contractor bags again/wind break

[kvaughn]

After carrying and using contractor bags for everything from raingear to groundcloths to making cordage to a makeshift back pack etc ad nauseum,I found a new use. A kayak trip to a local offshore beach for the day turned really windy and we couldnt get our little gas grill lit. Out comes the contractor bags. Some driftwood uprights, duct tape,slit bags and we had a windbreak that worked great all day. We were actually able to build a small fire. Sorry no pics,Ma Nature got the camera on this one.--KV

 

[sicily02]

Great story. I use and carry them contractor bags too. They really are a great peice of gear for a survival kit.

Bryan

 

[kage]

Those contractor bags can be a life saver. I have one in each family member's BOB, at work, and several in the car. I've used them plenty of times for unplanned bivies when climbing. Sometimes used as a sleeping bag and other times I would put my legs in my empty pack, sit on my ropes for insulation and wear the bag as a poncho. Unless it is EXTREMELY cold you'll wake up with condensation getting you pretty wet, which could lead to hypothermia if you're not careful. I do wish I could find bright colored ones without having to commit to a hundred or more of them. I've tried to buy some from the prison road crews but the guards wouldn't do it.

I also own a Feathered Friends silnylon vapor barrier liner that is stronger, lighter and more compact than a contractor's bag, although it's many times more expensive.

An even better option is the Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Emergency Bivy.
http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/product.php?product=144&catname=Essentials&prodname=Heatsheets® Emergency Bivvy
It's lighter and more compact than a contractors bag, plus reflective and hi-viz orange to boot.

The SOL Thermal Bivy is another heavier option. It does have a foot vent but I didn't really notice a reduction in condensation the couple of times I've overnighted in it. Still woke up soaked.
http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/product.php?product=146&catname=Essentials&prodname=S.O.L. Thermal Bivvy
It now resides in my car kit, where I'm not as concerned about weight or space.

The

 

[jackman2]

Contractors bags are the best. I looked into getting a waterproof bag for transporting backpacks in a canoe, where they could be sitting in water for an extended period of time. They were very expensive. So I passed.

Next time I went, I brought big trash bags (I originally had them in my pack, until we needed to use them for the house and I forgot to replaces them.) . They worked like a charm and were big enough to hold anything. No more wet sleeping bag.