Who the hell camps in England in January?

[Amheirchion]

One day, me and my fiancée Pip will be cycling across Europe. The current plan is to work out how to cycle to Tenerife, what routes, what ferry's etc. etc.

To this aim I've been looking at various touring resources, including this forum, gathering information of gear, bikes, routes and all that jazz. Yesterday I was reading an article on gear on CGOAB, the article was basically along the lines of: Go for it.

Indeed, the last words were:

"So go on, do it. Now."




So Pip looked at me at 11.30 and said "lets go somewhere". Our first thoughts were to go to Kings Lynn on the coast, but we lacked the time, and she currently isn't that strong on the bike. So we set our sights a lot closer to home, we were going to cycle from Northampton to Market Harborough! A quick google and a phone call later and we're provisionally booked in at a camp site just outside Market Harborough.


Right, to get packed. Wait, we only have 1 rack and 2 panniers and a whole heap of stuff to take. So by 12:30 we were on the bikes to Halfords where we got a Topeak Super Tourist DX, that had no mounting equipment at all... Luckily the guy at the counter was nice enough to knock a fiver off and steal the mounting equipment off one of their own racks. We also got a pair of their panniers. Items paid for we borrowed a spanner to fit the rack out in front of the store. Joy, the stays that attach to the front of the rack are too small, so the rack leans forwards rather alarmingly. Oh well, time's a wasting. We call in next door at Blacks and pick up a sleeping mat for myself and a Land Ranger map of the area.


So we get home and start loading up only to discover we can't find Pip's sleeping mat, but time is ticking and we want to be gone for 14:00 so we can get there before dark so we press on.

By the time we've packed, and loaded the bikes it's 15:00, so already behind schedule. We left our house and started cycling, we'd be taking the Brampton Valley way to get to the camp site, which oddly, and luckily, is directly on the route. We set no records for speed, but we did ok considering Pip had never ridden fully loaded before, and we'd be riding the furthest she'd ever been in one journey before. The journey was fun with some nice tunnels to ride through in the dusk.

We got the camp site for 17:00 with the last of the light fading away and called in at what looked like the owners house. The lady that answered was slightly abrupt, but it transpired that I'd spoken to her daughter on the phone earlier, and she had failed to tell her parents that they could expect 2 people on bike to be turning up. As it was she was happy with us staying and gave us our options of where to camp. So back we went into the camp site and found a reasonably sheltered corner to camp in.


I'll admit I was dubious about Pip's tent the bag was rather large, overcrowding the top of the rack, and it would probably weigh more than many would be happy with, but it went up in seconds and was usable within 5 minutes, and that included the time to peg it down and get the sleeping mat and sleeping bags out. I'll be glad of that feature in the rain.

Tea was pasta and scallops as we were going to have scallops before we ever planned on camping so decided to bring them along. Cooking was easy enough on the trangia, although it used a lot more fuel than I was expecting. After tea we cycled to the local pub for some warmth and a couple of drinks. A couple of drinks turned into 1 drink after being charged £6.80 for a pint of bitter and an Archers and lemonade... Still we played some cards and enjoyed our time.


We then got back to the tent, and soon discovered just how good an idea a sleeping mat is, we tried both crowding onto my new one, but it didn't work, so I got the cold floor. Come midnight I get woken up to Pip crying from the cold, this meant all my plans for moaning at her for hogging the mat went out the window as I scrambled for her fleecy things to keep her warm and some food to get her metabolism going. We also wrapped her in the space blanket thingy that came in one of those novelty bottles from Blacks that we'd picked up a couple of years ago. After a while she started to feel warmer and better in her self and we resumed sleep.

Waking in the morning we decided to forgo the idea of staying another night, and to head home that day. So after a few bacon sarnies and a cup of tea a piece, we paid our fees for camping and packed up to come home. While packing we discovered that one of the new Halfords panniers had already ripped along the top seam, after one day of use, and without being rammed full either.. I knew they wouldn't be amazing, but wasn't expecting them to be that bad.

The ride home was pleasant, a reverse of our journey in, but this time with no time pressures, no need to race the sun, we could relax more. Strangely we had a faster trip home than we did going out, I put it down to the way home being ever so slightly down hill.


In all we decided that as a silly idea, it was a good silly idea, and even Pip admitted to enjoying herself despite the issues with the cold.





So what did we learn?




1. Sleeping mats are good, so we need to find Pips before we go anywhere again.

2. Something to sit on is also good.

3. It might be worth looking into a gas cooker, or a gas adapter for the trangia.

4. A chopping board or something similar would be useful for avoiding having to leave spoons and other cookware in the mud.

5. Check the ratings of sleeping bags against the weather. Pips was rated for a comfort zone of 13-8 and an extreme of 5. As she gets cold easily anyway she needed something with far more insulation.

6. Tin plates would be nice.

7. A non-stick frying pan/lid for the trangia would be great for bacon.

8. Don't forget the washing up liquid.

9. Halfords panniers are crap, get something better.

10. The little wind up lantern we got from Blacks for half price at the counter was actually pretty decent.

11. A decent footprint for the tent would be good for any more damp excursions.




Will we do it again? Yes, next time we are thinking to do the ride to Kings Lynn, spread over 2 days each way split into 2 shorter rides with a good lunch break in between. Will we camp next time? Maybe not, lets see if we can afford a decent sleeping bag for the cold for Pip, or whether she can steal her fathers.

 

[vernon]

You can't beat an impulsive excursion.

Sleeping mats are essential for insulation as well as comfort.

