dinneR ★ Posted March 28, 2021 Share #1 Posted March 28, 2021 Preferences anyone? I have an off-road bikepacking trip planned soon and a week of mt biking planned afterward. I only want to take one bike so I am taking my mt bike. We could carry a tent or bivy sacks. We'll be camping at 7,000 ft in the desert. Bivy sacks are smaller, lighter, and easier to carry. I could carry a tent like this. The roads look like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen ★ Posted March 28, 2021 Share #2 Posted March 28, 2021 When I hiked the AT I used both and even with the weight and size penalties I greatly preferred the comfort of the tent. You can keep your boots/shoes in the tent so they don’t get wet. But more than anything, you can sit up in a tent and light a candle lantern. Flat on your back, stuck in a bivy, during a long, driving rain just sucks. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikeguy Posted March 28, 2021 Share #3 Posted March 28, 2021 Years ago... I bike camped. We used a tent. Now I use motels. I had a seat post mounted pannier rack to hold the tent and other stuff. And a handle bar bag. Both were very easy to remove for the bike. That way you can ride the MTB without the extra gear attached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Silly Posted March 28, 2021 Share #4 Posted March 28, 2021 When faced with the choice of a tent or bivy sack, I'll choose a motel. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Kosciuszko Posted March 28, 2021 Share #5 Posted March 28, 2021 4 hours ago, Allen said: When I hiked the AT OK, I'm duly impressed! 4 hours ago, denniS said: Preferences anyone? The way I go about it, I have a strong suspicion that any preferences I might express regarding camping gear would without question result in you bringing twice as much as you need. That said, I can recommend a stove that will fail when you try to light it after you've gone through all the trouble of seeing up camp. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team scooter Posted March 28, 2021 Share #6 Posted March 28, 2021 I cant sleep on the ground anymore, so I was going to suggest a hammock tent instead to get you up off the ground. Then I saw the treeless first pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen ★ Posted March 28, 2021 Share #7 Posted March 28, 2021 21 minutes ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said: OK, I'm duly impressed! Gap year between boarding school and college. Flew to Maine and walked home. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Kosciuszko Posted March 28, 2021 Share #8 Posted March 28, 2021 15 minutes ago, Allen said: Flew to Maine Good heavens! Now I'm even more impressed! Didn't your arms get tired? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted March 28, 2021 Share #9 Posted March 28, 2021 I prefer tent amd will put up with a bit of extra weight in the day to be more comfortable at night. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 29, 2021 Share #10 Posted March 29, 2021 Tents have better options to ventilate, so I would choose that. Rolling over in bed would be easier, too. I think. I have never had a bivy sack, please keep this in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisL Posted March 29, 2021 Share #11 Posted March 29, 2021 I’m not really all that knowledgeable on the matter but do wonder where/how does a sleeping bag fit into this? If you have a tent do you also bring a bivy sack to sleep in? Or with a bivy sack do you also need a sleeping bag. I know the age old question in the military was what to bring. Sometimes we just brought a poncho liner & rolled up in that to sleep. Less fuss & muss and if you only have a few hours to rack out you don’t want to mess with a tent & bag. But it’s not as comfortable as a sleeping bag in a tent. But we were so freaking tired it didn’t matter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen ★ Posted March 29, 2021 Share #12 Posted March 29, 2021 20 minutes ago, ChrisL said: Or with a bivy sack do you also need a sleeping bag. This A bivy is basically a coffin shaped tent. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinneR ★ Posted March 29, 2021 Author Share #13 Posted March 29, 2021 This is my bivy. It's the Marmot alpinist bivy. I will attach my sleeping bag to the handlebar. We'll be using 20F bags, sleeping at 7000 ft so it could be cold. We won't die, but it could get uncomfortable. My GF has three bivy sacks. One is gortex, one is for big walls(think about sleeping on El Cap attached to the wall) and one is minimalist. Bivy sacks are light and easy to carry. That tent is a little sketchy on my bike. I have attached it using a couple of junk straps and squished it with Voile straps. Duct tape might work better. I tried to attach my Salsa anything cradle and my handlebar and the bar is too big. I might just duct tape everything to the bike and call it good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrAzY Posted March 29, 2021 Share #14 Posted March 29, 2021 Ok.. here is my thought.. not like y’all care.. tents are good for certain thing like clamping out of a car or smaller hikes. If you want to shed the weight, go with the bivy for sure.. it packs down smaller and better for storage. I personally have a hammock with burnet I like to carry for longer outback hikes and even sheds the weight more. I think my one week setup is weighing in at 28lbs now. