Folding Bikes - Folding bike, folding home

Well, a tent, anyway!

Here's a few pics from a couple of days camping:

Off I go
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/richie-brian/Brompton/IMAGE_003.jpg

Fully loaded
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/richie-brian/Brompton/IMAGE_005.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/richie-brian/Brompton/IMAGE_006.jpg

A strangely empty campsite - I can't imagine why, Edinburgh in November is so warm, and only slightly flooded!
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/richie-brian/Brompton/IMAGE_007.jpg

That's not the best way to carry a tent, the straps are uncomfortable to sit on and there's no clearance for heels - then when it starts swinging, the whole bike swings... still, I managed 15 miles like that, so it can't be that bad. Maybe one of these is in my future: http://www.carradice.co.uk/racks-and-attachments/bagman-qr-standard.shtml although the tent is close to the maximum weight limit. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how best to carry a tent?

I got a hennessy hammock, perfect for camping anywhere w/ trees or somewhere to tie. I have had a bad back for 20 yrs and this is the most comfortable I have been. Also camping with a friend he had to set up his regular tent on the parks campsite pad where I was able to tie mine in the trees overlooking the water. You will stay dry in a downpour. Also very light to carry...http://hennessyhammock.com/

Thanks for the inspiring pix! I am curios how did you attach the small front roll in front of the S-Bag?
As for the tent: did you consider the brompton rear rack where the tent sits on and then strap the bag tightly and vertical to the seatpost just below the saddle?

Those look like pretty good hammocks, but sometimes I go places where there aren't any convenient trees - last year, for example, I spent a week working on South Uist, which is a beautiful, remote, treeless Outer Hebridean island. Perhaps, if funds allow, I might consider some sort of backpacking tent, but they tend to be ludicrously expensive and very cramped. The Vango Delta 300 you see there was £49 when I bought it, and it is often on special offer even cheaper than that. It is a three man tent, which three men would actually fit in, two would be comfortable, and it is positively luxurious for just one.

Somnatash - the sleeping bag has compression straps, I simply looped these through the straps holding the lid of the S-bag shut. You can't really tell from that picture, but the tent is simply too long to fit behind the seatpost without interfering with the saddle, or the saddle pack. I wonder if it would be possible to remove the frame from the S-bag, strap the tent to that, and somehow fit the S-bag onto it facing backwards? Or loop a rucksack over the bars?

This trailer would be great for you!

http://www.carryfreedom.com/city.html

Pretty neat. Especially how you hang that large gray bag off the bike seat.

Here's our somewhat upgraded version of folding camping. Pictured are our folding bikes and our folding Aframe trailer.

Not pictured is our folding boat - a 12' Zodiac Mark II Compact.

Amazing how much stuff you can pack into a 2-car garage when much of it folds.

I think you need a smaller tent first of all. That tent is huge. Then just get a rear rack for your bike and bungee cord the tent onto that. They make folding racks as well, so get one of those!

Perhaps, if funds allow, I might consider some sort of backpacking tent, but they tend to be ludicrously expensive and very cramped.

It's well worth it. A modern three season, two person tent packs into a bag about 6 inches in diameter and 20 inches long. Which should be small enough to strap behind your seatpost, under the seat.

You may not be able to stand up and change, but you probably can't do that in the tent that current have either. The volume of air in a smaller tent will also warm up faster for those cold nights. All of this is assuming that you're not trying to fold up your bike and keep it inside the tent with you. :D

Yep the tent IS err... huge.

...
Somnatash - You can't really tell from that picture, but the tent is simply too long to fit behind the seatpost without interfering with the saddle, or the saddle pack. ...
Hi again,
hmhm how does the bag interfere with the saddle? Is it very stiff - I thought it could work out if the tent goes in a slight curve upwards or will it disturb your riding if the tent sits a little bit behind your back? Perhaps the little saddle pack could go to the front. I doubt the will be an easy way to mount the S-Bag facing back.
Somnatash

That Brompton sure is laden! That 'seatbag' sure looks funky. I think if you have a rack and strap the bag along the long axis it would be much easier. You earn lots of points for determination though, cool!

sorry - posted twice somehow.

I got a hennessy hammock, perfect for camping anywhere w/ trees or somewhere to tie. I have had a bad back for 20 yrs and this is the most comfortable I have been. Also camping with a friend he had to set up his regular tent on the parks campsite pad where I was able to tie mine in the trees overlooking the water. You will stay dry in a downpour. Also very light to carry...http://hennessyhammock.com/

Hennessy hammock is the way to go - absolutely. Best thing I ever bought in terms of camping equipment. It is really compact and light - about 2kg if I remember. Don't be put off by all that junk I loaded on my merc bike. The hammock packs into a small bag about a foot long and about 8 or 9 inches wide. I took loads of stuff I didn't use, hence the bike loaded like a mule.

You could carry the Hennessy Hamock over your shoulder and never notice it was there. It's really classy gear inspite of the horrible way I have mine pitched in the picture. I'd spent twelve hours lying in it and it had sagged a bit. It just needed the ropes re-tensioning. One really great thing is that it allows really comfortable rough camping where there isn't even a flat space to pitch a tent. The support ropes are long enough to adapt to various tree spacings too. I just ride until I find some suitable trees; look around for farmers and landowners who might object. Chuck the bike over into the wood and sneak up my hammock and no one is any the wiser as long as I am quiet and a bit sneaky.




http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/1153/mercblackbull5ao.jpg

http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/2061/hammocklh5.jpg

http://img414.imageshack.us/img414/7088/mercongosforthpathvq2.jpg

The seatpack couldn't go in front, not without rubbing my thighs, and anyway it broke, so I replaced it with one of those seatpack cover things, which has almost as much carrying space, and a much better rear light (a Cateye TL-LD600).

If I put the tent vertically, it is too long, and doesn't bend, so it won't fit under the seat - my seat is a little further back than the standard Brompton seat. It could slope back, and be strapped to the seat post, but there would be no easy way to stop it rotating around and hitting my legs. Next time I'm using a rack.

Great photos! I agree, having a rear rack would be helpful. I have a folding rack on my Bike Friday and it folds up nearly flat when it's off the bike. Thanks for the pics.

Surprised the RSPCB (Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Bromptons) hasn't done you for overloading :)

Good to see someone going camping in November.

That Hennessy Hammock looks good - an improvement on my bivvy bag. No rocks in mid air.