Bivving

[buckley]

Hi guys,

I want to get out alot more over the next couple of months, but as my hennessy doesn't yet have an underblanket I find it cold, and it is a bit of a pain trying to get in a hammock with a thermarest stuck to your back and a maggot bag restricting movement. I just end up with everything covered in mud with the bottom of the bag wet, and it actually takes me about 5-10mins to get comfy in the hammock!

Consequently, I have decided just to use my sleeping bag, with a large thermarest prolite inside the sleeping bag, and a army bivvi bag over the top, led on top of a small builders tarp. This all rolls up quite nicely, and isn't that heavy. I was thinking I could just roll this out by the fire and get a nice warm kip?

Does anyone else do anything similar, do you think the bivvy will hold up, keeping me dry? In theory it should be warmer than a hammock, no?

Any thoughts/tips,

Cheers people.

 

[Bootstrap Bob]

Craig
I have decided to go back to the same set up you're describing since the Christmas Moot. Remember it was the first time for me in a hammock too and I had similar complaints.

I normally use a surplus bivvy (with the large hood) and stick my sleeping bag and inflating mat inside and it works fine. I've got to say the bivvy is one of the best bits of kit I have bought and was worth every penny. It's totally waterproof and keeps out the wind. The first time I used it I woke up in the morning with a puddle of water in the hollow between my legs but I was dry as a bone inside

 

[andyn]

Buckley, you can skip the tarp underneath you and try and find a gortex bivi bag. These you then put your sleeping bag and thermarest inside of. So your sleeping bag is fully inclosed in a water proof, but breathable skin. Hope that makes sense.

if the weather is going to be a bit "off" then i would still put up a tarp above you to give you a dry area.

 

[led]

If you want to really enjoy your fire close up then I'd take a wool blanket with you. Tiny sparks are pretty much inevitable and don't do your bivvy bag any good at all, but the blanket over it will keep it safe.

 

[kram245]

Agreed, no need for the tarp underneath. tarp on top is good though. The bivvy bag is fine if it rains whilt your tucked inside, but if its raining when you are geting in, its difficult to get in and not get everything wet. Also cooking can be a pain!.Much nicer to be under a tight tarp with the sides lowered to stop draughts. A silnylon tarp weighs very little, mines 10 feet by 8 , with cord weighs 390 grams.
As for sleeping out with a hammock, try putting the thermarest iside your bag, or get hold of some thermal wall lining stuff used by builders. Its like siver foil both sides with bubble wrap in between. You can cut it much wider than a thermarest, so no chance of rolling off, and its ultra light. I was out last night in my clark hammock, with this stuff underneath then a thermarest on top. Wind was howling, but stayed warm all night, even though i had slipped partially off the thermarest, i was still on the thermal sheet.

 

[buckley]

Randomly, I am expecting a woolblanket to arrive this week!

Andy, I think my bivvi is goretex, its british army one, and water beads off it, it doesn't actually state goretex on the bivvy though? I still love my hammock, I just don't think its the best option for this time of year!

 

[Wayne]

I once spent two weeks walking the South West Way. I got out the car and it started to rain it didn,t stop raining until I got back to Bognor.

I was using just a gore tex bivvy bag at the time. I almost lost my sense of humour on day 8. By then everything was wet and I having to cram wet kit inside the bivvy was not fun. I saved my sanity by promising myself a pub lunch. The hour and a half in the dry with a pint was heaven.


Great experience though and now I would carry a small tarp to use in poor weather for cooking under and kit storage.

 

[windward]

I'm using a hennessay and have never had any problems using a thermarest inside with just the sleeping bag on top...army issue type. Everything is self contained in the hammock ready for use...it's just a case of getting inside yourself then getting your clothes off and slipping into the sleeping bag. I did try the silver type insulated mats first but found there was a build up of condensation in the morning. Since getting the thermarest I've never had a problem...and it seems to stay in place unlike the insulated type which tended to slip around.

I've never been wet in it either and thats been in some heavy rain though maybe not with a strong wind where it may get in at the sides...I tend to keep the tarp failry close in for max protection...I've been using a standard army basha in bad weather rather than the standard fly that comes with the hennessay.