popatop75

buy a net, drapery curtain department , lite weight and as big as a napkin,

yukiinu

Slept in bag on table in sequia nat park. In the middle of the night a bear stuck it's face in my face , and I could smell it's breath. At oregon rest stop a herpatologist told me that a rattlesnake will only strike in fear, or for food BUT IT MIGHT CRAWL INTO YOUR SLEEPING BAG TO GET WARM. So I lost my fear of rattlers, watch where I step, and make sure that when I sleep in the open that bag is tightly sealed. I once was carrying noisy trash out in the. desert thought I heard something, kept going, on returned trip I heard the unmistakable rattle (the fear is instincual you never forget the sound) I stopped looked down and saw a coiled rattlesnake rattleing and giving me fair warning, I somehow moved away (either slow or superfast, I don't know). I had to kill it because I couldn't live with it next to my shack. I shot it,chopped off its head to stop it from trying to move, and next morning it's body and head were gone, something had come in the night and took them to eat I guess. Lastly, of interest to bike tourists, when you are riding in intensly hot country (can be anywhere) and you overnight at a rest area and you see that the grass around the picnic tables area is nice and green, DO NOT SLEEP IN A BAG IN THE TABLE AREA OR ON. OR AROUND THE GRASS, because the water sprinklers are not run during the hot day, but WILL COME ON IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND SOAK YOU AND YOUR BAG IN WATER. And my experience was that they weren't just lawn sprinklers,but were those oscillating rotating ones that shot out a very strong stream of water, and when went fft,fft,fft passed me the next one would hit me. I have slept under the stars countless times, mostly in the desert, with no problem. and no tent hassle. Just be aware of what could happen, with weather (in your area and at those hills miles away) and beware of potentialy dangerous animals both four legged and two legged. In a tent you can't see the guys whisleing/communicating with each other, and you can't see how many guys are outside your tent, when one is close enough that you hear him swallow before he fires a large caliber rifle next to you in the middle of the night.

Darth Lefty 

travelinhobo

I live on my bike. Aside from small critters (I'm rarely bothered by them - beetles being the most common I see after dark), the rain is inconvenient. Last nite it drizzled half a dz times and I just opened the tarp wide and pulled the other half over my sleeping bag. Also the wind blowing the desert sand if it's particularly windy. And of course the occasional unsavory street character coming upon me.

Bikesplendor

What are the best ways you've found for dealing with the unsavory street characters? Some of them do seem a little concerning, to me at least.

travelinhobo

I'm female, so that may make a difference, but when they've 'passed by' at 1 or 2 in the morning (my Spidey senses almost always wake me up a few minutes before someone arrives), they either keep on going (and I'll then pack it up and leave as I don't like people knowing where I'm sleeping) or they just want to talk. No joke. In 3+ years of living on my bike in AZ, CA and a few weeks in ID & UT, I've only felt uncomfortable with the situation twice. And both times I packed it up and left. One of those times it was a guy who climbed over a wall I was next to and I could see in his eyes that he was going to come back - to rob me (which is quite common if you live on the streets) or to harm me, I don't know. The other were 2 guys who decided to set up camp after sunset some 30 feet from me in a vast forest in Flagstaff. Other than those 2 times, I've never felt threatened by others. I do believe that most of them harmless and it's only our unfounded fears and lack of experience around them that makes us believe the worst. That said, I do always have pepper spray in my sleeping bag at night, however I have never used it on a person. I've had the police discover me a few times. They'll ask for my ID, ask a few questions and then leave. Some guy who was bike touring down the CA coast told me that he can't free camp on school property (I do sometimes) because if he were caught, the cops would treat him different. I can understand that. So in that way, the sexes probably get treated differently.

Bikesplendor

Thanks for that. Interesting points and details.

In case you're interested, I got a UDAP three-pack (at a sporting goods store). It includes one bear spray, one joggers' size pepper spray, and one smaller keychain size, plus holsters. The bear spray is different. Much longer range. It's more of a cloud or fog, high pressure like a fire extinguisher. I like having it. Comes with holster, belt loop, and effective safety that you only peel back when you need it. I've seen the same three-pack online for about the same price.

I assumed that females had it tougher, but it looks like there's another side to it. Probably many cops would be easier or more protective, at least more so than with males, and would consider females less of a threat than males.

You must have quite a bit of free time. Do you have any sideline interests or hobbies?

stevepusser

Have done it quite a few times in Southern California campgrounds when there was no chance of rain, but in a hammock to keep away from the ants and other creepy-crawlies. Sometime would use lemon-eucalyptus bug repellant to deter the skeeters if present.

timcarouge

I did a 3 month tentless trip from Switz to Syria (in 1984) and only got soaked twice. But since then I always bring a very light tent. Have slept more than 1000 nights in Tarptent, Easton, and Sierra Design tents. A Tarptent Aeon LI is my next one for a bikepacking trip to Norway this summer, it's 1 pound.
It's expensive, but I justify the cost to myself because :
- now I need only a 14l framebag and a 10l handlebar bag (saved hundreds on panniers and racks, and can go further and to more places with this setup)
- you can be comfortable, discrete and have a goods night sleep almost anywhere (and save the cost of a campsite, or hotel (I've camped next to 5-star hotels before))

If the conditions are right, you can always sleep on the tent under the stars too. The sidewalls protect you from most of the creepy crawlies.