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How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 1:43 pm
by cagatay
I recently purchased Ferrino Bivy HL. I am not familiar with "bivying".

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I didn't have the chance to try it out in the wild yet. I set the bivy in my room and shockingly realized it only allows me, sleeping pad and sleeping bag.

What am I supposed to do with my boots and backpack? Leave them outside?

How am I supposed to melt snow, cook tea and meal?

Of course I am not expecting the comfort of a tent, but come on guys am I missing something here? lol

Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 3:04 pm
by Scott
I set the bivy in my room and shockingly realized it only allows me, sleeping pad and sleeping bag.


I thought that was the whole point of a bivi sack. Otherwise, you go with a tent.

Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 3:22 pm
by cagatay
Scott wrote:
I set the bivy in my room and shockingly realized it only allows me, sleeping pad and sleeping bag.


I thought that was the whole point of a bivi sack. Otherwise, you go with a tent.


I will not use bivy for emergency. Yes, I can but this is not my primary goal. I want to be as light as possible.

Does carrying bivy (Ferrino Bivy HL in this case) mean I have to forget about basic cooking, keeping my boots and backpack dry/secure ?

Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 3:47 pm
by mrchad9
You can still cook... outside the bivy. But if you are trying to go light as possible then you shouldn't have a stove at all unless you need it to melt water. And then, just do it outside.

Also if going light as possible you use a short sleeping pad. Then your backpack is used as an extension of the pad to rest your legs on. So it fits inside by default.

There should be room for your boots to lay next to you, or at the very bottom of the sack. So squeeze them in, or just leave them outside.

If you want more room and to go light, get a BD Betalight.

Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 6:33 pm
by JHH60
If your pack isn't waterproof you can put things which must stay dry in plastic trash bags inside the pack, or get a pack cover (though that adds weight and cost). Your boots ought to fit at the bottom of the sack, as Chad noted. If you want a rain shelter for cooking or changing clothes you can bring a tarp (a little more weight and expense). The rain fly of many tents an be set up using just the poles and guy lines without the tent, providing a pre-made tarp shelter with less weight than the full tent. Or you can use a floorless shelter like a Betamid or Megamid (basically very fancy tarps). Of course if you use one of those you may have no need for the bivy sack, especially if you are using a synthetic sleeping bag which won't lose all warmth if it gets a little wet.

Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 8:50 pm
by cagatay
I want to thank you all individually for replying to my post.

Also if going light as possible you use a short sleeping pad. Then your backpack is used as an extension of the pad to rest your legs on. So it fits inside by default.


this is a great idea. I will try it.

today I reassembled the bivy and put thermarest mattress, TNF superlight sleeping bag, boots next to the wider sides of the bivy and deuter guide 45 as a pillow in the entrance. as far as I see it worked !

here's how it looks (no space left for cooking)
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as I told you I want to be as light as possible, but I forgot to mention that I will use this setting above 3000 meters. lets say there is a blizzard going on outside, how am I going to melt snow? any ideas will be appreciated.

Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 10:06 pm
by JHH60
I doubt you can safely use a stove inside a bivy sack like the one you have, since there isn't much space and you'd risk carbon monoxide poisoning, and fire if you dropped the stove. I have climbed with someone who brought a bivy like yours, and they used the stove outside the bivy sack. You can crawl inside and keep the hoop open and reach out to manipulate the stove if it's raining or snowing. Note stove, pack, etc. outside bivy (though we stowed the climbing stuff you see in the photo in his bivy and in the vestibule of my tent before going to bed).

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If conditions were bad enough that your stove wasn't usable then you could (and probably should) find a sheltered spot to place your bivy (under trees or a rock ledge) or if you are in an open, wind-exposed area build a snow wall around your campsite to shelter from wind, and/or dig a cooking pit for your stove. Note that if snow is really coming down you're going to have to get out of the bivy every so often and dig out the bivy to avoid being buried in the snow - in those cases you'd probably be better off in a good 4 season tent or a snow cave.

Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 2:36 am
by WillP
C'mon, this is an April Fool's post, isn't it? 'I bought a bivi bag, and, WTF?! I can't cook or store all my stuff inside! What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?!' Please confirm come April 2nd.

Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 8:16 am
by JB99
Assuming this isn't an April Fool's post, though it should be, the OP should return his bivy and replace it with a Black Diamond Firstlight or similar tent.

Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 12:16 pm
by cagatay
Lol lololol dudes i admit that i am inexperienced.
At least i m not pretending like i conquered 14 summits and asking stupid questions at the same time lol.
My attitude is like a newbie, isn't it ? :)

Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 12:43 pm
by cagatay
JHH60 wrote:I doubt you can safely use a stove inside a bivy sack like the one you have, since there isn't much space and you'd risk carbon monoxide poisoning, and fire if you dropped the stove. I have climbed with someone who brought a bivy like yours, and they used the stove outside the bivy sack. You can crawl inside and keep the hoop open and reach out to manipulate the stove if it's raining or snowing. Note stove, pack, etc. outside bivy (though we stowed the climbing stuff you see in the photo in his bivy and in the vestibule of my tent before going to bed).

Image

If conditions were bad enough that your stove wasn't usable then you could (and probably should) find a sheltered spot to place your bivy (under trees or a rock ledge) or if you are in an open, wind-exposed area build a snow wall around your campsite to shelter from wind, and/or dig a cooking pit for your stove. Note that if snow is really coming down you're going to have to get out of the bivy every so often and dig out the bivy to avoid being buried in the snow - in those cases you'd probably be better off in a good 4 season tent or a snow cave.


Thank you, i will follow your advices. I think jetboil zip will be a perfect solution for bivying. Zip has a low profile, one piece, boiler cup is secured to the stove in case i drop it even outside.
I will take many pictures and a video this weekend. I will post them here, so that another rookies like me can see what things i ve been through.

Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 5:56 pm
by mfox79
it looks like your setup should work. I traveled with a bivy sack for almost ten years and just poked my head out to cook. The first time you are caught in a down pour for three days will be the last time you use a bivy sack :shock: :lol:

Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 5:58 pm
by JHH60
JB99 wrote:Assuming this isn't an April Fool's post, though it should be, the OP should return his bivy and replace it with a Black Diamond Firstlight or similar tent.


JB99 has a good point. You could go even lighter than the Firstlight and get a BD Hilight - at only 1.18 kg it's just a little heavier than your bivy tent, and gives you a lot more room inside. You can even squeeze two people in though it's "cozy." It's durable enough for serious mountaineering use and small enough to fit in tight spots. Here's one at Thumb Rock on Rainier's Liberty Ridge (3300m):

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Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 8:04 pm
by cagatay
JHH60 wrote:
JB99 wrote:Assuming this isn't an April Fool's post, though it should be, the OP should return his bivy and replace it with a Black Diamond Firstlight or similar tent.


JB99 has a good point. You could go even lighter than the Firstlight and get a BD Hilight - at only 1.18 kg it's just a little heavier than your bivy tent, and gives you a lot more room inside. You can even squeeze two people in though it's "cozy." It's durable enough for serious mountaineering use and small enough to fit in tight spots. Here's one at Thumb Rock on Rainier's Liberty Ridge (3300m):

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unfortunately mountaineering, trekking and camping is not that popular in Turkey, therefore there is not a wide selection of equipment offered for sale.
the custom and regular taxes are very high (we pay tax of a tax.. lol, but true), for example for a TNF inferno sleeping bag, you pay $600 we pay $1300
go pro black edition costs $800 here !! it's like we are the richest country of the world.

Re: How to fit in Bivy

PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 2:05 am
by WillP
Sorry dude, I thought you were American and just asking stupid questions out of habit. But yeah, you will struggle to cook in really bad weather, even with a fast stove like the Jetboil. Consider bringing a small tarp or similar - you may be able to rig up a little awning from the highest part of the shelter you've got, affording a little shelter. Best of luck.