Maybe I am old school

Frog

Premier Member
IBA Member
#1
I have notice that I am one of the few that carries a swag.
On the multi day rides I will plan the day around KM's and thus at say....2000km (this number changes pending how the ride is going) I will stop for a few hours kip. the swag allows for this to be at the nearest parking bay. it became obvious to me when riding with the 100ccc guys last month that I am missing some thing, as they didn't (that I could see) have the facility to get the body horizontal for few hours any where, any time away from the flies and mozzies.
I would appreciate anyone's thoughts on this.
BTW I also carry enough water and food to hold out for a couple of days. along with stuff to repair all sorts of things.
 

Vlad

Premier Member
#5
I admit that I like a shower at the end of the day Frog wether it be 20 or 30 hrs long even If I sleep for only a few hrs. I have become used to sleeping fully geared up on the side of the road helmet included but prefer not extend it past an hr or so, I find the flies don't bother me if I leave the visor down. I plan my hotel stops depending on the agenda.I too,carry a lot of water but not much in the way of food as I don't eat a lot on the road, some energy bars and such. I carry enough tools to fix my bike on the side of the road, a myriad of things.
 

sixty6north

Well-Known Member
#6
I have notice that I am one of the few that carries a swag.
On the multi day rides I will plan the day around KM's and thus at say....2000km (this number changes pending how the ride is going) I will stop for a few hours kip. the swag allows for this to be at the nearest parking bay. it became obvious to me when riding with the 100ccc guys last month that I am missing some thing, as they didn't (that I could see) have the facility to get the body horizontal for few hours any where, any time away from the flies and mozzies.
I would appreciate anyone's thoughts on this.
BTW I also carry enough water and food to hold out for a couple of days. along with stuff to repair all sorts of things.
Hi Frog - I used to carry a swag most of the time on a multi-day rides however, I found that if it is hosing down rain, the swag is a sub-optimal solution. For a long sleep break, if it raining, it is necessary to find a covered picnic table, in which case I just use a hiking mattress and a sleeping bag (which saves the space taken up by a swag), but I now try and schedule long sleep breaks at motels.

If I need a nap during the day, I tend to follow Vlad's process and just lay down on the ground for a snooze, although, I have been working on trying to avoid this, and have been concentrating on maximising my night-time sleep by not stopping during the day other than quick fuel stops and target an O/A of 100kph or higher. Also, I find it much quicker to get to sleep if I have a room - generally, I find that its just quicker to set up and quicker to get away in the morning, this maximising sleep - this process worked pretty well for me on the recent 100CCC where I only needed one unscheduled snooze stop for 10 minutes on day 2.

Like Vlad, the majority of time I like to have a shower before a climb into the cot - but On the Trans-Australia Insanity last year, I had 4 hours sleep at Broken Hill on the way back - I got into my room and didn't even take my boots off - I just flopped on the bed and slept . . . so if I find myself overly tired and have to prioritise between sleep and showers, sleep wins every time.

If I am heading off into the wilderness on my GSA, I take a small tent - its smaller than a swag, and I find it more practical if it is raining when you set up or pack down.

As for food and water, I carry 3 litres of water maximum (what I can fit in my Kriega hydration pack). Like Vlad, I don't each much on the road - I take cans or foil packs of salmon for the odd snack and some rolled oats (that I soak overnight with a few sultanas) and woof them down for breakfast - on the 100CCC my routine was to have a third of a cup of rolled oats for breakfast, and a small tin of salmon at some point during the day - one day I also had a foil pack of salmon for tea at the end of the days riding. If I can find some fresh milk at the servo when I start in the morning, I will have 500ml or so.

