Bothy bag fabric question

Such a thing is commercially available. I'm sure someone will remember the brand.

Cheers

I've seen them. the most widely known is the "terra nova" brand. The design isn't really original, I'm just wondering about the fabric choice. most Bothy bags I've seen are silnylon all over.

What in the world is a bothy bag?

That fabric combo will work fine, but if it's just an emergency day-hike shelter, it would be lighter to use silnylon all over. A little condensation on the inner would be the least of my worries if i actually had to overnight in an emergency, and for short lunch stops, etc…breathability should not be a problem.

Lunch break inside a bothy bag

What's a bothy bag, you ask?
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=bothy+bag

Well. I have to say, I'd never heard of BB's until this thread, but I want one now. How many times have i sat in the miserable rain eating my soggy sandwich on some god-forsaken dayhike?

The problem seems to be how one arranges it for solo use. They seem to depend on at least two people to provide structure.

The fabric seems to be obvious: Silnylon provides the best compromise between weight, durability, and water resistance.

Stargazer

P.S. Keep us up to date! I'd like to make one myself for solo use.

I think you use trekking poles for solo.

I don't know about the silnylon for the whole thing though. this isn't like a bivy where you can aim your breath out the face hole or unzip part of it. all your breath and sweat (and sometimes that of several people) is going into the air. I imagine it could get quite condensified in a hurry. That's probably why they have that little vent tube. and in an emergency cold weather scenario, that could become a problem. But I suppose rain gear could be used as well.

a semi-breathable fabric might be a good solution, unless it's really pouring. I'm sure it could handle snow as long as you are awake to shake it off every once in a while.

I wouldn't worry about condensation if you're just using it for short breaks. That link i posted showed myself and 2 friends escaping a cold, gale force wind to have something to eat and drink. It gets nice and warm in there very quickly. I wouldn't want to spend a night in one, though. Even though mine is a 4 man bothy bag, there isn't enough room to lie down.

All the uses I've read about are for harsh weather- normally windy plus precipitation. With the wind blowing and the fabric flapping a bit it will pump a lot of air in and out.

I would want translucent fabric or some plastic windows.

The bothy bags are the same idea as Zarski sacks. A Zarski sack is a tube of material with draw string closures at the two ends. In an emergency the group sits inside (on packs or pads). The plans I've seen were half breathable half non-breathable nylon (half the circumference of the tube is breathable). With half a dozen people inside in sub 0F, they're impressively warm, but certainly not comfortable except in temperature. They're definitely not for the claustrophobic; having a window would be nice.