Bivouac sack, bivy, bivvy, bivi bags and bloody bivvying

Come up to Scotland and they'll make you regret your existence

I've been to Scotland a few times but never seen anything that I'd write home about. I've not cycled too much up there though or camped. But I also come from Oz so whatever Scotland has to offer I'm sure our version is more/bigger/worse :P

A proper midge cloud is something else - they are tiny but can attack in millions.

Someone said, when a cloud sets upon you, at the start, you're afraid you might actually die, but before long, you're afraid you might not.

I do a fair bit of my wild camping in pretty remote spots on the mountain bike, but there are camp sites in Scotland that are unbearable on a still summers day. We finished a ride last year at the end of Knoydart in Scotland - 20 degrees out and a lovely pub with a view over the water towards Tarbet but you couldn't sit still outside for 2 minutes.

I have a bug head net which I sleep in. Managed to stave away the biters in exmoor last summer.

My wild camping experiences from a few years back (well, 8 years ago? Shit me.) involving ultra light tarp setups all involved being bitten til I wish I was dead.

Sod that ever again. I even get mosquitoes attacking me when nobody else even spots them.

If you have a tarp you see the murderer coming towards you, with a tent you dont.

Neither better or worse, just different.

Had another quick check of the OEX bivi. Feels very thin and light. Inside looks like, well, it looks like fancy waterproof jacket material. Somewhat-laminated noname-tex material.

Midges are the equivalent of having a Thistle tattooed on your arm.

If you've been to Scotland and not had a Wee Little Bastard attack you ain't lived.

You think you have got away with it but in 5 days you realise you haven't. There is the joke that you kill one and 50, 000 of their mates turn up for the wake.

Scotland is on my todo list but Covid fucked one audax up there already. TransScotland was starting today. We'll see..

Go to Skye. Less the cycling but the Black and Red Cullins are amazing for walking.

Rum's pretty great for a night or two

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That's another on the Tick List when we can travel again.

Skye is absolutely packed with Chinese tourists and old people because of the bloody tour buses. Great though if you can avoid them.

Would second Rum, Guirdil bothy is one of my favourite places I've been in the UK.

Ha, ha. True.

When I was there last we were asked by a Chinese tour guide how to get to In Pin. The group was all in trainers and jeans. We told him not to be so stupid.

I have a Rab ascent bivi and Rab sil tarp 1 that are no longer needed if anyone is interested?

If the Midges don't get you the Cleggs (Horseflies) will

Fuck they hurt bad

@spotter @7Üp either of you tried the DD solo mesh inner with your superlight tarp? I've ordered one but now wondering if it'll actually fit well

https://www.ddhammocks.com/product/xl_pyramid_mesh_1_man?from_cat=43

What size tarp do you use? I use the superlight with a tent inner over the weekend when camping (which looks very similar to the DD one linked) and it was a nightmare. Really hard to get good coverage and in the 'raining from all directions' Scottish classic I still got wet. And then a pigeon pooped on me, which was unrelated though still galling

Funnily enough the bottom of my tent when I packed up that morning seemed to swarming with hundreds of ticks

It's the 3 x 2.9m. I tried it my living room and convinced myself it'd work but now having mild doubts.

Pigeon must've seen you were having a bad time and gone in for the kill

Vom-in-mouth

Yeah, I've got the same. The issue I had was that if I wanted enough space to sit up inside the mesh, I had to also have the tarp up even higher and it's hard to get a proper ceiling. But I also had a serious lack of cordage and tie off points which made it very complicated. In future I might just buy a cheap Mountain Warehouse bug net which should be wider and need less height. But no more camping for me during the summer anyway, my hayfever was also off the carts on Saturday.

Nah. Might as well just get a tent at that point?

I did the Cairngorms in early October last year. blazing sunshine for three days, torrential rain for another, and not a single midge.

You could get lucky!

I had my first night out in a bivvy last night, was fantastic. Up on a hill 20km out of town. First impressions of the oex bivvy are good, I woke up comfortable and dry, though any wetness would have just been dew or sweat - it didn't rain. Really good fun though.

Nice, presume you headed peakwards? If so beware the rangers at the moment.

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