ThePainInSpain
Active Member
- Location
- Malaga, Spain
July/August maybe ok but January...............I'm with you MacB
Who the hell camps in England in January?
- Thread starter Amheirchion
- Start date
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July/August maybe ok but January...............I'm with you MacB
Well done for just going for it. Sounds like a great adventure!
I had to invest in a new sleeping bag for on my North American tour because I was waking up cold in the night. The research I did said that women tend to sleep colder so only look at the comfort ratings, not the extreme rating for Pip. My new sleeping bag is supposed to be good down to -10C! If the forecast is for temperatures anywhere near that I doubt I'll be under canvas. A mat is a definite must as well as you've discovered. I was surprised to find that my Alpkit mat still gave me a warm, comfy nights sleep even when I slept on it uninflated after it developed a puncture.
I had to invest in a new sleeping bag for on my North American tour because I was waking up cold in the night. The research I did said that women tend to sleep colder so only look at the comfort ratings, not the extreme rating for Pip. My new sleeping bag is supposed to be good down to -10C! If the forecast is for temperatures anywhere near that I doubt I'll be under canvas. A mat is a definite must as well as you've discovered. I was surprised to find that my Alpkit mat still gave me a warm, comfy nights sleep even when I slept on it uninflated after it developed a puncture.
aberal
Guru
- Location
- Midlothian
A head torch is also a good idea. Lets you move about or read in the tent (or outside) with your hands free. +1 for the tripod seats - they cost and weigh next to nothing but add a huge amount to your comfort levels.
Great trip! Better gear would have made you happier, however. Here are a few suggestions. The warmest lightest and still affordable mats are Exped Synmat Basic mats. They are warmer, lighter, more compact, more comfortable and cheaper than Thermarest self inflatables. In the UK Alpkit makes the best affordable sleeping bags. PHD is the top. Give your friend a warmer model than yourself, and if you get two with the zips on different sides, you can often zip them together, for extra warmth and whatever else you fancy. Ortlieb City Line are lowish budget top quality panniers. If you pack carefully, you only need rear panniers. The Trangia should be OK provided in this weather you preheat the fuel/burner by keeping it in your pocket for a little while. Warm meths really burns much better. Don't take/buy unnecessary stuff. Spend your money on quality for the basics. I sit on a small piece of foldable closed cell foam. It cost almost nothing, and it weighs nothing either. Winter is a fine time to camp, and with the mild temperatures in your part of the world it is not an impossible challenge. But think of what you will do when it rains.
Willem
Willem
Nice one! We camped the weekend before last (near Inverness, for the Strathpuffer 24 hour mountain bike race) and it was cold!! If you want a decent sleeping bag, have a look at Alpkit - they do very good value down bags, I have one. Wear a hat and socks in bed if you get cold easily.
SurlyNomad
Active Member
I use a bivvi bag and a tarp stretched out over me when i get to go out and about, Im planning on doing the lake district this year if i get round to it. Its been planned for the last two years but i have to keep knocking it back due to one reason or another. But well done for giving it a go both of you. 
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
Gloves are helpful too.
andrew_s
Legendary Member
- Location
- Gloucester
gas stoves:
The ones that go on the top of a gas canister don't do well in cold weather.
The gas is a mix of propane and butane, and by the time you've used half the canister you'll have used most of the propane and there won't be enough left to give any pressure, so it will get very slow, and may fail entirely below zero.
Better are the ones with a canister on a hose, with a pipe passing through the flame by the burner (Trangia converter, MSR Windpro, Primus Spider etc). With this type, you can turn the canister upside down once it's going. This will allow use down to -20 or lower, and the stove to keep going right to the end of the canister.
The ones that go on the top of a gas canister don't do well in cold weather.
The gas is a mix of propane and butane, and by the time you've used half the canister you'll have used most of the propane and there won't be enough left to give any pressure, so it will get very slow, and may fail entirely below zero.
Better are the ones with a canister on a hose, with a pipe passing through the flame by the burner (Trangia converter, MSR Windpro, Primus Spider etc). With this type, you can turn the canister upside down once it's going. This will allow use down to -20 or lower, and the stove to keep going right to the end of the canister.
lowrider73
Well-Known Member
I like that idea of using a bivvi bag and tarp. I'm planning a coast to coast mtb this summer and was going to use the Vaude bivvi tent, but bivvi and tarp seems ok. I would like to wild camp the route, yes, I will look into that method.I use a bivvi bag and a tarp stretched out over me when i get to go out and about, Im planning on doing the lake district this year if i get round to it. Its been planned for the last two years but i have to keep knocking it back due to one reason or another. But well done for giving it a go both of you.
Gotte
Active Member
- Location
- Stockport UK
I've been doing a lot of research on this recently, and some buying and testing in preparation for some self-sufficient any time of year touring with wild camping thrown in for good measure, and firstly, I'd say that I admire you for trying it, and encourage you to try again.
A little suffering is good for the soul, and great to look back on and laugh.
I have to say, I prefer Trangia type stoves.
I have a great little cookset and stove. It's a Clas Ohlson Trangia copy, but better designed:
http://www.clasohlson.co.uk/Product/Product.aspx?id=158410255
It's smaller and lighter than a the Trangia 25 and 27, and boils water faster (albeit by only a minute or so). I have one and my traveling parter, so we can both cook at the same time and not rely on cooking everything in one pan (which is slower).
Thermarest type mats - you can get a great copy from Decathlon. Cheaper, only a bit bigger and heavier. Really worth it if you're on a budget (or just don't want to pay stupid prices):
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/a200-ultralight-self-inflating-17405365/
It's three season rather than four (but so is the normal Thermarest pro), and you can put bubble wrap under it, or sections cut from an old fashioned foam mat, to boos it to a four season.
