Im trying to lighten my load and just wondering how many of you take along something to cover your bike with while camping.If I dont take the cover I have it will save me 12 oz.Also taking a tent and are thinking about bringing a hammock to for nights when I know it wont rain.If I leave the hammock at home it will save me 28oz.

I've never covered my bike. I might put a grocery bag over the seat. My whole tent weighs 24 oz (Tarptent Contrail), so no way would I carry an extra 28 oz. hammock. You're facing the classic dilemma--comfort while stopped, or comfort while moving. Good luck finding your solution--everyone's different.

army poncho 16 ounces, bike cover, used as a rain cape, groundsheet, tarp for tent when wild camping, great for wearing and having a wee in a bottle. many uses.

OK, so you save two pounds. Does that much weight really matter much? I carry more than that on water?

I can't imagine carrying a cover for your bike if you care at all about weight. Tent and hammock? Why would you need both?

Everything is a compromise, I lean towards durability over weight savings so my load has a tendency to run towards the heavier end of the scale. I carry a lightweight tarp I use it to cover the bike when stealth camping. On rainy days it is my hangout shelter, so I am not cooped up in the tent all day.

Aaron

leave the 40oz of stuff and carry 40oz of different stuff. No reason to bring a bike cover unless it's a tarp that you might use for other reasons. Tent and hammock is duplication, but maybe you like a tent and hammock? I don't see the reason for a bike cover beyond a bike seat cover. If it rains you end up with a wet bike cover that will be something to pack away wet while riding in the wet.

+1 great piece of equipment with many uses. GI Poncho liner is another handy piece of equipment.

You don't need both. But I did carry a tarp and a Hennesey on one trip. The reason was twofold. One I was new to tarp camping, and was a little worried about going out for a few weeks in buggy old Canada with a system I had my doubts about. I prefer ground camping. The same applied to my then new hammock, I wasn't fully sure of it either. The combination was still sub tent weight, and the one upside other than caution was that it really worked for me on the different stealth terrain I encountered.

Sil-nulon used in tents and tarps, is a 1.1oz per sq yard fabric.,
Soo ..New weighs less than .. Korean war surplus ..

If you want to bring a tent and a hammock, but still want to go lightly, than you can just get a lighter tent and hammock.

28 ounces is an awful lot for a hammock without any rain protection. $20 will buy you a Grand Trunk Ultralight hammock, and save you 16 ounces. If you're feeling wealthy, $60 will buy you a Grand Trunk Nano-7, and save you a whole 21 ounces.

You could even go so far as to also bring a large silnylon tarp, use it to cover the hammock on rainy days, and use it to cover the bike when you go to ground.

If you want to go really light, but still have the option to go to ground, and keep your bike covered, you can bring a hammock, a ground cloth, and your basic sleeping bag/mat combo. When you want to hang, pitch the tarp in 'porch mode' with the bike as a support.

If you find yourself without trees, just pitch the same tarp 'Flying Diamond' style, with your bike as a support. It can be a little finicky to set up right, so practice.

I carry two 54-gallon black garbage bags (1.8 ounces each). They camo my bike while stealth camping and keep it mostly dry.

Poncho, tarp, hammock, done.
Pitch the hammock under the tarp, put the bike under the tarp, cover it with your poncho. If you need to get up and go out, there's your poncho ready to put on.

A motel give away shower cap is all you need to cover your bike in the evenings-- just the saddle.

Depends on WHY you are covering the bike, I do use the shower caps on my Brooks saddles. I use a full cover for concealment.

Aaron

If you look at your bike and gear critically it's easy to find a 2 lbs weight saving multiple times and it can add up quickly. Saving weight makes riding the bike more fun; makes transporting your bike and gear easier and allows you to go over roads you wouldn't attempt with a heavy load. It also doesn't need to impact your comfort much, if at all.

Well said. I agree 100%.

I can see that. It didn't occur to me since I am inclined to camp in plain sight even when wild camping. In the very rare case where I want to hide, I just lay the bike down where it is out of sight. If I did that often I might take BigAura's recommendation and use two garbage bags.

I carry a silnylon cover for my bike,it's 2 1/2 oz.I use it to get out of the sun/rain during breaks or lunch if needed.