Bivvy bag: What is a bivouac bag, and can it replace a tent? Bivouac: What is a bivouac bag, and can it replace a tent? Now, why do you need a bivouack anyway? Maybe it's better to get by with a normal tent

For a year now, 5 meters of Tyvek, bought once “for the occasion,” have been lying around. I finally decided to put it to work, and sewed two easy-to-use membrane bivy. I did not make a complex pattern for the bivouac bag (see picture).
A rectangular piece of 2.5 linear meters (width 1.5) of Tyvek Soft construction vapor barrier. I folded it into a “pipe” so that the edges were 10-15 cm from the side fold. In the area of the face I sewed a “window” from a small mosquito (it is better to make the mesh with tucks (see picture) so that it can be easily “pulled” away from the face), then sewed in a zipper. It’s better to have a longer zipper, almost to the knees - it’s easier to get in and out. You can sew it like in my diagram, or you can sew it above the mosquito net - the weight will increase by 20 grams :)
I sewed up the remaining seams. You should sew a string on the mosquito to pull it away from your face. But I just tie a string on top.
From a cut piece of Tyvek under the mosquito net you get just a bag where you can put a rolled up bivyk and an awning. It is very compact. About the size of a 1 liter bottle.

The weight of such a 2.5 m long bag was about 250-270 grams. Plus the lightweight Lost awning made of silicone with ropes and pegs with a total weight of 250-260 grams. - And a full-fledged solo shelter weighing 0.5 kg is ready!

bivik + tent = 0.5 kg!

Impressions, two nights + IMB:
The first night was spent two meters from a small river, in a lowland. Temperature at night is 5-8 degrees, no precipitation. On top is the Lost awning from Splava (). I didn’t have much hope for the construction membrane. I expected that I would wake up, if not in a puddle, then certainly with condensation, and that I would have to dry my sleeping bag. At night there was definitely condensation in the face area on the Tyvek. I was very surprised to wake up in the morning in a completely dry sleeping bag and bivy from the inside! Works!
The second night was at the border of the forest, in a clearing. Evening and night temperatures are approximately the same. It rained periodically during the night. The awning stretched out greatly and almost covered the bivy. In the morning there was a small amount of condensation, the sleeping bag was slightly damp in the legs and around the face.
The third night is on a forced march. A small amount of condensation in the legs, the weather is dry, temperatures at night are about +10+12 degrees.

in a bivy bag + lost tent

Generally: It’s surprisingly very cozy in a bivouac bag. I even reconsidered my position on awnings (). In the case of the bivi, the inner comfort-loving person and the light traveler agreed and came to a compromise :) The bivi is protected on all sides, there is enough space in the legs and head to put especially valuable or necessary items. Everything else has enough space even under the minimalist Splavovsk awning.

It would be nice, of course, to make the bikini wider in the torso area to make it easier to toss and turn; 145 cm of total girth is a little tight even for me. If you try to insert a 50 cm wide Jaeger inflatable mat instead of foam, the bikini will not fasten - checked =)

The advantages of Tyvek as a material: low weight (50-55 g/m2) and compactness, relative water resistance (and therefore wind resistance), puncture resistance, pleasant to the touch, relatively inexpensive. Disadvantages: hm =) white color, unusual for tourism, attracts attention :) and the need to buy a roll (about 4 thousand rubles), because it is not sold per piece.

When it comes to weather protection in the field, there are quite a few options to choose from. The obvious and most common solution is tent, but it is useful to know alternative options. Some of them weigh much less than a full tent - for example, bivy.

Bivouacs There are two main types - those with some support (in the form of arches or posts) and those without it.

What is this - a bivouack?

Simply put, bivy- a bag made of a lightweight, moisture-resistant material on the bottom (usually nylon) and with a moisture-resistant top (hopefully breathable). Imagine a very thin, lightweight, waterproof bag that holds your mat and your sleeping bag on top of it.

« Bivouac- camp without a tent or other traditional shelter. Used by the military and mountain climbers."

The bivouac bag will fit everything - a rug, a sleeping bag, a backpack and you.

Why use a bivy bag?

Biwi ideal if you intend, but are not ready to sleep under just an awning. Biwi originally created as equipment for mountain climbing and winter hikes, providing an additional layer of protection in such difficult conditions. But for less hardcore travelers, it can serve as a basic hideout.