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 29, 2021 Share #15 Posted March 29, 2021 @KrAzYv is the light weight guy. I am a tent guy and it does add 3 pounds to your load over a bivy or hammock. I use a Alps Lynx 1. Plenty of room for person with room for gear in the vestibule. Packs down to about 18" long and 5" across. Weighs about 4 lbs. I strap mine to the side of my back pack. Here is a pic of one on the lfeft. It is not mine, on a bike packing trip. If set up and guyed out properly it is not baggy like that. I would also not carry a blue tarp as a ground cloth and then leave it outside my fly to gather water and make a pool under my tent. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinneR ★ Posted March 29, 2021 Author Share #16 Posted March 29, 2021 This is our tent. Mostly, I'm curious if this will hold off-road. I might take it down some gravel roads to test it. Our mt bike trails won't be rideable until May or June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrAzY Posted March 29, 2021 Share #17 Posted March 29, 2021 I’m using my Kelty in the bed of my truck right now.. 😂 it be a 5lb one person SOB!!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted March 29, 2021 Share #18 Posted March 29, 2021 I vote for a tent. But really, if you are sweating the extra pound or two, and the complexity of carrying it on the bike, then the bivy works and has worked for countless folks. It does seem unlikely that you will need to worry about keeping stuff in the tent, and your group may not want to spend too much time sleeping, so a tent may be "wasted" in this case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinneR ★ Posted March 29, 2021 Author Share #19 Posted March 29, 2021 57 minutes ago, Razors Edge said: I vote for a tent. But really, if you are sweating the extra pound or two, and the complexity of carrying it on the bike, then the bivy works and has worked for countless folks. It does seem unlikely that you will need to worry about keeping stuff in the tent, and your group may not want to spend too much time sleeping, so a tent may be "wasted" in this case. I'm not worried about weight. I've bikepacked with this tent before. I am more worried about it staying put in my frame with a couple of junk straps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted March 29, 2021 Share #20 Posted March 29, 2021 9 minutes ago, denniS said: I am more worried about it staying put in my frame with a couple of junk straps. New straps!!! But, like I wrote, if you guys are really just ride, hit the sack, get up early, ride some more, then the bivy seems the simplest solution. If you want a bit more space for stuff plus the ability to move around in the night easily, the tent wins. If the tent wins, figure out a way to strap it better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtyhip Posted March 29, 2021 Share #21 Posted March 29, 2021 Tent. I am not sleeping alone and we need more space. No reason to carry two "houses." <=== if we were to bike tour. We use our camper for most wild place camping. We really enjoy the comforts. The thing we don't enjoy about bike touring is that you can't easily ride downhill very fast cause of all the crap you are carrying. You can't lower the seat as low as you want. Even with good soft bags, it is challenging. Additionally, we have an extensive tool kit and you can't carry that on a bike. It's just a different style of riding touring vs single track schralp. If people like carrying everything on th bike, good on them. Just isn't as fun IMHO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 29, 2021 Share #22 Posted March 29, 2021 27 minutes ago, denniS said: I'm not worried about weight. I've bikepacked with this tent before. I am more worried about it staying put in my frame with a couple of junk straps. get two good straps to wrap around bag to compress it and then two more straps to strap compressed bag to frame. Or break down the tent into components. Stuff the tent and fly into a stuff sack and compress and but in pannier or back pack etc. and just strap the tent poles to the bike frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinneR ★ Posted March 29, 2021 Author Share #23 Posted March 29, 2021 19 minutes ago, Razors Edge said: New straps!!! But, like I wrote, if you guys are really just ride, hit the sack, get up early, ride some more, then the bivy seems the simplest solution. If you want a bit more space for stuff plus the ability to move around in the night easily, the tent wins. If the tent wins, figure out a way to strap it better. Junk straps are the bomb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinneR ★ Posted March 29, 2021 Author Share #24 Posted March 29, 2021 5 minutes ago, jsharr said: get two good straps to wrap around bag to compress it and then two more straps to strap compressed bag to frame. Or break down the tent into components. Stuff the tent and fly into a stuff sack and compress and but in pannier or back pack etc. and just strap the tent poles to the bike frame. I've compressed it with two Voile straps and then strapped it to the bike with two junk straps. I'll take it for a ride down some gravel roads to see how it holds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinneR ★ Posted March 29, 2021 Author Share #25 Posted March 29, 2021 32 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said: Tent. I am not sleeping alone and we need more space. No reason to carry two "houses." <=== if we were to bike tour. We use our camper for most wild place camping. We really enjoy the comforts. The thing we don't enjoy about bike touring is that you can't easily ride downhill very fast cause of all the crap you are carrying. You can't lower the seat as low as you want. Even with good soft bags, it is challenging. Additionally, we have an extensive tool kit and you can't carry that on a bike. It's just a different style of riding touring vs single track schralp. If people like carrying everything on th bike, good on them. Just isn't as fun IMHO. The goal of bikepacking is to find places like this. We will have the rest of the week to ride singletrack unencumbered. This bikepacking trip is just an overnighter that we had planned last year before the pandemic through a wrench into everything. We are planning a 200 mile singletrack hut trip this summer. