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Anyone know about bivy sacks?

Old 03-27-2006, 11:42 AM
  #1  
Typical Buck
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Default Anyone know about bivy sacks?

If you've used one you might be able to help. If you're thinking of getting one, this post may help you.

My thought was to replace my tent and free myself up more on elk bowhunts. I have been giving my new Outdoor Research basic bivy sack a workout the past couple weekends, figuring March conditions would be roughly similar to September bowhunting conditions.

This weekend I spent a night out in rainy 35 degree weather. I found a semi-covered bed under a big yellow pine, and sealed myself in for the night. I slept comfortably enough with my contrived air passage - I zipped my elk bugle tube into the opening so I had a snorkel device to let in fresh air.

THE PROBLEM: when I woke up after nine hours I had significant condensation down the entire top of my down sleeping bag. That ain't good! It could be overcome IF the following day is nice and I can lay the bag out during lunch to dry out. However, if the next day is rainy, then I'm stuck with a damp goosedown bag, which is a recipe for death.

CONCLUSION: I can't expect to seal myself in the darned thing. Gotta leave my head out to letmy damp breath escape. This is a bummer, because it basically forces me to begin reconstructing a tent, which I was trying to get away from when I bought the $160 bivy sack. Now, I'll have to develop an overhead tarp system for rain/snow, meaning more bulk and weight in my pack.

Anyone who has used one know any ways around my problem? (Not breathing as much when I sleep won't work!)
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Old 03-27-2006, 10:59 PM
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Default RE: Anyone know about bivy sacks?

D2 I lived @ 8500ft on the headwaters of the Pecos River in NWNewMexicofrom Aug 86 too May 87 (snow covered the ground from second week of Oct too 1st week of May!) and we hiked and camped nearly every weekend, sometimes above timberline. I HATE tents, I don't know what I hate the most, carrying them on a backpack or just having to jack with the damned things in the first place. If the weather was nice, my FAVORITE "camping arrangement" was sleeping in God's grandeur atop a saddle blanket with only longhandles and a mummybag needed for warmth. Waking up at night with a fullmoon and stars shining in your face is something you just gotta see to understand!!!

So anyway,I had an idea and tried it once. I took a rainfly from a tent that wasn't being used and decided to try it for a weekend. It rained everynight as well so my "plan" was put too the test. As everyone else was pitching tents and settin camp I found a pine/fur tree with low limbs (about 2' off the ground) and rigged the rainfly up on the lowest limb. Basically it was just a little bigger than the surface area my mummybag took up. I "mound up" a pile of pine needles (about2'x6')and laid my foam pad over them (another thing I hated packing) and put my down bag over that.

I was awaken about midnight by thunder and steady rain. I checked everything and to my amazement even the ground around me (under the rainfly) was dry. I went back too sleep. I awoke shortly after daylight and it was still raining. I (as well as the ground under me and my equipment) were bone dry! My plan worked. And after seeing my success several others did as such from then on out.

The rainflies were from 2-3 men dome tents. I would think a 4x8 or 6x8 tarp (or even a simple sheet of plastic) would do the same thing and is MUCH easier to carry than a freakin tent. The only thing I have wondered about was the "mummy tents". Seems they would serve the same purpose but would be better in strong winds which would help insulation in thecoldest of climatesand wouldn't require low branches or external support/framing. I've seen the rolled up into much smaller sacks than traditional tents and they weigh nothing!

Good luck,
RA
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Old 03-28-2006, 02:25 PM
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Default RE: Anyone know about bivy sacks?

I got the North Star Bivy from Cabelas that works for me. It is a tent but it is very small and extremely lightweight. Might be a good compromise for you.
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Old 03-29-2006, 12:53 PM
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Typical Buck
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Default RE: Anyone know about bivy sacks?

Thanks to both for the reply. I don't guess too many people use the actual bivy sacks.

I'm trying to get my entire camp packed into my daypack. Right now, it takes up just over half the main compartment of my daypack. That's sleeping bag, ground sheet, compact air mattress, and bivy sack. I'm trying to keep it to the absolute smallest bulk possible.

Grudgingly, I'll be trying the Red Allison system this weekend coming up. I've got a cheapo 8 x 6 tarp that I'll trying rigging into an overhead. I'll still use the bivy to keep the lower 80% of my body cavity secure, but leave my head sticking out of the top.
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Old 03-30-2006, 06:14 AM
  #5  
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Default RE: Anyone know about bivy sacks?