Of course, it has its pros and cons, and many of them are revealed from the very beginning of use.

Many tourists and travelers clearly prefer "biwi".

Benefits of Biwi

Weight: about half a kilogram is the average weight bivouaczaka On the market. There are also ones that weigh up to one and a half kilograms, but what’s the point in that? bivy bag, if you can replace it with a two-person tent of the same weight and price, or even cheaper.
Installation location: familiar situation when there is nowhere to stick a peg or nowhere to tighten the guy? WITH bivy There are no such problems, just expand it. He doesn't need all these bells and whistles. Just a flat area the size of a rug.
Compact size: bivy saves not only the weight of the backpack, but also space in it, taking up much less volume when folded than a single-person tent. More space for sweets!

Cosiness: V bivy usually warmer, other things being equal. This means your shelter is not only smaller and lighter, but it also allows you to lug around 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 the opportunity to see all this beauty. Magically.

We meet the sunrise, look at the order and the stars - and all thanks to the bivouac bag.

Smell: this is fresh air. Clean, ringing and there is a lot of it.
Condensate: This can be a little confusing because this argument appears in both the pros and cons. So far there has only been one overnight stay in which the condensation somehow showed itself. (See "Disadvantages".) On the other hand, a few minutes after getting out of bivy I was able to roll it up 99% dry, which would not have been possible with a tent.
Emergency option: suitable as a last resort, that is, “I hope I don’t have to use this”, shelter option for a one-day trip.
Came light, folded easily: If you light vehicle, your entire backpack will easily fit inside bivouaczaka. My 45-liter backpack with equipment for 4 days of hiking fits under the “hood” bivy(i.e. behind my head). This will not only hide the backpack from precipitation, but also hide the food in it from animals and insects. An added benefit is that it pushes back the fabric. bivy on your behalf!

Are you afraid of insects? I like to solve the problem simply - apply repellent and plug in earplugs. In south-eastern Australia there is little concern about mosquito-borne diseases. However, if your situation is different, simply fasten the mesh canopy on your bivy. If the model you choose has it, of course.

Disadvantages of Biwi

Private life: What can I say, good luck. Getting dressed, wiping your body with a sponge and simply secluded yourself becomes a difficult task. For these reasons, if I work as a guide, I take a tent with me.

Entrance and exit: requires training, your crawling skill will be very useful.
Rain, rain, stop: big drawback bivy is the need to do all the things inside, including changing wet clothes, and all this in the rain. I haven’t had to do this yet, considering that the use bivy was another reason to double-check the weather forecast. If there is a light drizzle, then everything is fine, but if there is something more serious, and the temperature is also lower, then it is better to take a tent.
Sitting in a shelter: forced long stay under a field shelter in bad weather - it’s already unpleasant... and even if it’s bivy. Not best plan on weekend. Cooking, reading, warming up and everything else that makes our sitting in a scarf bearable - bivy will make you unbearable.
Condensate: mentioned above in the benefits, yes, yes. When the temperature dropped to freezing in the highlands, the area on top of my sleeping bag (where the breath escaped) became quite damp. I used bivy 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 wetter conditions.
Claustrophobia: Not everyone likes to climb holes. If you don't like confined spaces, you won't like it either. bivy.

And yes, bivy is not for the claustrophobic. Especially in the rain.

As a result, bivy- not for everyone. If you need your own space, privacy and the ability to move freely, topped with reliable protection from precipitation, choose a tent. If, however, you are striving to reduce and lighten your luggage, and are not afraid of bad weather, try it bivy.

In general, it’s a cool thing, after all, a bivouac. This year, finding myself in it under a torrential downpour, I finally got into it.
No, of course, I got into it earlier, last fall on the wall of Morcheka, spending the night in a hammock there.

Photo by Nikita Skorokhodov

But I'll start from the beginning. What is this fancy word bivaczak?
Essentially it's just a bag. Translated from English - bivouac bag. That is, this is a bag that replaces a tent and saves you from rain and snow.
It’s true that manufacturers of various bivouacs are beginning to look for room for creativity. Starting from the fact that this bag is sewn with various complex systems of zippers, which somehow open on the side in three directions, 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 complications necessary and if so, why?
To answer this question we need to start simple.
Namely, from a very ordinary bivouac bag without any bells and whistles.
Since last year, I have repeatedly spent the night in such a simple bivouac without a tent, but somehow I didn’t have the chance to get caught in a serious downpour in it. And this happiness happened.

