Overnight on Dartmoor.

 It was time for my first overnighter in a couple of years, but this one would see all my kit loaded on the bike. My aim was always to get all of my kit loaded into a saddle pack, a bar bag, a frame bag or two, and the two fork frames. It was pleasing to be able to realise that, though I learned a few lessons on this trip that will see a few changes on the next one. First up was the saddle pack, which really needs to be loaded and strapped up very carefully. I may even go as far as adding another strap, at the end of the saddle rail extension, to add more stability. The pack is a 15ltr Topeak Backloader, which overall is a very good pack and can handle a large volume of kit. As is always the way, the lighter you can make it , the better, so I loaded my spare clothing, spare gas canister, bivi bag, sleeping mat, and down jacket. I'd say this, whilst not being onerous in volume, was probably on the limit for weight. One other thing was the tightness of the saddle rail clamp bolts, which hold the saddle rail extension (from Alpkit) in place. Mine, initially, weren't and I only noticed this by chance. Had I not noticed and rectified this, the consequences could have been quite costly.

That said, I did push the kit on this ride, as seen in this photo that I took, halfway down a demanding set of rough rock steps. Ordinarily, I'd ride most of this terrain at much faster pace, but with the extra weight and the inability to drop my saddle, I had to ride much slower. It really awakened me to the limitations that riding such terrain slowly can impose, as well as reminding me of riding in a different lifetime! At slower speeds, line choice is really crucial, especially on terrain like this that has big drops and large holes, either of which will happily swallow a front wheel and eject you OTB (over the bars)! Suffice to say that my concentration levels were through the roof and I was quite glad of the photo op pause! The majority of my carrying kit also happens to be from Topeak - the two fork craddles and the bar bag - with the frame packs being from Evoc (small pack that contains an inner tube and a ton of spares and tools) and Altura (containing another spare tube, 3x CO2 canisters, a hat, an emergency shelter, some glove liners, and a couple of snacks). The fork packs carried my cooker and spare water, plus food and couple of other bits, whilst the bar bag carried my mid-weight sleeping bag. These combos worked really well and I'll be happy to load like this again.

There was a fair smack of climbing too and, eventually, I came within sight of my desired overnight spot. The views were spectacular, with not a cloud in the sky, and the sun kept things nicely warmed through. This view looks down, past Sharp Tor, towards the Erme estuary and the English Channel beyond. Overall, it was a pretty good day to be on the bike, but it also hid what lay ahead, through the night to come...

Sunset was pretty spectacular, with some stunning views and colours to be had, but the temperature rapidly started to plummet as the sun got lower in the sky. Arriving at my campsite, I quickly got my bivi bag, sleeping mat, and sleeping bag set up, then got hot food on the go, using my Jetboil stove. The Jetboil is a great option for anyone traveling solo, as it can easily accommodate a boil-in-the-bag food pouch and heats it within minutes (with boiling water). The Jetboil is claimed to work in quite sever conditions, as is the Coleman's Extreme gas canister it was paired with, but more on that in a bit.

Having eaten and enjoyed the last of the light, it was time to hunker down for the night. Given the plummeting temperatures and rising wind, I decided to leave my jacket on for the night, which I'm very glad I did. It's just a cheap jacket that I got when I was skiing with the Armed Forces Para Snowsports Team, with a synthetic filing and more than a few sewn-up holes now(!), but it is a very warm piece of kit. In my Vango 3 season sleeping bag and my old-school Gore Tex bivi, I'd expect to be relatively well protected from the elements, but it turned out that I was pushing their limits on this night. The winds continued to pick up, eventually settling on a steady 30mph+, which meant the wind chill dipped a couple of degrees or more below zero. Despite the Gore Tex bag, with no supports to keep it off my sleeping bag, the wind chill was making itself quite known. Added to the constant flapping of the loose bivi material, it would be fair to say that this was not one of the most restful nights I've had, though I definitely got more sleep than I initially thought I was going to. With gloves, hat, jacket, and an extra pair of socks, the Vango bag did a great job of keeping me warm enough to sleep for long periods, eventually waking properly just before 0500hrs. After a quick check of the forecast, on my phone, I then went back to sleep and woke just before sunrise.

Sunrise was equally as beautiful as the previous night's sunset, though even more bitter. With the wind showing no sign of letting up and temps still hovering at around 0c, the Jetboil seemed highly reluctant to light. It meant I had to abandon the warmth of my sleeping/bivi bags and seak a sheltered spot for the cooker. Even hidden behind a large granite boulder, the cooker still didn't want to light, though eventually it relented and I was able to get my food on the go. Unfortunately, due to my desire to spend the least amount of time sat in the cold waiting, I took my food out of the boiling pot too soon and wound up with a lukewarm pouch of All Day Breakfast, which got wolfed down as quickly as I could manage in order that I could start striking camp. Thankfully, packing the bike was relatively straightforward and I was under way at 0752hrs, just 50 minutes after poking my head out of my bags. The journey home was relatively straightforward from here, being almost entirely downhill. I could feel the winds easing and the temperature rising, as I dropped below the ridge and aimed for the town, but not before I stopped to snap a quick last pic at Hangershell Rock. All-in-all, a very enjoyable return to bike-based camping on Dartmoor!