For a year now lies 5 meters of Tyvek, bought once "on the occasion." I finally decided to put it into business, and sewed two easy-moving membrane bivies. I didn’t begin to make a complicated pattern of a bivy bag (see picture).
Rectangular piece of 2.5 running meters (width 1.5) Tyvek Soft building vapor barrier. I folded it with a "pipe" so that the edges were 10-15 cm from the side fold. In the area of the face I sewed a "window" made of a small mosquito (it is better to make a net with tucks (see fig.) So that it could be easily "pulled" away from the face), then I sewed in a zipper. The zipper is better longer, almost to the knees - it is more convenient to climb in and out this way. You can sew it, as I have on the diagram, or you can sew it higher than the mosquito net - the weight will increase by 20 grams :)
Sewed on the remaining seams. A string would have to be sewn onto the mosquito to get the guy out of the face. But I just tie a string on top.
From the cut out piece of Tyvek under the mosquito, just a bag is obtained where you can put a folded bivouac and an awning. It is very compact. About 1 liter bottle.
The weight of such a bag with a length of 2.5 m is about 250-270 grams. Plus an easy-to-move silicone awning Lost with ropes and pegs with a total weight of 250-260 grams. - and a full-fledged solo shelter weighing 0.5 kg is ready!
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| bivouac + awning = 0.5 kg! |
Impressions, two nights + IMB:
The first overnight stay was two meters from a small river, in a lowland. The temperature at night is 5-8 degrees, no precipitation. Top Awning Lost from Alloy (). I had no particular hopes for a building membrane. I expected that I would wake up, if not in a puddle, then with condensation for sure, and I would have to dry my sleeping bag. At night, there was condensation in the area of the face on the Tyvek. Oh-oh-very surprised, waking up in the morning in a completely dry sleeping bag and a bivouac from the inside! Working!
The second overnight stay was at the border of the forest, in a clearing. Evening and night temperatures are about the same. It rained periodically at night. The tent stretched out a lot and almost covered the bivouac. In the morning there was a small amount of condensation, the sleeping bag was slightly damp in the legs and in the area of the face.
The third overnight stay is on the march. A small amount of condensation in the legs, the weather is dry, temperatures at night are about + 10 + 12 degrees.
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| in a bag bivy + awning lost |
It would be nice, of course, to make the bivy wider in the torso area to make it easier to toss and turn, 145 cm of the total girth is a bit cramped even for me. If you try to insert a 50 cm wide Jaeger inflatable mat instead of foam, the bivouac will not be fastened - checked =)
Advantages of Tyvek as a material: low weight (50-55 g / m2) and compactness, relative water resistance (respectively, wind resistance), puncture resistance, pleasant to the touch, relatively inexpensive. Disadvantages: um =) an unusual white color for tourism, which attracts attention :) and the need to buy a roll (about 4 thousand rubles), because it is not sold for a cut.
Ultralight camping gear is getting more and more complex. This trend is most evident in the ever-evolving category of individual shelters, better known as bivouac bags("Bivi").
If you are not already familiar with the existing variety of bivouac options, now is the time to fix it. You will be amazed at the variety of choices and clever designs available to the independent traveler looking to reduce the weight of their gear.
Who uses bivy bags? People who:
- They often travel alone;
- Make big wall ascents, which require more than one day to complete;
- They often hike long distances on bicycles;
- Each gram of the carried load is counted;
- Don't mind sleeping in tight spaces.
The basics
Bivouac bags were invented to meet the needs of climbers who needed protection for their sleeping bags from the elements during their climbs lasting several days, especially on big walls.
Early bivy bags were nothing more than a waterproof nylon sleeping bag cover that did a good job of keeping the sleeping bag out of the rain and with mediocre ventilation.
Today, the construction of bivvy sacks includes two layers of fabric. The bottom tier usually consists of a strong nylon derivative (usually taffeta, sometimes oxford), which is coated with urethane to make it waterproof. The same material is used by most manufacturers in the production of tent floors.
The top tier is typically made from ripstop nylon (a lighter fabric) and finished with a waterproof / breathable laminate such as Gore-Tex®, Tegraltex or REI Elements®.
Over time, the original bivouac spawned a related product with tent-like characteristics - the bivy shelter ( bivy shelter). Although slightly heavier, this type of shelter has two features that are not found in traditional bivis - an extended area of protected headspace and complete protection from bad weather and insects. Due to these features, the popularity of this type of shelter is growing among consumers who are fond of hiking, especially those who are traveling light (light walkers).