Perhaps you need one like this instead of the military style ones:
Guide Gear double bivy
It eliminates the need for an overhead tarp .
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Old 04-01-2006, 09:26 PM
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Default RE: Anyone know about bivy sacks?

Dirt2: I did the bivy sack for a while. It did keep the rain off and seemed to increase the insulating quality of my down bag. This is true as long as the sack is loose enough not to compress the down bag in the slightest. But yes I did have the condensation problem. And in a down bag, that's bad. I would use it if I had no other shelter.
But I would suggest a high quality light-weight one man tent. I believe Marmmot, Kelty and North Face all make one. The North Face Solo 12 weighs only 2 LBS, 2oz. Kelty's lightest, the Stick 1 weighs 2 LBS 8 OZ.
But lately, I just bring a 4x8 tarp and some twine. I find a couple of poles on sigt or use a handy tree to rig it. It doesn't keep bugs out but in the fall evenings, the cool air seems to keep the bugs inactive. As long as there is some air between my bag and the tarp, condensation is nill. And I have kept dry in a pretty big rainstorm. But you must pick your spot with care. Pick the top of a small knoll and dig a trench around the tarp if you can. Avoid grassy area as they indicate a place where much water collects.
okcmco
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Old 04-03-2006, 11:55 AM
  #7  
Typical Buck
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Default RE: Anyone know about bivy sacks?

Thanks for the replies, Kevin and okmco.

My first priority was to get away from the tent. I needed a camp that would fit in the bottom half of a normal-sized daypack. Any kind of tent just overloads the daypack and leaves no room for clothing, food, etc.

See, I've been doinga 10-12 day backpack elk hunt every September for five years. I backpack in about 10 miles and set up a base camp. I have come to see that returning to a set base camp every night is limiting my hunting a little, and I don't like limits. Too many times I've had to turn away from a bull because dark is coming and I've got to get back to camp. Alternately, on some hunts the elk will have shifted a few miles, so I spend the first hour or two every morning hiking through dead country to reach the elk.

I'm still going to pack in and set up the base camp. But now, I'm going to take the daypack bivvy camp out for 3-day, 2-night periods. In these jaunts, I can chase elk right up to dark without regard to where camp's going to be 'cause it's right there on my back!

I just tested the setup again this weekend past with an overhead tarp (8 x 6). I still used the bivvy sack, but with the head opened up. See, I'm 6 feet tall, and even with an 8' long shelter, I'm in danger from slanting rain. I like theadded security of the bivvy sack.So, I used the bivvy this weekend basically to keep my feet dry - slept with my feet sticking out about a foot. This way, my head is well inside the upper end of the overhead, giving me leeway from blowing rain.

To sum up, I still had condensation big time. I'm about at wit's end. I'm nearly ready to ditch the goosedown bag, and buy a synthetic bag that's at leastfairly compressible. Then, if it takes on some condensation it still retains its warming qualities. The bummer is I'm out $260 for the goosedown bag. Oh well, life's a crapshoot!

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Old 04-25-2006, 08:02 PM
  #8  
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Default RE: Anyone know about bivy sacks?

i suggest checking through some backpacking forums for more advice on this subject.

you can try http://forums.backpacker.com/index.jspa
or http://www.backpacking.net/bbs.html

there is quite a bit of knowledge in both forums regarding lightweight shelters since backpackers obviously want to minimize the weight they carry.
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Old 04-26-2006, 04:45 AM
  #9  
Dominant Buck
 
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Default RE: Anyone know about bivy sacks?

You haven't wasted your money on that goose down set up , you simply haven't encountered it's ideal conditions . Get a synthetic and roll something like a simple tube tent up in it for added shelter when you decide to set up camp for the night . Perhaps what you need is more along the lines of this:
Covered hammock

or this:
A different one

Combine either one with a properly rated synth bag and you're set .
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Old 05-01-2006, 03:14 AM
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Default RE: Anyone know about bivy sacks?

ive used a goretex bivy sack and a small bicycle tent fer backpackin in conjunction with a small down bag and a small inflatable matt. i actualy had more condinsation with the tent; but would prefer the tent if rain was fallin. my bivy has a hood. i cose up the face and roll to the side ta keep the moisture off my face. also a rain poncho can make a light cover in a pinch.

early
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