Anyone use a bivvy bag?

S

siguy

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Aug 26, 2006
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I just got one, and I'm going to be using it this weekend for my shelter at PEACE, possibly in conjunction with my poncho.

I had a few minutes, so I googled "how to use a bivvy bag" to see what would pop up...I found a whole bunch of hatin' on the bivvy. :confused: It seems like a really good shelter option to me (though I haven't used one yet :rolleyes: )

Just curious to hear whether the anti-bivvy sentiment is shared among this crowd...and if you do use a bivvy, do you have any tips?
 
I use one from REI and had no problems what so ever. If you expect rain, A tent would be much better. But for some basic shelter if its cold outside and you want to protect your bag a Bivvy would be great. Some of the Bivvys are close to a small tent and show that with the price and weight.. The one i have works great for me and i plan to use it instead of a tent. It keep the wind off you on an open site. It helps to keep you warm and dry. Under mornal condition.

Sasha
 
I have a bivy sized 'tent' (eureka solitaire) that I will most likely use this weekend. 'Real bivys' just never really interested me - I think Id rather have a tarp. But bivy and poncho/tarp would probably be fine.. esp. given the sweet weather we are experiencing.
 
Simon have a great weekend! I sure wish I could get away, but Mama gave me a "Honeydo" list that's a mile long!

I'd take a tarp along just for extra precautions. This weather has been really strange this Spring!
 
Bivy sacks can suck if you are stuck in prolonged bad weather with no other shelter, but I think are generally a nice, lightweight alternative to a full tent for solo backpackers.
 
I use a slumberjack bivy and a wool usgi blanket or poncho liner and a thermorest... No problems, I love em. Perfect ultralight backpacking shelter for me.

What bivy did you get Simon?
 
I think bivy's are cool but most people I have known that have used them still had a tarp for heavy rain.

The cheap one I had leaked to when during a heavy rain I rolled the foot of it out from under the tarp.

My only complaint with them is with the weight of the good ones plus a tarp in heavy downpours you are pretty much up to the weight of a decent lightweight tent.

For instance Golite Shangri La with the floor is just over 2 lbs. With the floor and bug screen around 4 lbs.

http://www.golite.com/Product/proddetail.aspx?p=SH6122&s=2


This outdoor research bivy is not that much lighter and less room
http://www.rei.com/product/747832

Also most of the reviews suggest not to use it in the driving rain.
 
It's all I have ever used. I have never regreted it unless your expecting lots of rain. The advantage for me is getting to sleep under the stars which I love.
 
Jake said:
What bivy did you get Simon?
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I got the MSR E-Bivy, I'm looking forward to it.

I'm going to have my poncho along, which I might use if the weather looks wet at all, or maybe just for the practice of rigging it up.

Les, bummer man!
 
I have a couple bivvy bags. We have an OR Advanced Double bivvy we've used as a lighter alternative to a tent. I have an REI Minimalist single bivvy bag I've used as an overbag to boost the comfort range of a bag in cold weather, and in conjuction with a tarp in fairer weather camping. The REI bivvy has experienced some condensation buildup, and I am pondering installing some sort of vent in the foot end. The OR bivvy is Gore-Tex, and we have never had any condensation issues with that one. The REI bivvy packs small enough that it can usually fit into a pack as a sort backup or emergency device.

I also have a surplus Army Gore-Tex bivvy bag that I got from ArmyGear.net, but I haven't had a chance to use it yet. It seems to have excellent build quality, and appears to be unused. I am thinking about putting a head/face net on it since I'm on a sewing kick lately.

