ALL >> Sports >> View Article
Bivy Sacks - Making Them Yourself
If you have ever looked at bivy sacks in catalogs or online, you know they can be claustrophobic and expensive. I can't help you much with the first, except to say that you'll get used to it. The expensive part, though, I have a solution for.
I didn't want to spend $200 for a nice bivy, so I bought an "emergency bivy" for $20. It was basically a large plastic bag. I tested it on a rainy night, with a small umbrella over my head. I tried not to breath in the bag, but I still thought I'd be soaked by the condensation, like all the books warn. In the morning I was surprizingly dry.
Later, when I lost my bivy, it occurred to me that if it was basically a large plastic bag, why pay $20 or $200 to replace it? I got out two extra large garbage bags and duct-taped them together. After cutting open one end, I had a three-foot by seven-foot bivy sack. It weighed just four ounces.
Now, if you have looked at bivies before, you know that none are that light. Even my "emergency bivy" weighed twice as much. It was a bit tougher, but then I use my four-ounce bivies as disposables. They are good for a week of ...
... nights if you're careful. At less than a dollar each, it doesn't hurt to throw them away at the end of a trip.
Like most bivy sacks, it will leave you a little damp in the morning. It is best used in dry enviroments, although I used mine in Michigan without any real problems. In any case, you'll dry out in a few minutes once you start hiking, and you'll get in the habit of taking a break to lay your sleeping bag in the sun to dry any dampness.
There's our lesson on making ultralight bivy sacks. Four ounces, and they fit in your pocket. This isn't my only disposable lightweight backpacking gear by the way, but that's another story.
About the Author
Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of lightweight backpacking. His advice and stories can be found at http://www.TheUltralightBackpackingSite.com
Add Comment
Sports Articles
1. Conference League Final Regatta: Haaland And Kane Battle Lewandowski For European Golden ShoeAuthor: Samina Khan
2. Get The Best Cricket Betting Id With Lions Cricket Id November 20, 2024
Author: lionscricketid
3. Europa League Final Rendition: Mourinho's Fenerbahce Fall To Alkmaar, Roma Held By Union
Author: Samina Khan
4. Champions League Final Hysteric: Atletico Madrid Stun Psg 2-1 With Correa's Last-minute Winner
Author: Samina Khan
5. Li Shi Feng: From A Child Prodigy To Becoming China’s Badminton Champion
Author: Jeremy Hughes
6. Europa League Final Stab: Paul Pogba Could Join Lionel Messi At Inter Miami Following Juventus Exit
Author: Samina Khan
7. Champions League Final Ennoble: Crouch Labels Villa’s Emiliano Martínez Among The Best
Author: Samina Khan
8. Conference League Final Wreck: Mykhaylo Mudryk's Loan To Crystal Palace Faces Premier League Hurdle
Author: Samina Khan
9. Europa League Final Cognition: Scholes Says Van Nistelrooy Is Made To Be A Manager
Author: Samina Khan
10. Champions League Final Widen: Musiala Shines As Bayern Beat Benfica Brest, Atalanta In Fine Form
Author: Samina Khan
11. Conference League Final Bout: Arsenal, Man Utd Chase Sane Barca, Real Eye Forest Defender
Author: Samina Khan
12. Europa League Final Rally: 2024/25 Top Scorers Yunus Akgün, Ayoub El Kaabi, And Samu
Author: Samina Khan
13. Champions League Final Joust: Raphinha, Jules Kounde, And Robert Lewandowski Shine
Author: Samina Khan
14. Conference League Final Slugfest: 2024/25 Top Scorers João Félix, Christopher Nkunku, Afimico Pululu
Author: Samina Khan
15. Champions League Final Bound: Psg Criticized After Last-minute Atletico Madrid Defeat
Author: Samina Khan