For some, tents are a way to just pretend you are in the outdoors or a way to simulate the security of being “inside” when you are actually outside but if you learn to fully embrace the outdoors, you are in for a totally different experience (and challenge). There is nothing wrong with tents but bivvying is something else.
I’m always keen to perfect the art of bivi bag sleeping. Those looking to go ultralight will often ditch the tent and go for just a bivi bag and tarp setup. I tend to argue that if you have a sleeping bag, mat, bivi bag and tarp then what’s the difference between that setup and a sleeping bag, mat and tent? Poles instead of rope?
Putting this aside, sleeping in a bivi bag can be a great way to camp. You get to be fully secure and warm (and waterproof) but still be properly outdoors to lie by a campfire, stare at the stars until you fall asleep, or socialise with your camping buddies till you all drop off.
The precise configuration of your gear will be dictated by practice and personal choice. I spend odd nights trying out combinations in the garden in all temperatures. This weekend it dropped to 1c in the late evening and there was frost in the morning. Despite this, I had trouble sleeping as I was too hot! This was a new configuration of tarp (just for privacy from the neighbours), no floor covering, bivi on bare ground with Rab down sleeping bag and Jack Wolfskin Wolfmat inside. I had base layers on.
The first thing I noticed apart from bivi bags being so much warmer than without – even in a tent, was that I really felt the need to have a floor covering. Not so much to protect the bivi bag, but just so I felt I could relax, have somewhere to put gear down and just not feel completely confined to the bivi to stay out of the mud.
I think the “lean to” shape tarp configuration will work well for me. It only requires one rope line (or two sticks). It’s a basic “L” shape with half the tarp flat on the floor. You have to tuck in to the angle for sleeping but means you have plenty of room for kit and cooking. It doesn’t give the best sky cover so make sure any rain isn’t going to be able to angle in.
The plus and minus to this setup is that both ends are wide open. The plus of this is that you will still get good air-flow which will help take the moisture away from your bivi. Bivi’s are really not easy to get inside either, at least this way you have plenty of space and a clean tarp to sit on as you wiggle in. The downside is you will still be fairly exposed. You could pitch closer to a tree or other obstacle. Instinct will say to close up the foot end more and have the head end open but if camping out, I’d do it the other way around – you want to be facing the bigger exit so you can see out.
The other reason for this shape (other tarp setups are available) is so that the ground moisture can’t rise up to get trapped inside the tarp. It also gives another layer of protection to your bivi and mat inside (if inflatable). You can sleep close to the exposed side so you get a view of the sky. If the weather turns, you just scoot over to the corner side a bit more. Remember, you are in a bivy too, so you’re waterproof anyway.
Searching online will give you lots of tarp configurations to try out and it’s worth having a couple of plans for different terrain or weather conditions. I first landed on Trailspace.com.
My other favourite is the “tee-pee” which takes a little practice. It requires a central stick and does give you some floor cover inside. You will need a decent sized tarp for this one though. A standard military sized 3 x 1.5m tarp wouldn’t really work and be careful to not make the tarp too taut or the stick will go through. I’m speaking from experience here, and I had to patch it up with the McNett Tenacious Tape. If you’re going to use the Tee-pee often, it’s also worth reinforcing the pole area with tape.
The other variation on this is what I call the half tee-pee. The stick wants to be closer to the front end. Peg out the back/centre of the tarp first to the ground.Then prop up the stick at the front/centre and peg out the front corners so the sides and front at taut. Go inside and pull in the back corners to make two overlapping triangles for your floor. The result is an enclosed end with a floor and an open front. Your head will go inside on the tarp and legs will stick out in the open. It’s easier to setup if you can push the stick into the ground but don’t damage your tarp. The height of the stick and size of the tarp will determine the shape of the shelter so experiment first.
I definitely feel more comfortable with the tarp doing something else other than just keeping rain off. “If something’s worth carrying, it needs to have more than one use”. As a rain cover, tarps are very bulky and easy to see at a distance. If you’re using this setup, you are very close to just using a tent and in modern, one man tents, the weight and pack size is not much different either.
You can easily run up to and over £100 with a decent bivi bag that is fully waterproof and breathable. Tarps are fairly cheap though so this is bonus. Anything which is advertised as lightweight where tents are concerned tend to get expensive.
Ultimately as with a lot of camping and survival, it’s about personal choice. A tent is generally more conspicuous. You might not be up to anything dodgy but sometimes it’s part of the fun to go unnoticed! Tents also require flat ground. The beauty of a bivi is it’s really about just chucking it down and crashing out in the great outdoors. You can get hooped bivi’s which look great when coming from a tent, but in some ways they are more cramped as they are small but unlike a bivi bag, don’t move with you, yet you are still inside it. Hooped bags can sometimes be easier to get into though and the frame does keep the bag off your face in bad weather.
Learn to love the tarp. The philosophy of it is the same as with all camping – “There is no wrong way to do it. It’s about having fun.” If it covers you and works for you, then it’s perfect!
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