Overnights

Donny5

Hello,
I've been looking around the forums, and there seems to be a fair amount of hillwalkers and hikers about.
I was wondering if anyone does multi-day trips, and sleeps out-of-doors. Most people I've come across camping are scumbags 5-10 metres from their Golf, getting ****-faced and generally wrecking the place.
So, does anyone here stay out overnight during hikes?

Stark

Overnighting is common in races like adventure racing, mountain marathons, rogaines etc.

fergalr

Overnighting is common in races like adventure racing, mountain marathons, rogaines etc.

That said, I think generally, in adventure races, you don't have to carry the kit yourself as you have access to kit boxes at transitions, or it's warm enough to sleep rough, and in most rogaines people don't sleep as they are only 24hours.

As it's a bit cold this time of year, the main problems with sleeping out are having the right gear (warm sleeping bag, tent, sleeping mat etc), and having to carry that kit. Probably looking at carrying an extra 8-11kg of kit for your overnight stop. (in the summer you can get away with about 5kg for overnighting during mountain marathon).

So, does anyone here stay out overnight during hikes?

Not sure if you are looking for accounts of people doing overnight hikes, or wondering if it's possible or advice or something else? Do you do much hillwalking yourself?

I was out 22nd 23rd of December.

I'm sure there's at least a few people out overnight all times of the year.

Enduro

That said, I think generally, in adventure races, you don't have to carry the kit yourself as you have access to kit boxes at transitions, or it's warm enough to sleep rough,

Oh jaysus Feargal! If only it were true. You'd have to be very lucky to time your sleeping to tie in with transitions, and even that has drawbacks (Time to put up and take down tents, general faffing etc). You don't carry the kit for the simple reason that its too heavy. Nothing to do with temperature at all. Mind you, a few days in and you can often be tired enough to just lie against a rock and fall into a deep sleep in seconds.

thirtyfoot

I camped out in Ireland usually for 2 day hikes in the summer. The key is to get away from the road or trail so the scumbags won't be arsed hauling in their booze. Lots of people do it and in summer we will sometimes meet at least one other group in the spots we camp at.

Have done up to 12 day multi-day hikes overseas and you can't beat the feeling of heading off with all you need in your pack.

Donny5

fergalr wrote: »

Not sure if you are looking for accounts of people doing overnight hikes, or wondering if it's possible or advice or something else? Do you do much hillwalking yourself?

I would do a fair bit. Mostly overnights, more than day-hikes. I was out last weekend, in fact. Wasn't too cold in Glendeasan, although the mist on Sunday was something else.

About the weight issue, it's not too bad. It always make you feel more hardcore when you have 20kgs on your back:D Around this time of year, a good sleeping bag makes all the difference, as does picking somewhere out of the wind (I just use bivouac, so that's even more important).

Tingle wrote: »

I camped out in Ireland usually for 2 day hikes in the summer. The key is to get away from the road or trail so the scumbags won't be arsed hauling in their booze.

I agree, although I'm come across some campsites left by what must have been some determined scumbags. One was 200m from the nearest track, which in turn was a couple hundred meters from the nearest open road, and they had pulled in big lengths of tin sheeting for shelter. For the most part, I'd try to stay as remote and invisible as possible when out, helps with the paranoia!

fergalr

About the weight issue, it's not too bad. It always make you feel more hardcore when you have 20kgs on your back Around this time of year, a good sleeping bag makes all the difference, as does picking somewhere out of the wind (I just use bivouac, so that's even more important).

Carrying 20Kgs when bivouacing is hardcore indeed :-)

What else do you carry if you don't mind me asking? Are you using a lot of army surplus gear?

Donny5

Yeah, I use a lot of army surplus stuff, simply because I have a habit of wrecking my gear, and army stuff lasts longer. Downside is, when you walk into a town, you look like the scouting party for a RA convention. Even been stopped by the Gardaí once, more for a laugh on their part than anything serious.