In addition, there is a bivy-like category of double layer tents. The average weight of these tents (about 1.8 kg) is greater than the weight of a standard bivy (900 g and less), but they offer more interior space along with a modest mass - a comforting argument for soloists who need to be able to sit in their shelter. but the ability to travel light is also important. Examples: REI Sololite; Kelty Clark; Walrus Micro Swift; Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight.
Bivouac bags
Even when designed with modern fabrics, the traditional bivvy bag is primarily intended for climbers or thought-minded minimalists - people who drill holes in their spoons to save a few more grams.
A regular bum bag has two basic functions.: protects the sleeping bag from moisture and increases its temperature by about 5 ° C.
Bivi has an open head area. When it rains, some moisture can enter through the unprotected head hole. Tighten the lace around this hole to minimize moisture ingress. Of course, this will turn the head hole into a nose hole, which for some people will be unacceptable. But this is a small compromise for the ultralight backpacker who values bivy bags for their minimum weight.
Other considerations
Some models allow you to create armholes on the side of the bivy bag, allowing you to sort your gear or cook while warm and sheltered from the elements.
The full length zipper on the bivy will be helpful by providing more options for ventilation.
Pay attention to factory seams, leading brands usually offer this useful feature.
Some models are equipped with straps to help keep your rug in place.
In warm conditions, sometimes people do not use a sleeping bag at all, but simply sleep directly in a bivy bag.
Typical representatives of bivvy bags: Moonstone Personal Shelter; Standard Bivy from Outdoor Research REI Cyclops.
Shelters like "bivi"
The evolution of bivy bags has produced a new category of low-rise tent known as bivy shelters. These models have mesh inserts located in the area of the hole for the head, as well as small suspension systems (pegs, arcs) that hold the fabric over the face of the tourist. In a bivy shelter, complete isolation from insects and rain can be achieved. It may take some ingenuity to provide ventilation during a rainstorm, but it is quite possible to achieve it.
For many tourists who travel long and light, a bivy shelter with its additional wedge-shaped reinforcement in the head area is able to provide a sufficient level of comfort. In areas with constant rainfall, bivy shelters lose their appeal; it will be difficult to wait out the storm in a shelter in which a sitting position cannot be accepted. However, using bivy shelters makes sense with favorable weather conditions such as the Sierra Nevada. Examples: Integral Designs Unishelter; Advanced Bivy Sack from Outdoor Research.
Other considerations
Is Bivi too narrow for you? Initially, you might think so. But do not immediately discard this cover option. Of course, the tent offers tourists a spacious, secure shelter with a roof over their heads. However, bivi allows you to “merge” with nature more strongly. It's almost like a dream under the stars. At the same time, you have sufficient protection from rain and insects, which is also lightweight. However, if confined space makes you anxious, you are more likely to feel uncomfortable in the bivy, especially in bad weather. If so, consider purchasing a tent.
How does the air circulate inside the bivy? Breathable / waterproof laminate like Gore-Tex allows moisture to evaporate through the fabric. At the same time, preventing rain drops from seeping through the fabric. Breathable / waterproof bivy bags will work best in situations where a tourist's warm, sweaty body is resting in cold and dry conditions. In rainy conditions, despite the fact that modern bivis are designed with enough overlapping material and zippers, you are unlikely to have to fully zip them up. Manual airing helps to maintain an acceptable level of humidity inside the bivy bag.
Is it possible for condensation to form inside the bivy? Potentially, yes. Basically, a bivy is a single layer tent. The warm vapor emanating from your body and lungs rises and collides with colder air. When the steam comes into contact with the bivy bag laminate, the air can no longer transport all the moisture, so some of it collects on the inside of the fabric in question. In a double layer tent, this moisture passes through the breathable inner tent and settles on the outer one. In the case of a bivy, this can cause a small amount of moisture to accumulate on the inside. In cold conditions, this can lead to the formation of an ice crust on the inside.
Will the sleeping bag really be dry in the bivy bag? In rainy (wet) weather conditions, Gore-Tex fabric can sometimes produce a cold and damp sensation when in contact with the skin, but this is only a sensation, not getting wet. Good ventilation helps to minimize this sensation.
Brief summary
Bivy Bags: Would be a good choice for climbers and minimalist hikers who go on short (one- and two-day) hikes. Requires a mindset that adapts well to Spartan conditions.
Bivy Shelters: Popular with long-distance ultralight walkers and cyclists. A good choice for tourists traveling in areas with little rainfall. The extra space and full protection make them an acceptable option for tourists who are able to psychologically adapt to spend the night in a confined space. Narrow but lightweight.
