Cowboy camping and the bivy

I made a hybrid down quilt/bivy. It has M50 outside which is breathable with good DWR. You could just as easily have a separate bivy and quilt.

I cowboy camp about half the nights. Occasionally there'll be dew or frost on the outside. Down has never got the least bit wet. Oregon and Washington all year. Occasionally I wake up in middle of night and have to quickly put up tent.

One thing good about bivy and quilt, is that the bivy prevents drafts which can lose a lot of warmth.

Yes.

High humidity, mist and fog a lot of the time here along the coast. Keeps the ticks out. No groundsheet. MYOG and partial to it.

No.

No.

Generally no.

The exception would be really windy weather or if you are concerned about falling dew. Dew can easily soak your bag enough that you wake up cold.

So a bivy would be nice for cowboy camping on the coast to block the wind (coast areas can be very windy) and stop dew from soaking your bag.

I've never actually used a bivy before but I've wrapped my tarp around me like a blanket to keep dew off me or block wind many times, so kind of like a bivy.

During my PCT thru-hike last year I cowboy camped quite a lot and if it looked like possible rain during the night, I had the tent lying right next to me in it's stuff sack. And if it did start raining, I just pulled the tent out, covered myself and my pack with it and went back to sleep.

Problem solved

Warmer months = bug bivy
Colder months = no bivy

Never.

Nope. A few times on the PCT I draped my poncho over me during brief showers during the night.

No

Yes, but I will have my bivy fully unzipped and the top pulled back.

If I get cold, I will simply reach over and zip myself up.

In this case, my bivy is my ground sheet.

Tony

YES

Keeps dew off bag.
Keeps critters out.
Keeps me from sliding off my air mat.
Keeps the quilt in place a little better.
Keeps everything a little cleaner.
More wind resistant.
A little warmer.

Also keeps my dogs from trying to get under the quilt with me in the middle of the night.

For 3.5 ounces, it comes every time.

I use a GG large ground cloth with a tie out on one corner.
If it doesn't rain, the ground cloth it stays doubled up to last longer.
If it rains, I sandwich it over me and stake it with the help of a hiking pole and 2 stakes.

Yes.

But often I leave it unzipped if I'm not worried about bugs and critters. Then it's just ready in case I decide to zip it in the middle of the night.

Generally No.

not here in typical western arid regions in summer/fall.

But I don't bring a groundcloth with me when I use the bivy, so the bivy is my groundcloth.

No, no bivy.

Same here. Especially in the West. Even if my bad gets damp it take 20 mins in the sun to dry it out, if that, which is worth the time saved (and effort!) of setting up a shelter.

Also I tend to squirm in my sleep and therefore avoid bivys