we have a company in the states called 'Big Agnes', that produces really light freestanding shelters. Copper spur or salt creek line of tents peak my interest from them. But a single wall cheap two pound Naturehike vik one looks good...MSR & marmot make good tents. Tent shopping is exciting I spent a lot of time before choosing a one person shelter, & recently wound up with the big Agnes Three wire bivy. Very happy
I bought a basic dome shelter long ago for a hundred bucks, with two entries (four door flaps to peg out or roll up) with the ground sheet, I can leave the inner body behind or setup from inside during storms. Two poles, easy setup, I don't even stake it out on nice days. The versatility is amazing. Even though it's a bit heavy, around six pounds, I will never be able to allow myself to buy another two person shelter. Lol that's why it took me so long to buy a one person shelter. I'm done spending money. Lol
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! That Big Agnes bivy looks nice and comfortable 😎 I also like spending as less as possible and still having great adventures
VERY HELPFUL !!! Thanks. I've just got my first bivy bag after starting with a small 2 person tent, down to a lightweight cycling ten, now to try a bivy bag. I'm so excited and after watching your video I feel more confident I can do this 😊 thanks again
I like to pair mine with a synthetic bag to deal with condensation but have used dwr down. I tested my rab storm bivi last night on the back lawn as I haven't wild camped in a few years. Was out in -1c and slept so well I forgot I was outside.
Hey great video! I am wondering, there is a tarp called Rab Siltarp 2 which is big enough for two people and they managed to cut the weight to weigh 400g. Other than the added weight of the tent pegs and the time to set it up, I am trying to figure out if there is a good reason for me to pick a 400g Snugpak bivvy instead? Edit: I also got some more questions if OK with you. Do you put the airpad inside the bivvy or underneath it? Do you reckon it could work well to use two systems: bivvy in combination with a tarp to trap heat in the mountains or is that overkill? Also, do you put a groundsheet like tyvek or closed cell foam under it to protect the air mattress and bivvy?
Great informative vid. I find I sleep much better in a bivi, think it’s the fresh air over using a tent. I use a Snug pack special forces and find I can use it in the smallest of spots as you say for stealthy camps. All the best
Hey, thanks for asking! 😎 So far it has been fine, but good to know: The two sleeping bags i use (summer/winter) both have synthetic filling. Not as efficiënt as down filling, but compared to down the synthetic still works decent when moist. So even when I did get condensation it's not a disaster. I don't have experience with the combination 'down sleeping bag' + 'bivy bag'. My main way to prevent condensation is to breath outside the bivy bag (through the netting). Depends on the bivy bag model too I guess. Sometimes I've fallen asleep with the netting not near my face and woke up feeling damp. Otherwise I haven't experienced problems.
Dank you! Seriously... A paraffin/mineral oil waxed sheet is my current experimentation. When a person gets out of Bivvy to pee, indie rain gears... Wets inside of bed! A Person must have "something", 3 x 3, Tarp, or something. That Tyvek stuff is like, more research required. What if a person was "wearing" one of those Tyvek Haz-Mat Suits? All kind of puffy layering... Sherpa?
Hey, thanks for watching 😎 Backpack fits under my poncho tarp shown at 3:20 , and I keep dry clothes and electronics in a plastic bag in my backpack. I did the same thing yesterday when it was 0° C and non-stop rain. Have to say: would have been better with a tent this time! Video will be up somewhere next week.
Check out cowboy camping with a wool blanket as well, you can't get the benefit of a fire with a bivi because sparks may melt it, but wool is flame retardant.
Good day to you! I am HONDA Cross Cub senior rider from Japan. Enjoying touring , camping and video editing. It is great video ! So nice ! Have a nice day my friend !!
I made a bivy bag out of tyvek. I think I made it a bit too small though so it does not allow my sleeping bag to reach maximum loft, so it is pretty cold to sleep in. I also opted to not have it be fully-enclosed, but instead I have a small tarp I put over the head. I have only slept it the bivy on a couple of nights in no rain and it was much easier to make (and later break) camp. The downside of the bivy bag is that I felt much more exposed sleeping in it, compared to a tent. On one of the trips I was sleeping in my bivy when, in the middle of the night two deer came charging by me. They passed by within what seemed like about ten feet of me. Needless to say I didn’t get any more sleep until the sun came up.
That is a worry, i wouldnt like to get trampled. I try to pee a ring around the bivy and hope the smell might keep animals away. Never sure if it would actually work though.
Yes, light rain is okay but heavy rain and wind will usually mean a bad night. A poncho-tarp above the hole, gives less protection than a tent. The hole can be closed but results in more condensation
Have you ever used a goretex bag? How is the condensation? I’m waiting a delivery of a milsurp one, and don’t plan on using it more than one night at a time unless I can dry it out.