Small Tents: Some models in the 2 kg range offer a combination of spaciousness and modest weight; in many cases will be the preferred choice for the average tourist.
In general, a cool thing is a bivouac. This year, having found myself in it under a torrential downpour, I finally felt it.
No, I was, of course, imbued with it earlier, last fall on the Morcheki wall, having spent the night in it in a hammock.
Photo by Nikita Skorokhodov
But I'll start in order. What is this buzzword bivakzak?
In fact, it is just a bag. Translated from English - a bivouac bag. That is, it is a bag that replaces the tent and saves from rain and snow.
True, even here the manufacturers of various bivouacs are beginning to look for space for creativity. Starting from the fact that they sew this bag with various complex systems of zippers, which somehow open in three directions from the side, forming tricky geometric lines designed to provide oxygen access and prevent you from getting wet through this very access. And ending with complex structures using racks resembling coffins.
But are all these difficulties necessary, and if so, why?
To answer this question, you need to start simple.
Namely, from the most ordinary bivouac bag without any bells and whistles.
Since last year, in such a simple bivouac zak, I have repeatedly spent the night on the street without a tent, but somehow I did not have a chance to get into it under a serious downpour. And this happiness happened.
Photo by Mikhail Kravchenko
I went to bed with a clear sky and fell asleep, admiring the stars above my head and thinking how cool it is to spend the night on the street without a tent, that I don't have to torment myself with the Hamlet question - to sit a little longer to look at the stars or to finally go to sleep. And here…
And then in the middle of the night I wake up from some kind of discomfort in my brain. I can hear the rain drumming for me, for me, and not for the usual tent. Big drums like that. As if someone got up on top with a watering can and is trying to wake up to work in the morning. And you snort, wipe the moisture from your face, try to dig deeper into the blanket, realizing that they will pull you out of it and carry you into the bath under a cold shower.
But here the brain finally wakes up and realizes that I am not lying in my bed and no one wakes me up to work in this way. And that I'm just lying on the street on a rug in the open air. And that overhead is no longer this most romantic starry sky, and in the darkness you cannot see what kind of gloom. And the rain is drumming on my face.
I wipe the drops of moisture from my face and begin to dig deeper into the bivouac, along with the sleeping bag, tighten all the pins, leaving only a small hole for the nose. Now it looks like all external access to water is closed.
I'm trying to re-tune my brain to cozy dreams, but it's not so easy when the rain is drumming not on the tent, but the feeling that it is right on the sleeping bag. So it seems that now all will get wet through and through.
I begin to nervously toss and turn, try to hide, bury things deeper under me in order to save them. As a result, I forget everything and relax.
So I once walked along the trail of Ho Chi Minh City to Yastrebinoye on the rocks in sneakers, not boots - it is difficult to take only the first step into the mud and sink ankle-deep into this dirty wet swamp, and then everything becomes indifferent - you will not be drier and wetter too. Or the same thing in a multi-race. Or on Thaç, when last year, under the rain and rain, we walked at first for three hours through the mud, sinking higher than ankle-deep, and then the same amount through the water, periodically fording the river.
Here and here, having tuned my brain that by morning I will inevitably swim in my bivouac zak along with a sleeping bag and all the things that I have pushed into my legs or put around the sleeping bag, I just accept this fact as inevitable.
But some time passes and I am still not sailing anywhere, although the rain does not stop, but only intensifies.
As a result, I begin to experience a kind of pleasure from this - a pleasant smell of rain freshness, a muzzle slightly damp from rain drops, the sounds of rain ... stop, that's just the sounds are still not romantic. This is the only thing that brings dissonance to the brain. The brain, which is accustomed to falling asleep to the drumming sounds of rain on the tent, feeling protected in it, like in a house, cannot come to terms with complete defenselessness from this realization that it is outside in the pouring rain.
How did it all end up? Apart from the discomfort in my head, there was no other discomfort anymore. Everything turned out to be dry inside - both the sleeping bag, and myself, and all the things that were tucked into the bivouac.
And this was the most common gortex bag without side zippers, visors and houses over the face and over the head.
Photo by Mikhail Kravchenko
Do you need different arcs with peaks and bells and whistles in a bivouac zak? I personally do not. If we sleep in a bag, and not in a tent, then sleep right on the street. Otherwise, you will wake up in the middle of the night, see a dark roof three centimeters from your face and decide that you are Gogol.
But on the other hand, all people are different - and for some, a wet face is more critically wet than Gogol-style nightmares.
So the choice of a bivouac is a matter of preference.
I specifically talked about the simplest bag. Because if, under a torrential downpour, water does not flow into it from any sides or into any cracks, then options with different arcs, such as mini-tents, are even more versatile in terms of protection.
