Bike camping gear

[Bender]

5 hours ago, manxie49 said:

Try wild camping ..... Me and a mate did it a few years ago, on a whim, up in the Cairngorms, both ex squaddies so we thought "we'll tuff it out", how wrong could we have been!! After two days of being eaten alive by f-----g Scottish midges we were running for civilisation and a B&B .... 

Cairngorms is relatively mild on the bitey front, pine forests are good, as is high ground, avoid low boggy grass areas, 

[S-Westerly]

1 hour ago, Bender said:

Cairngorms is relatively mild on the bitey front, pine forests are good, as is high ground, avoid low boggy grass areas, 

Unfortunately  lakes or lochs even tend to by definition have low boggy areas around them even the ones on high ground. When we used to take the boat up the west coast we used to anchor offshore a bit to be sure we were midge free. More than one beach bbq was hastily abandoned due to the little horrors. As for the Crinan canal the bast*rds got us there. Really,  really hate them.

[jedibiker]

so has anyone found a good anti midge product seeing as its a common problem?

[husoi]

7 minutes ago, jedibiker said:

so has anyone found a good anti midge product seeing as its a common problem?

People say these work

https://www.macsadventure.com/walking-holidays/say-goodbye-to-the-midges/

https://www.cottages-and-castles.co.uk/guides/repel-scottish-midges

 

I got a wee head net that just covers your head. You will need long sleeves and probably gloves.

Next time I'm going to the area will try the smidge

 

https://www.smidgeup.com/

[jedibiker]

5 minutes ago, husoi said:

People say these work

https://www.macsadventure.com/walking-holidays/say-goodbye-to-the-midges/

https://www.cottages-and-castles.co.uk/guides/repel-scottish-midges

 

I got a wee head net that just covers your head. You will need long sleeves and probably gloves.

Next time I'm going to the area will try the smidge

 

https://www.smidgeup.com/

Made a note of the smidge.. some say the avon oil spray works but Il bet those hard little shits don't mind it. Would rather get a spray etc than wear a net. But,, if thats the only defence then fair play

[husoi]

1 minute ago, jedibiker said:

Made a note of the smidge.. some say the avon oil spray works but Il bet those hard little shits don't mind it. Would rather get a spray etc than wear a net. But,, if thats the only defence then fair play

The wee net costs around £5 and fits easily in the pocket.

If you're like me any repellent will work as ketchup 

[jedibiker]

lol true @husoi but the smidge sounds really good. after reading the facts etc expected a big price tag, but its not bad

[Ian Frog]

Just now, jedibiker said:

Made a note of the smidge.. some say the avon oil spray works but Il bet those hard little shits don't mind it. Would rather get a spray etc than wear a net. But,, if thats the only defence then fair play

The Avon product you are thinking of is called Skin So Soft and I believe the original fragrance is the best and is used by a large number of people world wide including some milatary.

Cheers

Ian

[jedibiker]

2 minutes ago, Ian Frog said:

The Avon product you are thinking of is called Skin So Soft and I believe the original fragrance is the best and is used by a large number of people world wide including some milatary.

Cheers

Ian

thats the one yeah. cant work out why it works, its not meant too is it

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

14 minutes ago, jedibiker said:

thats the one yeah. cant work out why it works, its not meant too is it

I found it works but my goodness it’s oily stuff- doesn’t like to stay in its container so you need to put it in a ziploc if you don’t want to coat other contents with it. Cors if you’ve got soft panniers on your bike and have an off (or two) the plastic bag won’t help you.. don’t ask me how I know that one

Edited February 25, 2021 by Slowlycatchymonkey

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

With insect repellent the higher the % of DEET the more effective it is. DEET is banned in many countries due to a whole host of toxicity problems but still available here. Maximum strength is usually found in ‘Jungle Formula’ or imitations of it at around 50%

That stuff definitely works well but it STINKS, makes your eyes run and is banned in many countries with good reason. If something is so repellent even a hungry fly won’t come near you you have to consider if you want to use it which is why the Avon skin so soft is popular. 
 

I couldn’t stand the DEET and preferred to look like a pillock and struggle with the bed net and the daft hat thing. 

[jedibiker]

2 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

With insect repellent the higher the % of DEET the more effective it is. DEET is banned in many countries due to a whole host of toxicity problems but still available here. Maximum strength is usually found in ‘Jungle Formula’ or imitations of it at around 50%

That stuff definitely works well but it STINKS, makes your eyes run and is banned in many countries with good reason. If something is so repellent even a hungry fly won’t come near you you have to consider if you want to use it which is why the Avon skin so soft is popular. 
 

I couldn’t stand the DEET and preferred to look like a pillock and struggle with the bed net and the daft hat thing. 

that smidge that was mentioned above reads well, and has no deet in it... deet sounds a little dodgy lol

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

5 minutes ago, jedibiker said:

that smidge that was mentioned above reads well, and has no deet in it... deet sounds a little dodgy lol

Smidge and other non deet repellents contain picaridin, that’s what’s in ‘Skin so Soft’ and why it works as a repellent. It’s the ingredient widely used in the US. Your looking for 20% concentration for maximum effectiveness. Or so they said a couple of years ago, might have all changed by now!

[jedibiker]

16 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

Smidge and other non deet repellents contain picaridin, that’s what’s in ‘Skin so Soft’ and why it works as a repellent. It’s the ingredient widely used in the US. Your looking for 20% concentration for maximum effectiveness. Or so they said a couple of years ago, might have all changed by now!

interesting. seems it was or is 10% and claims to have citronella in it too.

[husoi]

Now...

About citronella......

Is a citrus essence, with largest concentration in fresh lemons.