Hey! I know people who have but I haven't myself. They are relatively heavy but probably give nice weather protection, nice for one-nighters on any location 😎 the camo would be a plus for me 😎👍
Do you feel at all restricted by the bivy you use at 6'5"? I'm an inch taller than you and had to return my Military Sleep System because it wasn't long enough.
To me it's okay 😎👍 Nowadays I see it as a situational piece of gear. In some situations (steep mountains, stealth camping) it's the best. But other situations (thru-hikes, group trips) a tent is more comfortable 😎👍
Great stuff. I have a small bivybag, more as a ekstra layer outside the sleeeping bag. It is great for good weather conditions as a backup if the rain is surprisingly coming. Bring av poncho or tarp your head will be dry. It is never wrong to bring a poncho according to temperature anyhow. But if the weather is fine this sleeping system gives a great feeling of freedom. The bivybag protects the sleeping bag from gretting holes and dirt. Protect my face by having a bugnet over my head.
Wow really like this bag wish I could buy one but sadly already discontinued even though it’s relatively new style. I think this with a lean to tarp would be perfect for a solo overnighter
Hey, thanks for your comment 😎 Yeah it's great! But indeed discontinued. I'm sure there are many (even better) alternatives. Not sure what to look at look right now, as I haven't been searching recently.
Hey! It's definitely less comfortable than a tent. Right now I like having a bivy bag next to my tent, so I can choose shelter depending on the trip. I think for most people a tent would be the best as their first and only shelter. But if you already have experience and are a strong individual, you could go bivy bag. Another popular choice seems: non-waterproof bivy bag (more breathable) + a tarp
I still use my bivy for mountaineering approaches but condensation is a big problem I'm still trying to solve. I always have this issue with my bivy bag versus tent
Excellent video. I use a 10X10 tarp instead of a tent, and I love the configuration options that a tarp provides, but this option is also awesome. Sometimes take take bivy and the tarp, sometimes just the bivy and a wool blanket. You made very sensible points in this video, and I think I am going to do my next weekend trek with just the bivy and blanket for shelter. I always carry a rain poncho as well, and those two together would offer great protection from the elements while minimizing the weight. My tarp weighs a bit over 5 lbs. Looking forward to this! Cheers man!!
Thanks for your sharing your thoughts 😎 Yes it depends on the circumstances. Last weekend (1 night) I camped in my bivy bag, and left my tarp and rain poncho at home as it was cold but dry weather.
My favorite tarp shelter is making a bivy out of it. You don't get much warmth added from a tent or tarp shelter, but rolling up in a tarp with blankets is a lot warmer than those same blankets in any kind of tent.
Way back in the 70s, they didn't have these fancy bivvies, all we had was no more than sleeping bag linners , and tarps, so when power hiking (like doing a 3 day hike in 1) we'd carry no more than a tarp an a linner, if it was dry we'd sleep on top of the tarp, if it rained under, life was so much simpler then!
Hey, thanks 😎 That should not be a problem with a light bivy bag. Your main enemy is condensation, which depends on many factors. I just read some threads on backpackinglight.com, and a popular system seems to be: down sleeping bag + breathable bivy bag against bugs, wind and splash water (not waterproof) + ultralight tarp as your shelter.
Sorry to say this but my 4.05 ounce Dyneema floorless tent is 4 ft X 8.5 ft X 3.5 ft high, sits in the palm of my hand or pocket, all glue construction, waterproof zippered entry/exit, waterproof zippered vent with mosquito netting and hood. It has a 300 test pound loop at the peak for hanging it by 8 or more methods plus using a tree limb or other pole like support. Your body will suffer from lack of sleep during wind, cold wind, rain, snow and sleet falling and sweeping across the bivy bag lacking clearance within for your body with the bag lying upon you.
Sorry that I didn’t state that my 4.05 ounce tent is a DIY. Dyneema is extremely expensive, but I found a way to make tents at reasonable cost owing to the trigonometry method I employ.
I've always been interested in a Bivvy bag. I only camp in the local Woods about ten mins from my place, so weight isn't an issue. It just seems like a cool experience. 😂 I got a weird korean made tent from ebay years ago, and it's been through rain, cold, hot allsorts, and only the zip on the outer bag went last year. Haa!
Thank you sir 😎 yes, depending on the trip I still use it, great all-round bivy bag. They don't make this one anymore though. If you want bug netting you'll have to look at other brands
I'm looking into bivy bags and I believe I'll love them. But I have very little camping experience so l have one doubt: How do you set up when it's raining heavily? Specifically, how do l get changed and get my gear inside without getting it all wet? Tarps aren't an option when heavy wind so...