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtyhip Posted March 29, 2021 Share #26 Posted March 29, 2021 47 minutes ago, denniS said: The goal of bikepacking is to find places like this. We will have the rest of the week to ride singletrack unencumbered. This bikepacking trip is just an overnighter that we had planned last year before the pandemic through a wrench into everything. We are planning a 200 mile singletrack hut trip this summer. Looks pretty. Enjoy the journey. I found the bike packing a journey into the uncomfortable and problematic. I might change my mind someday. We did enjoy some credit card camp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Kosciuszko Posted March 29, 2021 Share #27 Posted March 29, 2021 1 hour ago, denniS said: Junk straps are the bomb. I have to admit I would have never thought of strapping my helmet to a banana like that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinneR ★ Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share #28 Posted March 30, 2021 I took the bike for a ride. The straps held the tent in place very well. I rode over washboard and potholes on a gravel road. It's gold. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digital_photog ★ Posted March 30, 2021 Share #29 Posted March 30, 2021 I would use a tent. There are lighter tents than mine (3lb 1oz) I have and use both for different purposes. About the only time I use a bivy any more is for sled dog races. Many just use a sleeping bag but I like the bivy to keep the bag dry. I used a tent on most of my AT hike in 1975 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted March 30, 2021 Share #30 Posted March 30, 2021 12 hours ago, denniS said: I took the bike for a ride. The straps held the tent in place very well. I rode over washboard and potholes on a gravel road. It's gold. In a bivy, you might wake up to that herd standing on your head!!!! A tent will at least make you seem like a large boulder, not just a rock on the ground. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinneR ★ Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share #31 Posted March 30, 2021 14 minutes ago, Razors Edge said: In a bivy, you might wake up to that herd standing on your head!!!! A tent will at least make you seem like a large boulder, not just a rock on the ground. I was backpacking in the Hoh and an entire herd of Roosevelt elk came through our campsite. Hoof prints everywhere just next to my tent. I slept through the entire thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 30, 2021 Share #32 Posted March 30, 2021 19 minutes ago, denniS said: I was backpacking in the Hoh and an entire herd of Roosevelt elk came through our campsite. Hoof prints everywhere just next to my tent. I slept through the entire thing. I can't tell you how many times I have camped and had animal prints in the campsite. I am sure you have had many more than me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted March 30, 2021 Share #33 Posted March 30, 2021 1 minute ago, Randomguy said: I can't tell you how many times I have camped and had animal prints in the campsite. Why not? Is it a secret? Are you hiding something? How can you expect denniS to trust you if you won't come clean with what you know?!?!?!? WTF???? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 30, 2021 Share #34 Posted March 30, 2021 13 hours ago, denniS said: I took the bike for a ride. The straps held the tent in place very well. I rode over washboard and potholes on a gravel road. It's gold. picture of animals goes here another picture goes here Excellent news! How did the banana strapped to your helmet fare? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 30, 2021 Share #35 Posted March 30, 2021 10 minutes ago, Razors Edge said: Why not? Is it a secret? You need to know the handshake, then I can spill! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted March 30, 2021 Share #36 Posted March 30, 2021 4 minutes ago, Randomguy said: You need to know the handshake, then I can spill! I KNOW WHERE YOUR HANDS HAVE BEEN!!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 30, 2021 Share #37 Posted March 30, 2021 9 minutes ago, Randomguy said: You need to know the handshake, then I can spill! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinneR ★ Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share #38 Posted March 30, 2021 50 minutes ago, jsharr said: Excellent news! How did the banana strapped to your helmet fare? I am going to need more straps. I have decided to give up cycling jerseys with their pockets and just strap everything to my bike and body. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 30, 2021 Share #39 Posted March 30, 2021 6 minutes ago, denniS said: I am going to need more straps. I have decided to give up cycling jerseys with their pockets and just strap everything to my bike and body. Is this your new kit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinneR ★ Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share #40 Posted March 30, 2021 27 minutes ago, jsharr said: Is this your new kit? You are dead to me. Somebody needs to break your google. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 30, 2021 Share #41 Posted March 30, 2021 1 minute ago, denniS said: You are dead to me. Somebody needs to break your google. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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