Now why do you need a bivouac at all? Maybe it's better to get by with a normal tent?
1. For solo travel, bike trips and climbing. One bivouac (a simple bivy bag without racks) is definitely lighter than any lightest tent. I have not the lightest of the existing bivouacs, but the most reliable in terms of waterproofness and heat, because it is made of dense gortex. Due to the fact that it is made of dense fabric, it additionally retains the heat that is created in the air space between the sleeping bag and the bivouac. It should be noted that I spent the night in it at a rather cold temperature outside, but with a down sleeping bag (Phantom D2). I don’t know how the thermal environment will be created in a synthetic sleeping bag.Note. And we are not talking about winter, high-altitude hikes and ascents. Although tough guys can try. For example, I want to experiment and spend the night in a bivouac in winter without a tent.
2. For group ascents, but for people who love solitude. For example, for a long time already I prefer to live in the base camp or just even spend the night in a tent alone. Even two of us are not comfortable with everyone, and even living as a three, four or God forbid in general is a crowd - this is only in very extreme conditions on a serious route, when you no longer notice what you are eating, with whom you sleep, etc.
It is only difficult psychologically to adjust to the absence of a tent. In terms of heat, there is basically no difference (we are talking about spending the night alone in a bivouac and a tent). There were situations when I slept in a tent overnight, and then a night in a bivouac, i.e. in the same temperature conditions and did not feel the difference in heat.
On the contrary, for example, sleeping alone in a large, not in a small tent, is even colder. Because one cannot breathe and heat such a large space of the tent, unless you burn a gas lamp all night.
3. For wall climbing. Somewhere in the comments there was a question why to take bivouacs, when there is a Bibler's tent, which weighs a little more than a kilogram. But how do you put up a tent, if the shelf on which there is enough space to accommodate only half-sitting-half-lying. Yes, we always managed to attach and insure the tent so that it hung two-thirds off the shelf, but this is not always comfortable and convenient. Bivouacs are more convenient in this regard. Yes, the Bibler can be used as a bivouac for two. But if there is no one shelf that can fit two? And I had to stop somewhere where you can fit on different shelves, one a little higher, the other a little lower. Very often there is just a series of some ledges and ledges on which you have to spend the night. How to divide the Bibler into two in this way? Do not cut it. Therefore, two bivouacs on the wall, when the platform is not taken, are more mobile - you can spend the night anywhere.
Requirements for a bivouac
The fact that he should absolutely not get wet, but at the same time breathe, otherwise the risk of getting wet either from the outside or from the inside from condensation is a no brainer.But another main requirement for a bivouac, in addition to fabric and competent cut, is its spaciousness. The bivy bag should not be small exactly for the sleeping bag, but much larger in size so that you can place some things in your legs and place them on the sides too. That is, so that in case of rain, the entire minimum of things could be shoved inside this bivouac with you.
Photo by Mikhail Kravchenko
This is exclusively only an opinion, because I did not use it, because, as I wrote above, an ordinary bivvy bag is enough for me.
But RedFox does not sew bivouacs in mass batches, but only to order for teams for their projects.
And so they released Bivi Fox, which in fact is a bivouac zak, only from a series of fancy ones - with racks and all that.
It seems to me that from a consumer point of view, Bivi Fox is just a more versatile option than my bivy bag. Because, if desired, it can be used both with racks and as a bag, simply without taking the racks with you, and then the weight immediately becomes not the kilogram declared in the characteristics, but just like the weight of a simple bivvy bag. Perhaps a little heavier than other bivy bags due to the fact that here it is not light, but rather dense fabric goes, even denser than in my bivouac.
Well, in conclusion. What to do with things if suddenly you want to use a bivouac zak not just for one or two nights on the wall or for a walk, when all things can be pushed inside it. And if you go on a long journey and decide not to take a tent with you, but to take a bivouac and sleep in it under the open sky.
This year, when I did not have a large tent with vestibules, both in the Caucasus and in the Crimea, all my things lived on the street in a trunk, covered from above in the rain with a piece of polyethylene. Or rather, not even polyethylene, but I bought the cheapest, lightest and simplest bath curtain for 56 rubles in the utility store. It probably weighs a hundred grams, but it's strong enough. So I slept in a bivouac on a rug, and all my belongings were kept in a trunk under this plastic. It turned out three times less in weight than a tent.
And more romantic :)
When it comes to weather protection in the field, the choices are pretty wide. The obvious and most common solution is tent but it is useful to know the alternatives as well. Some of them weigh much less than a full-size tent - for example, bivi.
