Bivvi bag in a hammock?

[fuchsiashockz]

I have a DD hammock and large tarp for it. I love the hammock but am not keen on setting up a tarp for personal reasons - it's not discreet, size/weight, obstructs the view etc.
If I wasn't using a hammock, I'd be using my rab bivvi bag on the floor so I was wondering if just keeping the bivvi on my sleeping bag and just using it inside the hammock which has the bug netting.

If it rains then the actual hammock would get wet but would this matter? I'd be in the bivvy, dry and warm. The hammock would dry quickly but I guess not as quickly as a wet tarp where a lot of it would shake off.

What do you think? The hammock doesn't hold water btw, it drips straight through.

 

[Hammock_man]

I have also thought about this but discounted for the following reasons

I like my hammock tight so the sides are like a cocoon, I think a bivvi would push this idea to far.

I have tried sleeping bag liners and they make getting in and more importantly getting out ( think loo here) much more awkward.

I like to use a sleeping bag as a quilt, I get the warmth but it is still loose.

So for me a bivvy is a non starter. What about a 2M wide tarp held very low to the hammock.

I do get your point about the water getting in and then out again in short order. No worse than sleeping in soft soaked ground in a bivvy. Even if its a bit damp the next night, still ok.
A 2 hour heavy downpour however could overload its drainage rate!!!

I take it the CCF mat is inside the bivvy

 

[fuchsiashockz]

Yes one limit of my bivvy is there is no full length zip so you'd have to get in and out outside of the hammock.

I use the CCF mat inside the hammock normally in the special compartment but obviously that wouldn't work in the rain.

I'll consider a smaller tarp and have rigged up some curved sticks for the bug net top. If I have a smaller tarp I could possibly have it all pre-fitted to the hammock and bug net so it goes up in one piece. Need to experiment though.

 

[mousey]

If you already have a hammock and a bivi bag, why not just try it the next time it rains - somewhere close to home, so if it doesn't go well you can retreat to shelter. Then tell us what you think of it?

personally I wouldn't just for the extra hassle of getting in and out of the thing. I got wet once in my hammock, it's thin parachute nylon, so not waterproof but it still held some water before draining away - I learnt it's better to have a bigger tarp that covers substantially greater area over the ends of you hammock than to scrimp and get wet.

For comfort I'd go hammock and tarp, for stealth bivi bag. I suppose even a hammock without a tarp isn't really that invisible.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

My reservation would be that without proper air flow over the breathable fabric it won't breathe very well and thus you'll get condensation. As with everything Your Milage May Vary.

J

 

[ADz-1983]

What about your UQ getting wet??

If you're using a mat you're not getting the full comfort of a hammock anyway so pointless using it in first place. This is what I found out after trying to get away without buying a UQ.

Setting up a tarp is easy, no hassle so why not use a tarp?

 

[dewi]

Setting up a tarp is easy, no hassle so why not use a tarp?

Reading between the lines, its the look up at the stars thing and to some extent, the feeling of being outside, open to the elements.

I've tried the looking up at the stars thing and ended up with a friendly dog licking my eyes! And outside, open to the elements is okay for a month or so a year in the UK. Rest of the time its blooming cold!

Have to say, if you're going to use a bivvi bag, why not make a comfortable bed on the ground and lose the problems you have with the hammock (like the freezer burns on the bottom) or sling a tarp over your hammock, go and have a sit outside to look at the stars and retreat back under the tarp for a good nights kip?

It's like getting a ticket for the train, then riding along side the train on a motorbike to feel the fresh air on your journey.

 

[ADz-1983]

Reading between the lines, its the look up at the stars thing and to some extent, the feeling of being outside, open to the elements.

I've tried the looking up at the stars thing and ended up with a friendly dog licking my eyes! And outside, open to the elements is okay for a month or so a year in the UK. Rest of the time its blooming cold!

Have to say, if you're going to use a bivvi bag, why not make a comfortable bed on the ground and lose the problems you have with the hammock (like the freezer burns on the bottom) or sling a tarp over your hammock, go and have a sit outside to look at the stars and retreat back under the tarp for a good nights kip?

It's like getting a ticket for the train, then riding along side the train on a motorbike to feel the fresh air on your journey.

You can still see the stars etc if you put tarp in porch mode.

I personally am torn because I love both types of sleep systems for different reasons. I love my hammock because it is the ultimate in comfort, if you have the right hammock and set it up correctly that is. I also love being on the deck in a bivi bag and a small tarp over head/kit so that when I wake up I can just roll over slightly and get brew on and have an amazing view.