Hey! In my opinion, setting up in the rain can be rough with any shelter (tent/bivy/tarp). It's about being fast, knowing your gear, and keeping the dry separated from the wet. I might make a video demonstrating this, nice idea! Here's my strategy with the MSR AC-Bivy: - I make sure my sleeping bag and sleeping clothes stay dry at all time by keeping them in a trash bag in my backpack. (Also try to keep bivy bag and sleeping pad relatively dry) - If the wind is not too hard, i take my rain poncho and quickly set it up as a tarp (from a tree) to cover the bivy's opening. In high wind, i skip the tarp but make sure the bivy's opening is not too exposed (mine has a flap). - I quickly roll out the bivy bag and throw the stuff i need at night inside. - Take off wet clothes and put it with backpack & shoes under the poncho tarp or hang it in a tree. No big problem if these things get wet, but keep them outside of bivy bag. - Get in the bivy and put dry clothes on inside (if you're able to, in the small space. Else: just quickly outside) and get in sleeping bag. I also save time by using a foam sleeping pad, no need to inflate. - Also, instead of a down(feather) filled sleeping bag, i prefer a synthetic sleeping bag in the wet climate where i live. They are less weight efficient but are more reliable regarding moist, which can happen in a bivy bag. A while ago my sleeping bag got pretty soaked, but i was still warm at 7° C. If I had a down sleeping bag, it likely would have been a worse night. - Decision between tent/bivy also depends on your hiking style: wanting to spend more time chilling in camp (tent), or walking all day and only sleep in camp (bivy). - Final point: make sure you've tested and practiced with new gear in good weather first. 😎👍🏼
@@CaptainCamp Hey thanks for the super quick reply! You more or less do what I figured I'd do. With the tent I have (an MSR Access 2) and when it's pouring down, I can take off my wet jacket and put it over the backpack's rain cover (which is on the tent's porch) then pull down my over trousers, sit in the tent and take them (and the boots) off, all while being covered from the rain. Great. But I need a larger pitching spot, I have to carry 1.8Kgs (as oppose to +/- 0.5Kg) and the set up takes time (let alone if l do the 'rain set up work around' l came up with). During my SUW experience, I pretty much arrived at night to the pitching post, cooked and laid down to check: the map for next day's stage, phone, or sleep (so no need for the tent). I wished I had had a bivy to just lay down anywhere and call it a day (as oppose to having to look for a pitching spot). The freedom it offers must be fantastic. Without having any bivy experience, l think l'd get one of those with the arch over the head (to be able to check the map, etc., while in the bivy). Anyway, l guess there is always a trade-off and you just have to pick yours... Again, thanks for the ultra fast response!
Just watched part of your last trip. Nice adventure! 😎 Yes, agree with that these kind of things are always a trade-off. I haven't tried but some hooped bivies seem comfortable indeed!
@@CaptainCamp Thanks! Yes, l had an amazing time. Here's the summary video: ua-cam.com/video/7x2I47IYux8/v-deo.html I can't wait to go on the wild again! Keep well Captain! ;-)
@@oscar38 Hi! I use different sizes depending on the situation. I usually take a bit bigger than I need. I have a diamond shaped one that's about 2.4x2.2m that gets the most use.
I've always been curious about bivies, but my age I have to pee a lot during the night. Also am wondering if bivies have enough room to put 2" or 3" thick sleep pad. Nice job on the pros on bivy use.
Hey, thanks! 😎 Depends on the bivy bag, but I think most will accommodate a thick sleeping pad. I also don't like getting out (in the rain/mosquitos) so for a while I carried a pee bottle 😎 (wide mouth ice tea bottle)
Hey! Yeah condensation is complicated. A lot of factors. For me it has always been acceptable. I try to breathe outside through the mesh. And I think it helps I use synthetic sleeping bags (for summer and winter). I don't care if it gets damp, and it's easy to hang to dry somewhere during the day
Wait, bivy weighs 458g? PlexSolo full tent only weighs 395g. Kinda negates your weight argument? Otoh, Borah-bivy is 5oz. Tyvek-bivy is dangerous, because it doesn't breathe. Sweat invariably ensues (which is deadly). Yes, cowboy camping is preferred when weather/bugs allow it. Once one has to deploy a tarp, they'll long for a tent though.
@@tomnoyb8301 will do! Getting a tiny superlight tarp I think to go with it - still got views but ok for showers as I am in the U.K. ☔️😂 or a poncho but they are huge and I am a five foot two female
Drentheeee. I plan to leave NL because I love hiking and nature too much. I need more than what Drenthe can give me. Reason to get a tent: keep warm with a dog.