Something to sit on adds bulk and weight - I've never bothered and have been happy to sprawl out.

You might consider using thermal layers and a few thin layers of clothing to boost the warmth afforded by the sleeping bag. I remember once waking up thinking that I was experiencing earth tremors only to realise it was me shivering in an inappropriately thin sleeping bag.

Take the Halfords bags back for a refund. I used a couple of Halfords fron panniers for three years and they are still OK though they are showing signs of wear.

Get a piece of polythene from a builders merchant for a footprint. It's a lot cheaper.

Enjoy your future trips and i'm glad you haven't been put off.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Good post! Like Vernon says, there's nothing like an impromptu trip, and now you've done it once you'll be better prepared for next time.

 

[summerdays]

Sounds great ... my other half would have just said no ...

 

[ThePainInSpain]

To coin a phrase.......................bugger that for a game of soldiers.......

 

[Kirstie]

Well done! Some thoughts:
Re Washing up liquid - you can buy bottles of liquid soap from outdoor shops which you can use for washing up, as well as for washing yourself and washing your clothes, so you carry less. A small bit of tinfoil (we periodically tear bits off the wind break for our stove) enables you to get stubborn bits off pans. Our pan is non stick - we have a spork each to eat with. We clean these after use and they go straight back in their respective pannier! It saves leaving them around
For sitting we got these 5 quid fold up sit mats from Blacks which slot down the back of your pannier and make a real difference if you have to stop somewhere.

 

[MacB]

To coin a phrase.......................bugger that for a game of soldiers.......

I thought it was a great idea right up to the point I realised they weren't going to just book a room in the pub for the night. Chances of me leaving a nice warm pub, regardless of price of drinks, for a tent in a field, on a cold night, pretty close to absolute zero.

 

[Paul Walters]

I am reminded of the 7 P's here..... proper planning and preparation prevents pi55 poor performance..... but hey, you did it, and what's more learned valuable personal lessons. Better than all the "book learning" in the world IMHO.

1. I never buy anything from Halfords, and from Blacks only if there is no alternative.

2. I use a tin mug, as it can be used to boil water too (saves carrying another pot).

3. I use a spork now, though for my LEJOG in 2008, I used a single spoon for everything eating related for 16 days.

4. Thermarests are essential kit. Though in 08 I used a cut-down sleeping mat, only as long as from my shoulder to my hips so save bulk. I folded it too, rather than rolled it, as it could then be carried under the rain covers of my panniers.

5. Get a piezo start gas cooker (mine is a Vaude Markill Piezo). It weighs 91 grammes and packs easily into an aluminium pan alongside its fuel canister, leaving space for teabags, coffee sachets, bag of milk powder, spork, scourer etc. It cost a fortune at the time, but there are loads available now for a few tens of pounds. This arrangement, with one plate, one pan with lid, the cooker and two spoons, did for two of us for 1100 miles and 16 days of cycle camping.

 

[Amheirchion]

Thanks for the replies and the advice.
For sitting I was thinking along the lines of Kirstie, and getting a couple of those cheap sitting mats, as the options were to either get a wet ass or sit on my coat.
Soap is something I'll keep an eye out for, as will be the footprint. Although, I have just had a thought, that I might be able to hack up my old £10 bought for festivals tent that my Mother made me take from her house to declutter the place. Something worth investigating perhaps.

The panniers will be going back today for a refund hopefully, and the money can go towards something better.

 

[lowrider73]

You can get the Thermarest chairs which fit into the Thermarest mats.
I have the Trangia gas converter, I can recommend it, very powerful piece of kit.
I, also have a chopping board. Again handy to have.
Trangia do a non-stick fry-pan/lid.
Invest in Ortlieb panniers, imho, the best.
I got a cheap pvc tarp from B&Q, about a £5, just cut to the size of the tent.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

You can also use those folding three legged stools for sitting, they don't weigh much and strap to the top of a pannier (or the bottom of a rucksack, which is what we did for our Offa's Dyke walk a few years back). I can only sit for so long on the ground with crossed legs, especially after a day on the bike.
Thermarests are fine, but they're vulnerable to punctures in a way that expanded foam roll mats aren't.

 

[Amheirchion]

I have a pair of Carradice Carradry panniers that performed wonderfully, so we'll be looking for something to compliment those. Current thinking is to get something tough but not to worry too much about the waterproofness of the new ones as anything that needs to stay dry can be packed into the Carradry's.

How easy is the Trangia gas converter? If memory serves Pip's Trangia set has the hole for it ready. Is it worth sticking with the one brand/system?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Altura panniers are pretty good. As for your Trangia ... I've used a Sigg equivalent for years and never felt the need to use anything other than the meths burner it came with.

 

[lowrider73]

How easy is the Trangia gas converter? If memory serves Pip's Trangia set has the hole for it ready. Is it worth sticking with the one brand/system?

Pretty straight forward. first the gas cable go's through the hole in the cooker unit, then the gas converter fits into the hole, in place of the meth's burner, in which there is a click-in clip. The flame is controlled by a gas valve. These converter's are made by Primus for Trangia. Mine is the 27, but should work for the 25.

 

[Ticktockmy]

Well done a lot of people would not even think of doing what you did, mind your timeline was a bit compressed. Your first cold shivering night is a learning point, as it make you look more closely to your Gear for future what you require for winter camping adventures.

Best to look at the Backpack level of camping equipment, ok it can be expensive, but the wieght of backpacking equipment is really low these days, and compacts down small which will fit easly into just two panniers.
Once again well done, and welcome to the Cycle-packing world