Episode 130 | Bivy Sack Camping

I absolutely love bivy camping exactly as described- fully waterproof and breatheable, with bug protection. It really is my go to. The awe I feel when waking up in the middle of the night to an incredible starlit sky when I’m way high up in some wilderness area is so good for my soul, and like Ryan says, the freedom of knowing you can find a campsite anywhere lets me go on more fun adventures that take me further away from the well beaten trail.

Re: thunderstorms before you’re ready to zip up for the night- depending on the trip, you can time your hiking above treeline to be able to hunker down under a great tree during an afternoon storm. It’s amazing how dry you can stay if you pick the right tree- have a snack, enjoy the rain, and hop right back up and keep on walking when the rain dies down.

I carry the OR Stargazer Bivy, which has one integrated pole that stays behind your head; I’m not sure why they stopped making one like this, but it works excellent. I have hundreds of miles and scores of nights on this bivy, including many above treeline rainstorms, and it’s served me excellently.

I would have bought a Big Agnes 3 Wire Bivy long ago if it wasn’t for the loud red color. The large side entry with plenty of mesh is a must. Clamshell front entry designs (like OR Helium) are miserable to get in and out of and don’t have enough air flow.

I’ve considered the Bach Heads Up Bivy which is nearly the same as the 3 Wire but has a stealthy sycamore green color. Weighs 23.3 oz without pegs and bag, so about 2 oz more. Have to order from Netherlands though. https://www.soscentral.eu/en/products/bach-heads-up-bivy-bag-bivouac-tent

I’m not quite ready to jump onto this bandwagon. I’m live in Colorado Springs about 150 miles south of Ryan. I too solo backpack in the Rockies west and south of here and my three season camping arrangements are an large MLD Soul Bivy accompanied with an MLD DUO Grace Tarp.  At 78 years old I like the extra risk buydown that the 7.5 oz tarp affords. Couple of examples where I think a tarp helps. One, the weather can change almost instantaneously dropping 50F with accompanying golf sized hail. And two, given my age and if I am sick or seriously injured, I’d rather sleep, rest, and cook under a tarp when it’s raining, sleeting or hailing. Thats my two cents.

It’s interesting that some backpackers reject good tents for not having enough ‘living space’. Often these tents weigh the same or less than a bivy/tarp set up. And then there’s bivy campers who will carry a WP bivy that weighs as much as a dcf tent, because they love all of its other advantages.

I’m almost in the bivy camp here, in terms of space. Almost. I usually only sleep in my tent, so interior space is less important to me. Who cares? I’m sleeping. Interior space is down on my checklist of priorities. But it still matters.

I’m just pointing out how different hikers have different priorities in shelters–as if we didn’t know this.

My other priorities exclude bivy camping with a tarp. But that’s me!

“Often these tents weigh the same or less than bivy/tarp.”

Yes, we’re aware of that, but every shelter is a compromise. As Ryan states, above tree line a bivy shows its full potential. Usually the ground is solid rock so staking a tent can become a real challenge. I know you can often tie lines to rocks, however it requires time and effort. Secondly a bivy has an extremely small footprint which means there are far more places to quickly set it up. Some 1P freestanding tents can have pretty small footprints, but the weight greatly increases. Also with its low profile a bivy handles strong winds infinitely better than a tent, especially above tree line where winds are the most powerful. And lastly a bivy sets up many times faster than a tent when you’re dead tired after an all day brutal slog. Granted it’s not good for hanging out in sustained rainfall (when not sleeping). I personally pack a sub 3 oz mini tarp with 0.5 oz of 1.25 mm spectra lines when I use my Montbell Breeze Dry-Tec WPB. It often takes some ingenuity to set up tarp, yet it provides me shelter when outside of the bivy.

Here is a ZPacks 52″ square .5 DCF tarp (2.3 oz) over head end of Montbell WPB (six .2 oz ti shepherd hooks). An MLD 52″ X 108″ DCF Monk Tarp in .5 only weighs 3.2 oz without LineLocs and would provide double the square footage.

DCF mini tarp also serves double duty as a rain kilt.

I’ve tried a small bivy sack, open top (so just a condom for your sleeping bag), and had a miserable night on a beach.

I’m more experienced now,  less worried about ‘comfort’ (ie. emulating a house with a bed), and am looking at making a bivy sack myself, in exactly the style discussed – waterproof, fully enclosed.

It seems to me you’d want the zipper low, along the bathtub rim, to minimize the risk of leaks. But most designs I see (with a side opening) has it curving across the top fabric at the head end. Is there an advantage to that which I’m not seeing?

I have a couple of objectives with making a bivy.

1. Challenging my ideas of what’s necessary, and testing limits. The greatest benefit I’ve gotten from ultralight backpacking is a drive to question my assumptions about myself. Ditching tent and tarp is up 😊🫣
2. The idea of a ‘sleep-roll’ (bivy sack rolled up with pad and quilt inside) strongly appeals to me. Setting up camp is a <30 second affair (I use a CCF pad).
3. Where I live (Denmark), we have preciously little nature, and camping options are mostly relegated to busy campsites. I seek solitude. However, we have thousands of kilometers of coastline, and an age-old right to sleep on beaches and in state forrest – although without erecting a shelter. A bivy would vastly expand my options for short trips.

Given the frequency of rain and the guarantee of wind on the coast (ie blowing sand) demanding some form of shelter (not above but outside the treeline), and the wild camping laws meaning tarps are out, I really do need an ‘all-weather’ bivy. I don’t think it’ll be comfortable, but I think use might be comfortable enough to enable great experiences.

All that said, my first attempt a few years ago did not go great, and I’ve only recently decided to give it another go. This podcast came as on cue.

That’s an interesting bivy design.  I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that before.

So EVA sews easily (at least on my industrial), but the stitches severely reduce its strength, even at 5 stitches per inch (the longest my machine can do). Glue seems like a better way to go.

Hi Ryan,

I’ve read your Bivy Sack Camping Gear List for Summer Alpine Trips in the US Central Rockies with great interest—thanks for sharing.

I was curious about the Petzl Leopard FL crampons: how do they fit on your Scarpa Ribelle Run trail runners? I’ve read they can slip off shoes with softer soles.

Cheers,

Davide

Regarding bivy size, are there any downsides to bigger beyond the weight and bulk?

I’m an active sleeper, often side/knees up like Megan, and wouldn’t mind the weight penalty of extra width. But there would be more dead space, where fabric is just lying on itself. Could that compromise condensation management?

I’ve fooled around with structures like that, but moved to a mid.

Making it a little bigger provides more room which makes it more livable.  Also, there’s less condensation.

My mid weighs 15 ounces.  No floor so you also need a groundcloth.  My polycro weighs 1.5 ounces.  You also need a pole – my lightweight one is 4.5 ounces.  If it’s windy I need a stronger pole – 7.5 ounces.