Photo by Mikhail Kravchenko

I went to bed at clear sky and fell asleep, admiring the stars above her head and thinking how cool it was to spend the night on the street without a tent, and that she didn’t have to worry about Hamlet’s question - should she sit a little longer and look at the stars or should she finally go to sleep. And here…
And then in the middle of the night I wake up from some discomfort in my brain. I hear, as if for me, specifically for me, and not as usual on the tent, the rain drumming. It drums so big. It’s as if someone stood on top of you with a watering can and is trying to wake you up for work in the morning. And you snort, wipe the moisture from your face, try to bury yourself deeper in the blanket, realizing that they will now pull you out of it and take you to throw you into the bathtub 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 for work this way. Why am I just lying on the street on a rug under open air. And that overhead is no longer the most romantic starry sky, and in the darkness you can’t see what kind of gloom. And the rain drums on my face.
I wipe away drops of moisture from my face and begin to bury myself and my sleeping bag deeper into the bivy pack, tightening all the fasteners, leaving only a small hole for my nose. Now it looks like all external water access is blocked.
I’m trying to adjust my brain to cozy dreams again, but it’s not so easy when the rain is not drumming on the tent, but it feels like it’s hitting my sleeping bag. It feels like I’m going to get wet through and through.
I start tossing and turning nervously, trying to hide, burying things deeper under myself in order to save them. In the end, I forget about everything and relax.
So I once walked along the Ho Chi Minh trail to Yastrebinoye on the rocks in sneakers, not boots - it’s difficult to take just the first step into the mud and sink ankle-deep into this dirty wet swamp, and then everything becomes indifferent - you won’t be drier and wetter Same. Or the same thing at a multi-race. Or on Tkhach, when last year, in the downpour and rain, we first walked for three hours through the mud, sinking more than ankle-deep, and then for the same amount of time through the water, periodically fording the river.
And here, having adjusted my brain that by the morning I will inevitably be swimming in my bivouac along with my sleeping bag and all the things that I stuffed at my feet or put around the sleeping bag, I simply accept this fact as inevitability.
But some time passes and I’m 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 slightly wet face from raindrops, the sounds of rain... wait, those 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 sound of rain drumming on a tent, feeling protected in it, as in a house, cannot come to terms with the complete defenselessness of this realization that it is outside in the pouring rain.

How did it all end? Apart from discomfort in the head, there was no other discomfort. Everything turned out to be dry inside - the sleeping bag, myself, and all the things that were stuffed into the bivouac.
And this was the most ordinary Gore-tex bag without side zippers, visors and houses above the face and above the head.

Photo by Mikhail Kravchenko

Do you need different arches with visors and bells and whistles in a bivouac? I personally don't. If you're going to 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 screaming than nightmares in Gogol's style.

So choosing a bivouac is a matter of preference.
I specifically talked about the simplest bag. Because if, during 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 anyway? Maybe it's better to get by with a normal tent?

1. For solo travel, cycling and climbing. One bivouac (a simple bivouac bag without poles) is definitely lighter than any lightest tent. I don’t have the lightest bivy pack in existence, but it is the most reliable in terms of waterproofness and warmth, because it is made of dense Gore-tex. Due to the fact that it is made of dense fabric, it additionally retains the heat that is created in airspace between the sleeping bag and the bivy pack. It should be noted that I spent the night in it even at a fairly 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 hiking and climbing. Although harsh guys can try. For example, I want to experiment and spend the night in a bivouac without a tent in winter.

2. For group ascents, but for people who love solitude. For example, I have long preferred to live in a base camp or even just spend the night alone in a tent. Even two people are not comfortable with everyone, and living with three, four, or God forbid in a crowd is only possible in very extreme conditions on a serious route, when you no longer even notice what you eat, who you sleep with, etc.
It’s just difficult to psychologically adjust to the absence of a tent. In terms of warmth, there is fundamentally no difference (we are talking about spending the night alone in a bivouac and a tent). There were situations when I slept a night in a tent, and then a night in a bivouac, i.e. in the same temperature conditions, I didn’t feel any difference in warmth.
On the contrary, for example, sleeping alone in a large rather than a small tent is even colder. Because one cannot breathe and heat such a large space of a tent, unless one burns a gas lamp all night.

