Turning bike upside down to support a tarp?

[pwa]

My wife and I did experience damp feet in the morning after a rainy light left loads of condensation in our tent, and our down bags did not feel great to wake up in. We abandoned camping the next night and sought out a caravan for hire so we could dry stuff. That's why, neat though it is, a bivvy seems to me to have drawbacks.

My down bag is old and doesn't claim any water resistance, so that could be an area for upgrading. But when I wear Goretex as a jacket it does get clammy on the inside sometimes. So having something like that on the outside of a bag could itself lead to dampness inside.

Compared to condensation, rain is less of a problem.

[pwa]

duplicate post.

[ EDIT : Graham : There is a DELETE button available over to the top right. It has an "X" label and a float-over label "delete".

You can delete your own duplicates as long as nobody else has posted afterwards. ]

[hamster]

I regularly use an Alpkit Hunka bivvy and their small tarp. Packs almost in a pocket.

Doesn't your sleeping bag get wet with condensation inside a bivvy?

I slept in a Hunka last Friday night under a canopy on tarmac on a piece of cardboard. It rained solidly from 0300 and there was no condensation at all at 0700.

[1982john]

I regularly use an Alpkit Hunka bivvy and their small tarp. Packs almost in a pocket.

Doesn't your sleeping bag get wet with condensation inside a bivvy?

I slept in a Hunka last Friday night under a canopy on tarmac on a piece of cardboard. It rained solidly from 0300 and there was no condensation at all at 0700.

Nice. My mate tours with bubblewrap as a camping mat. Never tried it myself but it looks light.

[hamster]

I would emphasise it was to raise money for a homeless charity and not for recreation! If for fun I would have found somewhere in the woods where the ground was softer.

However, I was impressed with the Hunka in such conditions. I also found that a cardboard box over the head is excellent for warmth, by the way.

[pwa]

I would emphasise it was to raise money for a homeless charity and not for recreation! If for fun I would have found somewhere in the woods where the ground was softer.

However, I was impressed with the Hunka in such conditions. I also found that a cardboard box over the head is excellent for warmth, by the way.

Didn't like to say, but I had assumed you were having alcohol related issues

[hamster]

Didn't like to say, but I had assumed you were having alcohol related issues

[Gattonero]

what a hassle? just take a couple of alloy poles with you?

Is putting the bike upside down such a hassle?
And you've missed my post earlier on: the bike frame is immensely stronger than tent poles, the fabric of the tarp is less stressed (due to the wide area of contact from soft tyres), and your bike is protected. It's a win-win-win for me.

[Gattonero]

I quite agree. My home made carbon poles are 60g total (900mm each). It's about the same as a bag of crisps.
Bike-suppoted tarps have to be bigger and therefore weigh more...negating the savings on poles.

For a start, this way is all about semplicity and keeping the cost down: you will use any square tarp, and that can be found at reasonable prices.
And see above about the strength of the whole structure: I too make my own poles, and two 120cm poles (I like to have some room!) are going to be close to 150gr...