I was thinking about getting a bivvy bag (the non-emergency kind) and was wondering what experiences people had had with them in terms of how they performed in different weather conditions?
get a hammock.. you'll be a 100x more comfortable and basically has endless possibilities as long as there are trees
Have no experience with a bivi bag, but one of my guys uses a swag and it's the cats miow! he swears by it. Bulky, but good!
Nice if you do not like to roll around at all, I gave up and slept under the stars. Much better off with small ultra lite tent, imo.
It's right next to impossible to keep a bivvy sack dry if you've got to get in or out in a hard rain, and they generally suck on any kind of a slope. With a one man tent it's easier to keep the interior dry, and you can (violate all of the safety rules and) light a pack stove inside the tent if need be. I have a nice collection of shelters so I can match conditions, but if I were going to have only one for solo excursions it'd be my one man tent.
A good tent is a must, and a good hammock isn't heavy at all. That, with a small tarp and your shelter needs are met.
Yeah, I vouch for the hammock and tarp as well. Gravity will always keep you straight, so you won't be sliding down a hill. Plus you can make loads of shelters with a tarp even without a hammock. Depends where you're heading though, it's a bummer if you're in a desert with no anchors, so then I'd go for a small 1 man tent
If only one shelter is chosen, do the tarp. You can even wrap you & your sleeping bag up in it if need be. I've done that before. Have a rope, and you can improvise a hammock, make a tent, or who knows what comes to mind. All these tools that are out there, you cannot ever possibly carry enough of them. On the other hand, the most valuable tool is your brain. The ability to remember and to improvise are clearly the greatest tools imaginable.
