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Advice and Recommendations on Bivy Sacks

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PostedAug 19, 2009 at 12:37 am

So here I have been toying with the idea of getting an ultralight tent when it never dawned on me to consider a Bivy Sack as an even lighter option. At this point I have some questions and need some recommedations.

So far I have learned that almost all Bivys Sacks will keep you completely enclosed and shielded from bugs and that there is a zippered screened area around the face that you can leave open or closed at night. This is most important to my girlfriend and I. We dont like roughnecking it to the point where we have creepy crawlies on us at night.

So first question, are Bivy Sacks as durable as tents? Are there ones that are completely waterproofed or are they flawed in this field.

Next if I get a Bivy Sack, would it be wise to get a tarp shelter to sling over the Bivy Sack during rainy and extremely winding conditions?

What is the average weight range of a Double Bivy Sack?

Is there any other things i should consider before investing in a Bivy Sack? In other words, is there any things that you think may jump out at me which would lead me to wishing that I would not have gotten one. Long story short, what negatives are there to speak of and do the negatives out weigh the positives in your opinion.

Ok so now time for some much needed recommendations. I want a Double Bivy for my girlfriend and I. We would also like the Double Bivy to be at least 50 inches wide. We want the No-See-Um mesh screening that covers your face at night to be zipperable not velcroable. Velcro seems like it might be suspect to letting bugs in. We also thought it was cool how some of the Double sacks that we saw used trekking poles to hold up the facial enclosure. we just ordered our Gossamer Gear poles so this would work out perfectly. Having the Double Sack seamed sealed before being shipped would be a bonus.

So where are a couple of places we should check out? Someone on here recommended Oware, but their Double Bivys have velcroable face coverings and the site doesnt state the sizes of their Bivy Sacks dimension wise, at least I did not see any specs listed anywhere on any of the Double Sacks that I looked at.

Thanks Ahead of Time.

Dean F. BPL Member
PostedAug 19, 2009 at 3:11 am

Personally, I'm not a fan of using bivy sacks as my only shelter. Here's why:

1) If your bivy is water-proof enough to defeat a decent rain storm then it is almost certainly not very breathable, Epic or Gore-Tex notwithstanding. This leads to condensation of your evaporative water loss on the inside of the sack and a thus wet sleeping bag, anyway.

2) If your bivy is highly breathable, then it almost certainly won't stand up to to a decent rain storm. If there IS a magical waterproof-yet-breathable bivy out there somewhere, then I will guarantee you that it costs extreme $$$.

Thus (and I *think* many people will agree), IMHO it is best to use a very breathable bivy under a lightweight tarp. The bivy will still resist the light splatter from the rain, as long as the tarp is sufficient to stop the rain per se, as well as keep you a little more warm.

Many companies sell bivies that they advertise as useful as shelters on their own, though, so maybe I'm nuts. Or, maybe the condensation isn't so much of a problem with a synthetic bag, or something.

PostedAug 19, 2009 at 4:59 am

I have used bivies a lot, mostly for un-planned camps and some u/l trips in high summer. They CAN have problems with condensation, but, the newer eVENT models seem to have this licked. I especially like to keep one in my hunting pack, with a light bag, to keep me alive,if I fall and break my butt.

Integral Designs makes the best bivies I know of, but, they are NOT, especially the eVENT models, "cheap".

I am not familiar with any "two person" bivies and would not suggest using such an item, anyway. You would be better off using a light 3-season tent and there are lots of choices out there.

todd BPL Member
PostedAug 19, 2009 at 7:08 am

Oware sells nice double bivies. Use a bivy w/a tarp, unless you have no choice.

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