What should we have in our bunkhouse

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Paulatic
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Re: What should we have in our bunkhouse

Post by Paulatic »

bretonbikes wrote:
Paulatic wrote:
PhilWhitehurst wrote:The difference between a good and bad bunkhouse comes to the fore when you arrive in bad weather.

Can I get out of my wet and potentially muddy kit off whilst out of the weather?
Can I put my bike somewhere safe out of the weather?
Can I get a hot shower no matter how many before have had one?
Is there somewhere where my kit will dry by the morning no matter all the other wet kit there?
Is the bunkhouse warm and cozy or cold and draughty?
Is there a kitchen area to prepare a hot meal as i don't fancy going back out in the bad weather?
Is there a hot chocolate machine and / or a machine I can buy some to make a hot drink?
Is the bed nice and comfortable with a large duvet or extra blankets to keep warm?
Is there a communal area I can relax my weary bones with a book?
Am I welcome if I arrive late due to poor weather?

Wayfarers in Penrith ticks all those boxes :D free wifi too


Our new bunkhouse has all those but one - and it's a killer - a way of drying clothes. I'm not a fan of tumble driers in such places (noisy and hardly 'ecological') but without an old fashioned boiler room it's not easy. Maybe a dedicated radiator with hanger over it (thinking aloud here !). I did buy one of those centrifuge spinners which is good enough to make wet lycra or a fleece wearable but cotton just is too damp.

Any ideas welcome...

Wayfarers has an understair cupboard fitted with slatted shelves and hangers and a dehumidifier in there. So cosy I could live in that cupboard. :lol:
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foxyrider
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Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 10:25am
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: What should we have in our bunkhouse

Post by foxyrider »

bretonbikes wrote:
Paulatic wrote:
PhilWhitehurst wrote:The difference between a good and bad bunkhouse comes to the fore when you arrive in bad weather.

Can I get out of my wet and potentially muddy kit off whilst out of the weather?
Can I put my bike somewhere safe out of the weather?
Can I get a hot shower no matter how many before have had one?
Is there somewhere where my kit will dry by the morning no matter all the other wet kit there?
Is the bunkhouse warm and cozy or cold and draughty?
Is there a kitchen area to prepare a hot meal as i don't fancy going back out in the bad weather?
Is there a hot chocolate machine and / or a machine I can buy some to make a hot drink?
Is the bed nice and comfortable with a large duvet or extra blankets to keep warm?
Is there a communal area I can relax my weary bones with a book?
Am I welcome if I arrive late due to poor weather?

Wayfarers in Penrith ticks all those boxes :D free wifi too


Our new bunkhouse has all those but one - and it's a killer - a way of drying clothes. I'm not a fan of tumble driers in such places (noisy and hardly 'ecological') but without an old fashioned boiler room it's not easy. Maybe a dedicated radiator with hanger over it (thinking aloud here !). I did buy one of those centrifuge spinners which is good enough to make wet lycra or a fleece wearable but cotton just is too damp.

Any ideas welcome...


Dehumidifiers? And of course an airy hanging space which could even be outside (but under cover of course).

IME most kit will dry out over night even in a tent providing the humidty is fairly low. The problem with a lot of 'drying' rooms is that they can end up like saunas, stuff just doesn't dry at that point.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
bretonbikes
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Re: What should we have in our bunkhouse

Post by bretonbikes »

Dehumidifier sounds cool;-)

Actually I've a drying rack knocking about somewhere. That's the great thing about this forum - it gets you THINKING!
38 years of cycletouring, 33 years of running cycling holidays, 8 years of running a campsite for cyclists - there's a pattern here...
JakobW
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Joined: 9 Jun 2014, 1:26pm
Location: The glorious West Midlands

Re: What should we have in our bunkhouse

Post by JakobW »

One of these: https://www.lakeland.co.uk/25597/Dry%3A ... fer-Bundle ? We've got the smaller model at home and it's great; depending on how much you're drying you may want a dehumidifier as well, but I'd have thought that's still more eco-friendly than a tumble drier...
bretonbikes
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Re: What should we have in our bunkhouse

Post by bretonbikes »

JakobW wrote:One of these: https://www.lakeland.co.uk/25597/Dry%3A ... fer-Bundle ? We've got the smaller model at home and it's great; depending on how much you're drying you may want a dehumidifier as well, but I'd have thought that's still more eco-friendly than a tumble drier...


Brilliant thanks;-)
38 years of cycletouring, 33 years of running cycling holidays, 8 years of running a campsite for cyclists - there's a pattern here...
rfryer
Posts: 809
Joined: 7 Feb 2013, 3:58pm

Re: What should we have in our bunkhouse

Post by rfryer »

The perfect item for the job is a drying cabinet, such as this. I'm staying in Finland at the moment, and every cabin has one fitted. It's great for drying wet gear after a day's skiing, as well as drying the washing.

Unfortunately, they are like hen's teeth in the UK.
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