Author Topic: Tents & stoves for cycle touring (Read 19932 times)

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #25 on:** 31 March, 2008, 12:52:13 pm »

Wot Craig said. I've got a Terra Nova Laser Comp and it's tiny. I wouldn't want to use it for extensive touring. Second Hellymedic's Robert Saunders recommendation - I've got one (can't remember the model) and it kept me dry and toasty the weekend the weather broke in August 2003 when all about were being blown inside-out or carried off into the Bodensee,

andrewc · « **Reply #26 on:** 31 March, 2008, 01:13:54 pm »

I've used a Hilleberg Akto for 7 years. It's got adequate space for a 6ft chap like me and hasn't blown down yet. It does need a lot of guylines though so can be a nuisance on hard or sandy ground.

Terra Nova's Voyager is spacious and has an excellent reputation. It's freestanding and you can just use the inner in hot/dry weather. This place has them for £218 http://www.springfield-camping.co.uk/Terra+Nova/Voyager+2008/p

Stove - I've always used a Trangia 27K. They are bombproof, safe & quiet in use. Not the fastest thing in the world though. I believe they are popular with Australian bushwalkers so fuel shouldn't be a problem.

juliet · « **Reply #27 on:** 31 March, 2008, 01:17:03 pm »

Cheers Clarion - I've had a v kind tent/kit offer from Hellymedic but if I need more stuff will get back to you!

David Martin · « **Reply #28 on:** 31 March, 2008, 01:19:15 pm »

I have a trangia but the best bit of kit for it is the gas conversion. Take that and the meths burner and you can be multifuel.

I have the stainless 'duosal' pans - worth every penny over the alu ones.

..d

agagisgroovy · « **Reply #29 on:** 31 March, 2008, 01:25:24 pm »

I've never gone further south than northern France and then we were in the van.

Stove wise we use two gas stoves - one with a screw on cannister and one with a punch on converter. Our friends used to use Triangias but have now got MSR contraptions which run on petrol but I don't know if they do other fuels as well. $:-\$

juliet · « **Reply #30 on:** 31 March, 2008, 01:35:57 pm »

mrcharly - thank you for the notes! I'm in the southernest bits so it shouldn't be too vile at that time of year, but yes, heat is going to be the problem. Happily Cepheus is a proper touring bike & so has 3 bottle cage braze-ons already - I'll be getting 1l bottles for all of them (normally use 75ml mineral water ones atm). And I gather Ortleib do a collapsible water bladder thingy that sounds like a good investment as well. The routes I'm planning aren't massively wild - I'm going to check, but a quick squiz yesterday at the route notes indicates that there's water at the start/end of each day & usually in the middle as well. I'm working on the assumption that a generous 2 days supply is a reasonable quantity to aim at carrying given those parameters.

Nick H. · « **Reply #31 on:** 31 March, 2008, 01:41:07 pm »

How about De Soto arm coolers? http://www.active.com/story.cfm?STORY_ID=12338&CATEGORY=gearguide&CHECKSSO=0&SIDEBAR=633

Julian · « **Reply #32 on:** 31 March, 2008, 01:44:43 pm »

Trangias are nightmarish. If I ever get back into camping then I will be investing in beautiful lightweight bits of kit for cooking stuff on.

Clare · « **Reply #33 on:** 31 March, 2008, 01:50:32 pm »

Juliet, as I didn't make it to FNRttC in March I didn't get the cycle routes around Sydney book to TT, can you PM me your address so I can post it to you please.
I also have large scale maps of NSW, Queensland and a slighty smaller scale one of the area around Sydney, if they will be any use please let me know.

Polar Bear · « **Reply #34 on:** 31 March, 2008, 01:56:25 pm »

Quote from: Nick H. on 31 March, 2008, 01:41:07 pm

How about De Soto arm coolers? http://www.active.com/story.cfm?STORY_ID=12338&CATEGORY=gearguide&CHECKSSO=0&SIDEBAR=633

These things really are the dogs bollox. My skin burns at the merest glint of sunrise. Long sleeves cycling can get very uncomfortable. Grub ( top geezer ) put me on to these. I finally got two pairs in time for the spring last year. They are truly magnificent. I'm hoping that they'll do leg coolers next

bobb · « **Reply #35 on:** 31 March, 2008, 02:36:04 pm »

Quote from: juliet on 31 March, 2008, 10:31:23 am

Sydney for 3-4 months working.

I lived in Sydney for a few years, but didn't do much cycling unfortunately (so I haven't really got much advice, but feel compelled to post as it sounds like such a wonderful adventure!)

There are some very pleasant areas not that far out of Sydney - we hired some bikes and rode around the Royal National Park (to the south) and it was great.

If you're going to be there for a while, borrowing a c*r or hiring a ute to shove your bike in and get out of the city might be an idea.