Bivouaczaki there are two main types - with some support (in the form of arcs or racks) and without such support.
What is it - a bivuakzak?
Simply put, bivi- a bag made of lightweight moisture-resistant material on the bottom (usually nylon) and with a moisture-resistant top (hopefully breathable). Imagine a very thin, lightweight, moisture resistant bag that holds your rug and your sleeping bag.
« Bivouac- a camp without a tent or other traditional shelter. Used by the military and climbers. "
Everything will fit in a bivy bag - a rug, a sleeping bag, a backpack and yourself. Why use a bivy bag?
Bivi ideal if you intend, but are not ready to sleep under the tent alone. Bivi Originally designed for mountain climbing and winter hiking, it provides an extra layer of protection in these challenging conditions. But for less hardcore travelers, it can serve as a primary hideout.
Of course, it has its pros and cons, and many of them are revealed from the very beginning of use.
Bivis are clearly preferred by many tourists and travelers. Bivi benefits
- Weight: about half a kilogram is the average weight bivouaczac on the market. There are also those weighing up to one and a half kilograms, but what is the point then in bivouac bag if you can replace it with a two-person tent of the same weight and price, if not cheaper.
- Place of installation: a familiar situation, when there is nowhere to stick a peg or there is nowhere to pull a brace? WITH bivi no such problem, just expand it. He doesn't need all these bells and whistles. Only a flat area the size of a rug.
- Compact size: bivi saves not only the weight of the backpack, but also space in it, occupying much less volume when folded than a single tent. More space for sweets!
- Cosiness: in bivi usually warmer, all other things being equal. This means that your cover is not only smaller and lighter, but it also allows you to carry less gear to stay warm.
- Sunset, stars and dawn: if there are no clouds, just lie down and think about your fellow travelers, locked in a tent without a chance to see all this beauty. Magically.
We meet the dawn, we look at the order and the stars - and all thanks to the bivouac bag. - Smell: this is fresh air. Clean, ringing and a lot of it.
- Condensate: this may confuse you a little, as this argument appears in both the pros and cons. So far, there has been only one night in which the condensation has somehow manifested itself. (See “Disadvantages.”) On the other hand, a few minutes after getting out of bivi I was able to roll it 99% dry, which would not be possible with a tent.
- Emergency option: suitable as a last resort, that is, "I hope I don't have to take advantage of this," a shelter option for a one-day trip.
- Came lightly - easily folded: If you easy walk Your entire backpack will easily fit inside bivouaczac... My 45 liter backpack with 4 days of trekking gear fits under the hood bivi(i.e. behind my head). This will not only hide the backpack from precipitation, but also hide food in it from animals and insects. An added benefit is that it pushes back the fabric bivi from your face!
- Are you afraid of insects? I like to solve the problem simply - smear with repellent and plug the earplugs. In southeastern Australia, there is little concern about mosquito-borne diseases. However, if your situation is different, just zip up the mesh canopy on your bivi... If it is in your chosen model, of course.
Disadvantages of bivi
- Private life: what to say, good luck. Dressing, sponge-cleaning the body, and simply retiring becomes difficult. For these reasons, if I work as a guide, I take a tent with me.
- Entrance and exit: requires practice, your crawling skill will come in handy.
- Rain, rain, stop: big disadvantage bivi there is a need to do all the things inside, including changing wet clothes, and all this in the rain. This I have not yet had to deal with, given that the use of bivi was another reason to double-check the weather forecast. If there is a light drizzle, then the order, but if something is more serious, and besides, the temperature is lower, then it is better to take a tent.
- Sitting in a shelter: the forced long stay under the field shelter in bad weather is already unpleasant ... and even if it bivi... Not the best weekend plan. Cooking, reading, stretching and everything else that makes our headscarf sitting bearable - bivi will make it UNbearable.
- Condensate: mentioned above in benefits, yes yes. When the temperature dropped to freezing in the highlands, the area on top of my sleeping bag (where my breath was out) became quite humid. I used bivi in the Australian mountains in spring and summer, with night temperatures of 0-7 degrees, the air was relatively dry. I wonder what it will be like in more humid conditions.
- Claustrophobia: not everyone likes to climb holes. If you do not like confined spaces, you will not like and bivi.
And yes, bivi is not for claustrophobes. Especially in the rain. As a result, bivi- not for everyone. If you need your own space, privacy and the ability to move freely, crowned with reliable protection from precipitation, choose a tent. If, however, you strive to reduce and lighten your luggage, and even not afraid of bad weather - try bivi.
