Are bivvy bags any good? If anyone from PrepHole has used one i'd like to know your thoughts, thinking of getting one to start wild camping and seems like a good option and pretty discreet so i won't have urban basedtards bothering me.
Are bivvy bags any good?
OR alpine Bivy is amazeballs above the snowline.
I use an ex british army bivi, they can be found reasonably cheap on ebay.
If you're moving to a bivi from a traditional tent though, try picking up a snugpak stratosphere or alpkit elan. The hooped section makes it far comfier to sleep in my opnion.
hooped ones look pretty nice but do cost more, i'm trying not to spend too much and a standard one without hoop seems alright considering to start off i'd be planning to camp in mild/good conditions
I got picrel because I hate setting up tents and hammocks are useless in places without trees. But, I haven't had an opportunity to try it out in real outdoor conditions. Maybe this summer.
So far's it's done pretty good in backyard setups, even used a rainy day as an excuse to test the waterproof-ness.
I was initially worried about having to leave my gear outside the shelter, but I'm a manlet, so there's just enough space in the head area for me to shove my pack in, too.
Having the bivy on my face isn't too bothersome, since the bug mesh area lines up perfectly with my face and lets me breathe.
My only problem is the entry. I wish this thing had a side entry zip instead of only at the top.
You just sleep in the bag without a cover?
I used a bivi extensively in the past but always with a basha overtop of me to provide some space for my kit and a bit more protection from the weather. A tarp weighs so little and takes up so little space I'm not sure why you would go with just a bag, the only time I did that was in the reserves when we didn't have time to setup a shelter.
I can't speak to just using the bag but a bivi with a good 4 season sleeping bag and a basha (tarp) over it was perfectly fine in Northern Scotland in February, so around -4c at night.
Agree with tarp suggestion. Bivy can get away with a very small tarp but a 9x5 or 10x8, or a poncho tarp would give you a great option for gear storage and camp chores. Bringing all your wet gear into the bivy will make condensation more difficult to manage.
>perfectly fine in Northern Scotland in February, so around -4c at night.
Would you reckon I could get away without the bivy, just some ground protection (and a midge net when needed) under a basha? Or would the mist and condensation ruin my down bag?
I would never sleep that exposed without a bivvy, especially at anything like that temperature, there's an extremely good chance you would never wake up again.
The Bivvy is really really important, IMO the Bivvy is more important than the Basha and does far more to protect you as a person, the Basha is just a bonus that takes the situation from survivable to comfortable.
if you can, look into getting a Swag from Australia
very similar to a bivvie and pretty comfy
ive got one similar to the bottom left in this pic and its served me well over the years
only complaint i have is its a bit heavy
Am I just a boomer now but those look like one man tents.
Swag were always pic related
depends on your climate. if you are in any country which is humid i wouldn't bother
This guy gets it. Bivvys are intended for places with very low humidity.
>fill a glass with ice water
>set it in the counter in your kitchen
>look at how much condensation has gathered on its surface
>multiply that times about 1,000
The air inside of your shelter (in this case a bivvy bag) will be warm and humid, and that humidity will condense when the surface temperature drops. The only way to mitigate this is ventilation like you’ll find in any decent tent, tarp, or hammock setup. That prevents the inside of your shelter from becoming warm.
I'm interested in one too, but there seems like so many gotchas. Are they appropriate for anything other than good weather?
I have pic related, its a mil tec knock off of the us military bivy. Its cheaper than the original but it isnt goretex
Been using it for 2 years, good price to performance ratio, good camo, adds a couple degrees to the sleeping bag and its decent quality but its not the most compact and every morning the whole inside is fucking wet even if have it unzipped all the way
I still prefer bivys to tents but if i were to buy a new one id look for something more light, thin, compact and breathable.
Im currently thinking about getting this one. I’m an absolute beginner and I don’t want to spend tons of money on something that I might not even use. But all the very negative reviews are quite off-putting. A problem is also that most bivy bags that are really good like the US Army and Dutch Army ones appear to be mainly available used.
Buying good used high end stuff is often better than buying new mid tier stuff.
Buy from a reputable reseller with a good returns policy.
Is the British army bivy a good alternative? It’s not very expensive and also made with goretex. Also seems to be very lightweight. The only problem is the lack of protection for the head against bugs.