Unless they've radically improved the roads (and their p!ss poor driving!) cycling out of Sydney, I would imagine, would be a truly unpleasant experience!!

Good luck

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #36 on:** 31 March, 2008, 02:37:54 pm »

Quote from: juliet on 31 March, 2008, 01:35:57 pm

I'm working on the assumption that a generous 2 days supply is a reasonable quantity to aim at carrying given those parameters.

I grew up (well, some say I never grew up) in the SW of WA, so it's my home stamping ground.
Don't underestimate the heat. The radiated heat from tarmac roads is quite incredible. Metal left out in the sun reaches roasting temperatures, and can take your skin off. I have literally fried an egg on a shovel blade - the shovel was left laid down in the sun for an hour. One of my more miserable jobs was laying a sheet iron roof in summer. Gloves and heavy clothing was essential to avoid burns.
Two days supply in summer is 8l drinking water. That's for light exercise. You need extra for your food/cooking.
You need factor 30-35 sunblock, laid on your skin until you feel you are wearing a mudpack.

I don't want to put you off, I think it is a great thing to do. But treat the australian summer with as much caution as you would the worst of the english winter. It can kill just as fast.

juliet · « **Reply #37 on:** 31 March, 2008, 02:57:35 pm »

Is November full summer? I was under the impression that it's the start of the summer down in WA, so not quite at full-on frying eggs on things temperature. (This info gathered from the LP Cycling Aus book, which suggests March/April and Oct/Nov as the best time to do their SW coast ride. Although I will be at the tail-end of Nov.)

I would definitely be using plenty of sunblock. And the hat/back of neck/long sleeves/etc stuff. Looks like I should be planning on 2 x water bladder thingys as well as the 3 x 1l bottles - if I get the collapsible ones then I can fill them or not depending on projected conditions (in particular, how populous the next day's ride is).

chillmoister · « **Reply #38 on:** 31 March, 2008, 03:03:07 pm »

i bought some cycle camping gear last year which worked really well ona 3 day tour along the dorset / hampshire coast. The gear I use is:

Tent :Vango Tempest 200
Stove: camping gaz tri-star
sleeping bag : snugpack autumn
sleeping mat: alpkit Regular Airic

all the above seems to work really well for me.

MattH · « **Reply #39 on:** 31 March, 2008, 03:18:52 pm »

For tents, I always work on halving the rated capacity; if it claims to be a two man tent I'll be OK on my own, a three or four man will be OK for two. The manufacturers expect you to do nothing more than lie in them with no kit...

The Topeak bikamper looks pretty interesting. Years ago I made something similar, though in my version the bike was pegged vertically and the canvas thrown over the top so the bike frame made the centre of a ridge tent. It worked OK until one really, really windy night on Anglesey, when it shredded itself on the brake levers. Luckily, at that point in time I considered a tent a luxury and regularly slept in a bivvy bag next to my bike, so I just dug the bivvy out of my panniers and went back to sleep...

I'm trying hard not be jealous of your trip!

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #40 on:** 31 March, 2008, 03:35:08 pm »

My parents are still out there, and farm, so phone conversations frequently revolve around weather.

Previous weather patterns can't be relied upon. November can be chilly and wet - by Aussie standards. It can also have successive days of +34C. December usually has 1-2 weeks where the temperature is over 37C every day, dropping to 26 at night.

This last summer, my parents found they were lighting their stove into December, which is unheard of.

Just like England's winter, Australian temperatures can swing rapidly. Three weeks ago, we had +14C during the day, 9C at night. Then it plummeted to -8C at night, -2 during the day. A 'chilly Aussie November day is 20C - perfect for cycling, so no need to worry about that. You just need to plan how to cope with the other extreme. At it's worst, cycle early morning and sit out the middle of the day's heat. It is very debilitating.

Oh, one more thing. The coastal regions of WA get a strong easterly wind every morning in summer. About 2pm this changes to a westerly. Every day.

juliet · « **Reply #41 on:** 31 March, 2008, 03:56:54 pm »

Thank you v much for the information! The days in the route guide I have are often pretty short, & as I'll be on my own the getting up early & sitting out the middle of the day will work fine. Also good to know about the easterly/westerly - I shall bear this in mind when deciding which direction to go in

It does sound like Aussie "chilly & wet" for November won't be too alarming for someone used to cycling in the UK!

MSeries · « **Reply #42 on:** 31 March, 2008, 03:59:54 pm »

I arrive in Australia in Sydney in November and it was not chilly nor wet, it was bastard hot and got hotter. We did have hale the size of marbles on Xmas Eve in Melbourne which the locals seems to find amusing, didn't phase us Brits though. juliet, you'll have a blast, make the most of it, your bringing back so many memories for me today.

