Best thing about bivvying ...

[Douglas]

(so you can pull your backpack inside out of the rain)

Sorry if this is getting off topic, but can this also be done with the dutch one?

 

[Adi007]

Not unless it's a really small backpack ... not as much room. The Brit Army bivi sacks are a good 8 ft long!

 

[Womble]

I picked up a french Army bivvy aroundabout this time last year - From Anchor Supples. The day I got it was also the first opportunity to use it; I lay back and watched in wonder as the stars and clouds rolled overhead... it was so fascinating that i forgot to go to sleep!

 

[Douglas]

Not unless it's a really small pack ... not as much room. The Brit Army bivi sacks are a good 8 ft long!

Ok thanks for the info

Now that's alot of space...appart from that, how do they compare to the dutch ones? (I could just consider ordering one from gary instead of my usual surplus )

 

[ScottC]

Thanks for the suggestions all. ):

 

[ScottC]

Kath, what do you mean by USMC?

 

[Adi007]

Ok thanks for the info

Now that's alot of space...appart from that, how do they compare to the dutch ones? (I could just consider ordering one from gary instead of my usual surplus )

The Brit ones are bigger, tougher, more robust and, of course, heavier. Personally, I much prefer the british ones. OK, most are DPM but I really don't care.

 

[Adi007]

Kath, what do you mean by USMC?

It's a mail order place operating out of Portsmouth ... don't know if they have a website yet but their phone number is 0870 752 5500.

 

[Gary]

The new Bivi the army uses is DPM - however the ones I have while new or the old style which is green.

Having never bothered with any other bivi bag I cant say whether they are heavier or not - but I figure if it aint broken why fix it! Besides its a trust thing too - I have used my bivi bag as a floation pack, a survival bag and yes even a sleeping bag cover - I trust it to keep me dry and it does!

 

[Douglas]

I'm worried about not having a zip though, it's one of the things I appreciated most when I slept out during a cold night, once you've adjusted all the drawcords of the sleeping bag, finally managed to tighten everything up around your face, just be able to get in and out by undoing the velcro of my sleeping bag collar and unzipping it's zip and the bivvy bag's. Having to untighten the hood of the bivvy and pull yourself out (rather than just sitting up through the much larger opening of with a zip).

Otherwise, does the hood close well?

 

[Adi007]

I tend to wear the hood of the bivy upside-down so that it is like a mini-vestibule at the front ... that keeps the rain and wind out.

Not having a zip can be a problem ... but a zip itself can be a problem. I prefer to keep is simple and have no zip!

 

[steve a]

For any potential star gazers I would suggest you take along a Phillips planisphere, available from all decent bookshops and only cost a couple of quid. Basically it's an easy to use bit of kit that shows all of the hemispheres main constellations. Be warned it will become additive, as anyone who has viewed the craters of the moon, the rings of Saturn, or the bands of Jupiter will tell you.

 

[Kath]

If any of you are up early tomorrow you should get a good view of Venus and the crescent moon at dawn. :biggthump

Fingers crossed it's a clear night tonight (unfortunately looking iffey at this stage where I am )

 

[Stew]

.... at dawn....

What time's the sun up these days? I'm sure I could find it fairly quickly but I'm being lazy!

 

[Ed]

Sun rise is about 5:15am
Sun set is about 9:30pm

;-)
Ed