Well, I held off for a day that was mostly above freezing and that day came yesterday. It was above freezing for a good while but only up to 38. I had already decided to do a short run to a local camp ground just to do an overnighter trip and see how my gear and everything worked out. It seemed pretty doomed from the start.

I left at around 3 in the afternoon and took a meandering sort of path to the campground and rode about 20 miles in all. Once I left my apartment and got on the bike, everything seemed nice and I was enjoying riding (as I often do) and the load on the back was great. Didn't bounce or shift around or anything like that. Even up hills or "sprinting" it did pretty well. What did not do well, however, was me in the cold. I think maybe 4 or 5 miles into it, I realized my fingers were cold and not getting warm. Usually when I wear these gloves, they do fine as long as I'm riding hard enough to warm up. But for some reason, I would ride harder and my fingers just got colder. I even used the same basic clothes on a chilly below 40 misty ride on Thanksgiving and did fine then. I have no idea what my problem was yesterday.

So I got to the campsite just as the sun was setting and things just got worse and worse. You're prohibited from collecting firewood in the park, but that didn't stop me. They don't have any sort of on site store to buy wood, and the nearest place was like 4 or 5 miles away. So that would be a 10 mile ride in the dark to get wood. I looked around and found a dead tree that had some limbs broken off of it from other foragers. I broke off as much as I could and brought it back to camp. By now I've taken my shoe covers off and it's muddy and damn cold everywhere. It's about this time that I can't feel my toes anymore.

So I get back and attempt to build a fire. It was set up fine, with smaller twigs tightly placed in the middle and larger limbs on top and nice, dry grass on the inside as kindling. I used one of my candle firestarters that have always worked perfectly in the past. Nothing. The candle would burn for a good 3 or 4 minutes and the grass would catch, but do nothing. The smaller sticks and twigs would burn, but then flame out and just sort of glow before ashing out. I even doused the whole thing in alcohol from my stove kit and let that burn and still nothing. No fire for me. By now I can't really feel my fingers or toes and it's well dark.

So I set up my stove and boil my water. That takes longer than usual with the cold weather. I finally get my freeze dried food on it's way and drag everything into the tent to bunker down. It's only like 7 o'clock at this point. I change into my dry clothes. I can't tell that my clothes I had ridden in are wet, but as soon as I change, I notice a difference. I pull out the hot hands warmers to let them get warm for my toes. As soon as I change, I crawl into my sleeping bag because it's the only warm place there.

But since I was really freezing, it just seemed hard to get everything back up to temperature. I put the hand/foot warmers in my socks to get my toes back online. I sit up half in the bag and eat my meal. It's the only hot thing in front of me and it's wonderful. I pull out a clif bar for a little "desert" type feeling and nearly chip my teeth. it's frozen solid.

At this point, only 7:30 at night, I realize the only thing I can do is lie there in my sleeping bag. It's nice and warm and I can feel my hands. But I can't sit up and read a book. I can't play on my iphone. I can lie there and listen to music. And unfortunately, even if my sleep schedule was normal, I'm not one of these people that can hit the pillow and go out like a light. So I knew that I was basically surrendering myself to possibly 4 or 5 hours of sleeping bag ipod listening. I wasn't going to go to sleep until maybe midnight or later.

It was at this point that I remembered I was from Texas and hated cold.

So around 9:30, 2 hours later, I called it in. Called the wife and told her to drag me out of there. I was warm enough, but I was just plain miserable. The ride was good, the gear was good, and setting up camp and pitching a tent is always fun for me, even if I'm so cold I can't properly blow up a sleeping pad because my lips are numb and won't stay wrapped around the valve (I had to hold my lips on there with my cold fingers). But overall, I was just miserable lying in a sleeping bag for hours on end. Not sleeping, mind you. I've slept in similar weather, but that was after a couple of hours around a camp fire with people and I was good and tired. But just the prospect of lying there, not sleeping for 4 or 5 hours, and waking up to more freezing weather, no fire, only oatmeal to warm me and then another 15 or so mile ride back in the freezing weather, I just wasn't feeling it.

So I wimped out again, but learned a valuable lesson: don't take trips in the freezing cold. I'm really excited about doing another trip, but I think I'll wait for spring.

Wool and fleece, wool and fleece. Bring one more layer than you think you will need. Start before lunch?

I was wearing LS wool base layer plus SS wool jersey and fleece lined tights with wool socks on the bike. Off the bike I had another LS wool base layer with a LS wool sweater. Off bike pants and socks were both cotton, but warm enough. Really, aside from my toes and fingers outside of the sleeping bag, I was warm enough, just miserable in general irregardless of body heat. I just hate the cold in general. I deal with it more than most Texans because I commute, but aside from that, I don't like it.

