There are some excellent alternative suggestions in the comments - thank you very much. I'll never claim to know THE way to do something, so constructive, friendly ideas and suggestions are always gratefully received and hugely important.

I’ve never rated bivi’s purely on the basis of space. For me I’d rather carry an extra couple of hundred grams and have space to cook and live after a ride. Watching the video I’ve seen nothing to convince me otherwise! Keep up the great work Simon.

I live in Canada where we have droves of mosquitoes and black flies (midges). I hate them because they love me. Because of this the smallest I go is a one man free standing tent. Gear selection is so personal and geographically specific. Pick what works for you as they say. Great video as always Simon and good advice on trying out new gear with over nighters before a big trip.

After going through several cheap pads, I can recommend to spend the money to get a Thermarest Neoair X-Lite in a wide version and never look back. Very light, compact, warm and comfortable.

That’s one of the professionally produced and delivered pieces of content I’ve seen on KZfaq. I love my hooped bivvy and down bag combo. Super light and fits in my saddlebag for overnighters.

I’ll second that recommendation for the Neoair x-lite, ultra light , ultra compact and very comfortable. Personally i would always go for a light weight tent rather than a bivvy bag . The extra weight isn’t that much for some tents and it so much more roomy. But if you were racing then obviously a bivvy bag would be the option. I think the Rab Neutrino sleeping bag is called that because buying it leaves your wallet with almost zero mass.

Great video. My sister and I did a loop around Aberfoyle a few days ago. BRILLIANT until we wanted to set up camp in our new Alpkit hooped bivvys. Rain and midges all but make it impossible in Scotland. Never seen midges like it! I'm still covered in bites and scratching. A lightweight tent for me I think. The bivvys set up very quickly but I am fairly large and changing clothes or adding/removing layers in the night is impossible for me!

Brilliant, thanks mate!

I have an old Bibbler snorkel bivy. Now Black Diamond. Love it. I have used it in combination with a Kelty Noahs tarp. Not the smallest package. But not big. Looking into a Haven hammock tent/bivy.. I haven't tried hammocks. Good luck!!

Glad you didn't get hurt with the bike fall... This is an exercise well spent, you'll not be bringing the wrong gear.. Well done so far..

Great video, I got myself a hooped bivy, alpkit elan, I like it because it opens along the side, making getting in and out easier.

Nice video. Tent most practical, bivy most fun. After using an Aguaquest hooped bivy a tent seems confining and claustrophobic. Bivy with tarp is nice.

Really great info. Many thanks.

Great wee video ,cheers ,us Scot’s dont feel midges 😂😂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Great video as always. I've tried many permutatuons of bivvy/hooped bivvy/tarps and tents. I've finally settled on a Rab Solo Bug Tent with DD Hammocks Superlight Tarp suspended from a dyneema line between a couple of custom carbon poles. Undoubtedly I'm carrying a but of a weight penalty which rules it out for many but it just ticks all the boxes; great view and feeling of sleeping out in the open, weatherproof, bug proof and I can cook under the tarp. I've also since discovered there are a couple of bug tents available as well that are much lighter than mine....

I know its a few more grams, gram keep! but u could get one of those mini triangle tarp or small poncho 200g max to place between bivi and bike for cooking if gonna rain, a bit of cordage and two pegs u can set it up for all sorts of wind rain lunch options while still keeping the setup fast and flexible 😀 👍

Hugely interesting, look forward to more of your bivvy experience. Never used one but just got myself the Alpkit Elan and will be testing it soon. For me it's more of a back up and to keep the cost down, alternating hostels/B&B´s or hotels with bivvying

Jeepers! I’ve done loads of camping through my life but at 55, I think hotels or our caravan are the roughest I’ll sleep after cycling these days. Well done Sir! Tougher than most!

I've sometimes wondered about a bivi for a bike trip... Now I've seen the reality of it, I'll stick to a lightweight tent. 500g more for a better nights sleep. Sleep and recovery is too important on a trip to compromise for so little weight imho. Looking forward to seeing more of these though. Thanks.

My Jupiter bivi arrives tomorrow. Cannot wait to try it out!

