What's the attraction of bivvy bags

[BigdummySteve]

Making the transition to bikepacking I've obviously looked for lighter kit, while I love my nallo2 and have spent many nights in it ( the last up dunkery beacon end of October) I've just brought a Nordisk telemark2, roomy one man/two very good friends and under a kilo.
A tarp and bag must come to the same weight and be colder, wetter and take as long to pitch and what about the midges!

I've been out in some nasty weather, wild camping on Dartmoor in a 40moh storm a biblical rain springs to mind and I actually enjoy being in the tent while snug and dry. I've also had to hide in the highlands behind the mesh while hoards of midges clamour for blood.

So what am i missing? I genuinely curious

[Chew]

Depends on the conditions on what I'll use, where I'll stop, but I always find a bivi more flexible.
Posted before, but my views are summaried as:

Having a bivi setup isnt about any weight saving its more about being connected with your surroundings. Once you're zipped up in your tent you could be anywhere, but if you're out biving its the little things. Waking at 3am to see the stars, or at dawn to see the sunrise before you turn over for a few more hours.

Yes theres probably a bit more hardship at times, but its worth it for those magic moments.

If the weathers going to be terrible, you can always find some form of shelter, dense canopy, walls to hide behind, 'Audax Hotel'. Scotland may end up taking a bug net with me, or pitching somewhere with a breeze.

[ScotRoutes]

For me it's mostly an experiential thing. Waking up in a tent you'll roll over and get back to sleep. In a bivvy you're more likely to look around you at the sky, wildlife etc.

Also, you can use a bivvy in places you can't pitch a tent. Maybe between a couple of trees, beside a rock, in a doorway.

In winter I mostly prefer a tent though.

[cloudnine]

Sleep with the tent door open... You'll be able to see the stars and feel the midges.

[Richard G]

I hate them. Really can't stand being that enclosed.

[Ian]

whats the attraction of bivvy bags?

Quick to deploy, don't require as big a pitch/ particularly flat area to put them out, quick to gather up in the morning, quick to dry/air in the sun when you stop later in the day, weigh substantially less than a tent, nicer view, won't get blown over etc. Use a head net to keep the midges at bay.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I find tents a faff ... too much material going on

A bivvy and tarp opens up loads of options and without sounding all 'hippydipshit' maximises the feeling of freedom. I feel like a 'camper' in a tent but with a bivvy, I feel like a traveller.

[Pirahna]

Nothing beats going to sleep looking up at the stars (then waking up in the middle of the night in pissing rain wishing you'd pitched the tarp).

[ianfitz]

whats the attraction of bivvy bags?

Quick to deploy, don't require as big a pitch/ particularly flat area to put them out, quick to gather up in the morning, quick to dry/air in the sun when you stop later in the day, weigh substantially less than a tent, nicer view, won't get blown over etc. Use a head net to keep the midges at bay.

Recognise that shot Mr B. Coming soon

[Ian]

Ah, yes. I had a feeling I'd used it somewhere recently, but couldn't remember where...

[whitestone]

Flexibility - you aren't limited to what the manufacturer wants you to pitch: flat space between two trees? no problem, simple ridge stretched between the two.

I've a lightweight tent (Terra Nova Lasercomp 1) which weighs 900g, fine for one, two is a squeeze. Something like the Alpkit bicycle 3.5 weighs 300g, a bivvy bag like the Hunka is 330g, poles 150g, pegs 30g. If you want to go fancy (and expensive) then a cuben fibre tarp is 125g, cuben bivy (with bug protection) is 125g, pole and pegs is 150g. For summer both tarp setups are OK if a little cramped (but not as cramped as the tent) for two.

Midges are only a problem in certain locations and at certain times of year. A bit of thought and you can mostly avoid them.

[Teetosugars]

They were great when you where stuck in an OP.
It made it a bit more bearable.

[Gari]

Not to mention it made the ,"O" a little more feasible :)

[ZeroDarkBivi]

I have a very light tarp/tent bicycle, about half the weight of the tiniest twin skin tents. However, I would not use it in the winter, and wouldn't want to be exposed to a strong breeze. It has a bug net in the bag, but not as practical for sorting yourself out as a tent when it's proper highland midge season. If I was travelling in a pair, the weight advantage is neutralised and the tent would win in most circumstances.

