People don’t want the company marketing spiel repeated, they want to hear the actual experience. Search our entire catalog with a simple click! Is the terrain rocky or grassy? Just picked up the Vaude “bivi” that includes a hoop over the head. Agreed! Especially when paired with a cold-weather temperature rated sleeping bag, a bivy sack can keep you toasty in frigid weather conditions. Can you stand the confined space of a bivy sack, or do you need extra space to sit up and move around? Like the new web site! This website requires cookies to provide all of its features. David, have you seen the bivvies with mosquito nets? If you do head off on a microadventure, please let me know. Hi, apologies if this is covered elsewhere (I can’t find anything) .. Does it happen if you swap bags (ie is one of you sweatier than the other?!) We highly recommend sticking to Gore-Tex products as their level of performance is the market standard. Read our full review of the Snugpak Stratosphere Bivvi Shelter. I got a gore tex one off ebay surplus american army and so far only used it together with my tarp but never inside a tent. Hi John, The hard truth of a bivy sack is that you do sacrifice the space that you get in a tent. Multipurpose bivy bag / poncho / windbreak shelter. I really am not a gear geek. How about a Dutch army hooped bivvy – mines very good. Up until recently, finding a good bivy sack was easy because there wasn’t much to them other than just merely using it as a waterproof sleeping bag cover. Im after a double that isn’t bright orange for discreet nights with the missis. I would add that a tent lets you keep the nasty insects at bay. Good thing I read the news afterwards, otherwise I may have changed my mind. Trying to find the best bivy sack for your trip can be a challenge, especially if you’ve never camped in a bivy sack before. So I have produced a few infographics which hopefully will serve to give people the prod necessary to take that first step. It is an extraordinary arrangement, the bivvy will ‘develop’ with them as well, as the bunch gets let down the sack – much obliged. If you are in the UK there is usually a risk of rain. Al, The US military surplus ones are rated over four stars and are about $40 for new, less for used ones. http://www.karrimor.com/karrimor-x-lite-bivi-bag-781084. You use it over the top of your sleeping bag. Bivy sacks earn their keep when packed down in your backpack. Good stuff. One of the best qualities of the bivy sack is its versatility. Cheers. Woodland Camo Gore-Tex Bivy Sleeping Bag Cover is a Genuine U.S. military-issue Bivy sack with plenty of space inside with a military quality guarantee that will keep you warm and cozy inside even in sub-freezing temps. How cold will it be? © Copyright 2012 – 2013 Alastair Humphreys. And they only cost about £5. Under £20, and with very good specs, but no mention of the fabric? I’ve realized that I would much rather sleep with the stars over my head than a tent covering. The Chinook Summit Bivy Bag is comfortable, spacious bivy sack that lightweight backpackers will love. Read our full review of the MOC Woodland Gore Tex Bivy. quick pitch/strike, being discreet and not weighing very much. If you have any friends who could benefit from a microadventure, please send them this link. You also may want to invest in better stakes. I spent over $300 on my bivvie and it has an insect flap and this amazing material called gammatex. “Yes, I too would like to donate a couple of pounds to this site..!”. Even though the Bivy sack seems like an easy thing to shop for, there are some features that you can miss out on if you don’t do your research. I’ve used the Karrimor a couple of times on cold drizzly nights in the woods. Where abouts was that? I know the Terra Nova Jupiter has one (if you’re feeling flush). That being said, if you’re like a lot of ultralight backpackers and don’t anticipate spending more than your sleep time inside, by all means, a bivy sack might be perfect for your needs. It weighs only 3.8 ounces and kept us comfortable in a short overnight trip in sub 50-degree temps. It would be helpful on the comments if people (apart from AL) gave an actual short review of their bivvy experience rather than wank on about specs and gear. Today I disappeared down a hole I did not want to go down… For here’s the thing about my project of exploring a single map in detail: every grid square in […]... TOP TIP: Don’t feel you need to read all of my rambling! I decided to use a random number generating website […]... microadventures people are doing on social media here. I hope this all helps. I’ts cool. The Chinook Summit Bivy Bag is comfortable, spacious bivy sack that lightweight backpackers will love. Is it ok just to use a normal one, I’ve read somewhere about kids getting sort of ‘trapped’ in them? Read our full review of the Chinook Summit Bivy Bag. There’s not much to it other than to slide it over your sleeping bag for rain and temperature protection. A shame because otherwise it’s a great experience. The big problem with a hammock is that you need two trees, correctly spaced, at the time you wish to camp. Watching Shug talking about hammocks at youtube, and due to the ticks that kept crawling up my legs, I choose to go hiking with a hammock, with a mosquito net, but without a tarp. There seem to be a range of bivvy bags now that are more like micro tents. Appreciating the commitment you put into It’s incredibly light and not too bad on the condensation front, I’m about to use it in a snow hole in the Cairngorms next week, so will let you know how I get on! I just wrap my self up like a burrito and pass out like a baby. For overnight microadventures, however, I encourage people to try using a bivvy bag instead. In a bivvy bag you really are outside. Bivvy bagging is fun and cheap. Definitely up for trying. Therefore we don’t recommend bivy sack camping for the beginning backpacker as it can require a lot of adjustment. What is a Bivvy Bag, and why do I need one? I’mve slept like this on many, many nights. In this case, a bivy sack is all you need. I used the Rab Survival Zone on my walk in Spain and loved the feeling of being connected to nature more so than in a tent. I have only ever used the military issue bags, which are, as you say, enormous! you don’t need it in your tent at all, unless you are freezing cold. 2012. I’m watching eBay for an army bivvy at the right price. Even when the weather dips into the 60’s and 50’s a bivy will keep you very warm. A step-up from the orange bin bag option is this breathable bivvy bag for £17. I carry a small bit of tarp for those times that you get a downpour – just create a basic ‘A’ frame with some sticks and paracord and Bob’s your uncle. The only problem with using a bivvy inside a tent is the lack of breathability. If you’re worried you could always tie a knot in the bottom? Most of all, they’re realizing that no shelter covers your lightweight backpacking needs like a bivy sack. Because it’s a little smaller it might sleep a bit warm in hotter temperatures, but the outer material is breathable and you get good protection against the rain. /Jerker. At the end of the day, you could survive most microadventures in one night sleeping in a few layers of clothes with a survival bag or a weatherproof synthetic sleeping bag – you don’t need the bivvy if it’s just one night. (See facial expression on man above…) But for a single night microadventure they are absolutely fine. Read our full review of the Geertop UL Bivy Tent. Hmmm. I’mve been working hard to encourage people to get out and try a microadventure. For Scotland in Summer I agree that an enclosed small tent would be better. The Aqua Quest Hooped Bivy Tent worked great for wind and rain protection. Keen to visit that place pictured at the top! "Yes, I too would like to donate a couple of pounds to this site..!". You feel the breeze on your face, look up at the stars before you sleep and sit up to a brilliant view in the morning. Thanks for the reply. Looking at an army bivvy, but is 8 feet long apparently. At just under 2 pounds you get a lot of Bivy sack while keeping your pack weight low. The sack weighs in at around 18 ounces and offers enough size to easily fit someone over 6 feet inside or someone under 6 feet with gear. If the terrain is a bit more hilly and rockier, a bivy sack might be the best option. all the best One problem when you wear glasses, bit uncomfortable to wear them all night but if I do not I cannot see the stars very well and one does not want to miss a shooting star. I used the Rab Survival Zone on my walk in Spain and loved the feeling of being connected to nature more so than in a tent.