Bivy sleeping blues

[Greg Deitrick]

I am trying to get a poncho tarp / bivy combination to work (MLD standard poncho and MLD Superlight bivy).  How does one sleep comfortably in a bivy?

I spent the last two nights in the back yard in the bivy under the tarp.  Temperatures were 65 or above so I used just a bed sheet.  I’ve ordered but have not received an Exped UL pillow, so I used a pillow off my bed.

I change positions during the night (left side, right side, back) usually because some spot is getting sore.  For me that was a struggle in the bivy; I pretty much had to wake up completely to re-position myself.  The second night  after only 2 hours or so I got the bivy so twisted up I had to get out.  I then tried putting my CCF pad IN the bivy, and that helped keep the bivy floor-side-down during my position changes.  But I would prefer to have the pad UNDER the bivy to protect the bivy floor.

1. CCF pad in or out?  Do I need to be concerned about the silnylon bivy floor getting water leaks?  Is there a good way to keep the bivy floor side down with the pad under the bivy?
2. I am using a half pyramid pitch.  There doesn’t seem to be a good place to tie the bivy’s bungee that holds the netting off my face.
3. Does it get better with practice?
4. Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

[Jeff McWilliams]

I haven’t used a bivy but I’ve noticed that some of them have stake loops at the four corners.  Does yours?  Have you thought about staking them down?

 

[Jeff McWilliams]

Just checked out MLD’s website for that bivy.  They don’t recommend staking out the “hang loops” unless you do so loosely in conjunction with using some shock cord.

From reading the description, it also appears like the intent is to have your sleeping pad inside the bivy.  Sounds like it would make sense.  The pad would help form a bathtub and keep you and your quilt/bag elevated better.

[Jerry Adams]

I made my own bivy

I put the sleeping pad inside which helps.  I shift from side to side while sleeping

I have stake loops on four corners, but usually I only use the two at the head end.  Sometimes I’ll also use the stake loops at the foot end if it’s blowing around

[Matthew / BPL]

Yeah my NeoAir goes inside the bivy which allows the bivy to be ground cloth as well. I have zero twisting issues. Try it that way and see if your of keeps sliding around. If so, maybe some silicone sealer stripes or dots inside the bivy would keep it from sliding around.

Are you a big person? Is your bivy large enough? MLD recommends sizing up if in doubt. I’m a thick chested 5’6″ guy and I do fine in my medium MLD Bug Bivy. I haven’t spent a night in my new Superlight bivy but it seems fine on the living room floor…

[Jerry Adams]

Something like a Neo-air is thicker so you should have a bivy that’s a few inches bigger around

[Matthew / BPL]

I’m 100% happy with mine, Jerry!

[Jerry Adams]

If your bivy was just barely big enough with a thin mattress, it could be a problem with a thicker mattress.

To minimize weight, theoretically, you want your bivy and sleeping bag to be just big enough.  If it’s bigger than necessary, then it will weigh more.

[Tony Wong]

Greg,

I have been using a MLD Soul Side Zip since 2008 or 2009.

My advice:

• Sleep with your pad inside the bivy (I have a CCF Gossamer Gear Torso Pad & 1/4″ CCF full length) I find that my body warms the pad up under me, this keeps the pad clean and dry, and protects the floor of my bivy
• Using the supplied bungie cord to pull the netting off my face gives me more “head room” and make the bivy feel less claustrophobic. You will find built in hang loops on your MLD bivy for this. Given that you are using a half mid, you might need to use something like Triptease line/cordage to give you the length that you need. Well worth the minor weight of extra cordage.
• Do you have a way to attach the bungie/cordage to your hiking pole, if used to support your shelter as a possible tie off point??? When sleeping out without a tarp, I use my poles to form an “X”, using two rocks to pin the end of my pole so they don’t fall over and attach my bungie to the top of my poles/handles.
• If you are an active sleeper or using a NeoAir, consider sizing up to give yourself more room.
• If you have a frameless backpack, try placing the pack under your legs either inside or outside your bivy to provide a little extra cushioning and warmth for your legs/feet/heels. A thin CCF pad might not offer much padding and your heels might feel the ground under you.
• This might create some disagreement, but build up your bedding/ground that you are sleeping on or simply chose a site with softer ground….sandy is nice. I have been known to move some dirt/sand/gravel, pine needles, or weeds to make a softer bed on which to put my bivy on. When I break camp, I make a point of dispersing what I have built up to make it look as undisturbed as possible.
• When not using a tarp or shelter, I have tied my bungie cord around a tree or off of a low hanging branch to create a tie point to pull my bivy off my face

Yes, it gets better with practice, but I think more of it will be how active of a sleeper are you.

If you toss, turn, and roll over a lot, then maybe a bivy is not for you??

Anyway, those are the quick thoughts off the top of my head….hope it helps you out.

Tony

[HkNewman]

There’s a lot going on having used a couple.  How much room is inside for thicker pads, side-sleeping, down vs synthetic quilt, and a loop (or hoop) to keep fabric off face.  There’s making the bivy bigger though at a certain point, it’s easier to order a net tent inner.

[Steve Thompson]

I have an MLD bivy large enough for my neo air to go inside.  Also I stake the bivy’s 4 corners.  And though I still need to roll side to side at night the bivy stays fixed.  Have recently added an inflatable pillow to assist with side sleeping, still not sure if this is better than a stuff sack stuffed with my daytime clothes.

[Katherine .]

yes, pad inside. The bivy is the tortilla of your sleep burrito.

What quilt or bag would you normally be using with it? MLD + Neoair+ EE Rev w/straps works well for me comfort-wise.

Also, if it matters, I don’t totally zip my head in unless it’s really buggy.

[Chad P]

If you happen to be using a cuben tarp, zpacks sells some cuben “patches” preinstalled with loops/mitten hooks/toggles that can simply be applied anywhere on the tarp.

I just bought a bivy and plan to do this for pulling the netting off my face in conjunction with a half pyramid style pitch. I normally sleep in a hammock so we’ll see how the ground treats me.

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