Cowl on a sleeping bag Query

I found this description from a BPL article :

<b>Bivvy Cowl</b>

This is a curious option that is basically the top half of a bivvy bag. It’s made from proofed nylon and lies under the bag when not needed. Pulled up it covers the head and body down to the chest. There’s an elastic drawcord in the hem but no zip. The seams aren’t sealed, so it’s not fully waterproof. PHD says it’s for below freezing conditions, not rain. In combination with a bag with a waterproof shell, I guess you could sit out a blizzard on a ledge during a climb with this, but I don’t think it’s of great interest for backpacking. It adds 100 grams to the weight and £37 to the cost.

I suspect that it is a lot simpler than you imagine it to be .

Maybe but they are pretty big in size, big enough to sit a little gas stove on your lap and warm water /melt snow for coffee if needed. Maybe not for bushwalking but a possibility if stranded away from camp while skiing. More an old style Alpine bit of gear but then again I am quite old

My  “ I suspect it is a lot simpler than you imagine to be” was about your comment ” I cannot fathom how to do it”  not about its use.

I see that cowl as just a large bag that  has the bottom stitched onto the sleeping bag so that it sits under the SB when not in use but then you slip the SB top into the cowl when you want to use it. Obviously the cawl is much larger than the bag I used…

However I doubt very much that one could sit up and use a stove on the lap and melt snow with it.

You might have this in mind (from PHD) :

” This specialist usage was what we created our Zeta bags for, and that’s why they have things like cowl covers, and twin front zips to create armholes – so you can sit up and cook while still in your bag – which aren’t really necessary in a more conventional camping setup!” .

They are not implying using a stove on you lap , they are just stating that because you can put the arms through the armholes you can remain inside the bag whilst firing up the stove.

like this

No Actually it is from a post by and personal communication with Andy Kirkpatrick.

A time when the stove had nothing to hang off and dehydration was becoming an issue and that a mountain sleeping system without a proper cowl was pretty much useless, assuming no space to put up a tent etc. Mountain climbing and rough country skiing have a lot in common. After your first post I did realise that the cowl was as you describe and will be very large and will add a hundred grams to the half bag with bivvy shell top. It will still be 400 grams lighter than my big Goretex bivvy sack and take up much less room

I will have to persuade my beloved wife to help with this on her new sewing machine.