I was using the same quickhicker ultralight 2 tent but now I pack bivy with sleeping bag 5/0 degree and 4cm inflating mat and only flysheet from that tent. It can be purchased separately as well. I roll everything together in bivy and attach to the bottom of backpack via molle or slings. Very fast to use. Also, for super water protection it can be placed first into waterproof compression bag that are used on bicycles on front of steering with nice weight distributor.
Yeah, it's not ideal. But with my poncho-tarp pitched over the bivy head area, it's fine. Even without poncho-tarp it's been good enough to be safe and get some sleep 😎👍 I'm using a synthetic sleeping bag though which is still fine when a bit wet, as opposed to down sleeping bags.
@@CaptainCamp I always prefer a decent winter ❄️ duck🦆 down or goose down sleeping bag. They don't get wet, and the old fears of down being useless when damp or wet is certainly untrue in reality.
@@CaptainCamp More "philosophy of free" to come. I think it's fun sourcing my gear for free. But also it can help people survive homelessness, being a refugee, etc.
NAILED IT! No setup, no stakes, no campsite needed. Modular system while still working independently. unzip a face hole for fresh air & scenery. LOVE.
Haha, right 😎 it's amazing, but I have to admit I'm looking at getting a tent that ticks all (or most) of my boxes
we have a company in the states called 'Big Agnes', that produces really light freestanding shelters. Copper spur or salt creek line of tents peak my interest from them.
But a single wall cheap two pound Naturehike vik one looks good...MSR & marmot make good tents.
Tent shopping is exciting I spent a lot of time before choosing a one person shelter, & recently wound up with the big Agnes Three wire bivy. Very happy
I bought a basic dome shelter long ago for a hundred bucks, with two entries (four door flaps to peg out or roll up) with the ground sheet, I can leave the inner body behind or setup from inside during storms. Two poles, easy setup, I don't even stake it out on nice days. The versatility is amazing.
Even though it's a bit heavy, around six pounds, I will never be able to allow myself to buy another two person shelter. Lol that's why it took me so long to buy a one person shelter. I'm done spending money. Lol
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! That Big Agnes bivy looks nice and comfortable 😎 I also like spending as less as possible and still having great adventures
VERY HELPFUL !!! Thanks. I've just got my first bivy bag after starting with a small 2 person tent, down to a lightweight cycling ten, now to try a bivy bag. I'm so excited and after watching your video I feel more confident I can do this 😊 thanks again
😎👍
For me, there are only two types of camping. With a rock solid tent that weighs a couple of lbs and takes a while to set up, or a bivy.
That displays a high adventure IQ, sir 😎👍
I like to pair mine with a synthetic bag to deal with condensation but have used dwr down. I tested my rab storm bivi last night on the back lawn as I haven't wild camped in a few years. Was out in -1c and slept so well I forgot I was outside.
😎👍
Great idea for Bikepacking ... thanks for the suggestion.
You're welcome 😎👍
Hey great video! I am wondering, there is a tarp called Rab Siltarp 2 which is big enough for two people and they managed to cut the weight to weigh 400g. Other than the added weight of the tent pegs and the time to set it up, I am trying to figure out if there is a good reason for me to pick a 400g Snugpak bivvy instead?
Edit: I also got some more questions if OK with you. Do you put the airpad inside the bivvy or underneath it? Do you reckon it could work well to use two systems: bivvy in combination with a tarp to trap heat in the mountains or is that overkill? Also, do you put a groundsheet like tyvek or closed cell foam under it to protect the air mattress and bivvy?
Great informative vid. I find I sleep much better in a bivi, think it’s the fresh air over using a tent. I use a Snug pack special forces and find I can use it in the smallest of spots as you say for stealthy camps. All the best
Hey, thank you! 😎 yeah, great adventures with a bivy bag
How's your experience with condensation?
Hey, thanks for asking! 😎 So far it has been fine, but good to know:
The two sleeping bags i use (summer/winter) both have synthetic filling. Not as efficiënt as down filling, but compared to down the synthetic still works decent when moist. So even when I did get condensation it's not a disaster. I don't have experience with the combination 'down sleeping bag' + 'bivy bag'.
My main way to prevent condensation is to breath outside the bivy bag (through the netting). Depends on the bivy bag model too I guess. Sometimes I've fallen asleep with the netting not near my face and woke up feeling damp. Otherwise I haven't experienced problems.
There's a book called the art of the bivy. He sums it up in one rule. Shiver or drip lol
Dank you! Seriously... A paraffin/mineral oil waxed sheet is my current experimentation. When a person gets out of Bivvy to pee, indie rain gears... Wets inside of bed! A Person must have "something", 3 x 3, Tarp, or something. That Tyvek stuff is like, more research required. What if a person was "wearing" one of those Tyvek Haz-Mat Suits? All kind of puffy layering... Sherpa?