Sleeping bags. You can get a cheap down bag from Tesco:
http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.200-7415.aspx
It's no good on its own for anything other than spring to autumn (and that's just me. I find anything lower than about 8 deg, and I feel the cold), but put inside another bag (so long as it's not too tight a squeeze), and it works really well to make things very toasty indeed. If you also use a silk liner and a pertex cover (both about £15), you have a very adaptable system which. I've used liner, down bag, 3 season bag and pertex sleeping bag cover down below zero, and been happy. The whole lot weighs about 2.5 KG, which is heavier than a single bag, but it's flexible. I can use as many layers as I want, and I can pack it separately. Also, should my down bag get wet (a constant worry for down bag owners), I've got a back up.
Down jacket. Just got a cheap one from Decathlon in the sale (£26) - no too big, but really useful. You can sleep in it if it gets that cold, drape it over you, keep yourself warm after cycling, and,best of all, when not wearing it, put it in a stuffsack and use it as a pillow. Mine weighs about 600g and packs down to about the size of a flattened toiletroll. It's lighter, more compactable and warmer than a fleece. great stuff.
That's about it for now.
A little suffering is good for the soul, and great to look back on and laugh.
I have to say, I prefer Trangia type stoves.
I have a great little cookset and stove. It's a Clas Ohlson Trangia copy, but better designed:
http://www.clasohlson.co.uk/Product/Product.aspx?id=158410255
It's smaller and lighter than a the Trangia 25 and 27, and boils water faster (albeit by only a minute or so). I have one and my traveling parter, so we can both cook at the same time and not rely on cooking everything in one pan (which is slower).
Thermarest type mats - you can get a great copy from Decathlon. Cheaper, only a bit bigger and heavier. Really worth it if you're on a budget (or just don't want to pay stupid prices):
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/a200-ultralight-self-inflating-17405365/
It's three season rather than four (but so is the normal Thermarest pro), and you can put bubble wrap under it, or sections cut from an old fashioned foam mat, to boos it to a four season.
Sleeping bags. You can get a cheap down bag from Tesco:
http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.200-7415.aspx
It's no good on its own for anything other than spring to autumn (and that's just me. I find anything lower than about 8 deg, and I feel the cold), but put inside another bag (so long as it's not too tight a squeeze), and it works really well to make things very toasty indeed. If you also use a silk liner and a pertex cover (both about £15), you have a very adaptable system which. I've used liner, down bag, 3 season bag and pertex sleeping bag cover down below zero, and been happy. The whole lot weighs about 2.5 KG, which is heavier than a single bag, but it's flexible. I can use as many layers as I want, and I can pack it separately. Also, should my down bag get wet (a constant worry for down bag owners), I've got a back up.
Down jacket. Just got a cheap one from Decathlon in the sale (£26) - no too big, but really useful. You can sleep in it if it gets that cold, drape it over you, keep yourself warm after cycling, and,best of all, when not wearing it, put it in a stuffsack and use it as a pillow. Mine weighs about 600g and packs down to about the size of a flattened toiletroll. It's lighter, more compactable and warmer than a fleece. great stuff.
That's about it for now.
OP
OP
Amheirchion
Active Member
- Location
- Northampton
Cheers for all the encouragement and tips.
Sleeping mat wise we're sorted, and I can't say I fancy the idea of the tarp and bivvy combo much, more power to you guys.
We picked up a couple of down bags today, Pips is rated 0-5 for comfort and down below zero extreme, and mine is rated 5-9 comfort, so we'll see how they go.
As for the panniers, we took those back today for a refund, the lad at the counter called a supervisor over to sort things as he wasn't sure himself. The supervisor barely even took a look and said "yeah" so we got our refund. Even better than that, when we left we checked the receipt and found out we'd been refunded for the rack as well. So we're looking around at different panniers to get, and so far for price and size Carradry's are coming up trumps, 58l at roughly £65 on wiggle. We already have one pair that we know we like, so may just stick to the same.
Will do some more investigating into the Trangia. Is using about a third of a 50cl bottle for an evenings meal about right? Boiling water for pasta and frying up some mushrooms and the like.
Sleeping mat wise we're sorted, and I can't say I fancy the idea of the tarp and bivvy combo much, more power to you guys.
We picked up a couple of down bags today, Pips is rated 0-5 for comfort and down below zero extreme, and mine is rated 5-9 comfort, so we'll see how they go.
As for the panniers, we took those back today for a refund, the lad at the counter called a supervisor over to sort things as he wasn't sure himself. The supervisor barely even took a look and said "yeah" so we got our refund. Even better than that, when we left we checked the receipt and found out we'd been refunded for the rack as well. So we're looking around at different panniers to get, and so far for price and size Carradry's are coming up trumps, 58l at roughly £65 on wiggle. We already have one pair that we know we like, so may just stick to the same.
Will do some more investigating into the Trangia. Is using about a third of a 50cl bottle for an evenings meal about right? Boiling water for pasta and frying up some mushrooms and the like.
lowrider73
Well-Known Member
For 50ml of meths, that will boil 1 litre of water in 10-15 minutes. One filling of the burner, 2/3rds of it's height will burn for 25 minutes.
lowrider73
Well-Known Member
One idea is get one of the empty plastic 50ml Jim Beam whiskey bottles and use that to measure the meths into burner. That's the Trangia fuel bottle do come in for pouring.
OP
OP
Amheirchion
Active Member
- Location
- Northampton
To be fully honest, I was surprised that she suggested it at all. Her normal style is meticulous planning, she has to know when we're doing things, how long it will take, exactly what we will need. Contrasted to the "Let's go camping today" I got it was a far cry from normal.
Me, I'm an idiot who will say yes to most things if they sound fun.
Me, I'm an idiot who will say yes to most things if they sound fun.
