Bivi up forcast -4

[verloc]

plenty of layers, decent doss bag and from past experience I find being stretched out on a sleeping mat / bivi bag next to the fire to be much warmer that sitting in a chair next to the fire. I would avoid the booze altogether when its this cold (b*gger getting up at 0400hrs for a pee when it's that cold). But the main thing to enjoying it is to have an easy accessible "extra warmth option" - this for me is generally my ex-issue bulky artic bag sitting in the bag of stooboys motor that i know i can lay my hands on quickly (if we are near enough to the motor) this makes a big difference with me enjoying the night knowing I can get a another very warm bag

Ermm another slightly wussier addition is a hot water bottle for when you first get into your bivi - just make sure to chuck it out of the bivi when it gets "nearly" cold.

There is simply not enough opportunities to get out during a year to discount the colder months imho. (plus no flying things to eat / sting you)

I am sure it will be a great outing - jealous now cos I am booked up for the next couple of weekends - enjoy mate!

 

[Mike Ameling]

-4 degrees Centigrade? That's what, about 25 degrees Farenhiet? Light frost in the morning and a skim of ice in the cooking pot?

The WORRY about it is far worse than living through it. You should camp out when it's -4 degrees Farenhiet! That will frost your cookies! You wake up with a layer of frost and icicles on your beard/mustache/blankets condensed out of your breath. And tingling toes if you don't plan right.

Get a good layer of INSULATION between you and the ground! That ground contact can really suck the heat out of you! And if you are in a hammock, that cold air can get all around you - so extra insulation under/around your sleeping bag.

Sharing body heat with a buddy really does help. But I prefer that buddy be a red-headed farm/country girl about 5'6" tall - freckles optional - but lots of fun to count.

Don't get dehydrated just to keep yourself from needing to get up in the middle of the night to answer that "call of nature". If you have to go when you wake up in the dark, just don't fight the urge. Get up and go. Then stir up the fire and move about a little to help warm yourself back up before you crawl back in. And a quick little snack helps a lot to fuel your internal engine. I prefer a small chocolate bar or a handful of peanuts. That little "snack" really helps. And don't forget to bring some back for that red-headed "buddy" - or she will make you crawl back out to get it for her!

Wear a wool stocking hat/cap - and think about adding a scarf around your neck. They hold in lots of heat that would be lost. Dry socks (clothes) before you go to sleep -- of course. And block any wind/breeze. Even a light breeze will chill you fast.

The last tip would be a "mental" one. If you ... think ... that you will be cold and miserable, then you will end up cold and miserable. Just accept that you might get cold, and don't "fight" it. You will be much better off after you make that mental decision. Trying to "fight the cold" just concentrates your attention on that cold.

Try to avoid using "gimmick" to get your through the night. Keep things simple and pretty basic. A long-log fire is kind of nice to sleep alongside of, but it is better to not have to rely upon it to survive the night. Plan things so that it is a "nice addition" instead of a "necessity".

Enjoy your adventure - no matter what happens. You already have the comforting knowledge of your "backup" plan being nearby. And knowing that really helps you stick it out.

After you get your first real taste of cold weather camping, then you can try doing it at 20 below zero (F) with 3 feet of snow, and with only gear/clothing/blankets that would have been available in the mid 1700's!

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
- who spent most of last week and this week working outside with temps around that -4 (C) or lower cutting firewood and building a lean-to addition on one shed

 

[william#]

woke up one morning with over an inch of snow covering the bivi bag i was sleeping in .
was actually one of my best outdoor wake ups as went i went to sleep there wasnt a hint of snow but to wake up the next morning to find a white out was kinda special . and i didnt wake upi cold either just wanting to get a brew on quick .
def agree with the above its far better to be by a fire than in your car , im rather tall so for me car sleeping has always been unfofatable and they tend to get really cold

 

[Barney]

I am up early getting packed, I wish I had gone last night as well as I couldn't sleep hardly.

I am not planning on "needing" a fire through the night to keep warm. That will be a bonus. Though if conditions permit and resources are available I may attempt ditching my sleep system alltogether.

as it stands, I know that I will not be cold. Thanks to the advice above, I now have a Goretex Bivi bag with thermarest base with a 0c 3 season bag inside an extra large -2c 3 season bag. I have just made it all up into a bedroll and it only weighs 12lb which I thought was good all things considered.


By my calculations that gets me 7 seasons.LOL. and its starting to feel like cheating a bit.

Some of the tips above are fantastic and thanks for sharing and giving us the benefit of your experience.


1. Axe, bow saw blade and knife
2. Firesteel, natural and manufactured tinders.
3. Crusader cup.
4. Bivi/bedroll
5. Tarp
6. First aid kit


I am starting to wonder how light you could theoretically go for the cold!

 

[sandsnakes]

Have fun Barney. I am working all this weekend so sitting here feeling rather miffed that I cant get out.

Sandsankes

 

[sparksfly]

I don't take a hot water bottle as such, but I do fill my sigg bottle with hot water and put it in a spare sock. Works a treat.