I like to concept of a hooped bivvy, but i think the video sums them up. They are great for fast pitching so late in early out stuff. I had a gortex dutch army bivy which was great, but I i found it claustrophobic when zipped in. So the plan is if there are no migies, then tarp and normal bivvy. If migies around then tent. I use the alpkit airbeam which doesnt nee ant poles, so it is about the weight of a tarp and normal bivvy..

Horses for courses me thinks. Although I hear that the TN Jupiter is the best in the biz!

I have a Zpack Duplex tent (with poles ~600g). It’s not freestanding but I think a newer version is. It’s two person (read one person and gear) and Dyneema means it shakes dry & packs small. I still will not cook in a tent but the space provides sanity & ability to change away from bugs/ rain. Before buying a sleeping pad, I recommend lying on the pad in the shop as some sleeping pads are super noisy if you move.

Midges love Bikepacking too 🪰🙂

Bivvy bags are great for stealth,but if you want some where to cook & change & keep your kit dry,The zips on the hoop Bivvy bags quite often fail,especially the Dutch model,you can't beat a uk army tarp & bomb proof Bivvy bag & they don't cost the earth

I’ve gone through a couple sleep systems recently. For years I used a Ray-way silicone/nylon tarp tent I sewed myself. 2-person version is very roomy, absolutely dry and great ventilation. But needing to also use the bug net in some conditions, as well as sometimes “creative” pitching had me itching for a simpler solution. I recently started using a Nemo Dragonfly 1-person tent. I got the bike packing version which is slightly heavier than the standard because of shorter poles (more joints) and a beamier stuffsack designed to mount on handlebars (which I could but haven’t yet left at home). Total weight depending on how much you bring is between 1-1.3 kg. I also used to use a Ray-way quilt I sewed. I recently swapped it for a Thermarest Vesper 20-degree quilt. 900-fill hydrophobic down, weighs 550 grams and packs about the size of a water bottle. I pair that with the Thermarest Neolithic X-lite pad (360 grams) here’s the key: I use a silk bag liner but I slip the pad inside the liner. The quilt comes with two detachable straps that go around the pad. I sleep great with this system and much prefer the bed-like feel and ventilation options of a quilt to stuffing myself inside a confining bag.

The midge! The downfall of many a Scottish outdoor enthusiast! 😜 How many consecutive nights will you be in the bivi bag and sleeping system? You will find that over a number of nights, the damp will build up in the sleeping bag and bivi. At every opportunity I recommend you get them out and air them; at rest stops, lunch stops etc. Don’t leave it until you get to your overnight stop as it may be lashing down by then, and then there will be no chance to air things. I’ve been lightweight bike packing regularly for over a year now, so I am very interested in how your research goes in preparation for the big ride, as I’m always keen to I improve my gear and methods to make life easier on the trail. Thanks for sharing!

Getting a sleeping bag with a built in / fold away midge net - one useful option. The SnugPak TravelPak range, and Vango's Zenith worth a look. The net needs to be of the type that allows you some 'stiff' adjustment, so that the net doesn't just flop next to your face - which will present much less of a buffer to 'death-by-midge'.

I get the sense that for most of us there is a lot of trial and error in finding the perfect combination of functionality, weight, dimensions and budget. I am still trying and failing to get to sleep in a tent. The bivvy bag is definitely a no for me. I have a sleeping bag that works (Aegismax) and a tent (Big Agnes). But I cannot find a sleepmat that doesn't leave me feeling like I've spent a night sleeping in a shop doorway. Keep testing and sharing please Simon. Oh and the pee bottle - the great unmentioned essential for any bloke over 40!

Bicycle do require a sit pad, placed just outside the opening, for convient sitting. I carry a mylar laminated bubble wrap insulation square for this. It also insulates the bivy floor just by my head area at night. Cheers.

My choice of bivibag would be the Black Diamond with poled hood that had a fly mesh. I have spent many a night on a beach and elsewhere using only an envelope sleeping bag no sleeping pad and just a plastic bike cover with a clear area for the headlight which enabled me to see if anyone approached. Usually carried some tools for protection Oooops! bike repairs. Never needed.

Excellent, love your preparation and planning. Will you have time to document your trip? Hope to follow your Alpine journey. Si.

