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Bivy Sack, Tent, Or Hammock For Touring?

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Bivy Sack, Tent, Or Hammock For Touring?

Old 12-30-04, 10:29 PM
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The Clip Flashlight seems to be a popular tent with cycle tourers. I compared the Flashlight with the Mountain Hardware PCT 2 at REI. The PCT 2 had more headroom at the peak of the tent so I could sit upright whereas the Flashlight made me feel a little claustrophobic. The PCT 2 also had two large side entries (the Flashlight only has one large entry). And the PCT 2 came in a beautiful eggplant colour....so of course I bought the PCT2! Just mentioning the PCT2 as I think it is a good competitor to the Flashlight in case someone is considering buying one. The only thing I don't like is that it is not freestanding but neither is the Flashlight. Did I mention the eggplant colour?…Beautiful.

As far as non-freestanding tents. A lot of pitches on campgrounds are rock hard. Most of my stakes are bent already. You still have to peg down a freestanding tent but you only need to stake a few corners not 8 or 9 as with non-freestanding. I admit I’m lazy. Freestanding=less time staking, more time lolling around in my eggplant coloured tent.


Originally Posted by zonatandem
motel and credit card!
He’s right. Let’s face it, even sleeping in a tent sucks. So why increase the suck factor on your tour by sleeping in a bivy or hammock? If I could carry the contents of a Best Western hotel room on my bike, I would.
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Old 12-30-04, 11:22 PM
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I have always been pleased with my Eureka Gossamer. It is billed as a one-man tent, but it has a little extra room. The best part for me is the roof made entirely of bugproof mesh. On warm nights you can roll the fly up and have a perfect view of the heavens. I have also used the fly during heavy rainstorms without so much as a drop of water getting inside. It is also light weight and compact, so it doesn't take up much room on the bike.
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Old 12-30-04, 11:41 PM
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He’s right. Let’s face it, even sleeping in a tent sucks.
I'd rather sleep in a tent than in a hotel anytime. If my neighboors were't so close (apartment), I'd sleep outside every night.

The Clip Flashlight is popular because it works. It's been around for more than a quarter of a century and now it's being copied by other major manufacturers with some improvment like two door entry (but eggplant color? yikes!). I read about one guy climbing Denali using a Clip Flashlight. All he did was putting fabric where there were mosquitoe net.

gpsblake, I don't know how much but it weighed a lot! The bag on top of the rack is a camera bag. I also carried a tripod and a clamp with an articulated arm to make photos while riding. I'm a photo nut so the photo gear is important for me. Otherwise, everything fitted in the panniers with room to spare. This was an 8 day trip but I didn't want to go lightweight to get the feeling of what a longer trip could be. I like clean clothes in the morning but washing my riding clothes every day is not my cup of tea. I come from a backpacking so I find carrying much weight on a bike easy. Once I was climbing a 10% hill and had to stop coz I was laughing... I had too much fun!
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Old 12-31-04, 02:03 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by jnoble123
1) When you enter the hammock you do so through a slit that runs about 1/3 of the length of the bottom of the hammock. When you pull your feet up the slit velcros shut behind you leaving most bugs outside. I think I once had a mosquito come in with me. She didn't last long.
I think this is the case with a proper tent too. I have never had a problem with mosquitoes (sp?) in a tent, and we have our share of the little buggers here in the summer.


Originally Posted by jnoble123
2) During my Round Lake Erie tour I spent a night in 80+ km winds and driving rain. The hammock came through the night dry while others in tents were soaked. The optional snakeskins and nice rain fly had a lot to do with that success. I have been in other storms since with the same result, a nice dry and comfortable sleep.
A proper two-wall tent should be as waterproof as a hammock.


Originally Posted by jnoble123
With respect to my gear I leave it on the bike. I carry a hennesy Silnylon tarp that I use to cover the bike when I think it should be covered. Since the tarp is somewhat camoflaged it does a nice job of hiding the bike, it's lightweight and it keeps any water off.
This is a great idea, thanks for the tip. I bought my Hennessy from their X-mas special sale, so they included an extra tarp for free. I should have come to think about this myself!


Originally Posted by Saudade
He’s right. Let’s face it, even sleeping in a tent sucks.
Hey, I LIKE sleeping in a tent!

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Old 01-01-05, 10:16 PM
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Eric, how do you set your tarp up like that? Is that a special tarp designed to take that shape? How many tie-downs are there. I think that set-up looks great and would like to try to do the same. I have a small very light tent, but the vestibule is rather small and your tarp set-up completely eliminate that problem. It looks like you need a tree or overhanging branch in just the right place though.
Thanks in advance. Greg
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Old 01-02-05, 07:28 AM
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I don't see any tenters converting to hammocks or vice versa. There seem to be two camps (pun) with little movement or agreement between them.

I'll give you my two pence worth: I got tired years ago of sleeping on the ground. It's cold, uneven and uncomfortable. I'm not the type to bring everything with me on a tour, I like to bike light. I don't even have front panniers. This is what I do:



I have a Hennessy hammock. In the snakeskins it wraps easily on my bike between the bars and the saddle. I weighs one kilo. I never need to worry what is on the ground (including poisonous snakes), I set it up in a couple of minutes and relax. The screening allows for a splendid view if I have one. In the morning I'm off without a trace.

If you want to drag most of your posessions with you, buy a trailer and a big tent. It all depends what you are into.

That's my opinion anyway.

Last edited by stokell; 01-02-05 at 07:53 AM.
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Old 01-02-05, 01:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Erick L
(but eggplant color? yikes!)
Are you making fun of my tent?!! You made my tent cry. I hope you're happy....

Actually that looks like a good set up i.e. small tent (or even a bivy) with a tarp. The tarp also provides area for cooking etc. if it rains.
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Old 01-02-05, 04:14 PM
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Here's self-supported with 20 lbs of gear including Sil-Nylon tarp tent. The 20 lbs includes the saddlebag and handlebar bag weights. Summertime only, of course.

I toured almost 700 miles with this.
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Old 01-03-05, 12:19 PM
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Crying is good Saudade... let it out.

Greg, there's nothing special about my tarp. It's square (9x9') with an anchor point in the middle. It does need an overhead branche to set it up like that but it's rarely a problem. I like it that way since it gives a lot of headroom. There are as many ways to mount a tarp as there are campers.

Eggplant...

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Old 01-03-05, 06:07 PM
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when the rains hit do as i did, with my skimpy 8x8 tarp: search for picnic pavilions!!! these saved our butts so many times. a few times the cops came by. to check on us! people in rural america were so good to us. ask around larger towns, they usually have at least one, somewhere. barring that, go to the supermarket and look depressingly out at the rain. someone just may take you home!
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Old 01-05-05, 03:28 AM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by Moonshot
I used a two man Eureka tent. It was big enough to bring my bike inside with me. It'd be awful to wake up and find your bike and/or gear was gone.
Which tent is that? I have the GT 3 Tunnell, which is super big, sleeps three and has a huge vestibule which is like a 2 bike garage.
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