What do you do with your backpack when it's raining at night? I typically keep it under the rainfly outside the door of my tent
Hey, thanks for watching 😎 Backpack fits under my poncho tarp shown at 3:20 , and I keep dry clothes and electronics in a plastic bag in my backpack. I did the same thing yesterday when it was 0° C and non-stop rain. Have to say: would have been better with a tent this time! Video will be up somewhere next week.
Great video, I might try bivy camping now that I’ve seen this.
Thanks !
Nice 😎👍
Check out cowboy camping with a wool blanket as well, you can't get the benefit of a fire with a bivi because sparks may melt it, but wool is flame retardant.
Good day to you!
I am HONDA Cross Cub senior rider from Japan.
Enjoying touring , camping and video editing.
It is great video !
So nice !
Have a nice day my friend !!
Thank you sir, have a nice day 😎👍
Nice job! Well done!
I'm too old to sleep on the ground...A hammock for me!
Also nice 😎 thanks!
I made a bivy bag out of tyvek. I think I made it a bit too small though so it does not allow my sleeping bag to reach maximum loft, so it is pretty cold to sleep in. I also opted to not have it be fully-enclosed, but instead I have a small tarp I put over the head. I have only slept it the bivy on a couple of nights in no rain and it was much easier to make (and later break) camp. The downside of the bivy bag is that I felt much more exposed sleeping in it, compared to a tent. On one of the trips I was sleeping in my bivy when, in the middle of the night two deer came charging by me. They passed by within what seemed like about ten feet of me. Needless to say I didn’t get any more sleep until the sun came up.
Nice 😎👍
That is a worry, i wouldnt like to get trampled. I try to pee a ring around the bivy and hope the smell might keep animals away. Never sure if it would actually work though.
@@oscar38ooh I am gonna try that! I am female though so might have to use a container first 😂
I will use a bivy, inside a tent in my living room to get the hang of it.
😎👍
Do you ever have issues getting in and out during heavy rain while keeping your sleeping pad and bag/quilt dry?
Yes, light rain is okay but heavy rain and wind will usually mean a bad night. A poncho-tarp above the hole, gives less protection than a tent. The hole can be closed but results in more condensation
Have you ever used a goretex bag? How is the condensation? I’m waiting a delivery of a milsurp one, and don’t plan on using it more than one night at a time unless I can dry it out.
Hey! I know people who have but I haven't myself. They are relatively heavy but probably give nice weather protection, nice for one-nighters on any location 😎 the camo would be a plus for me 😎👍
Do you feel at all restricted by the bivy you use at 6'5"? I'm an inch taller than you and had to return my Military Sleep System because it wasn't long enough.
To me it's okay 😎👍 Nowadays I see it as a situational piece of gear. In some situations (steep mountains, stealth camping) it's the best. But other situations (thru-hikes, group trips) a tent is more comfortable 😎👍
Great stuff. I have a small bivybag, more as a ekstra layer outside the sleeeping bag. It is great for good weather conditions as a backup if the rain is surprisingly coming. Bring av poncho or tarp your head will be dry. It is never wrong to bring a poncho according to temperature anyhow. But if the weather is fine this sleeping system gives a great feeling of freedom. The bivybag protects the sleeping bag from gretting holes and dirt. Protect my face by having a bugnet over my head.
I agree, bivy bag = freedom 😎👍
Bubble wrap with big bubbles (not small bubbles) also help as an insulator.
And weigh nothing
😎👍
I thought of that myself but doesn't the air in the bubbles make it very bulky.
Good tip mate 😊
@@susanp.collins7834, yes it does, but it's better than being cold
Wow really like this bag wish I could buy one but sadly already discontinued even though it’s relatively new style. I think this with a lean to tarp would be perfect for a solo overnighter
Hey, thanks for your comment 😎 Yeah it's great! But indeed discontinued. I'm sure there are many (even better) alternatives. Not sure what to look at look right now, as I haven't been searching recently.
Whats your opinoin to someone who has never used one and is starting back into hiking.
Gerard. QLN Australia.
Hey! It's definitely less comfortable than a tent. Right now I like having a bivy bag next to my tent, so I can choose shelter depending on the trip. I think for most people a tent would be the best as their first and only shelter. But if you already have experience and are a strong individual, you could go bivy bag. Another popular choice seems: non-waterproof bivy bag (more breathable) + a tarp
What about using an thiker air matteres?.
Sorry. Qln was ment to be QLD for
Qweensland.
Gerard.
11. Easier for emergency team to evacuate in case you died inside, they won't need a separate body bag for you!
That's true though!