If your bivvy is damp inside from condensation after a nights sleep, flip it inside out, before packing up, dries in seconds, unless it's raining of course, I also carry some cordage to use as a make shift drying line, making time for crucial gear admin and testing will save you from many potential headaches, a couple of solid steel pegs are worth the weight penalty in rough tough ground.

Nice video 😊 I am getting a Jupiter I think. Happy travels

Please could you show on a future video how the rear bottle carriers work?

Nice Video - thanks for sharing. I have the Sonder "Broken Road" frame on order......can't wait. I'm also moving from traditional Bike Touring with a Tent (Hilleberg) to Ultralight and using Tarps and a Bivy Bag - I've lots to learn also - your Video was very helpful! - How do you find that Jacket and what was your Down Jacket please??

Great advice as per. Can I just ask how you rate the Alpkit stem bags?

Hi Simon. Those midges! I can almost feel them all over me.

If you turn your bike upside down with the wheels in line with the sleeping orientation, front wheel nearest to your head, by putting a stick or something similar through the wheel behind the forks would you not be able to tension the guy ropes? I know that this has a slight possibility of creating problems with hydraulic brakes but a proper bleed before going should eliminate that.

Have you ever tried using a vapor barrier liner inside your down bag? I used one all the time when winter camping, but haven't tried it in above freezing temps. With so little air movement inside a bivy bag, a vapor barrier might work well.

Have a look at the Sea to Summit Ultralight mat I've been using one years

Weather forecasts. Had a thought Simon have you sourced any apps/sites that can inform of night time temperatures/wind/rainfall at various altitudes?

Check out the Mountain Laurel Designs eVent Soul bivy. Breathable, side zip, roomy, bug mesh. Tony Hobbs in the UK has done a number of videos on it.

Hi nice video. Why did you choose the terra Nova and not choose the Alpkit Elan? That one is self supporting, although two pegs (front back) help you improve air ventilation.

That bivvy looks like sleeping in a coffin and after a hard day's ride I'd be looking for more space to relax in especially if it's raining. In the Alps here's no reason why pegs will be harder to get in than anywhere else in the world so why not take your wee tent? I often rig a 3x3m tarp inside out and hang a micro mosquito net from the loops. The bug issue will be easier to deal with on the TNR than the Scottish midge, in my experience.

if your riding day after day, how do you keep your cycling shorts hygienic ?planning a cycle from Salisbury to Konstanz, any tips welcome.

Questions please: What size pad is optimal for the bivy? Did the pack size work when you rolled it all as one?

Ask alpkit to try Auronaut 2. Alps is full of rocks so maybe use rocks to tie the tent down. I just used the vango expensive version of alpkit one and it was great on the NC4000. Weight don’t worry about weight too much it’s a issue but not the issue.

I use the trekmates hooped bivvy on the West Coast- the advantage for me is I fit (as someone 6'3"!) And because it has an opening at both ends, there is a small draft and so condensation isn't an issue. Also gives more wiggle room for using a pee bottle!

I do like a bivvy (used the hunka since they were cheap) but never really seen the benefits of a hooped one since UL tents have come down significantly in price, an alpkit soloist tent is only a little heavier than their hooped bivvy and the same price. But that terra nova is next level (I'm not looking at the price mind). Generally though I'd only bivvy outside of midge season and usually try to get high to avoid them.

Omg…midges … they get everywhere

Mini Peak 1 but needs a pole much more room. plastic ground sheet.

When is it Midge season ?

sorry but i still prefer my zpacks plex solo tent (500g with poles), same weight but more space

Are midges like mosquitos ?

videos never turn out the way you expect them to! Bivvys for the win! you can set them up anywhere. But obviously a few comfort drawbacks, but if you are on an unpredictable expedition in unfamiliar terrain... it's tops bru!

Too hard to get in and out to pee during the night for me. Lightweight tent for me

Took me completely by surprise when your bike fell over.....and then I burst out laughing...

What’s the difference between a bivvy and a coffin? Seriously, I can’t understand how anyone can sleep in such a contraption.

I consider the basic bivvy survival tool when hiking… gimme that sealed hooped bivvy for bugs

Too much like a flexible coffin. I'll add 1/2 kg more and have a real tent