I also carry a puncture repair kit and 12v compressor and a couple of very basic tools - If the bike breaks down I call BMW roadside assist (I carry a satellite phone)
 

John negus

Well-Known Member
#7
I carry a self inflating mattress and inflatable pillow because Ironbutt motels require you bring your own linen..har har!! Also a good tool kit complete with lithium battery and tyre pump AND MOST IMPORTANTLY a first aid kit that would make a paramedic go green with envy..flies..use Bushmans spray..cheers and yippee..jn
 

Gatey

Premier Member
IBA Member
#8
Frog its only been this last short while that Ive sort of not had the sawg along. I do however have on board my good quality -4 stuffing bag and a bivy bag that drags on over the swag. These two items are in the side case all the time regardless of trip length.
My sawg has over the years got thinner and now I have a flash job that keeps the mossies off and the snakes out. If my ride plans need it then the swags on board. My Aux tank even has loops for it.
Your not old school mate just smart...and your side of the paddock is bigger than ours.
New bike plans will see the swag on board and my brew kit too.
 

Frog

Premier Member
IBA Member
#9
So there is a pattern forming here;).... haven't worked it out yet... but tryingo_O. I don't use the swag as a swag much, the last time it was used properly was near Walget for 4 hours just before turning south to the parks muster. I guess I could have booked a room and had a key left out and prayed the bike was still out side in the morning:D. I tend to sleep on my stool or a bench if only for a few minutes... any more and I will roll the swag out as a mattress. as for the size of our paddock, you are right there, once the sun goes down there are a lot of big gaps in the accommodation. I will look into the self in flatting mattress and pillow. the problem with the swag is, once in I don't want to get out:( and I have to hang all my gear on the bike, boots upside down on the mirrors... it all takes time. I all ways carry the jet boil, Robert Tims coffee bags:rolleyes: 4lts of water for me and 4lt for the bike... oh and 3lt in the camelbak in the tank bag. Electrolyte powder to mix in a power raid bottle, 1 x 200gm tin of tuna for each day and 2-3 UHT milo and UHT fat milks (the ones with the straw)for each day. I all ways take time to eat (with knife and fork) a burger with the lot each day.
I don't stick well enough to a ride plan to be able to book head mid ride. and have gps logged all the parking bays on the Eyre Hwy that are sleep able.
 

Wombattle

Well-Known Member
#11
I ride all day and sleep in motels. I plan my rides that way and ride the plan. I haven't yet had a problem with getting access to keys to rooms after hours and pay for the rooms in advance so most often I never speak to anyone there. My body lets me ride for 20-24+, sleep for 4, do it again, and again, and again..... I highly value my REM sleep, particularly early on in multi-day rides. I enjoy washing the day off before I process it during sleep.

The down side is it requires more planning and fixes your finish point for the day. But that's never interfered with my ride progress or kept me from hittng the minimum targets on multi-day IBA rides. I don't wing it and try to hunt down accommodation when I arrive in town, that's really only an option for tourism.

I reckon the flexibility of power-napping in Iron Butt Motels and swagging might allow one to extend the number of hours that can be ridden over a multi-day exercise. Frankly I've never been short of time with the generous time allowances in the IBA rules for their rides I and prefer to sleep comfortably. All power to those who can though!

I can't/don't power nap when I've tried it's been a waste of effort and I usually feel worse. A couple of laps around the bike and a drink of water or a chat on the phone is enough for me. I know my dodgy circadian periods and am proactive in those times.

Food wise, 2.5 litres in the camelbak, oat bars, sultanas, Lions Club Fruit Cake if I can get it. I drink the motel coffee and take the biscuits if they look OK. I buy electrolyte drinks on the road if I need them and may, in really hot weather, carry a bottle of powerade in the tank bag. I carry instant oats for breakfast and usually have one meal per day, plain burger and a coffee some time after dark. If I'm on an easy day I'll often have a B & E roll mid morning instead of the oat bars or cake. I travel light. I carry tools but to be fair for them to be of use to me I'd need to take a pillion who knew what to do with them.