I still use my bivy for mountaineering approaches but condensation is a big problem I'm still trying to solve. I always have this issue with my bivy bag versus tent
I agree 😎👍
Excellent video. I use a 10X10 tarp instead of a tent, and I love the configuration options that a tarp provides, but this option is also awesome. Sometimes take take bivy and the tarp, sometimes just the bivy and a wool blanket. You made very sensible points in this video, and I think I am going to do my next weekend trek with just the bivy and blanket for shelter. I always carry a rain poncho as well, and those two together would offer great protection from the elements while minimizing the weight. My tarp weighs a bit over 5 lbs. Looking forward to this! Cheers man!!
Thanks for your sharing your thoughts 😎 Yes it depends on the circumstances. Last weekend (1 night) I camped in my bivy bag, and left my tarp and rain poncho at home as it was cold but dry weather.
My favorite tarp shelter is making a bivy out of it. You don't get much warmth added from a tent or tarp shelter, but rolling up in a tarp with blankets is a lot warmer than those same blankets in any kind of tent.
Great video. Very informative - than you for posting it. Liked 👍
Thank you! Glad you liked it 😎
Way back in the 70s, they didn't have these fancy bivvies, all we had was no more than sleeping bag linners , and tarps, so when power hiking (like doing a 3 day hike in 1) we'd carry no more than a tarp an a linner, if it was dry we'd sleep on top of the tarp, if it rained under, life was so much simpler then!
Love that, real adventure 😎👍
How do you avoid the condensation with a Bivy Bag?
Many factors: temperature, weather, breathing outside of bivy bag, synthetic instead of down sleeping bag, type of bivy bag, accepting it 😎
Nice summary. Thanks!
A question, will the bivybag interfere with the loft of a downbag?
Hey, thanks 😎
That should not be a problem with a light bivy bag. Your main enemy is condensation, which depends on many factors. I just read some threads on backpackinglight.com, and a popular system seems to be: down sleeping bag + breathable bivy bag against bugs, wind and splash water (not waterproof) + ultralight tarp as your shelter.
Sorry to say this but my 4.05 ounce Dyneema floorless tent is 4 ft X 8.5 ft X 3.5 ft high, sits in the palm of my hand or pocket, all glue construction, waterproof zippered entry/exit, waterproof zippered vent with mosquito netting and hood. It has a 300 test pound loop at the peak for hanging it by 8 or more methods plus using a tree limb or other pole like support. Your body will suffer from lack of sleep during wind, cold wind, rain, snow and sleet falling and sweeping across the bivy bag lacking clearance within for your body with the bag lying upon you.
What brand? 😎👍 This is an old video, I should make part 2. To me it all depends on the situation now which is better.
Sorry that I didn’t state that my 4.05 ounce tent is a DIY. Dyneema is extremely expensive, but I found a way to make tents at reasonable cost owing to the trigonometry method I employ.
I've always been interested in a Bivvy bag. I only camp in the local Woods about ten mins from my place, so weight isn't an issue. It just seems like a cool experience. 😂 I got a weird korean made tent from ebay years ago, and it's been through rain, cold, hot allsorts, and only the zip on the outer bag went last year. Haa!
Hehehe 😎👍 Good luck on your adventures!
My favourite bivi bag is the monster French army bag it is huge and weights lots but it is so hard core.
Sounds good! 😎👍
I take a camo bivy for stealth and a tent when I'm not hiding.
I'm on a bicycle so I can carry a little more weight..
Yes, that's the best! 😎👍
😜✌️🍀🔥 … I use both … bivy bag in the tent ⛺️ in cold conditions…
Nice!! I'll remember that for when expecting real extreme circumstances 🤝
Nice info mate.😁That MSR Bivy looks amazing Captain 😁👍❤️
Thank you sir 😎 yes, depending on the trip I still use it, great all-round bivy bag. They don't make this one anymore though. If you want bug netting you'll have to look at other brands
@@CaptainCamp Would use it on mountain summits Captain😁
Good!
Great for one night but your bag's going to get loaded up with condensation and you'll freeze in cold weather. Ultra light tent is better imo
😎👍
I'm looking into bivy bags and I believe I'll love them. But I have very little camping experience so l have one doubt:
How do you set up when it's raining heavily? Specifically, how do l get changed and get my gear inside without getting it all wet? Tarps aren't an option when heavy wind so...
Hey! In my opinion, setting up in the rain can be rough with any shelter (tent/bivy/tarp). It's about being fast, knowing your gear, and keeping the dry separated from the wet.
I might make a video demonstrating this, nice idea! Here's my strategy with the MSR AC-Bivy:
- I make sure my sleeping bag and sleeping clothes stay dry at all time by keeping them in a trash bag in my backpack. (Also try to keep bivy bag and sleeping pad relatively dry)
- If the wind is not too hard, i take my rain poncho and quickly set it up as a tarp (from a tree) to cover the bivy's opening. In high wind, i skip the tarp but make sure the bivy's opening is not too exposed (mine has a flap).