I am however considering replacing my Alpkit Hunka XL/tarp for a Terra Nova Discovery.

 

[Ahjno]

I have a DD hammock and large tarp for it. I love the hammock but am not keen on setting up a tarp for personal reasons - it's not discreet, size/weight, obstructs the view etc.
If I wasn't using a hammock, I'd be using my rab bivvi bag on the floor so I was wondering if just keeping the bivvi on my sleeping bag and just using it inside the hammock which has the bug netting.

If it rains then the actual hammock would get wet but would this matter? I'd be in the bivvy, dry and warm. The hammock would dry quickly but I guess not as quickly as a wet tarp where a lot of it would shake off.

What do you think? The hammock doesn't hold water btw, it drips straight through.

Get your kit and put your idea to the test on a day it'll rain. You'll find out soon enough if it works for you or not.

 

[sunndog]

Getting in and out and keeping the mat under yourself seem to be the biggest problems to me

Adz, i agree mate. I used a sleeping mat for years in a hammock and it was fine and everything....but once i tried an UQ i was instantly converted

 

[ADz-1983]

Getting in and out and keeping the mat under yourself seem to be the biggest problems to me

Adz, i agree mate. I used a sleeping mat for years in a hammock and it was fine and everything....but once i tried an UQ i was instantly converted

Indeed, same here bud. I was using a Thermarest in mine for a while and refused to shell out for a UQ until I gave in and glad I did. They're awesome, keep you warm and allow you to keep the full comfort of hammock.

What problems you had getting in bud? Only problem I have is getting out but that is simply because I do not want to get out as it's so comfy lol

 

[sunndog]

The getting in and out bit was for the O.P and his bivvy bag....unless its zipped he'll have murders trying to keep that mat in place, not easy even with a zipped bivvy i imagine

 

[mountainm]

My hammock is made specifically for a mat. It never pops out.

 

[Stevie777]

Depending on the rain, wouldn't you be sleeping in a puddle eventually...?

 

[mountainm]

Depending on the rain, wouldn't you be sleeping in a puddle eventually...?

Me? No I have a tarp...

 

[garethw]

Hi there
I too use my centre zip sleeping bag upside down as a quilt in my hammock, but if its wet/or cold I use a carp fishing goretex/pile bedchair blanket like this one. (I have this for fishing anyway)

I can gather the end and tie with a bit of paracord and then tuck it around me... getting out is easy, just throw it off, and it is 100% waterproof... certainly avoids getting tied in knots which is usually the problem with closed bags in a hammocks.

cheers
Gareth

 

[mousey]

If it's star gazing you want you can still see a surprising amount through some tarps, I made one from 1.1 oz ripstop nylon and I can easily see the moon and brighter stars through it, I was quite surprised how see through it was! I'm sure you could source some transparent material from somewhere, don't sails have transparent patches in them to see through, what material is that??

If it's a clear night you don't have to put a tarp up [or all the way over] if it's raining, it's cloudy so you can't see the stars anyway.

 

[pysen78]

I've never slept in a hammock, apart from napping in the garden variety netted hammock. But this thread sort of piqued my interest.
Wouldn't it be possible to mod a sleeping bag and a bivy bag with a hole top and bottom, to pass the hammock through?
I'm thinking, insulation and evaporation, not a problem since uncompressed sleeping bag/bivvy bag is all around. Also turning around during sleep is less complicated, as no sleeping bag is between body and hammock. Would sleeping on a bare hammock be uncomfortable, given that insulation is enough?

 

[Tiley]

I think I'd try and avoid using a bivvy bag in a hammock. Even with a centre zip sleeping bag, it can be a bit of a struggle getting out of it; if you then go and add another layer, possibly with the zip in a different place, it just gets overcomplicated. You can configure the tarp in all sorts of ways to give you the necessary privacy. Admittedly, it does scupper your star-gazing but, if you're in your hammock in a wood, that's slightly impaired anyway by the tree canopy.

Bivvy bag + tarp for ground dwelling; tarp + hammock for really comfortable tree dwelling.

 

[Gaudette]

I've tried this and soon found out it wasn't for me. Do as the others say try it and then let us know. We all find our best way through trial and error. Personally I don't quite understand the problem with having a tarp. The correct tarp and positioning will address your concerns. Good luck though and let us know.