The oex salamander seems like a pretty good midway between bivvy and tent, it has a bug protection mesh and full covering option, can still watch the stars with just the mesh up if you wanted to fall asleep that way.
I just picked up the Dutch one and I’m very impressed. The only downside is the zippers aren’t 100% smooth and jam up sometimes; Again, this stuff was only used in training and not in deployment, mine is dated 2009. Paid like $200 CAD (2 tanks of gas here btw) but that’s pennies considering the amount of Gore-Tex material used. If you’re over 6’2 you might have trouble finding the XL version. The USGI is probably better for the price but the Dutch one is luxurious compared to it. There are some civillian gtex bags but those will run you hundreds more. For example; the company that’s makes these bivys sells the exact same one for $900. If you want something even cheaper the usual Finnish suspects have a NATO style bivy for under $100 but it doesn’t cover your face or zip up and you’re supposed to lie on your side if it’s raining, more like a sleeping bag cover.
Its pretty good for a begginer, especialy if you buy one made of goretex. If you plan on only going out for 1 or 2 days then this will suffice 100% and the condensation wont be an issue. Its pretty good for hobo stealth camping and vagrant holiday uses one of these.
Its thick enough that you can use it comfortably without a sleeping mat as long as its a couple degrees warmer than you sleeping bag is rated for
Last year I bought a bivy by borah gear, same deal. Light as hell and roomy, but it's covered in sweat every morning so I only use it when worried about crawlies.
Huh. I have the same bivy and the only times I've managed to wake up wet is when I was breathing into my bag. I do find that lifting the mesh up helps a lot.
Makes sense to me, never bothered elevating the mesh so I'll give it a try. Also a side sleeper so I'm probably breathing condensation down into my bag through the night. Appreciate the tip pardner.
I think the solution is a goretex bivy but they are expensive as hell...
I'm just wondering how the ones without hoops would be with insects, most just seem to have a draw cord so are bugs a problem?
If theres shit biting my face i just turn on my stomach/ crawl inside the bag/ put a shemagh over my face
>mosquitoes can’t bite through my LARP scarf
Please tell us more about your vast experiences in the wild
If a massive shemagh is too small to cover your quadruple chin properly then just flip on your stomach and put your face in your elbow you retarded gay
>Are bivvy bags any good?
I prefer small tents because they offer much better rain protection and decent bug protection. And generally speaking a bivy with a tarp and bug net will come out heavier than a tent. That being said bivys great for good weather and it is kino to sleep under the stars.
My bivvy weighs 200 grams.
with the tarp and a bug net?
As another anon posted, bivis are great above the snow line, anywhere you have rain and bugs a small tent is far better.
>t bivi user since 1988
Spent a month on the AT with a SOL escape bivvy and a tarp, it was okay but avoiding bugs was impossible, and on humid nights it was better to not use it at all. A bivvy without a tarp sucks massive ass in heavy rain. I'm gonna buy the lanshan pro tent because it'll take up about as much space and I won't wake up every morning covered in mosquito welts and reeking of sweaty penis.
Only reason I'd want a bivvy is if I were stuck in a dense urban area but anywhere rural you'll easily find a place for a tent. It's like 20% more weight for 200% more comfort.
Don’t get a bivy anon they are gay. Everyone using them is a retard. You can get a whole tent for much lighter, or be truly enlightened and just use a tarp and cowboy when it’s not raining.
Bivvys are the most versatile sleeping system but the lack of ventilation really ruins it, I'd do a bug net + guyline mod like this guy did https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFf0WHoFjw0 otherwise you're gonna hate it very quickly.
Either way you're also gonna need to carry a tarp and sleeping mat.. at which point it's just easier to get an ul tent. Only thing a bivvy can do that a tent can't is sleep in more cramped spots. Bivvy + tarp << hammock + tarp < tent imo. The weight savings between all three is pretty much negligible. Those hooped bivvys seem kinda retarded to me compared to a ul tent. Either go for a bag+bugnet+tarp for torrential downpours, or get a tent.
bivys are good for one thing. passing the fuck out at the end of a long day. i keep my sleeping bag and air mattress rolled up in mine. just slap it down and sleep.