Jem
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Post by Jem on Nov 22, 2020 21:09:44 GMT
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Post by franco on Nov 22, 2020 21:28:42 GMT
I like watching Hippyswifts channel on YouTube, he does a lot of wild camping and has some great videos and tips.
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Post by wheelson on Nov 22, 2020 23:28:47 GMT
Thanks for the tent posts. I’ve used a bivy tent in the past for a weeklong trip on the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal path in Pennsylvania/Maryland/DC. Thought those days were over, but Mrs.W and I will be doing some bike camping with son, daughter-in-law, and grandson in the Spring. Time for a gear update. All suggestions appreciated as well. Best, John “wheelson” |
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Post by brianbutler on Nov 23, 2020 0:54:00 GMT
Thanks for moving this thread. Last year I bought a Big Agnes 2-person backpacking tent and used it on two short bike trips. It was very light (less that 3 pounds) and was pretty comfortable for one person. For two it was OK but no room for much else. Unfortunately, very early in the second trip I woke to see a gaping hole in the screen where it had separated from the seam along the top of the door. This just occurred spontaneously. I returned that tent, which I had purchased on clearance and was no longer available, so I bought an REI Quarter Dome SL-2, which I see is also no longer available but the specs are still online. REI is a large outdoor retailer in North America that private-labels a variety of gear. Their quality is generally very good. I have not yet used this tent except in my back yard for test purposes. The layout is much better for two people and the construction seems more robust.
For the 4-day, 130 mile Petit Train du Nord trip I mentioned, we plan to stay in B&B's along the trail. For solo trips I will use the tent most of the time.
Last summer I took a 13-day trip while my better half was in Wales on a horticultural tour. My strategy was to drive to a hub location every few days and set up camp, then do day rides of 50-60 miles. For that I used a larger 4-person tent and full-size camping equipment for a home away from home. During that trip I did a three-day loop around the north end of Lake Champlain (Vermont and New York) using panniers the lightweight tent and other gear.
I have a few bikepacking routes planned that will start at my home and take four or five days.
Brian
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Post by wheelson on Nov 23, 2020 1:42:36 GMT
Thanks for moving this thread. Last year I bought a Big Agnes 2-person backpacking tent and used it on two short bike trips. It was very light (less that 3 pounds) and was pretty comfortable for one person. For two it was OK but no room for much else. Unfortunately, very early in the second trip I woke to see a gaping hole in the screen where it had separated from the seam along the top of the door. This just occurred spontaneously. I returned that tent, which I had purchased on clearance and was no longer available, so I bought an REI Quarter Dome SL-2, which I see is also no longer available but the specs are still online. REI is a large outdoor retailer in North America that private-labels a variety of gear. Their quality is generally very good. I have not yet used this tent except in my back yard for test purposes. The layout is much better for two people and the construction seems more robust.
For the 4-day, 130 mile Petit Train du Nord trip I mentioned, we plan to stay in B&B's along the trail. For solo trips I will use the tent most of the time.
Last summer I took a 13-day trip while my better half was in Wales on a horticultural tour. My strategy was to drive to a hub location every few days and set up camp, then do day rides of 50-60 miles. For that I used a larger 4-person tent and full-size camping equipment for a home away from home. During that trip I did a three-day loop around the north end of Lake Champlain (Vermont and New York) using panniers the lightweight tent and other gear.
I have a few bikepacking routes planned that will start at my home and take four or five days.
Brian
Good post. Sounds like you have a plan. I’m hoping Canada opens back up before I get too old to do a ride there. We were in Nova Scotia September 2018 and we did some rail trail riding near the infamous Oak Island. Not a lot of riding due to health issues, drove the Cabot Trail around Cape Breton, now THAT would be an epic ride. I’m hoping for a couple of good years after the next procedure this week. Best, John “wheelson” |
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Post by brianbutler on Nov 23, 2020 3:35:23 GMT
Good post. Sounds like you have a plan. I’m hoping Canada opens back up before I get too old to do a ride there. We were in Nova Scotia September 2018 and we did some rail trail riding near the infamous Oak Island. Not a lot of riding due to health issues, drove the Cabot Trail around Cape Breton, now THAT would be an epic ride. I’m hoping for a couple of good years after the next procedure this week. Best, John “wheelson” The Cabot Trail would be a great ride. I was in Nova Scotia in 1978 but not since. At that time I did know someone who had cycled the Cabot Trail, which did not seem possible to me. Back then Nova Scotia was in serious decline and the population was emptying. There were few places to stay and almost nowhere to eat. My wife and I camped for a week and subsisted on hot dogs and beer. The car subsisted on Radiator Stop Leak. We were 24 years old so we could get away with it.