3. For wall climbing. Somewhere in the comments there was a question: why take bivouacs when there is a Bibler tent that weighs a little more than a kilogram. But how do you put up a tent if there is only enough space on the shelf for you to sit half-sitting, half-lying? Yes, we always managed to attach and secure the tent so that two-thirds of it hung from 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 what if there isn’t one shelf big enough to fit two people? But I had to stop somewhere where I could sit on different shelves, one a little higher, the other a little lower. Very often there is just a series of ledges and ledges on which you have to spend the night. How to divide a bibler into two people in this way? Don't cut him. 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 it should absolutely not get wet, but at the same time breathe, otherwise there is a risk of getting wet either outside or inside from condensation is a no brainer.

But the main requirement for a bivouac, in addition to fabric and proper cut, is its spaciousness. The bivouac bag should not be small, exactly the size of the sleeping bag, but much larger in size, so that you can place some things in the legs and also place them on the sides. That is, so that in case of rain, the entire minimum of things can be stuffed with you into this bivouac inside.

Photo by Mikhail Kravchenko

This is purely an opinion, because I did not use it, since, as I wrote above, an ordinary bivouac bag is enough for me.
But RedFox does not sew bivy packs in mass quantities, but only to order for teams for their projects.

And so they released the Bivi Fox, which is essentially a bivouac, only from a series of sophisticated ones - with stands and all that.
It seems to me that from a consumer point of view, the 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 stated in the characteristics, but just like the weight of a simple bivouac bag. Perhaps a little heavier than other bivy bags due to the fact that the fabric here is not light, but rather dense, even denser than in my bivy pack.

Well, in conclusion. What to do with things if suddenly you want to use a bivouac for more than just one or two nights on the wall or on a walk, when all your things can be stuffed inside it. And if you go to long journey and decided not to take a tent with us, but to take a bivouac and sleep in it in the open air.
This year, when I didn’t have a large tent with vestibules, in the Caucasus and Crimea, all my things lived outside in a trunk, covered on top with a piece of polyethylene during rain. Or rather, not even polyethylene, but I bought the cheapest, lightest and simplest bath curtain at a hardware store for 56 rubles. It probably weighs a hundred grams, but is quite strong. So I slept in a bivouac on a rug, and all my things were stored in a trunk under this plastic sheet. It turned out to be three times less in weight than a tent.
And more romantic :)

Ultralight travel gear is becoming increasingly sophisticated. This trend is most evident in the ever-evolving category of individual shelters, better known as bivouac bags(“biwi”)

If you are not yet familiar with the variety of bivouac options that exist, now is the time to fix that. You'll be amazed at the variety of choices and thoughtful designs available to the independent traveler looking to reduce the weight of his gear.

Who uses bivouac bags? People who:

Often travel alone;
They make big wall climbs that require more than one day to complete;
They often go on long hikes on bicycles;
Every gram of load carried is counted;
I don't mind sleeping in tight spaces.

Basics

Bivvy bags were invented to meet the needs of climbers who needed protection for their sleeping bags from the elements during ascents that took several days, especially on big walls.

Early bivouac bags were simply a waterproof nylon cover for sleeping bags - good at protecting the sleeping bag from rain and with mediocre ventilation capabilities.

Today, the design of bivouac bags includes two layers of fabric. The bottom tier is usually made of a durable nylon derivative (usually taffeta, sometimes oxford) that 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). While slightly heavier, this type of shelter has two features that traditional bivys lack - an expanded area of protected free space and complete protection from bad weather conditions and insects. Thanks to these features, the popularity of this type of shelter is growing among consumers who are interested in hiking, especially for those traveling light (light vehicles).

Additionally, there is a bivy-like category of double-layer tents. The average weight of these tents (about 1.8 kg) is higher than the weight of a standard bivy (900 g or less), but they offer more interior space along with a modest mass - a comforting argument for soloists who need the ability to assume a sitting position in their shelter. but the ability to travel light is also important. Examples: REI Sololite; Kelty Clark; Walrus Micro Swift; Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight.