And as an aside, I generally stay away from fleece as I stink it up pretty badly in a hurry. If it's not on my arm pits or midsection, it's usually okay. In fact, I found myself wishing I had brought my fleece lined "dress" gloves I'd been commuting with rather than my bicycle specific ones, but they had done fine in the past.

And starting before lunch? If I had longer to go, yes. But I would have been to the campsite at like 1 to 2 in the afternoon. I was honestly looking more forward to riding than camping in the cold. In retrospect, I should have just taken a 40 mile ride and gone home. Save the camping for spring.

Is it ok to QFT yourself?

Good job on getting out and trying it, and yeah, it's a heck of a lot more fun with warm temperatures and long days. Learning experiences are good.

Ah well, at least you got a story out of it. Long as you can keep in good humor and look foward to a do-over in warm weather, right?

I've heard good things about hanging candle lanterns in a tent for cold nights. The smaller/more enclosed the tent the better it works. Might have raised the temp enough for you to at least sit up and read?

Ha! In all actuality, once I realized that I was going to be there for a while before I would get tired, and because I dropped some of my food because it would just be overnight, I did grab a book to read. However, because I failed to get a fire going and had to hunker down in my bag, I couldn't comfortably read.

And in regards to warmth in the tent, I had a huge 3 person tent, so that was a lot of space for the cold to win out over any heat my body produced! I'm definitely going to get a bivy style shelter (like a hoop supported structure) to camp with in the future. I can leave the netting full open in the summer and close it up in the winter to preserve heat.

EDIT: Oh and in regards to the candle lantern, I've never tried it, but that does put out some serious heat at the top. I have one and have used it, especially when we moved and the electricity wasn't sorted. I'd be kind of worried about melting my tent, to be honest. Though I've never tried, so I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first or the last time.

Hey at least you got out there and tried, that's not wimping out.

You'll find out that there are problems with every season. I normally tour in the summer but some weeks it is so hot that I am just swimming in sweat trying to sleep. But it is always great fun.

have fun on your next try.

Where were you camped? Close to a town? Close to a bar, restaurant or some other indoor entertainment?

insipient cold usually comes from damp clothing. You found out this, and in cool to cold weather, it's best to stop riding, set up camp and change immediately into warm, dry clothing.

Warming the extremeties is difficult once they are cold. Usually, I will change into those dry clothes, then dive into the sleeping bag. Forget fires. I have rarely used one, and on one of the coldest rides I've done, a mate attempted for two hours to light a fire and keep it going. In the end, he gave up and did what I did, and got into his bag in his tent and warmed up.

I also like being able to cook from the door of the tent. The radiant heat helps (and isn't enough to endanger the tent), and food is a mighty big help when it's so cold. And yes! Energy bars are next to useless in such cold weather -- I had forgotten all about that, but I have experienced it, too.

It still might have been advisable to get going earlier. You might have got into camp earlier, and had the opportunity to get the firewood in daylight. I am not keen on arriving late into a campsite and having to set up in the dark. It makes you too prone to errors and losing stuff.

I mentioned the restaurant and stuff in my opening line because bicycle touring in those conditions isn't just about camping out. We are lucky here in Australia in that the campgrounds often have their own kitchens and entertainment/TV rooms with heating. I've often set off to town for a meal or at least to get provisions for such.

As valygrl highlights, a book, or at least a magazine, or a puzzle book is good to have. Plus a campchair converter for sleep pads... they might seem like excess weight, but I spent nigh on six months touring and working and camping, and it was a godsend. Plus, you can wrap yourself in the sleeping bag and have support for your back.

Another little addition that was really helpful for me was a piece of closed-cell foam sleep mat cut to about 1 foot by 8 inches. It's ultra light, can be stowed in a pannier, but it's stiff enough to act as a knee table for eating and supporting things like a writing pad, or puzzle book or whatever. It's also very handy as a bum pad when sitting on the ground or wet benches and such.

And, if you take a pen and paper, you can write stuff, like a journal. I know that with hi-tech stuff these days by which you can key in info, this sort of thing seems like a drag, but it certainly helps while away the hours.

This all probably won't be of use to you now, but might be to others. I hope so.

All great suggestions, Rowan. Thanks for sharing them.

I did think about riding out and catching a movie, but it was the same 4-5 miles away as the firewood. Then again, a long ride, a movie, then buy some firewood and head back, that might have been enough to wear me out and put me to sleep!

