Rain jacket = half bivy?

[Mike Henrick]

I'm moving to tarp's and wondering if anyone has used their rain jacket as a half bivy if your legs are getting some spray. Seems like you could just zip the jacket up, place it on your pad face down and slide your legs in. I sleep on my back and don't seem to move around much so I think it would work but haven't tried it yet.

[todd]

I have covered the foot end w/a DriDucks jacket before. Worked nicely that night w/an added bonus of warmer toes.

I would only try more traditional, less breathable, jackets like this in an emergency, however due to probable condensation. My feet pump out the moisture! A synthetic bag/quilt would mitigate the problems arising from such use.

[J Mag]

I don't see why not.

I have done this before in my hammock by zipping my rain jacket around the foot end since my minimalist tarp barely reaches the end. Never had a problem although it is going to obviously constrict your feet a bit.

[Mike Henrick]

Thanks, good to know it's not that crazy. I guess you could always unzip the jacket halfway to add room for your feet.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Yet another use for a poncho. A space blanket would work too. Some bag style space blanket bivies may be large enough to work over the foot of your sleeping bag. You don't need to pull it all the way up.

If you use a trash compactor bag as a pack liner, you could use that on the foot end of your sleeping bag, or just use your pack.

I use a bivy now, but I used to carry a 45 gallon LDPE trash can liner for emergency use. It will cover to my armpits as a half-bivy. They can be split open to be used as a ground cloth, used overhead to waterproof a makeshift brush shelter, as a windbreak, or even a solar still. Cut holes for head and arms and you have rain gear. LDPE is light, but contractors plastic trash bags have all the same uses at a bit more weight.

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