weather, in which case summer cycling shoes plus Skinsealz socs or overshoes may be the answer.
Cooking gear is important. For a few days an ultralight meth stove such as the Trangia 28 is fine, but on anything longer I at least want a real meal, and for that one needs at the very least a Clikstand, or even a Trangia 27 (take the new Ultralight version), or a gas stove. The bad news with gas stoves is that the light ones sit on top of the canister, and are a bit unstable. Also, they don't work as well in rough conditions. The bad news about meths stoves is their high fuel consumption - but in most places meths is easy to get.
The general rule is that for many applications, there is gear that weighs half or even less compared to other gear. Sometimes such gear is expensive, but sometimes it really isn't. And you can do this makeover one thing at a time. Finally, all the junk you leave at home is the cheapest and easiest gain.
Obviously, all this only directly applies in relatively mild and safe conditions. The general principles may still apply in bad weather or the third world, but the weight may add up to a rather different number.
Willem
 

willem

Über Member
My scientific papers have conclusions, but preferences cannot be conclusive they are personal. Everyone will have to strike a personal balance between the pleasure offered by the objects you carry, and the displeasure of lugging them. Where to strike that balance depends on circumstances, and on your abilities. I am on older cyclist whose strength is not what it once was. On the other hand I have a lifetime's camping experience to help me decide where that thin line is that divides minimalism from inadequacy.
I only wanted to chip in and encourage people to take a long hard look again at what they carry. The first few kilos are easily saved, and rarely demand major investment. After that, it becomes harder, and more expensive. I do think it is worthwhile trying.
Willem
 

andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
If you aren't going for very long, you can cut out a lot of stuff.
I've been trying a "get everything in the Longflap" overnight camp.
DSCF0729.jpg


Kit List:
Tent: Hilleberg Akto (might use a Laser Comp if I get serious about reducing weight)
Sleeping bag: PHD Minim 300 & silk liner (in an eVent compression sack)
Mat: Thermarest Prolite3 3/4 length.
Off-the-bike clothing: lightweight trousers, warm thermal top, undies, Rab Generator jacket (lighter/warmer/smaller-packing than fleece)
Brew kit: small (100g) gas cylinder plus clip-on feet, Optimus Crux fold-up stove, Optimus Terra Solo pan, fold-up spoon (a set similar to this), lighter, tub of powdered milk, 5 tea bags, 1 helping of muesli, fold-up mug and bowl (Orikaso). The evening meal was down at the pub. I didn't use the powdered milk, having stuffed a pint bought en-route into the spare bottle cage.
miscellaneous: mp3, paperback, toothbrush
2 tubes, normal touring toolkit (LH side pocket)
Waterproof jacket (RH side pocket) & hat

DSCF0728.jpg


I reckon that's about the minimum you would want to take for an overnight trip.
You need some sort of breakfast stuff, as trying to stay only where there was a suitable cafe would be pretty restricting.
If you don't take off-the bike clothing, you could end up spending the evening in soggy cycling gear, and you would generally need something warmer than your cycling gear anyway.

I'm finding that the limiting factor in just using a saddlebag is space. It was pretty well stuffed, and to go away for a week, I'd want to add some sort of spare clothing and possibly a change of footwear too, and I'd want the next size larger gas canister which would mean a bigger pot to keep it in. Two weeks and I'd also have to allow for a spare canister (or switch to some other method of cooking).
 
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