My winter load is ludicrisly heavy, but you know what they say: "Travel light, freeze at night". My sleeping and bivvi bags come in at about 3kgs. Bivvi kit, another 1kg, about a kilo or two for cooker, gas, mess tins and kfs. 2-3kgs of spare clothes, thermals, etc. Med and wash kit comes to another kilo. about 2kgs of food, 4 kgs of water, 1-2kgs of booze (long nights, you know, especially at this time of year). The bergen itself weighs over a kilo, and then torches, kipmat (admittedly not very heavy:)), bits and bobs. Just adds up, somehow. These are all guesstimates, and I do try to keep the weight down. I just presumed everyone carried that much gear when overnighting, just didn't think many people did it.

My last trip was only 1 night the weekend before last, and my gear only came to 16kgs (yes, I weighed it, and, yes, I know that's sad). On Friday, I'm going out again, this time for 2 nights, and a longer hike. I'll weight it and see.

I do remember about 2 years ago, walking from Enniskerry to Kilbride with a backpack that was so heavy it cut my shoulders. Luckily my legs were too sore to let me notice:)

fergalr

My last overnight I was carrying about 11kg of kit, and that was about the minimum I could get away with (tent camping) in the cold weather - that includes a 3.5kg 2 person tent, but there were two people, so made tent, stove and so on a bit more weight efficient. I'm starting to go out with heavier loads in future, to hopefully train my body to carrying extra weight.

I've really found in the past that with a bit of time I get used to carrying more weight and the amount I can carry without feeling uncomfortable increases.

You were saying you carry 4kg of water - I'd usually only ever carry somewhere between 1 and 2 kg water most places in Ireland, as there's usually plenty to be found.

Thanks for the info on what you bring, find it very interesting to hear what others are using in the Irish hills, what weight people are carrying and things like that.

How do you find the bivi for comfort on a wet night? Is it a simple bivi sac, or one of the more complex ones with poles? Do you usually sleep under tree cover?

Donny5

Usually there's two of us out, so we button together two ponchos, peg down three sides and bungee up the front to 2 trees. It sounds simple, and it is really, but getting it right takes experience. I can't say how many cold nights I've spent in a bivvi. One night is known to us as the "Washing Machine" night, as I was so cold, I chattered my teeth all night. Didn't help that my water froze in the bottle neck.

Bivvi's have lots of advantages, though. 5 minutes to put up, 10 to take down (why does packing take so much longer?), I don't get paranoid like I don't in tents (my last night in a tent was years ago, but I was convince there was someone or animal outside, and kept jumping out my a cyalume and knife all night. Never found anything:D), less weight, can't really fail.
Best of all, no tent poles to weave into place.

Downsides include no groundsheet (unless you bring an extra poncho), they leak or pool water (no matter what you do, they're never 100% watertight), if you're sharing one (2 ponchos buttoned together allow you to peg down the sides for 3-way wind protection) you better like they other guy/girl - privacy's hard to come by, and you need trees.
That said, I always camp in forests, better to stay out of sight. Plus, wind portection.
They're also vunerable to being stood on by deer.

Believe it or not, though, bivvi's can keep you dryer than tents, at least when cooking. Park the cooker outside and you stay inside.

As for water, 4 litres is a day's worth for me, and it gives me a little leeway if I can't find potable water, or if there's an emergency.

I'm in the middle of a hiking fad at the minute, and I'm getting out as often as I can, so it's on the brain.

Donny5

Hey, I'm going for a 3-day hike tomorrow. If anyone's out at the weekend, around the glenadalough/glenmalure area, and you see a rock that looks suspiciously like a person passed out, come over and say hi!

fergalr

Hey, I'm going for a 3-day hike tomorrow. If anyone's out at the weekend, around the glenadalough/glenmalure area, and you see a rock that looks suspiciously like a person passed out, come over and say hi!

There'll be lots of orienteers around glendalough sunday morning, in case any trip over you!
I'll be helping put out controls saturday evening too - so if you come across any orange and white flags in your travels don't collect them!

Donny5

fergalr wrote: »

There'll be lots of orienteers around glendalough sunday morning, in case any trip over you!
I'll be helping put out controls saturday evening too - so if you come across any orange and white flags in your travels don't collect them!

I think I saw of few of your orienteers around. After walking on Saturday, I was truely knackered and spent most of my time in the forests. Anyone see the fog sitting on Lug and Table on Friday/Saturday. About 10m visibilty, along with driving rain. Was good fun.