I think bivvies are great.
 
i also have a bivy style tent which i like to use over the traditional bivy bags.

however, i have used bivys in the past and a few things to say.

take a tarp, please please take a tarp. you will regret it if you dont, regardless of whether or not the weather will be bad, TAKE ONE!

the only thing that sucks about a bivy is that there is no living space, just sleeping space, so during foul weather your only place to sit around will be under your TARP! so please take one :)

place the sleeping bag as well as the sleeping mat inside the bivy bag so that you dont slide off the sleeping mat while your sleeping and get a cold back.

if you know its gonna rain hard, dig a trench around the area you will be sleeping so that water does not flow under or onto your bivy.

other than that, enjoy :D bivys are a great light weight shelter but i usually prefer them for summer :)

cheers
 
I have a small collection of bivyies from when I was a mountain guide. They have their purpose. In humid conditions they can be absolutely miserable. Get the most breatheable material you can find.

My favorite is my Bibler Tripod, which is a bivy with a pole set up over your face and a small pole at your foot where a vent is. Breathes much better than any of my others, but weighs as much as some of the newer small ultralight tents. During a typhoon in Japan at about a 10,000ft bivy site, my little Tripod is the only shelter to survive. At about 1am I was scrambling to help others put their shelters back together.

Word of advice: don't zip up your bivy completely, unless it is air permeable. Many climbers have died that way. If your bivy material is air permeable it will still probably build up a ton of moisture from your breathe.

In inclement weather, carry a small ultralight tarp to put over the head section to protect entrance and exits and your gear.
 
I use a bivy bag in conjunction with a poncho during warm weather. The bivy keeps the flies, creepy crawlies and whathaveyou out. I rig the poncho as a tarp to keep the rain off me. The poncho also allows lots of ventilation.
 
Not sure what your one is like but I use mine mainly to keep my sleeping bag clean, add some extra warmth and stop my thermarest from rolling away in the night.
I have slept out in the open in it (with the sleeping bag and etc) and it works fine...but your stuff gets covered in dew, not a major problem.
i have also used in in a snow mound I built up on a mountain, kept me dry.
I think they are a good addition but am unsure what they would be like if it was really bucketing down.
 
hollowdweller said:
My only complaint with them is with the weight of the good ones plus a tarp in heavy downpours you are pretty much up to the weight of a decent lightweight tent.
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This is a good point. If you are going to carry a gortex bivy with integral poles and a dedicated fly, you will probably exceed the weight of a reasonably light one-person tent (3-4 lbs).

On the other hand, if you go with an ultralight bivy with a plain nylon top, and use your poncho as a tarp in inclement weather, you can easily get your shelter weight well under 1 pound (I don't count the weight of the poncho, as I would have it as rain gear anyway).
 
siguy said:
I got the MSR E-Bivy, I'm looking forward to it.

I'm going to have my poncho along, which I might use if the weather looks wet at all, or maybe just for the practice of rigging it up.

Les, bummer man!
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That looks like a good one. :thumbup:

With the poncho(providing it covers your length) you should be good to go... I might pack along a tarp along if the poncho is too small, just in case...

The one I use is more like a solo tent in that it has a loop that keeps the head up off your face.... Not a neccisary feature, but one that I like...

Have fun up there man, take lots of pics and have a safe trip...:thumbup:
 
I am happy with my Bibler Big Wall Bivy. I've used it hundreds of times. In fact, I used it last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and will probably use it this next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I rarely choose to take my tent; I usually choose my bivy.
 
I usually use my poncho as my only shelter, but it is just short enough that the hood of my sleeping bag gets wet with condensation in good weather unless I scrunch down...I haven't had it out in bad rain.

I am thinking about pitching the tarp perpendicular to the length of my body, so that my legs will only be protected by the bivvy (since it is all silnylon), and I would have a sitting/storage/living space under the tarp at the loading end of the bag.
 
GravyDan, have you used your Eureka Solitaire yet? It is the Bees Knees to be sure. I did find condensation troubles when the tent was loosely set, but when taught, all was well. I did not know about the spinal zipper either, and that is a great feature. If you know it is not going to rain or be too windy, it sets up fine with four pegs to keep the bugs away, the only thing about it I would change is the color, I prefer muted colors to the bright yellow.
 
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