- I quickly roll out the bivy bag and throw the stuff i need at night inside.
- Take off wet clothes and put it with backpack & shoes under the poncho tarp or hang it in a tree. No big problem if these things get wet, but keep them outside of bivy bag.
- Get in the bivy and put dry clothes on inside (if you're able to, in the small space. Else: just quickly outside) and get in sleeping bag. I also save time by using a foam sleeping pad, no need to inflate.
- Also, instead of a down(feather) filled sleeping bag, i prefer a synthetic sleeping bag in the wet climate where i live. They are less weight efficient but are more reliable regarding moist, which can happen in a bivy bag. A while ago my sleeping bag got pretty soaked, but i was still warm at 7° C. If I had a down sleeping bag, it likely would have been a worse night.
- Decision between tent/bivy also depends on your hiking style: wanting to spend more time chilling in camp (tent), or walking all day and only sleep in camp (bivy).
- Final point: make sure you've tested and practiced with new gear in good weather first.
😎👍🏼
@@CaptainCamp Hey thanks for the super quick reply!
You more or less do what I figured I'd do. With the tent I have (an MSR Access 2) and when it's pouring down, I can take off my wet jacket and put it over the backpack's rain cover (which is on the tent's porch) then pull down my over trousers, sit in the tent and take them (and the boots) off, all while being covered from the rain. Great.
But I need a larger pitching spot, I have to carry 1.8Kgs (as oppose to +/- 0.5Kg) and the set up takes time (let alone if l do the 'rain set up work around' l came up with).
During my SUW experience, I pretty much arrived at night to the pitching post, cooked and laid down to check: the map for next day's stage, phone, or sleep (so no need for the tent). I wished I had had a bivy to just lay down anywhere and call it a day (as oppose to having to look for a pitching spot). The freedom it offers must be fantastic. Without having any bivy experience, l think l'd get one of those with the arch over the head (to be able to check the map, etc., while in the bivy).
Anyway, l guess there is always a trade-off and you just have to pick yours... Again, thanks for the ultra fast response!
Just watched part of your last trip. Nice adventure! 😎
Yes, agree with that these kind of things are always a trade-off.
I haven't tried but some hooped bivies seem comfortable indeed!
@@CaptainCamp Thanks! Yes, l had an amazing time. Here's the summary video: ua-cam.com/video/7x2I47IYux8/v-deo.html
I can't wait to go on the wild again! Keep well Captain! ;-)
@@alwaysforwardyt Ah, cool summary! Thanks, you too 👍🏼
Thanks for a great video. I love bivvys too (usually tarp and bivvy).
What size tarp do you use? I was hoping to get away with a dd magic carpet which is small.
@@oscar38 Hi! I use different sizes depending on the situation. I usually take a bit bigger than I need. I have a diamond shaped one that's about 2.4x2.2m that gets the most use.
I like to make an diy bivy bag with some preferred add-ons.
What do you do with your pack and boots while you are in your bivy?
Leave it outside. Too big and dirty. Sometimes when I have a poncho, I wrap my bag and shoes in it
Bivy + Tarp + M90 = golden
That's true 'all condition' 😎
Good video. Many thanks for sharing. 👍
Thank you! I like what you're doing too 😎
Thank you for the information
I've always been curious about bivies, but my age I have to pee a lot during the night. Also am wondering if bivies have enough room to put 2" or 3" thick sleep pad.
Nice job on the pros on bivy use.
Hey, thanks! 😎 Depends on the bivy bag, but I think most will accommodate a thick sleeping pad. I also don't like getting out (in the rain/mosquitos) so for a while I carried a pee bottle 😎 (wide mouth ice tea bottle)
My Sierra Designs bivy is my choice for all your stated advantages.
Seems like a good choice overall 😎 I considered getting that one a few years ago because I liked the (bug net) opening at the face.
@@CaptainCamp It has been very comfortable. Had it three years now. I don't sweat in it like some I've used.
That's great info 😎
Is this the same thing as a swag?
Swag is bigger and heavier 😎👍
how do you deal with the excessive condensation.....
Hey! Yeah condensation is complicated. A lot of factors. For me it has always been acceptable. I try to breathe outside through the mesh. And I think it helps I use synthetic sleeping bags (for summer and winter). I don't care if it gets damp, and it's easy to hang to dry somewhere during the day
Thank you for this!
Thanks, you're welcome! 😎
Living space while out hiking ?.
I rather have the bear mimimum.
No need for bulk when you only got an limited amount of space.
Gerard.