Good luck on the procedure.
Brian
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Jem
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Post by Jem on Nov 23, 2020 20:53:39 GMT
Thanks for moving this thread. Last year I bought a Big Agnes 2-person backpacking tent and used it on two short bike trips. It was very light (less that 3 pounds) and was pretty comfortable for one person. For two it was OK but no room for much else. Unfortunately, very early in the second trip I woke to see a gaping hole in the screen where it had separated from the seam along the top of the door. This just occurred spontaneously. I returned that tent, which I had purchased on clearance and was no longer available, so I bought an REI Quarter Dome SL-2, which I see is also no longer available but the specs are still online. REI is a large outdoor retailer in North America that private-labels a variety of gear. Their quality is generally very good. I have not yet used this tent except in my back yard for test purposes. The layout is much better for two people and the construction seems more robust.
For the 4-day, 130 mile Petit Train du Nord trip I mentioned, we plan to stay in B&B's along the trail. For solo trips I will use the tent most of the time.
Last summer I took a 13-day trip while my better half was in Wales on a horticultural tour. My strategy was to drive to a hub location every few days and set up camp, then do day rides of 50-60 miles. For that I used a larger 4-person tent and full-size camping equipment for a home away from home. During that trip I did a three-day loop around the north end of Lake Champlain (Vermont and New York) using panniers the lightweight tent and other gear.
I have a few bikepacking routes planned that will start at my home and take four or five days.
Brian
Interesting - I looked at the Big Agnes and have it on my short list. Yours pulling apart doesn't put me off, as it could have been just one of those things. I saw a nice REI 2-3 man dome on a uk campsite about 2 years ago. I chatted to the owner who had worked in Portland for a while and got it while there. Not enough make it to the UK to find themselves on the used market. The shipping and import exclude me looking at them. That 13 day trip sounds like great use of time while your better half was away. I am keeping myself going during the winter/covid lockdown with thoughts of a spring camping trip. I did a week cycle camp in Wales about 5 years ago. I took too much and consequently the cycling was hard. I'll see if I can find a picture of my fully laden bike. I have managed quite a few weight saving swap outs since then and can manage on much less now. My last item I swapped out my sleep mat.I found a second hand Sea to Summit Comfort sleep mat. Those things have gotten much lighter and smaller in the last 5 years. I always have in mind the holy grail of lightweight camping and hiking - light/cheap/quality. You can get 2 out of 3 in many items , but getting all 3 is a fruitless search, sometimes you really do get what you pay for. |
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Jem
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Post by Jem on Nov 23, 2020 21:07:45 GMT
This was a good little tent. The North Face Mica FL2 , weighed in at almost 3 llbs Problem was that the ground sheet only came up the side of the inner a few inches before it turned to mesh, and consequently it was very draughty in UK climate. Went to the Hay Book Festival and camped in it and had a bad couple of nights sleep with wind blowing across my face so cold I had to put a woolly hat on and pull it down over my nose. And that was late May. Other than that- Highly recommend  tumblr_mtn25yhAbh1spx2rno1_1280 by
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robt
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Post by robt on Nov 23, 2020 22:13:43 GMT
Here's my 'bike packing' tent - a Berghaus Peak 3.1 Pro. About 1.75kg (3.8lb) and just big enough for one person and a bagful of kit.  Rail trail bike trip by RMT@261, on Flickr It's stuffed into the bag on my rack here, as I made my way along the Great Victorian Rail Trail that runs between Tallarook, just north of Melbourne, and Mansfield, Victoria, Australia.  Rail trail bike trip by RMT@261, on Flickr  Rail trail bike trip by RMT@261, on Flickr I'm not a great cycle tourist, but this trip was my 'big birthday' treat last year, on my way to see my son in Sydney. It feels a very long way away just now....(see thread here for that viscountandlambert.boards.net/thread/1987/epic-adventure) |
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Post by brianbutler on Nov 23, 2020 23:17:33 GMT
Excellent trip, Robt.