Indeed!

I think your problems were mostly caused by the short distance of the ride. 40-60 miles and you'd probably have been tired enough to crawl in that bag, read a few minutes, and drop right off. That'll do it for me every time. OTOH, some are just too cold natured for winter touring. Got a buddy who is.

Interesting, honest, humorous account of your experience. And very sensible move, calling for rescue. If it ain't fun, what's the point?

A candle lantern works well in a tent. We hang ours on a short cord attached to the top center. My wife and I have done a lot of mountaineering and snow camping, but not when the days are short. Tent time is tough on a guy. We have one little notebook filled up from playing "hangman". You know we had to be bored. I agree with Cyclebum--Sometimes pulling the plug is the best choice. I usually bribe my wife with dinner, if she pick me up I think it is called wisdom.
Its OK when you are ready for it and it is May.


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I saw this thread and said to myself, you went out in THAT weather? I know it gets much colder elsewhere in the country, but when you're not used to it or don't like it, days of temps in the 30s is COLD. I have even been cold inside my house all week (yes, it's heated!!). I hate cold weather and won't ride in anything that's below about the high 40s. I just don't like getting all bundled up, and even with decent gear, I still end up as a big soaking sponge when I get home. That being said, I'm referring to road biking.

When I lived in AZ, I mountain biked quite a few times when it was about freezing in the morning and then warmed up. Those speeds are slower, so the wind chill isn't as bad. I did find that warm long-fingered gloves were a requirement because the handlebars get cold and just suck the heat right out of your bare fingers even through the grips.

Regarding the difficulty in starting a fire, my guess would be that the wood and grass were still wet from the rain last weekend. It's been cold since then and the surface was probably dry, but I bet it was damp inside and not able to burn at a low temp.

Thanks for the story and making me feel better about myself for not riding this week.

Ride longer next time! On a typical tour I am in the tent falling asleep by 8-9pm because I am so tired from the days riding. Once you wear yourself out sufficiently it's easy to get to sleep.

You are brave to just go for it like that, especially for your first tour. If you plan to go on longer tours, especially mountainous ones, you should be prepared for temps in that range, as I have experienced them even in July. My suggestion is to carry one full set of layers for off the bike that will be good down to freezing or just below. I never really regretted having them on any tour. Last July I thought it was ridiculous to have so many layers in the center of France until I stumbled upon temps just above freezing....very glad to have them in the end.

For those of you who said to ride longer in an effort to warm up, that doesn't always work if you don't have the right clothes for the cold. When I ride in moderately cold weather, I do okay for awhile, but then start to get gradually colder. Part of the problem is that I still sweat a lot in an effort to ride hard to stay warm, and that sweat begins to accumulate and can get cold. Presumably, there is an appropriate combination of moisture wicking layers and wind breaking materials, but I have yet to find anything that works well for prolonged intermediate exertion.

Good Post OP.

Actually I was saying to rider longer in order to tire yourself out so it is easier to fall asleep.

Wussy maybe? LOL Na JK I would have done the same.

Wuss heck I would never have left... I think my limit would be something like 55 or more for camping

Good trip report and good job getting out there

Lastly great advice from the forum for all of us

Mike

Kudos for getting out there, regardless of how it turned out.

Thanks for sharing. I'm planning for my first tour in August and have been obsessing over the dumbest details. This post really help put things back in perspective...and gave me a great laugh, too!

^Stop obsessing over details and get out for a short "shakedown" tour first and you won't have to obsess. You will be able to find out what works or doesn't for you, like the OP.

While not a total success, your outing at least gave you a taste of touring and an idea of how you and your gear will handle a "real" tour when the time comes. So good for you, and thanks for sharing the experience. My first overnighter will have to wait for spring. (I'm in Canada, where a pleasant winter day can kill you if you're under-dressed. poorly equipped or ill-prepared.) I plan to load up my tent, sleeping bag, stove and all the rest and set out as if I'm off to the West Coast. But my destination will be the family cottage, with a soft bed, woodstove, kitchen, TV and library of books for my comfort and pleasure. And you think YOU wimped out. :=)

That sure sounds delightful!

+1

I grew up in California, and I fully admit to being a weather wimp. But I really don't think where I grew up has anything to do with it. My friends who grew up in So Cal handle cold weather much better than I do. I just don't like cold. Period. And here in Oregon we get a lot of days such as you described. I just go to the gym and ride the stationary bike in winter. Yeah, it's boring, but at least I'm not freezing my a$$ off.

Hang in there. Spring will be here before you know it.