Can’t have too many guy points

Would you have to take that pole with you on the bike to put up the Rig 7 as you have it pictured, or is there a configuration that uses the bike?

I must admit, I looked quite seriously at the Rig 7 earlier in the week – looks a really well sorted piece of kit.

I’ve only tried the walking pole set-up so far but a bike set-up like my other tarp would easily work.
When it stops raining, I’ll try a bike “pole” set-up and post my findings tomorrow hopefully.

@ Tiger – We’re still waiting…

It’s been Kitchen tested! but not field tested yet. Seems to work really well though.

And your barking up the wrong street with your Co2 idea. This is infinite use technology 🙂

Come one, let’s have a pic so we all know what we’re talking about???

Oh yeah what ever happened to the wildcat frame bags anyone?

infinite use technology

A large bin bag and a rubber band?

Oh yeah what ever happened to the wildcat frame bags anyone?

I’ve got one and I’m really impressed need to do a trip to do a full write up though.

A large bin bag and a rubber band?

Along the right lines but no need for either the bin bag or the rubber band. 🙂

@Steve … DD tarps are very good for the money. The normal sized one is still pretty big, set up as a simple roof you’d easily get 3 folk under it. Plenty of room to erect it as a more complicated 1 or 2 man also. Alpkit tarps do look very good and the fitted tie points are a real bonus … you pays your money, etc.

Along the right lines but no need for either the bin bag or the rubber band.

I figured that one approach to inflating a thermarest would be to have a comparatively large bag with which you capture a large volume of air, seal the top and have an outlet that feeds into the thermarest valve – squeeze the bag and inflate the mat. Works much like the method for inflating pack rafts:

You got me:

So I trimmed down a short piece of pipe (used an oil filler from Tescos) cost £1.50. It’s just wide/big enough and still nice and small.

One end goes nice and tight over the Thermarest Valve the other I just scrunched up the Bivi bag and put a Velcro tourniquet around it.

Quick squeeze of the Bivi bag and the mat inflates with dry air.

Works well

So the small bit you cut out and use.

Last time I rolled up my hunka, I thought how “good” it was as trapping air when I didn’t want it to 😕
Makes a lot of sense to use that feature to your advantage – well done

My bivvy bag’s eVent so doesn’t trap/contain air very well, I’ll have to continue using the old fashioned method 😉

EDIT: Ian did you receive that email I talked to you about last week?

I reckon it would still work with eVent. Path of least resistance and all that.

Ian did you receive that email I talked to you about last week

No, nothing yet…

last year on our transalp expedition that only made it half-way across the alps.

Man thats a low tarp, you must of had to crawl into that…

I wasn’t aware that inflating a thermarest needed any thought?! Appart from a down mat where dry air would be prefered, but then the Exped one’s come with it’s own built in pump anyway. The Neoair has no insulation so moist air isn’t an issue.

If you don’t need it, don’t take it. It’s the cheapest way to save weight 😉

Aye the lightest stuff is the stuff you don’t take … but being geeks means we like to play about with stuff 😀

I wasn’t aware that inflating a thermarest needed any thought?!

Burn him!!

although you do have a point….

If you think a thermarest is ‘involved’ you should try inflating 7 modelling balloons with frozen hands!

Does spending an hour or so trimming then re-sewing every strap on one’s rucksack to make them shorter and thus lighter and neater count as geeky? If so, I’m in!!

Replacing perfectly good 2mm dyneema guy lines for 1.5mm dyneema instead, that count too?

What about re-sewing stuff sacks to make them as small as what ever is going in them will allow?

Anthony – I’ve done all those things, though some only once.

Anthony…. Im not that bad yet….. Give me a couple of months and I’ll be all over it 8) Good work… I did take deliver of titanium cutlery if that counts 😆

Plastic disposable cutlery is lighter. Although my ti spork is a much loved 18gram guilty pleasure!

I draw the line at taking the washing labels out of clothing!!

I draw the line at taking the washing labels out of clothing!!

Burn him!!

😉

And the use of sporks, Lahoons are the new sporks.

Can’t have too many guy points? Is that like brownie points for girls?

I’d better get a serious personal weight loss plan then I can really make weight savings off my kit 😳

by getting smaller sized clothing

Looks nice and snug that does Paul, I shall be back in the trees later this week 😉

Pete, If you end up needing smaller clothes, you’ll have more competition for all those bargains … like you jacket!

Not yet discussed on this thread, but still on topic: shoes

I’m in need of some new shoes for non-winter (summer?) riding. I’ve used some Shimano MW80 over the winter, and previously my other shoes have been high end Shimano race jobs M220 or something.

I’m swayed more to a multipurpose SPD shoe that allows for a bit of walking from time to time and for greater all day comfort, but preferably not ones that weigh a lot or are too much like a walking shoe (e.g. Shimano MT90). What are people using? Any recommendations?

Shimano MT42s work for me – stiff enough to ride with but comfy enough for a bit of walking. Specialized do some similar ones but the last pair I had hardly lasted any time

Pearl Izumi Alp-X are great. Fairly stiff sole (especially the higher-end ones) and they allow your toes to flex for hike-a-bike “fun”. I imported the “PRO” version with the stiffest (carbon) sole & they’re ace, but sadly unavailable over here.

5:10s but I’m the odd one out 😉

Spesh sport mtb.
Can’t stand spesh as a company but they do make some good shoes, i have a pair on order as i type. Nearly £30 off at cyclesurgery this week, too good an offer to refuse. This will be my third pair even though my last ones aren’t worn out yet.

beware of specialized shoes if you have narrow feet, they run wide, as I have found out. I’ve been advised to try sidis next time.

It was snug 🙂

This was funnier though. Not proper lightweight tarping but an epic night in a wet field. I was woken in the night by the sound of the rocks moving about in the river – in the morning all you could hear was the roar of the water. We nearly couldn’t drive out of the valley. It was the sort of morning where you’d think “I’m glad I wasn’t in a tent last night” and we’d spent the night under a flimsy piece of waterproof fabric.

Need more times like that 🙂

Anyone out for Bivi action this weekned?

Me Me Me! … but I can’t tell you where 😉

Come on…. Think its best you just let me know so it can help with my planning, I wont tell anyone 😉

Hoping to get out on Saturday PM running into Sunday – though somewhat impromptu. Was thinking of going to do the Epynt Way. Whilst do-able in a day from Brecon (92km), I thought more fun to go out and bivi halfway around.

I was looking at that on the map just last night … is it good?, map would indicate some interesting parts. Not technical perhaps but some nice riding.