Bivie tents for winter use

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Getting anew set of poles with shorter lengths can always be done. A friend bought a new longer set with more segments for a different tent, then cut the lengths down to get the right lengths for her tent. That gave her shorter lengths for packing in her backpack. There is a trade off of slightly increased weight.
 
Rusty, there are many two-wall 4 season tents out there. Single wall only work well in truly cold conditions, so I'd stick with a two-wall. If you get a new tent try to find one with as many zippered vents. Close them when cold, open them for ventilation. If you expect snow, be careful with your two-pole SD tent. What ever you decide, you are on the right track with pads. I usually double up pads. One a +1" thermarest and then a 3/4" closed cell foam. There are goretex sleeping bag covers that help with moisture.
 
A Gore bivy is designed to protect you from the outside elements. But will do you few favors in dry conditions. It's not going to breath well enough to prevent your insulation from absorbing perspiration.

A small tent (double wall is warmer), a cheap closed cell pad (put it inside the sleeping bag so you can't roll off it), spend the money on a quality sleeping bag. I prefer down but if I was out east I'd consider synthetic due to humidity levels.

If it's simply an emergency gear cache then maybe a bivy but I'd still prefer a small tent.

Always have a couple space blankets available.
 
Corbet said:
A Gore bivy is designed to protect you from the outside elements. But will do you few favors in dry conditions. It's not going to breath well enough to prevent your insulation from absorbing perspiration.

A small tent (double wall is warmer), a cheap closed cell pad (put it inside the sleeping bag so you can't roll off it), spend the money on a quality sleeping bag. I prefer down but if I was out east I'd consider synthetic due to humidity levels.

If it's simply an emergency gear cache then maybe a bivy but I'd still prefer a small tent.

Always have a couple space blankets available.
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I do agree that a gore-tex bivy is less effective at moisture management, but they do have their place. If you are going without a tent, they help block the wind. I also use one when doing true winter camping. Condensation is frequently a problem and I have found that without a gore-tex or equivalent liner I can get a soaked. I do agree that a small tent will be easier and more effective.
 
Saturday night we hit camp late and beat to exhaustion. Stuffing my bag inside a bivi and crawling in after would have been very welcome. If it hadn't been for the wind I probably would have just throw down a tarp and slept on the ground.
 
I use a -5° sleeping bag with a Gore Dryloft exterior fabric. It's designed for max breathability and wind protection. Not water repellency. When I eventually replace this bag now coming up on 25 years old. I will get the same again just larger, as I'm larger than I was at 20.

I've had winter nights where my navy blue bag was white in the morning with frozen perspiration on its surface. But the down insulation was dry and still very effective. My coldest night to date was -27° F. And that was in Wisconsin with high humidity.

I also really like using a liner for perspiration control. Cocoon Microfiber Mummy Liner - REI.com

This will be my next sleeping bag. Sequoia GWS | Western Mountaineering
 
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I am still using the Big Agnes Encampment bag, if I were to replace it I would probably go with a similar design. At first buying a bag with no insulation on the bottom side seemed scary but after using it for a few years I really like the design. The insulation on the bottom of a traditional bag is compressed when you lay on it and loses almost all of it's insulating ability so why haul that extra weight and bulk around? Through hikers and ultra light hikers favor a sleeping quilt for similar reasons.

On the down side a good sleeping pad becomes essential, luckily there are a lot of choices of insulated air mattresses available.
Since my old air mattress finally failed It will be replaced by the Q core, R value of 5.

If it were not for the wind and dew I would be fine with the above combo and a ground sheet. The set up I used for years was a military surplus down fill bag and a 5' X 8' section of canvas tarp. The shell on the bag blocked wind and dew pretty well but it was a heavy bag.
 
Not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I have spent a lot of nights in the military bivvy sacks you linked. Coldest was about 12 degrees with wind chill in northern Idaho. Other notables have been lower 30s in the socal mountains and lower 20s in northern Virginia with snow on the ground. From what I am reading about your needs this will be an excellent solution. One of the nights in VA I spent with a bivvy sac, green patrol bag, and poncho liner, no ground pad. I was a bit cold but slept pretty well--proving a point to the younger guys that they didn't NEED all of their snivel gear. I started out using the shelter halves and green fabric bags, moved on to the three piece system and then used the new two piece coyote system. You have already identified the issues with the old system. The three piece system is stupidly warm if you are small enough to be able to fit your mat inside--it is warm, but if you dress light (polypropylene base layer) you shouldn't sweat and you can vent the hood to decrease condensation. On the 12 degree night in Idaho I was in the bed of my t100 with a 3\4 length pad, black bag, bivvy sack and a tarp to keep the wind off, I was very comfortable. That said, that system is not what we use for winter mountain training and it does have limitations. I would (and do) use it for the following:
1. 4 season moderate climate bag--add or remove pieces as needed
2. 3 season cold climate bag, with use in winter restricted to short duration trips 1-2 nights or have the ability to dry it out periodically. I wouldn't use this system as a solution for "real" snow camping or extended cold weather trips. Pass on the new coyote system--the bivy sack is designed a bit better but it is less waterproof and the single bag isn't nearly as warm as the black bag from the three piece system. Sorry for long windedness and spelling errors. In hospital on drugs on tablet
 
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NyNomad said:
Ive been thinking about sleeping on my roof rack in a Bivie... I'm still undecided on which one.
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I'd roll off, no question, it's what I do. I can trip on the pattern in a carpet.:hillbilly:
 
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