Sooper8, you can't go wrong with North Face. Here is a photo of my setup on the bikepacking leg of my trip showing the Big Agnes tent. This is at a state park on an island in Lake Champlain, accessible via a bike trail causeway and 200 meter "bike ferry" ride. A link to the sleeping pad leaning against the tent is here:
Here is one of my "luxury" setups that I used as a hub for day trips. The screen house was a good banjo playing refuge from black flies and mosquitoes at this White Mountain National Forest campground in New Hampshire. I misspoke earlier when I mentioned a four man tent. This is a two man REI tent but too heavy for the bike.
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Post by wheelson on Nov 24, 2020 3:46:30 GMT
I had a North Face bivy bag some years ago, not much more than a glorified sleeping bag in size. When I did my weeklong trip on the Great Allegheny Passage/C&O Towpath, I used a Eureka Solitaire FG-1. Netting and entry front and top with a removeable rain fly. Not bad overall, not much in height at 2 ft., but the weight at 2 lb 10 oz was decent. The top zippered entry worked pretty well for an arthritic old-timer. eurekacamping.johnsonoutdoors.com/tents/backpacking/solitaire-fg-1-person-tent Unfortunately, this one has been discontinued and replaced by the Solitaire AL. I don't think it has the zippered top. For future trips with Mrs.W, a 2 person tent is in order so I am closely watching this thread. Best, John "wheelson" |
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Jem
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Post by Jem on Nov 24, 2020 8:34:03 GMT
I don't use this word very often , but that trip looks awesome Rob ! If you get chance post some more pics. Was time of year? What temperatures?
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Post by wheelson on Nov 24, 2020 12:25:20 GMT
I don't use this word very often , but that trip looks awesome Rob ! If you get chance post some more pics. Was time of year? What temperatures? Rob (and anyone else), yes, more photos please! It’s really great to be able to at least tour virtually in these times and plan for better times ahead. I still regret not visiting Australia at the end of my U.S. Army tour of Korea in 1974. I’m sure others have places of interest as well. Here’s to the day when we can again touch our wheels down in new and exciting places. Best, John “wheelson” |
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robt
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Post by robt on Nov 25, 2020 18:16:28 GMT
(See the new 'My Epic Adventure' thread for pictures from my Easter 2019 Australia trip. Please post descriptions and photos of your own adventures!)
I'll add my support for The North Face tents, having owned a 2-person Nebula for nearly 20 years,  nebula-300x300 by RMT@261, on Flickr and a six-berth Trailhead 6 for about 15 years.  24796_m by RMT@261, on Flickr The Nebula has had much more use (in my role as Assistant Cub Scout leader) than the 'family-sized' Trailhead 6, but I have found them both to be well designed and constructed from quality materials, including high-grade aluminium pole sets. Features on the Nebula that I particularly like are the double doors, enabling each occupant to have their own entry/exit point, and the elasticated blind over the triangular mesh roof section of the inner tent. The blind can be opened or closed by a cord at the apex of the roof to provide the 'just right' temperature on either warm or cold nights. At 3.5kg/7.7lbs, it's probably a bit heavy to strike, carry and pitch every day on a cycle tour, but it could make a sturdy base camp tent if you were cycling shortish distances to or between 'hub' sites and day touring from there, as Brian describes. The Trailhead 6 is way too big to even consider carrying on a bike, but provides very spacious accommodation for two if you are driving to a site to cycle from, as my brother and I did for DFR5 in Ledbury in June 2017. It has roll-down & clipped partitions at each end to provide a small degree of privacy, but no useful sound insulation (sorry, Vaughan!).  DFR 5 Ledbury by RMT@261, on Flickr Speaking of my Scouting connections, I recently saved this charming 'Bukta Peewit 4' from a clearout of our Scout Group's storage garages. Maybe next year's DFR will see it put to good use?  IMG_1147 by RMT@261, on Flickr
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Post by wheelson on Nov 25, 2020 19:25:53 GMT
Robt,
I have a bit of scouting experience, though not as a leader. My son was in Cub Scouts, and I once conducted a bike maintenance show and tell for his pack. Fast forward to about 2009 when I "retired" from my engineering career, the maintenance chief at one of our plants had been asking me to ride the Great Allegheny Passage/C&O Towpath for years and declared that I no longer had a reason to decline. He had two Boy Scout Troops and did an annual ride for their merit badges. I agreed to do the 330mi. ride as long as I could do it self-supported. Hence the aforementioned Eureka Solitaire FG-1, unaware of the reported tent pole snapping problem. No problems that trip, camping at commercial campgrounds, a field across from the YMCA, and a city park. Great ride, not quite an epic adventure, but impressed that I could keep up with the young guys and ride-seasoned Scout leaders.