[jameso]

I have an Easton Kilo 1-man tent, 850g. In 5 years of having that and the bivi bag option I've still not used the tent, just that the bivi and tarp appeals more. I'd use the tent to tour in Scotland or a long way if I had the time maybe but have a simple dislike of the feeling of being settled in a tent in bad weather, it's a motivation killer for me and gets a bit confined and depressing, plus often feel it's a faff setting them up + breaking down. I think generally I'd rather either keep moving in poor weather until finding useful shelter if 'racing', or plan around the likely weather if touring and stay in a B+B, or again ride till I can kip under some kind of shelter etc.

So maybe the difference is that the tent is a comfort fall-back that I don't want and the attraction of bivi+tarp is that it keeps me on my toes, keeps the risk-reward factor there. +1 for feeling more in contact with the world also, a big part of the reason for doing it for me.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Last years TNR. There was no way we could have pitched any form of tent here, so the bivvy was ideal. Remained perfectly dry even though we spent 3 hours lay down under a thunder storm



I also like a bivvy from a 'stealth' point of view. Far easier to be discreet (cheeky) without a tent. For some reason, dog walkers, farmers, etc seem to feel less 'threatened' by a bivvy than they do a tent - perhaps (a) they just assume you're mad (b) you look far more transient and less of a blot on the landscape.

[GregMay]

I hate them. Really can't stand being that enclosed.

Thought you don't sleep? So why bother with either

[Richard G]

I do like to at least try.

[ZeroDarkBivi]

I think generally I'd rather either keep moving in poor weather until finding useful shelter if 'racing', or plan around the likely weather if touring and stay in a B+B, or again ride till I can kip under some kind of shelter etc.

"If you are going through hell, keep going!"

Remained perfectly dry even though we spent 3 hours lay down under a thunder storm :wink

How did you avoid dampness from condensation inside the bivi bag? I have yet to find a 'breathable' fabric that does not 'wet-out' in heavy rain, after which their is no vapour transfer. I get paranoid about my down bag, so usually stick up a tarp (which is as much faff as a good tent) unless I am totally confident it will stay dry.

[Bearbonesnorm]

How did you avoid dampness from condensation inside the bivi bag?

You can't unless you've got perfect conditions and obviously a thunderstorm is far fro perfect In that instance, I simply pulled the drawstring tight, turned on my side with my face poking out and went back to sleep. I recall Chew adopted the method of pulling his CTC bag over his head

A little damp inside next morning but certainly not wet, a few minutes in the sun and we were good to go ... down doesn't melt if it gets damp, it just needs to dry / air out.

EDIT: Should just say - I would generally carry a tarp too as getting into a bivvy bag in the rain, without getting everything soaked isn't a pleasant experience ... or even possible.

[jameso]

"If you are going through hell, keep going!"

My default was a tent a long time ago until it was pointed out to me that hunkering down in a wet tent isn't much better than carrying on while you're able to, and in reality it's rare that you get stuck out much longer than you can cope with. Sometimes you do but maybe that's the risk that makes it all work the way some of us like.

[ScotRoutes]

"If you are going through hell, keep going!"

My default was a tent a long time ago until it was pointed out to me that hunkering down in a wet tent isn't much better than carrying on while you're able to, and in reality it's rare that you get stuck out much longer than you can cope with.

But this comes from the "it's always a race" strand of bikepacking which might be the default focus of this particular forum but doesn't necessarily reflect everyone's choices.

[Chew]

But this comes from the "it's always a race" strand of bikepacking which might be the default focus of this particular forum but doesn't necessarily reflect everyone's choices.

But if you're going out for a bimble, you can either delay your trip for better weather, or change plans/route to find shelter?

[Bearbonesnorm]

But this comes from the "it's always a race" strand of bikepacking which might be the default focus of this particular forum

I really wasn't aware it was. Always thought there was a very diverse cross section of the species represented ... although, no one soft mind.

[ScotRoutes]

But this comes from the "it's always a race" strand of bikepacking which might be the default focus of this particular forum but doesn't necessarily reflect everyone's choices.

But if you're going out for a bimble, you can either delay your trip for better weather, or change plans/route to find shelter?

If you're not racing it's a bimble?

I can think of lots of reasons for wanting to stop at a particular location, quite a few for a specific time of day, and sometimes it's not feasible to just delay. My point is, not everyone is trying to cover the maximum ground in a set time.