Nick H. · « **Reply #43 on:** 31 March, 2008, 04:12:38 pm »

I sometimes dream about crossing the entire outback at the wrong time of year, but having done the tourist thing to Ayers Rock/Uluru in December I know how scary the heat is. After half an hour with no shade and an empty water bottle it would be time to make a will. You could always phone an ambulance. If there was a phone network. Or an ambulance. I suppose you could take a sat phone and call the flying doctor, but I don't suppose your travel insurance would pay for it. So my plan involved sleeping during the hottest part of the day in my tent, and fixing a couple of space blankets on it as a sort of heat shield. Would this work? Or would the tent just spontaneously combust? The tent is a Puppy Pile Too:

It's quite spacious and has one full size meshed screen door as standard. I ordered an extra screen door on the other side. So theoretically I could open both doors ro reduce the oven effect, rig the space blankets to turn down the oven temp a touch more, zip up both screen doors to keep the horrid flies out, and have a kip in 45 degree heat. I'm not clear on whether this would count as a holiday or a survival situation.

Naturally an Extrawheel trailer full of water bags is part of the ~~plan~~ fantasy.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #44 on:** 31 March, 2008, 04:19:24 pm »

Aluminized tent fabric isn't that uncommon - you can also get tent fabric treated to block UV. Yup, you can get sunburnt lying in your tent.

Oh, and last year they had snow on xmas day in Melbourne. I believe temperatures were up into the 30s a few weeks later.

Don't tell an aussie farmer there's no such thing as climate change. You'll prob get thumped.

Juliet, I don't think you'll have any problems. Reading TT's log will give you a very good idea of riding conditions in SW WA.

I would supply my parent's address as a crash pad, but they are in an incredibly boring part of WA, and 'vegan' is not a concept they can understand.

My brother is in Perth, and if you could cope with a very brittle Green/Aboriginal activist (that's his wife), I think they'd be happy to lend a room for a few days.

Nick H. · « **Reply #45 on:** 31 March, 2008, 04:24:56 pm »

My tent is silicone impregnated nylon. Would it melt in Australia?

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #46 on:** 31 March, 2008, 04:28:45 pm »

Are you serious? lol

Silicone is used for, amongst other things, engine gaskets.

Not even the worst of the outback heat is that bad. Australian bullpoop, however, is more potent than a vindaloo the morning after, and spoken fluently by all rural inhabitants.

Seriously, ventilation is the main concern. Heat build-up can be dreadful. I've camped sans tent quite a lot in the real heavy bush. But it isn't for everyone.

TimO · « **Reply #47 on:** 31 March, 2008, 04:35:59 pm »

Quote from: MattH on 31 March, 2008, 03:18:52 pm

The Topeak bikamper looks pretty interesting. ...

It's an interesting idea, but I don't think I'd want to be buggering about taking the front wheel out every day, and twisting the handlebars around (if you use drops). It sounds like a recipe for disaster if you forget to tighten something, or loose a small component in the process. It really doesn't seem worth it to save the weight of a couple of small poles.

I remember there was a similar commercial tent a few years back, where it used the top tube in a similar way that the Bikamper uses the handlebars, so the bike was side on to the end of the tend, rather than end on as it is with the Bikamper.

As others said earlier, carry a wind shield for the stove, a little bit of wind can easily bugger up cooking, and the wind shield helps reflect heat back in as well, so can speed up cooking (depending on design I guess, mine has a metalised base as well as wrap around bit). The weight is trivial, and probably worth it in terms of the fuel you will save and won't need to carry.

andrewc · « **Reply #48 on:** 31 March, 2008, 04:39:39 pm »

Heat buildup in a tent can be horrible. A couple of times I've slept late and found the temperature inside my dark green tent unbearable. Even worse if you are ill & tentbound.

These have the inner tent made entirely from bug-proof mesh so should be cool & keep the insects off. http://www.bigagnes.com/str_tents.php?bid=8&PHPSESSID=aef9897fd818feecd50aecc9a00b743e

For carrying lots of water a trailer may be a good idea, or just get big bottle cages & use.1.5L coke bottles. A couple of medium size waterbags rather than one big one (easier to pack and you don't lose all your water if it leaks).

Cass Gilbert rated the Extrawheel trailer highly and there are 2 trip reports from Australia on their site http://www.extrawheel.com/wyprawy_en.p

Maladict · « **Reply #49 on:** 31 March, 2008, 04:42:34 pm »

Quote from: juliet on 31 March, 2008, 09:12:29 am

And does anyone have any experience of lightweight stoves? I used a Trangia when I did Duke of Edinburgh's award hiking as a teenager, but haven't been anywhere near anything similar since.

I used a Primus Himalaya Omnifuel.

http://www.primus.se/

Might be a bit overkill though. It's very good. It'll burn pretty much anything (LPG, petrol, white gas, diesel or jet fuel are all ok).

Author Topic: Tents & stoves for cycle touring (Read 19932 times)

Nick H.

Nick H.

Nick H.

Maladict