Best,
John "wheelson"
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Post by franco on Nov 25, 2020 19:31:53 GMT
I don’t want to drag things off topic but on the past DFR have people camped near electrical points on campsites, or was it more wild camping?
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robt
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Post by robt on Nov 25, 2020 19:47:18 GMT
I don’t want to drag things off topic but on the past DFR have people camped near electrical points on campsites, or was it more wild camping? Franco, We’ve had the full range from totally self-reliant (packable gas stoves) right up to Whippet’s luxury motor home with water and electric hooked up. We’ve generally used sites that can offer both connected and basic pitches. We haven’t managed to pull a ‘residential’ DFR together for a few years now, but maybe our appetites to travel will be refreshed in 2021! |
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Post by robt on Nov 25, 2020 20:07:14 GMT
Robt, ...He had two Boy Scout Troops and did an annual ride for their merit badges. I agreed to do the 330mi. ride as long as I could do it self-supported... Great ride, not quite an epic adventure,... Best, John "wheelson" John, a self-supported 330 mile bike ride counts as an epic adventure every day in my book! |
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Post by franco on Nov 25, 2020 20:35:13 GMT
I don’t want to drag things off topic but on the past DFR have people camped near electrical points on campsites, or was it more wild camping? Franco, We’ve had the full range from totally self-reliant (packable gas stoves) right up to Whippet’s luxury motor home with water and electric hooked up. We’ve generally used sites that can offer both connected and basic pitches. We haven’t managed to pull a ‘residential’ DFR together for a few years now, but maybe our appetites to travel will be refreshed in 2021! Thanks Rob, I’d certainly like to participate if it happens but my days of wild camping are over as I have to use a CPAP machine to sleep so would need power. Failing that I could drive down for a day ride and drive back home later in the evening if possible. Completely agree as well, if this year has taught us anything it’s we need to make the effort to do things we enjoy in the future  |
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Post by brianbutler on Nov 25, 2020 22:24:32 GMT
This talk of camping and touring has put me in a high state of anticipation. I hope things work out to make it possible next year. I think this is the first year in at least 50 that I haven't slept in a sleeping bag or tent. I might pitch the tent in the back yard just for continuity. I mentioned a bike ferry that I used last summer. There was a rail line built on a causeway across part of Lake Champlain. Just before reaching Grand Isle, there was a swing bridge spanning a hundred meters or so. When the railroad was abandoned the bridge was removed, hence the need for a ferry on the bike trail. Here is a short video showing the causeway portion of the bike trail and the ferry. Another cool fact is that the riprap and ballast for the causeway are made of scrap marble from the many quarries in Vermont.
Brian
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Jem
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Post by Jem on Dec 14, 2020 19:51:15 GMT
I've got this tent coming in the post this week. Second hand off ebay. It looks like a great 2 man hike tent when we split the weight between us. The vestibule sold it to me - great for getting your boots off and putting bags in, and cooking when it's raining. Not the lightest at 6lb, but I couldn't resist. Only used twice in dry weather I need to let another one go to make space for it www.rei.com/product/779039/the-north-face-big-fat-frog-24-tent |
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Post by brianbutler on Dec 14, 2020 22:03:15 GMT
Nice tent, sooper8.
Brian
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Post by franco on Dec 14, 2020 22:14:59 GMT
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Jem
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Post by Jem on Dec 15, 2020 13:31:52 GMT
I mentioned a bike ferry that I used last summer. There was a rail line built on a causeway across part of Lake Champlain. Just before reaching Grand Isle, there was a swing bridge spanning a hundred meters or so. When the railroad was abandoned the bridge was removed, hence the need for a ferry on the bike trail. Here is a short video showing the causeway portion of the bike trail and the ferry. Another cool fact is that the riprap and ballast for the causeway are made of scrap marble from the many quarries in Vermont.
Brian
That video is selling it to me, sign me up...it looks idyllic , I'd love to be there right now doing that! |
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