sn.outdoors
Well-known member
Don't setup in wet grass, problem solved. Lol.
I use a piece of tyvek on the firm ground and fir, spruce, or pine boughs with tyvek on snow.
Bivy vs tarp; or a combo
- Thread starter TrickyTross
- Start date
Don't setup in wet grass, problem solved. Lol.
I use a piece of tyvek on the firm ground and fir, spruce, or pine boughs with tyvek on snow.
PrairieHunter
Well-known member
I was out hunting one time and ran across some old school fellas who were using nothing but a cheap blue tarp to sleep 3 guys. They must have looked around to find the perfect place with a steep incline nearly 90 degrees slope. They had the tarp tied off up top and sealed up around the bottom with one opening at the front. There was a fire just inside as you walked in the opening. I was amazed at 2 things, the fire did not burn a hole in the tarp, and it was nice and warm inside. Sometimes the basics are all you need.
Arch Stanton
Active member
Just got back from Idaho......had some big rain storms......used a Kifaru ParaTarp and an Outdoor Research Helium Bivy. I have a 2 year old and a 7 month old and I havn't spelt that great in 2 years! 10 min to setup, totally dry. Used some Tyvek on the ground. We have used the paraTarp as a sun shade in Nevada while glassing too!
Speaking of Tyvek, there's a YouTube video for a DIY Tyvek formed Bivy.
I have an earlier O.R. Bivysack worked great though I've not used it in a while and an ultralight tarp.
http://www.rockywoods.com
The go-to location for simple personalized fabric to use. Heck of a lot cheaper than paying to have a brand name stamped on the same, if not crappier tarp material.
I have an earlier O.R. Bivysack worked great though I've not used it in a while and an ultralight tarp.
http://www.rockywoods.com
The go-to location for simple personalized fabric to use. Heck of a lot cheaper than paying to have a brand name stamped on the same, if not crappier tarp material.
I moved to Bivy hunting for elk about 6 years ago. Since then, I sleep where I end up which puts me minutes from elk instead of miles and hours. Bivy hunting gives me freedom to move about. I hunt with the gear on my back. Sometimes, I will do a morning hunt without my bivy gear and then go back, load it up and hunt until dark.
My success has gone up quite a bit since I started bivy hunting. I made a Pyramid tent out of silnylon that sleeps two, is completely waterproof and windproof and weighs 1 lb with tent stakes. It is a little tight with two, but works fine. I made it myself, and my hunting buddy liked it so much, I made him one. The nice thing about the tent is that it is light, easy to setup, packs extremely small, etc. and allows me to hunt wherever I want and sleep where I end up. I just cut a stick each night to hold it up, or use one of my walking poles. I have slept in heavy rain storms, put the wet tent in the stuff bag and hunted on....stopping during the day to let it "wind" dry for 10 minutes. Simple, quick and good fall protection from the elements. I sewed my own bivy sack that goes with my sleeping bag and encompases my sleeping pad and sleeping bag. It does two thinks, 1) keeps me on my sleeping pad (I seem to move a lot and fall off), 2) keeps me dry if water were to get inside. It weighs about 3 ounces with sylnylon,
Bivy hunting is the way to go and will save you much time, walking, energy, etc. My total sleep system which is good to about 10-15 degrees weighs less than 5 lbs. The attached picture shows the system, although I now use a sleeping pad that weighs 1 lb instead of 1.8#'s.
My success has gone up quite a bit since I started bivy hunting. I made a Pyramid tent out of silnylon that sleeps two, is completely waterproof and windproof and weighs 1 lb with tent stakes. It is a little tight with two, but works fine. I made it myself, and my hunting buddy liked it so much, I made him one. The nice thing about the tent is that it is light, easy to setup, packs extremely small, etc. and allows me to hunt wherever I want and sleep where I end up. I just cut a stick each night to hold it up, or use one of my walking poles. I have slept in heavy rain storms, put the wet tent in the stuff bag and hunted on....stopping during the day to let it "wind" dry for 10 minutes. Simple, quick and good fall protection from the elements. I sewed my own bivy sack that goes with my sleeping bag and encompases my sleeping pad and sleeping bag. It does two thinks, 1) keeps me on my sleeping pad (I seem to move a lot and fall off), 2) keeps me dry if water were to get inside. It weighs about 3 ounces with sylnylon,
Bivy hunting is the way to go and will save you much time, walking, energy, etc. My total sleep system which is good to about 10-15 degrees weighs less than 5 lbs. The attached picture shows the system, although I now use a sleeping pad that weighs 1 lb instead of 1.8#'s.
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TrickyTross
Active member
Awesome. May I PM you with some more questions?
The problem I had last year and this year was the ground was too rocky to put stakes in. I was using a mountain Smith tent that required it to be staked in order to be erect. So then I bought a free standing tent. But I’d still like to try a tarp for spring time, although staking it will still be a problem even in the woods, so tent it is.