Maybe if you eat 1/2 dozen lemons it will works 

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

22 minutes ago, husoi said:

Now...

About citronella......

Is a citrus essence, with largest concentration in fresh lemons.

Maybe if you eat 1/2 dozen lemons it will works 

A lot about the current political climate has had me looking like I’m sucking lemons, maybe that’s why I’ve not been bitten for a year

[skyrider]

7 hours ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

A lot about the current political climate has had me looking like I’m sucking lemons, maybe that’s why I’ve not been bitten for a year

could well be 

[S-Westerly]

If I'm in North America I stock up on one of their heavy duty insect repellents as if they work on Texas mosquitoes or Canadian black flies which make Scotch midges look like insect wimps they'll work on them. Probably  mean any children I might have may have two heads but as I'm well past the age of producing offspring I don't really care.

[onesea]

Just now, S-Westerly said:

If I'm in North America I stock up on one of their heavy duty insect repellents as if they work on Texas mosquitoes or Canadian black flies which make Scotch midges look like insect wimps they'll work on them. Probably  mean any children I might have may have two heads but as I'm well past the age of producing offspring I don't really care.

I have always asked the locals what they use...

Figuring they know the local mosquitoes best

Though tend not to get bitten.

Apart from one bar  where whenever I drank at the bar my ankles got eaten.

Till someone pointed out the ones that harass you at the tables where less ferocious..

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

4 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

If I'm in North America I stock up on one of their heavy duty insect repellents as if they work on Texas mosquitoes or Canadian black flies which make Scotch midges look like insect wimps they'll work on them. Probably  mean any children I might have may have two heads but as I'm well past the age of producing offspring I don't really care.

Two heads, double the brain power, they’ll be grateful

[WD40]

The last time I went camping on the bike I spent the whole day riding and I ended up pitching the tent on a beach in total darkness. Seemed like a good spot. The next morning I woke up and I was lying in the sleeping bag. I could hear things dropping off the tent roof! I was thinking what is that noise so I look around and the tent is covered in earwigs! Hundreds of the fookers. I pitched the tent on a earwig hotel

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

11 minutes ago, WD40 said:

The last time I went camping on the bike I spent the whole day riding and I ended up pitching the tent on a beach in total darkness. Seemed like a good spot. The next morning I woke up and I was lying in the sleeping bag. I could hear things dropping off the tent roof! I was thinking what is that noise so I look around and the tent is covered in earwigs! Hundreds of the fookers. I pitched the tent on a earwig hotel

Blurgh 

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

Camping gear upgrade sorted. I think. For anyone bored/interested links included below. 

 

Ground sheet fabric for new weird pop up and down tent ordered. The tents slightly bulky but really does pop up and crucially back down ridiculously quickly so I’ll give it a whirl. The mechanism makes me think it won’t be long lived but comes with 5 years guarantee so we’ll see. When it gives up the ghost I’ll probably be ready for a swanky upgrade

Cobb frying pan ordered. Its very flat and has detachable flat handle. It’s harder than I thought it would be to find a large flat frying pan with detachable handle so hope this’ll do. Most camping frying pans are imo far far too small to adequately fry up enough breakfast.  

 

New sleeping bag ordered as the current one is cotton and feels damp if the temperature difference causes too much condensation- an expensive mistake on my part.

Not sure about the sleeping bag I’ve gone for as I started off from the basis I definitely didn’t want a cocoon shape one and ended up buying.. yep a cocoon shape one

I just couldn’t find toasty envelope shape ones with reliable reviews. The way they rate them seems very hit n miss until you move into the territory of the very pricey. I’m currently not going to pay for an expensive one until I know if I get on with the cocoon shape. 
 

Wondering if others here have used cocoon shape sleeping bags and how you’ve found them or have I made another mistake?
 

 

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/camping-tent-2-seconds-easy-fresh-black-2-person/_/R-p-308355?mc=8553541&c=WHITE&orderId=gb311262826

 

https://www.attwoolls.co.uk/cobb-frying-pan

https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15896936/vango-nitestar-450-sleeping-bag-15896936

 

 

[Gerontious]

Mine is a cocoon shape with a double zip so it can be tighter to the body on cooler nights and opened up a tad for more air movement on warmer nights. I’m not a masochist so I don’t tend to go camping in winter, early spring or late autumn when the temperature at night might possibly drop to single or (shudder) minus figures. That has actually happened though... in June. But, I was rather high up in the french alps (obviously the best excuse ever) and wore thermals as very non-sexy Jim jams.

it was so cold the tent froze. But I was toasty.

 

look at Snugpak.

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

2 hours ago, Gerontious said:

Mine is a cocoon shape with a double zip so it can be tighter to the body on cooler nights and opened up a tad for more air movement on warmer nights. I’m not a masochist so I don’t tend to go camping in winter, early spring or late autumn when the temperature at night might possibly drop to single or (shudder) minus figures. That has actually happened though... in June. But, I was rather high up in the french alps (obviously the best excuse ever) and wore thermals as very non-sexy Jim jams.

it was so cold the tent froze. But I was toasty.

 

look at Snugpak.

I’m now wishing I’d asked the question before I purchased. Snugpak is the sort of thing I was looking for, would have saved me the frustration of getting to the point of “buy one any bl**dy one” just so I could stop looking  

Vango one being delivered tomoz (impressed with Attwoolls only ordered it late last night) so I’ll have a look at it and if I don’t think much of it it’ll go back. 
 

I read down sleeping bags can suffer with dampness from condensation same as cotton so I was going to stick with polyester is that right? And if I was moving into premium brand money would you stick with snugpak or do other brands come into play?