Has anybody ever used a Military Gortex Bivy in their hammock setup for cold weather.. I have a under quilt that is more for the summer time and really not able to spend the money on a nice under quilt.. Any thoughts??
Has anybody ever used a Military Gortex Bivy in their hammock setup for cold weather.. I have a under quilt that is more for the summer time and really not able to spend the money on a nice under quilt.. Any thoughts??
I have not personally. I have one that I've used on the ground. The bottom is waterproof (I haven't experienced any seepage) so I would think it would provide some barrier against convection. Just give it a try. I think the biggest challenge is going to be getting in and out with ease. I used to use a sleeping bag for a top quilt and that wasn't a big deal as I didn't get completely in it. You might have to do a bit of squirmin. The bivy would help hold a pad in place. I'm sure you'd have some condensation to deal with.
I used the MS system last winter in my hammock. Warm as toast and we took it down to 20 degrees. There is some squirming involved but if you but the zipper towards your center a little bit more it works fine. I used what I had at the time. I also use it for tent camping with two pieces of memory foam in it. The bivy it's self I don't think adds that much heat but it will keep your sleep system in place.
I had my [US] military bivy cover out last night to watch the meteor shower. I use it quite frequently in the warmer weather when all I really want is to keep the breeze off. The dew was coming down pretty heavily last evening, but I was dry and draft free.
Like everybody else is chiming in, I think it would probably take a little squirming in a gathered-ender. I'd think I would try mine out by just standing up right beside the hammock, pulling up the zipper and lying back down.
These USMC bivys are not the lightest things in the world, but they are a rock-solid piece of gear.
Great deal at $24
I have a friend of mine who knows it all. Everything there is to know about camping, he knows it. However, when he starts talking about his "40 years of camping experience" I tune out. His pack weight for an overnighter is usually 60+ lbs.
When I went to hammocks, he said, "I'm telling you. Forty years of camping experience talking here, and you're gonna freeze!" Or "you're gonna get wet." After several years of listening to this crap, when he was the only one who was cold or got wet, he finally got a hammock. Then he got a 0* underquilt. However, he still can't give up his bivy. It cracks me up hearing him each night trying to get situated with that thing - what a pain in the butt!
He doesn't even need the bivy, but he swears by it and will probably never give it up (though it ain't light). I've given up trying to talk him out of it.
Oh, and he still goes out at 50+ lbs. for an overnighter!
Last edited by SilvrSurfr; 08-14-2015 at 09:39.
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thanks guys... Sounds like the Bivy is good for keeping dry, and i could see being a pain to get into...
Well, the "dry" part may not be all that great. While Gore-Tex is supposed to be breathable, you can get condensation anyway. In a hammock, you have convective air going under you that creates the temperature differences needed for condensation.Originally Posted by Jimbeam
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Jimbeam, I just picked a Gortex bivy up and was going to experiment with it this fall. Let me know what you figure out. I've been using Tyvek pod/socks (like a pea pod) for a couple years and find them great at keeping the dew/spray/wind off with very rare/little condensation and thought this bivy might just be worth experimenting with. I'll give it a try tonight at 60F.
Enjoying the simple things in life -
Own less, live more.
Oldpappy, i was wanting to use it as another insulation layer.. I don't have an under quilt. I've seen a youtube video were a guy used one and said it helped with his set up...
As a lightweight summer bag I use a SOL escape emergency bivy. It's basically a thicker Mylar space blanket(tyvek like material) but in the shape of a bivy.
Wasn't too hard to get in and out of, I would get in it first standing up then lie down in the hammock. I haven't tested it in combination with a sleeping bag but I will hopefully later this year. I would guess it will add 5-10 degrees of warmth.
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