Bivy Sacks

I use my bivy sack on most hikes because of its lightweight and the sleeping comfort it provides me. On my last winter campout, I used one inside my tent for an even warmer sleep.

In rain, it takes planning to keep your clothing dry because of a bivy's limited space. I spent a night on Granite Dome where it rained and hailed most of the night, but I remained dry and warm inside my sack. My boots and clothing were dry for the next day's hiking, which was also in the rain. For those who spend bad weather days inside a tent, a bivy might not meet their needs. Personally, I don't mind to hike in stormy weather and the only time I spend in a tent or bivy is when I sleep or am changing my clothes.

One of the big drawbacks to bivies is that they make changing your clothes very tight and cumbersome; however, on a hard hike their low weight makes up for it. I have also found bivy sacks to be undesirable on snow climbs, like Mount Shasta, and in exposed windy camps. I really do not like bivy sacks in moderate to high winds.

Bivies are watertight and almost air tight, so you should never sleep in one with it totally zipped up or you might find it will double as a body bag.

Yosemite National Park

Forsyth Peak

Mount Banner