April BAM

Not much to report on this one, I did another backyard bivvy made slightly more challenging by my ongoing lawn extension program getting in the way of my pitch. I'd been out for my daily ride earlier so made do with a mandatory lap of the garden pre-pitch up. I guess I could have loaded up for my ride but it would look a mite suspicious disappearing off into the woods with bags on. Hey ho.....

I did at least make the effort to load up properly - actually my typical overnight loadout, pint pot excepted (I've had good results decanting a bottle of beer into a 500ml nalgene bottle) and pretty TLS if I may say.

This is about as technical as it gets. Soon all this will be grass.

The pitch. Normally I'd use the bike instead of the barrow but I'm not about to leave my beloved Jones lying outside overnight, even in this relatively crime free neighbourhood! This is my first night out under a flat tarp. I tried one a couple of years ago but was trying to use it with various bike bits instead of poles, which was too faffy for my liking. Enlightenment came in the use of a pole (the same one I use for the Deschutes) and proper guys and pegs. Even with that it knocks just over 100g's off my deschutes / lightweight bivvy bag combo. It also takes up a lot less space. It won't be quite as weather proof, particularly against wind and rain but it should be more versatile in restricted pitches and woodland. Interestingly this combo is less than 100g's heavier than my Rab ascent bivvy bag and a lot more useful.... 

I think the trick is to work out one standard pitch and use it all the time so you get quick at it. Presence of trees, fences and walls enable variations. So I'll give it a go for real once we get out of this carry on. I've a faint hope that I might manage a proper bivvy at the end of next month looking at what the news up here is saying. I'll probably bag another BYB mid month just in case although I'm running out of ideas for themes!