leaving your kit when camping

[Bodhbh]

If that doesn't attract attention to your valuable - nothing does.

Ditch the tarp - it is one less thing to carry.

Lock the bike to a tree or immovable object. I'm surprised that you can't get your panniers into your tent. I am not a thin bloke by any stretch of the imagination and I can get my panniers into the sleeping bit of my Argos Tiger Paws tent with few problems and it's not a big tent.

Well I've got a tunnel tent and it does keep the porch uncluttered and easy to get in and out - and gets used as a groundsheet/windbreak now and then. Although yes - I'm beginning to wonder how much it justifies it's existance - it's 1/2 a kilo .

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I carry a B&Q blue tarp cut to the same shape as my tent footprint. I use it as a ground sheet under the tent to give extra protection against stones etc. I can use it as a Bike cover but almost never do. It is useful to pull out from under the tent and sit on the ground outside the tent. If for any reason you need added or extra rain protection it can be used over the tent or as a stand alone shelter in it's own right. It is good to have when pitching in French sites resembling Paschendale as you keep the mud off your tent better and it's a lot easier to hose down a tarp than a double skinned tent. But it's main purpose is to wrap up all of my panniers into one single package at the airports so as to avoid extra charges for multi bags. It folds right down to nothing and fits inside my tent bag easily. It weighs peanuts & cost pence.

BTW...dont be fooled into thinking it doesnt rain HARD in France in July August.

I also have a brookes saddle. I have a standard plastic bag stuffed under the saddle for use as a rain/dew cover.

 

[aqaleigh]

thanks for the reply some very useful info - I REALLY HOPE ITS GOING TO BE SUNNY THOUGH - fingers crossed

cheers

 

[xilios]

A shower cap is perfect as rain protection for a Brooks saddle.

We also put the shower caps over our helmets in heavy rain, looks funny but they keep your head warm and are very visible in bad weather

 

[stephenjubb]

I would definitely take the tarp as a groundsheet

I have just come back from an 800 mile 4 week trip to spain and I can confirm the ground is either grassy or very stony and hard. The ground in places is really crap and stony.

The tarp serves to protect not only the groundsheet of the tent but helps protect your inflating bed from punctures if there are any sharp stones.

I also found the ground rock hard so needed to borrow a hammer to hammer in tent pegs as the ground was rock hard. yes you can always borrow one but what if you are wild camping?

My tent uses 2g titanium pegs, useless on hard ground, I fortunately had taken a few metal pegs.

Second the comment on the rain.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I also found the ground rock hard so needed to borrow a hammer to hammer in tent pegs as the ground was rock hard. yes you can always borrow one but what if you are wild camping?

..use a local rock?

One thing I did was to pick up the odd unwanted steel peg on campsites ...they are heavier but on tough ground they work better and when they bend I ditch them....there is always a few lying around.

 

[psmiffy]

Hard ground I carry a small metal headed hammer (weighs less than the rubber sort) and a robust phillips screw driver slightly less in dia than the pegs and predrill the holes

 

[Kenny111]

I,ve completed a few cyle trips in France and never had any problems with valuables. As already mentioned in other replies I also keep the most important items with me at all times in handle bar bag or similar.As for the rest of equipment i,ve found storing it within tent is sufficient. I havent done much wild camping in France so cant comment on security there, but generally if your on a campsite you should be ok. I do always padlock my bike at all times no matter where I am or for how long I,m leaving it, much to the annoyance of my wife.

 

[aqaleigh]

thanks again - no one seems to have any problems in France - very reassuring

 

[mike1026]

PacSafe

Have a look at PacSafe a bit heavy but what price peace of mind?
Passports are an absolute nuisance, I had mine stolen in Zaragoza some years ago together with my cash and credit cards. All in one bar-bag. I had secured the bike to shop and when I returned saw that the rear tyre was flat. As I set about the repair a friendly local came to help. I did not see his accomplce take my bag. The tyre had been slashed with a knife. The Embassy were useless, and the Guarda Civil although very nice were not really interested as I was not local, they did not bother to get any forensic evidence.
It would have helped if I had left a copy of my passport at home with someone who could have faxed me the copy, like wise I should have left a credit card with them and they could have sent it to me next day delivery.
If you do lose your passport do not forget to tell the Passport Office on your return as neither the Embassy or the Guarda Civil will do this. It is also very important to get a copy of your written statement, make sure they stamp it with their official stamp and that it has the Police report number on it.
As regards money the only people who helped were VISA, my own bank, Nat West were useless.
I think that if I had secured my bag I would not have lost it, on the other hand at least one of them had a knife. Although it was in the afternoon in a busy Street with lots of people about.

 

[punkypossum]

We had a half eaten roast chicken stolen on 2 separate occasions while camping in NZ, so if you are planning on putting roast chicken in any campsite fridges, beware!!! (Then again, roast chicken might not be as popular in France)

 

[Tim Bennet.]

(Then again, roast chicken might not be as popular in France)

Roast Chicken is more popular in France than anywhere else on the planet. It's been ingrained in French culture since the time of Henry V, (of France) who saw the levels of consumtion of chicken as the mesure of how well the economy was doing. He decreed he wouldn't be happy until every family could eat chicken at least (IIRC) once a week.

This integration of the chicken into French culture is reflected in the cockerel now being the emblem of France.

 

[cwskas]

yeah good point vernon - as a mainly fair weather rider i'm being a bit naive - the only other thing was i thought it could double as a ground sheet for damp / condensation etc. - again due to lack of experience this may be a crap idea - what do you think

On my recent excursion, I carried a 1-person tent which could probably actually handle two in a pinch and also a hammock. I slept in the hammock as often as I could, much more comfortable for me. I carry and use a small ground cloth which came with the tent.

I also carried a larger groundcloth which I covered the trike with one night when rain was threatening. I used that same groundcloth as a tarp over my hammock one evening to keep me from being soaked by monster storms. I barely had time to get the hammock up and tarp over it before the rain started. I slept well though.