Bivvy bags

Even when designed with modern fabrics, the traditional bivouac bag is intended primarily for mountain climbers or ideological minimalists - people who drill holes in their spoons to save a few extra grams.

A regular bivouac bag performs two basic functions: protects the sleeping bag from moisture and increases its temperature by about 5 °C.

Biwi Has an open head area. When it rains, some moisture may get inside through the unprotected head hole. To minimize the penetration of moisture inside, you should tighten the lace located around this hole. Of course, this will turn the head hole into a nose hole, which will be unacceptable for some people. But this is a small compromise for the ultra-light backpacker who appreciates bivouac bags for their minimal weight.

Other Considerations

Some models allow you to create openings on the side of the bivouac, allowing you to sort your gear or cook food while staying warm and protected from the elements.
A full-length bivy zipper will be helpful in providing more options for ventilation.
Pay attention to the factory sealed seams; leading brands usually offer this useful feature.
Some models come with straps that help keep your mat in place.
In warm conditions, sometimes people do not use a sleeping bag at all, but simply sleep directly in the bivy bag.

Typical representatives of bivouac bags: Moonstone Personal Shelter; Standard Bivy from Outdoor Research; REI Cyclops.

Bivi type shelters

The evolution of the bivy bag produced a new category of low-rise tent known as bivy shelters. These models have mesh inserts located in the area of the head opening, as well as small suspension systems (pegs, arcs) that hold the fabric above the tourist’s face. In a bivy-type shelter, complete isolation from insects and rain can be achieved. This may require some ingenuity to provide ventilation during a rainstorm, but it is quite possible to achieve.

For many tourists traveling long and light, a bivi-type shelter with its additional wedge-shaped reinforcement in the head area can provide a sufficient level of comfort. In areas with constant rain, bivy-type shelters lose their attractiveness; It will be difficult to wait out the storm in a shelter in which you cannot take a sitting position. 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 the bivy too narrow for you? Initially you might think so. But don’t immediately dismiss this cover option. Of course, a tent offers tourists a spacious, safe shelter with a roof over their heads. However, bivi allows you to “merge” more strongly with nature. It's almost like sleeping under the stars. At the same time, you have sufficient protection from rain and insects, which is also lightweight. However, if being in tight spaces makes you anxious, you will likely not feel comfortable wearing a bivy, especially in bad weather. In this case, consider purchasing a tent.

How does air circulate inside the bivy? A breathable/waterproof laminate, such as Gore-Tex, allows moisture to evaporate through the fabric. At the same time, preventing raindrops from seeping through the fabric. Breathable/waterproof bivouac bags perform best in situations where a hiker's warm, sweaty body rests in cold, dry conditions. In rainy conditions, although modern bivys are designed with plenty of overlap and zippers, you are unlikely to have to zip them all the way up. Manual ventilation helps maintain an acceptable level of humidity inside the bivouac bag.

Is it possible for condensation to form inside the bivy? Potentially, yes. Essentially, a bivy is a single-layer tent. The warm vapor coming from your body and lungs rises and collides with colder air. When steam comes into contact with the laminate of the bivvy bag, the air can no longer transport all the moisture, thus some of it collects on the inside of the fabric in question. In a two-layer tent, this moisture passes through the breathable inner tent and settles on the outer one. In the case of a bivy, this may cause a small amount of moisture to accumulate on the inside of the bivy. In cold conditions, this can cause an ice crust to form on the inside.

Will a sleeping bag actually stay dry in a bivouac? In rainy (wet) weather conditions, Gore-Tex fabric can sometimes produce a cold and wet feeling when in contact with the skin, but this is only a feeling, not a wet feeling. Good ventilation helps minimize this sensation.

Brief summary

Bivvy bags: A good choice for mountaineers and minimalist hikers who go on short (one- and two-day) hikes. Requires a mindset that adapts well to Spartan conditions.

Bivi Shelters: Popular among ultralight riders, long-distance travelers and cyclists. A good choice for tourists traveling in areas with little rainfall. The extra space and full protection make them a viable option for tourists who can psychologically adapt to spending the night in a confined space. Narrow but light.

Compact tents: Some models in the 2kg range offer a combination of space and modest weight; in many cases will be the preferred choice for the average tourist.

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