So swags aren't my friend, blow up mattresses neither. I see IBA Motels but they don't appeal to me. For that matter I hate single beds too so I'll always ask for a queen or king if they have them and settle for sleeping diagonally across a double if they don't. But as Vlad says, whatever works for you is the way to do it.
 

thommo

Premier Member
IBA Member
#12
I've always carried a swag and 2 tarps. one tarp is for over the swag if the weather is crap and the other one is a small on that acts as a ground sheet for the swag and also a clean area if I have to do mechanical repairs/tube changes etc beside the road. It stops parts and tools being lost in the dirt. Not the first time i've had to have the waterproof tarp over the bike and the ground sheet down while its raining fixing a broken bike.
 

Nev..

#44764
Premier Member
#13
I have a swag, but only carry it if I either know that I'll be using it, or as a backup if I haven't booked accommodation ahead. As someone else mentioned it's a dry weather option only, and on the rides I have used it, if I swag one night I'll motel the next. The last time I used it I hadn't even planned to. 8pm I went to bed in preparation for a 3am start the following day for a 1500km FarRide. By 11pm I hadn't had any sleep at all and wasn't tired. I threw the swag on the bike and rode the first tankful of fuel, rolled out the swag and slept (sort of) for a few hours, then rode the rest of the ride.
 

Frog

Premier Member
IBA Member
#14
Thanks, there are a few good ideas in there, I am looking to redesign the bike accessories layout and could use the room the swag takes up. when I think on it I only use the swag as a swag in the winter and with the grief fog gives me winter is not ridden often.
 

Crappy

Premier Member
#15
Still carry mine , saves dollars and makes up for my bad planning sometimes allowing a stop when needed.
I have learnt it doesn't take as long as I think to set it up and get decent sleep even if only a couple of hours.
Best thing I have found is an exped mattress with built in hand pump.
Allows the swag to become smaller and keeps the cold from through, rated to minus degrees.
Code:
http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-category/mats/synmat-9-lw
 

Farkleit

Premier Member
#16
Thanks to a tip from Crappy at Parkes i bought an exped as well. I also sold my oversize swag and bought this one. Having just manufactured this aux fuel cell and luggage rack. The swag you see here has inside it an Xped air bed and a heavy duty sleeping bag.
I usually also carry a tarp that hooks onto the bike and out over the swag so you can get in and out if its raining. Or look for an iba motel and spread it out.
 

Tele

Premier Member
#17
I have a swag in the shed ..... bought with the very intention of using it in an IBA motel whilst on longer rides. It's never left the shed. :rolleyes: The two times I have slept in IBA motels I have been so stuffed that I have just curled up on the table, fully kitted out and slept (rather uncomfortably I must say). My only fair dinkum 'longest' ride was the two day effort with Wombattle. He booked the Broken Hill motel and boy was I happy to see that come along.

If ever I get serious about IBA rides I might revisit the swag idea ........ then again .......;)
 

Tep_52

Premier Member
#18
My personal favorite is a surplus us army modular bag. You can go as heavy or as light as you anticipate and it is pretty much weather proof.
 

OX-34

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#19
I use IBA hotels a lot. I like sunrise and sunset to get through the change in light, or middle of the night when normal people sleep.

A covered picnic table is perfect, either sleeping on the tabletop, or sleeping on the ground with my calves flat up on the bench.

I carry a waterproof poncho/groundsheet that comes in a little pouch about as big as one of those hamburgers with the lot that I've read about above. I pull out the poncho and stuff a T-shirt or sloppy joe or something into it and I have a pillow. Wearing full gear (+/- helmet) I'm happy wrapped up in the groundsheet even on concrete.

I have a red "Swags for the Homeless" swag. Its waterproof (maybe not if I end up in a puddle - I haven't done that) and much smaller than the other swags I see loaded on bikes. It has pockets on either end as a bonus and I can strap a 3 litre camel bak on top. I've only used it a couple of times.

 

tj189

Premier Member
#20
Use an exped mattress and bivvy bag when I need to. IBA motels and normal motels if you can call some of them that. It all just depend on the ride and what fits in with my plan.