Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Sack It! Bivy's.

Note...After this post we will be getting back to trips and adventures... I hope to be hiking a lot over the next month or so. Until then please read, catch up and perhaps click on one of the ads/sponsors as it would help. Thx...

Last time we talked about tents... I'm sure this section will be just as clicked on (LOL) as we enter the world of Bivy's. I posted this because I was shocked how many people were just clueless to what a bivy was. I will admit at first I was to. So lets dive in straight away.

Bivy's are basically (for those who have not heard of them) lightweight, weatherproof bags. The traditional version is just a sack that a sleeping bag will fit into. In recent times Bivy's have expanded into one or two pole structures that may apear to be a tent but really are a lot smaller and have little head room. People either love or hate bivy's. I know people that sleep outside in a bivy sack and despise tents because they block views or whatever. I also know people that feel very confined in a Bivy and hate them with equal passion. Both sides I can understand but "can't we just all get along". :-)

I personally could not get used to a sack and as I've mentioned before went with a Bivy that has a pole (See Review Here). My reason was simple and I find even a closed Mummy bags is just way too confining. So I went with what I was happy with. I tried a tent but the weight and the also the setup was just not what I was looking for. So this was the lightest option. Of course it reduces my chances of that romantic camp-out but hey I'll live.

I would say though I may one day go into just a Bivy sack; I'm working on dealing better with being closed in. The sacks I think are great, even for people who want to just be sleeping among the stars. No bugs or water or even snow to worry about. They are "Bomber" as we are prone to say about indestructible gear.

I will say this for just under $100 you can't go wrong with a bivy sack even for an emergency situation. You can end up paying as much as $250 for one. Just depends on the "options" that come with them. Hold that laughter because you would be surprised just how many bivy's have certain features that others don't. Zipper placement, stow away pockets, and face screens are just some options to name a few.

Condensation is also an issue that comes with bivy's. The collection of moisture over night can be a big detraction. However with new technology in waterproof sleeping bags this is becoming less of an issue. Bivy's are just one of the options to think about when you start bangaranging miles in the dessert; for me it happened to be the best way to go backpacking.

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