I'm using what I have and thats a Army 30* bag, gore-tex bivy sack and a truck windshield reflector. If I shove the reflector in between the sack and the bag will I get too much moisture build up? Testing it out so far it worked pretty awesome and everything stayed put but that was only for 10 mins or so.
oh ya, my face is not inside the bivy so breath is not an issue.
A friend of mine uses a similar setup and has never complained. He still uses the bivy sack inside his hammock even though he has an underquilt.
you should be fine. these things are trial and error.
I think it will depend on how much you sweat and what the ambient temperature is. The windshield protector will act as a vapour barrier liner and if it is colder it may be effective. A little warmer though and you may end up accumulating a lot of moisture.
Don't let life get in the way of living.
I use the military bivy a lot. It is not backpacking but it does make a big difference in my bag rating...it increases it by at least 10 degrees, probably more. In warm weather it is the only thing I use. But, gore tex breathability is limited. It can get stuffy in warmer weather.
"To turn from this increasingly artificial and strangely alien world is to escape from unreality. To return to the timeless world of the mountains, the sea, the forest and the stars is to return to sanity and truth." --Robert Burnham Jr.
Using the bag as a top quilt will remove the insulation from under you and stop it soaking up any water.
At least if you do sweat, the bag won't get wet-just your underclothes.
A friend of mine was an Army Ranger, and he said they often only took the Gore-Tex sacks to the field as their sleeping bags.
The whole set up is a system, and each part adds to the lower temp protection.
Bivy alone> +
Bivy plus patrol bag. ++
Bivy plus patrol bag, plus heavy inner bag. 10 degrees below zero
DKPerdue
Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.
Ronald Reagan, President of the United States
I did a 30 min nap test yesterday. Temp was 36* according to my phone app. I tried nothing for about 5 mins. BRR!Then I tried just the reflector. The difference was immediate and amazing. I could hear the wind sighing through the pines but not feel it on my butt and back. Lastly I tried the whole thing and slept off and on for about 30 minutes. The notch in the reflector where it goes around the rear view mirror could be an issue. I was laying on it and felt it after a few minutes. I adjusted it better, which really was not too bad having it under the bag in the bivy. I had socks on that are so-so for cold weather walking and feet were ok. Jeans, a cotton polo and my Patagonia down sweater. I brought along the 50% done JCP underquilt to see if I wanted to use it as a top quilt and found it made a awesome pillow in its stuff sack.
The hammock is laying quite straight because I realized I bought the wrong material for the straps. I was stretching it out by a few feet after laying in it. Whoopies from Warbonnet are already purchased and on the way.
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