Bivy’s

[captainhastings]

Let’s talk bivy’s. I had never camped beforehand but seen all the YouTube videos and being an outdoor guy thought I fancy that.
So money being tight picked up the alpkit elan off eBay. Spent a night in it and loved it. Wet misty warm night. But the sleeping bag was dry as a bone in morning and plenty protection from the slugs
My only issue with it was space. I found it quite tight around the head end. I tried to hold my phone up and was on the end of my nose.
I might be in position soon to get some thing else. Got around 130. It seems the Dutch hooped is well thought of ? Every one thinks it’s pretty roomy tough and dry. I am 5’8 13 1:2 stone so maybe the large version ? Job to know. Hope to be getting out over the winter to once it arrives.

 

[Chris]

Let’s talk bivy’s. I had never camped beforehand but seen all the YouTube videos and being an outdoor guy thought I fancy that.
So money being tight picked up the alpkit elan off eBay. Spent a night in it and loved it. Wet misty warm night. But the sleeping bag was dry as a bone in morning and plenty protection from the slugs
My only issue with it was space. I found it quite tight around the head end. I tried to hold my phone up and was on the end of my nose.
I might be in position soon to get some thing else. Got around 130. It seems the Dutch hooped is well thought of ? Every one thinks it’s pretty roomy tough and dry. I am 5’8 13 1:2 stone so maybe the large version ? Job to know. Hope to be getting out over the winter to once it arrives.

Have you considered a sleeping mat/sleeping bag and tarp setup for winter? Once the creepy crawlies are gone for the year you shouldn’t need a net.

Loads more room with a tarp setup and you can customise it based on location/weather/views.

 

[captainhastings]

Have you considered a sleeping mat/sleeping bag and tarp setup for winter? Once the creepy crawlies are gone for the year you shouldn’t need a net.

Loads more room with a tarp setup and you can customise it based on location/weather/views.

Hi Chris yes I have a basha and also a British army bivy. I won’t lie not a fan of spiders lol so it’s reassuring to be closed up in a bivy. That said this is all new so I’ve never noticed what ground insect life goes down to in winter

 

[Broch]

As Chris says, have a go under a tarp. Somehow I feel much more connected with the natural world under a tarp than in a bivvy or a tent. As we've discussed elsewhere, I use an insect repellent to keep the bugs away and it works. I find bivvies too constraining and use one only when I have no option (speed of set up, lack of room, quick kip and early exit etc.). You can't cook in one, you can't read in one, all you can do is sleep (if you're comfortable enough).

 

[captainhastings]

Thanks Broch I did get a smidge head net. Rather not wear it but in case. I will look into the repellent and also the candles

 

[Pattree]

It’s old, it’s heavy and it’s simple.
The 90 pattern army bivy sack is just that, a Gortex sack with a hood. No zip. No hoop, No mesh. Leave your boots outside, upsidedown on sticks.

HERE
Edited to add:
I’m not recommending this specific item or this company. Just illustrating a 90 pattern bivvy sack. I think they come in different sizes - mine’s large.

But
It’s big enough that I (@120 kilos) can undress and dress inside it. I can’t get near the Snugpak type of bivvy sack, it’s like a sausage skin.

 

[hughtrimble]

I use a bivi under a tarp, but usually find myself not in the bivi as it can get rather warm (a good thing sometimes). For extra piece of mind at certain times of year, I put up a mosquito net under the tarp to keep all sorts at bay. A little extra faff but it can help with the drifting off to sleep disruptor 'is that just an itch or something having a nibble'.

 

[Pattree]

It’s the singing that gets me. You’ve not been bitten yet but you can hear the mosquito singing around as you try to get to sleep. I don’t get bitten much and am a winter camper for preference.

I use a neoprene mat under the bivvy for comfort but also to assist getting in. I sometimes have a 3/4 self inflating mat inside the sac. I have plenty of room for that.

Also I use the bag upside down so the hood is OVER my head. Complete shelter when it rains.

 

[matarius777]

I had a Dutch army hooped bivi in large size, but found it too restricting- I’m 17 stone, 5’ 11”, I would get a bit panicky when I woke up in the night, I ended up getting a Rab Ridge Raider which although expensive, is absolutely marvelous, it has that bit more headroom that makes all the difference, I have no issues now. I’ve found it is great in terms of condensation, I don’t get any. It is a bit more of a pain to climb into as you get in from the end, but unless you have mobility issues, it really isn’t a problem, I can’t recommend it highly enough!

 

[Pattree]

Also I use the bag upside down so the hood is OVER my head. Complete shelter when it rains.

……… and I can read

 

[Broch]

……… and I can read

On your elbows

 

[captainhastings]

Been practicing me tarp setup gunyah looks well suited just need some green cordage lol

Sling old army bivy in there and should be good to go

 

[captainhastings]

Duplicate post

 

[MikeLA]

Last time I used a tent was glenmore lodge course in the 1980’s. Hated been inside it. Then started off using a basha with bungees without a bivi bag. Then with a bivi bag when they became popular.
From then on I carry a basha only for heavy rain otherwise it’s bivi bag only.

It the only way to go. Use the army issue old dark cream colour or a green version