 

[Neanderthal]

If you are insulated in your sleepingbag/bivy bag you will not get much heat through from the fire, insulation works both ways.

Gortex and fire are not good friends.

-4 shouldn't be a problem if you are out of the wind. Have fun.

Stu

 

[Wallenstein]

I am starting to wonder how light you could theoretically go for the cold!

Depends what resources you have!

If you can chop down a few trees and use a parallel log fire with 3-4 thicks logs, you can stay out without a sleeping bag in very chilly weather quite happily!

These were posted by Stuart in another thread... I believe it was -20 that night (note the lack of sleeping bag!).

 

[Dougster]

-4 isn't that cold. I bet he comes back on and says it was all fine.

-8 was OK last year, bit nippy sitting out, but once in the bag it was fine.

 

[Joonsy]

watch your water in water bottle don't freeze overnight and leave some water in your cooking pot ready for morning as it doesn't matter if the water in cooking pot freezes.

 

[verloc]

watch your water in water bottle don't freeze overnight and leave some water in your cooking pot ready for morning as it doesn't matter if the water in cooking pot freezes.

I'd never thought of that - duh. Good tiip Joonsy Cheers.

 

[mentalnurse]

john and myself spoke to andy and wayne before, they are both still alive and getting in to the sleeping bag to say warm...... sure they will wake up stiff and hard if it gets to cold tonite like the water in the cooking pots......hope they thaw out ok.

 

[Martyn]

john and myself spoke to andy and wayne before, they are both still alive and getting in to the sleeping bag to say warm...... sure they will wake up stiff and hard if it gets to cold tonite like the water in the cooking pots......hope they thaw out ok.

......must .....resist

 

[Doc]

....that was just asking for a Finbar Saunders comment, wasn't it?


Anyway, here in Perthshire last nights low was minus 7.1 C.

Pretty cold for November, but we have had down to minus 15 before.

 

[Barney]

Well we Survived.)

The temperature got down to - 3.8C, according to official figures. Personally I didn't feel cold at any point during the night, quite the opposite actually, we had a roaring fire to sit/lie down around, and both of us were adequately overbagged.

I will post a few pics later when my ISP gets its act together.

 

[Shewie]

So what did you end up taking Barney ?

 

[Singeblister]

Well we Survived.)

The temperature got down to - 3.8C, according to official figures. Personally I didn't feel cold at any point during the night, quite the opposite actually, we had a roaring fire to sit/lie down around, and both of us were adequately overbagged.

I will post a few pics later when my ISP gets its act together.

dont post the one you sent to me on the phone wayne people might get the wrong idea
specialy with all those broke back mountain comments above lol

 

[Barney]

Rich,

you know the saying "the more you know the less you carry?"

Well after yesterdays performance and what I carried, Its a wonder how I know to tie my shoe laces.

1. Axe, bow saw blade and knife
2. Firesteel, natural and manufactured tinders.
3. Crusader cup.
4. Bivi/bedroll
5. Tarp
6. First aid kit
7. nanock bivi boots,
8. spare coat-not used
9. thermal bedware-not used
10. change of clothes- not used
11. 4 litre water- even though right by a stream
12. rope and paracord
13 tea, coffee etc
14, food
15. Bottle of three barrels and a bottle of tawny port
16.wash kit bag
17. camera
18 various torchesx3
19 rope for tin can light
20, 1/2 lb beef dripping-for above light.
21, ground sheet so as not to damage borrowed bivi.


Need I go on?

John,
I will treat your comments with the contempt that they deserve.

 

[redandshane]

Brilliant
Yep its only a couple of years ago i was exactly same
but till you do it
you just don't know
Just as an example I now find a black bin liner one of the most versatile bits of kit I carry and I dont carry a spare coat or ha ha bivi boots ***
as for three torches I probaly had a candle as well!!!!

 

[Shewie]

Rich,

you know the saying "the more you know the less you carry?"

Well after yesterdays performance and what I carried, Its a wonder how I know to tie my shoe laces.

1. Axe, bow saw blade and knife
2. Firesteel, natural and manufactured tinders.
3. Crusader cup.
4. Bivi/bedroll
5. Tarp
6. First aid kit
7. nanock bivi boots,
8. spare coat-not used
9. thermal bedware-not used
10. change of clothes- not used
11. 4 litre water- even though right by a stream
12. rope and paracord
13 tea, coffee etc
14, food
15. Bottle of three barrels and a bottle of tawny port
16.wash kit bag
17. camera
18 various torchesx3
19 rope for tin can light
20, 1/2 lb beef dripping-for above light.
21, ground sheet so as not to damage borrowed bivi.


Need I go on?

John,
I will treat your comments with the contempt that they deserve.

That`s not such a big list Wayne, I`d have carried about the same for winter camping I reckon. If it had rained all evening you`d have been glad of the change of clothes come bedtime. I`d have probably left the "beef light" at home and made do with a couple of torches but apart from that all the kit listed is neccesary.

What does your bedroll consist of, is it sleeping bag, liner, mat and bivi all rolled up together ?

And I`m intrigued about the light anyway, have you got a link ?