Yes it is 😎👍
Wait, bivy weighs 458g? PlexSolo full tent only weighs 395g. Kinda negates your weight argument? Otoh, Borah-bivy is 5oz. Tyvek-bivy is dangerous, because it doesn't breathe. Sweat invariably ensues (which is deadly). Yes, cowboy camping is preferred when weather/bugs allow it. Once one has to deploy a tarp, they'll long for a tent though.
Yes, there are lighter tents these days. For steep mountains, snow, or stealth camping, I still prefer this 'all condition' bivy 😎👍
But you are bundled up in nylon and not looking at the scenery. I think I am gonna take the plunge and try one of these.
@@natscat4752 - Let us know how it goes?
@@tomnoyb8301 will do! Getting a tiny superlight tarp I think to go with it - still got views but ok for showers as I am in the U.K. ☔️😂 or a poncho but they are huge and I am a five foot two female
A tent under 1 pound? Must be expensive
Why not a bivvy tent with bivvy bag.
Gens una sumus! Stars in the sky. That's the way I like it. 😎
Yes sir 😎👍
Great. Thank you.
Thanks for watching 😎
Why my sleeing bag getting wet in the area where my feets are?
Condensation which has nowhere to go
Groningen represent! 🎉
Goeiedag eem 😎👍
Drentheeee. I plan to leave NL because I love hiking and nature too much. I need more than what Drenthe can give me. Reason to get a tent: keep warm with a dog.
Drenthe Originals 😎👍
I was using the same quickhicker ultralight 2 tent but now I pack bivy with sleeping bag 5/0 degree and 4cm inflating mat and only flysheet from that tent. It can be purchased separately as well.
I roll everything together in bivy and attach to the bottom of backpack via molle or slings. Very fast to use.
Also, for super water protection it can be placed first into waterproof compression bag that are used on bicycles on front of steering with nice weight distributor.
I am Sold on this idea .
If you don't need the 'little home' feeling of a tent, it's worth a go 😎👍
What does it feel like in heavy rains
Yeah, it's not ideal. But with my poncho-tarp pitched over the bivy head area, it's fine. Even without poncho-tarp it's been good enough to be safe and get some sleep 😎👍
I'm using a synthetic sleeping bag though which is still fine when a bit wet, as opposed to down sleeping bags.
@@CaptainCamp I always prefer a decent winter ❄️ duck🦆 down or goose down sleeping bag. They don't get wet, and the old fears of down being useless when damp or wet is certainly untrue in reality.
Thanks for commenting! I nowadays use a down bag (Cumulus). Mostly in a tent, but the few times in the bivy bag it was alright! 😎👍
I stopped using my bivy bag because my friend kept messing with me.
Hehehe
Awesome!
Thanks! 😎
I thought I was the only person
I shared my bivy at the weekend with some ticks. Bit the hell out me.......apart from that, i love bivy camping.
Damn haha, not nice. Good you noticed them and removed them 😎👍
Hmm, I keep thinking of that but determined not to let it put me off.
That’s the most industrial Oscar Meyer Wiener Mobile I’ve ver seen. 🤣
Had to look it up. Nice one hehehe 😎👍
nice
Thanks! 😎
Ah, the beautiful stadspark. Explains the accent lol.
Hehehe 😎👍 scherp!
I'm 5'7 and hiking tents are too small for me. 6'5? LOLOLOLOLOL
Hahaha, it's crazy right? Haven't come across one yet that is long and light as well. Btw I like your philosophy of free! 👍🏼
@@CaptainCamp More "philosophy of free" to come. I think it's fun sourcing my gear for free. But also it can help people survive homelessness, being a refugee, etc.
@@CaptainCamp I'm here in New Hampshire, USA near the Maine border. Where are you?
Nice ideas! I'm from the Netherlands. Not many places where you can camp, but there's a lot to explore in the rest of Europe.
@@CaptainCamp I have ancestors from the Netherlands if you go way back. They were early settlers in New Amsterdam, now known as New York City
Bivvy sukks. When warm or mosquitos are bad, you cant get away from them. They do have their place but tents are sometimes better.
Indeed, it's situational 😎👍
Nice ending with a shot of stadspark in Groningen 😬
Cool that you recognized it! 😎
A bear burrito.
🐻
BIVY NOT BIFFY
OMG
Bivakzak
@@CaptainCamp Forget it..... your video is excellent BTW!!
Hehehe thanks 😎👍
I Bivy bag is easy to make ??????? 😂😂😂😂 I don't think so.
Hehehe 😎👍
Another minus is not having a place to change your clothes
Hehehe indeed 😎👍
You have nature. This place isn’t a church.
Can’t see what your point is. The cows and sheep won’t mind.
+151
bingo
Damage less grass?? LOL silly talk like that -> I click the off button . Go hug a tree
Leave no trace 😎👍