Question on tarps and bivvys

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pjclinch
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by pjclinch »

Tangled Metal wrote:I've had bad midge encounters with tents. I've yet to find a safe way to use a stove in a tent. I know it's possible with hanging it but tbh who's going to do that in the UK? You're going to encounter midges with tents too.


This is part of what porches are for. If it has mesh covered vents even better. Even when the porches themselves are "infected" I find that a good stable stove (e.g., not one which balances on top of a gas can) can be sat in the porch and interactions made reasonably easily by unzipping the mesh inner door along its base and getting at the stove inna fume-cupboard stylee.

Tangled Metal wrote:The trick is to camp away from midges.


Well there goes the west coast of Scotland as a destination...

One thing about camping in midge terrain in summer is take the opposite line on shelter than you would in winter. You want to maximise wind exposure, unless it's already blowing a hoolie and not looking like changing.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
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meic
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by meic »

Seriously though, pitch to avoid midges

Doing this would over ride all the other considerations of life.
If you are camping in campsites then you are stuck on that campsite, with or without midges.
If you are wild camping you can only move on to a better potential site so many times before you have to give up, it isnt just midges that you have to consider when picking a place.
Sometimes your whole route is a midge fest, I remember when riding the French canals you had to remember to cook tea before the midges came out and then to ride through the midgy hours, then to erect the tent and sleep.
Yma o Hyd
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Yes pick your pitch carefully.
Most of my camping was walking.
3 miles is over an hour walking, cycling a fifth of that.
For me I know when I am stopping / dropping and normally just as it gets dark :)

What was the OP's question...............well take a tent and leave the doors open :)
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
Tangled Metal
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by Tangled Metal »

The trick is to pick your time to go there. Many happy trips to Western Scotland without any midge issue. Knoydart was particularly nice. Amazing encounter with deer so close I could almost touch them with a tarp pole. Weather so nice I slept on my bivvy bag without the tarp. All may early June time. Skye in glorious sunshine all week.

Then July by bike round mull and other areas was wet, midge infested hell with a tent and the large porch to cook in. Best night was a stormy one on mull right on the coast where the sensible midge was cowering from the wind like we were. A few ripped up pegs but we survived.

BTW tarps can be surprisingly sturdy in strong winds. Seen the imprint of the face of a hilleberg user once from the shelter of my tarp on a very stormy night atop a cumbrian fell. It's the skill of the user whether you get a good night sleep at times. Picking a good pitch is a skill learnt by experience IMHO.
1982john
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by 1982john »

Great advice everyone!

I'm going to give it a shot. A friend on Twitter mentioned that using things like park benches can come in handy.
Tangled Metal
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by Tangled Metal »

Crags in the fells too. I've got a secret spot I've meant to try out for a few years now but never got the time. It's on the top of a hill on what looks like a large boulder/outcrop. You can walk right past it (and will if you're going to the summit) without noticing a tarp even a tent. There's a good few inches of good soil to peg into and I think you'll get two tents on it. A rocky wall one side and a good view on three others. A bit of a lip on the three more open sides.

Another spot I saw was on an island in a tarn but it has sunk like Atlantis with only the dead sapling poking out of the water.

I. Like unusual pitches.
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nick12
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by nick12 »

You can also make a tent out of the tarp I carry a 120cm 4section pole in my jungle hammock setup and some times make a tipi style tent. Hope the picture uploads. My first try.
This year at my regular camp which I use often on a weekend the mozzys have been un bearable and I've had to find a different pitch out of the woods. Tarps are so light and a basic hammock too that I often take them along with the tent on weekend rides giving endless options and locations to set up camp.
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Tangled Metal
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by Tangled Metal »

I call my favourite pitch a cave pitch. Something similar. A single pole at front in the middle creating a triangular entrance. The rear is pegged to the ground one attachment point in from the corners at the other with the corners tucked in. Then peg out the sides. Add an external pole as a lifter from one of the central loops that are designed for a ridge line pitch. That gives feet room and storage.

I've slept through some very nasty storms in it. Pitch low for wind or higher for better weather and headroom.
sbcoombs
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by sbcoombs »

Get a hopped bivvy with a sewn in net to keep the critters out. I use an Outdoor Research Helium.
I use s tarp for protection from rain and dew. It can either be tied between trees or tied over the bike using 2 small poles.
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Gattonero
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by Gattonero »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
When a new idea is heavier than a tent its not practical.
I like my bike but don't want to sleep so close as to kiss the drive train.

Edited-
You only need one bad midge encounter to convert to a full mesh enclosure.


All you need is a 3x3mt tarp to form a shelter with plenty of room to be reasonably far from the drivetrain. also, I'd assume you'd be smart enough to sleep the opposite side of the chain :wink:
Then a mosquito-net can be found for cheap and the whole thing with the tarp is well under 1kg
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
Tangled Metal
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by Tangled Metal »

Under a kilo and a lot more internal space for us tall people. I don't actually fit into a sub kilo tent. I've tried a few out and they reach those low weights by a reduced, usable length. It's partly what led me to trying out a tarp.
willem jongman
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by willem jongman »

This is not about midges, but about cooking in a tent as discussed in some posts. I want to remind people that this can be dangerous, and not just because of the obvious fire risk. Many stoves produce worrying levels of carbon monoxide, as has been measured in various test on Backpacking Light. The differences between stoves were huge, with some popular models exhibiting really dangerous levels. And indeed, there are examples of people getting killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in tents.
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Sweep
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by Sweep »

willem jongman wrote:This is not about midges, but about cooking in a tent as discussed in some posts. I want to remind people that this can be dangerous, and not just because of the obvious fire risk. Many stoves produce worrying levels of carbon monoxide, as has been measured in various test on Backpacking Light. The differences between stoves were huge, with some popular models exhibiting really dangerous levels. And indeed, there are examples of people getting killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in tents.

Excellent point. Always amazed that folk even consider it, or talk about some tents being better for cooking in. Hell if the weather's too bad for cooking, retire tom the tent with some snacks and some wine/beer. After a day's cycling it will still be delicious. Then if in the UK and it's still bad weather cycle to a spoons for a nice breakfast.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
What make is the hooped bivvy?
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
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meic
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Re: Question on tarps and bivvys

Post by meic »

Sweep wrote:
willem jongman wrote:This is not about midges, but about cooking in a tent as discussed in some posts. I want to remind people that this can be dangerous, and not just because of the obvious fire risk. Many stoves produce worrying levels of carbon monoxide, as has been measured in various test on Backpacking Light. The differences between stoves were huge, with some popular models exhibiting really dangerous levels. And indeed, there are examples of people getting killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in tents.

Excellent point. Always amazed that folk even consider it, or talk about some tents being better for cooking in. Hell if the weather's too bad for cooking, retire tom the tent with some snacks and some wine/beer. After a day's cycling it will still be delicious. Then if in the UK and it's still bad weather cycle to a spoons for a nice breakfast.

We cycle on roads with cars driving past our elbows at 60mph.
We swim in water which is deep enough to drown in.
We handle chainsaws.
Its just another thing which has a potential to harm you if you make a mistake.
Yma o Hyd
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