3S Bivy Cover 2D Gen (2024)

FAQs

How many degrees does a bivy add to a sleeping bag? ›

That said, I think you can expect about 5º of warmth from a bivy. It certainly blocks the wind and certainly keeps in heat. However, keep in mind that you will get some amount of moisture build-up inside your sleeping bag, which will compromise your bag's loft or ability to retain heat.

Using just a bivvy will protect you and your sleeping bag from the elements. However, unless you stuff all your gear into the bag (which would be horrendously cramped), it will be left exposed. Therefore, a more reasonable comparison is a tarp-and-bivvy combination against a tent.

While a tent offers a roomier, roof-over-your-head sensation, a bivy is almost like sleeping under the stars—a very liberating experience. At the same time, you are protected from bugs and rain by a very lightweight barrier. However, if tight spaces make you uneasy, you are likely to feel uncomfortable inside a bivy.

Like a light rain shell jacket, bivies trap in a few degrees of warmth and hold that heat better than a tent; this takes an open night on the ground up a notch, allowing you to get the rest you need.

A bivy—short for “bivouac sack”—is as simple as a shelter gets. It's essentially a rain jacket for your sleeping bag, sleeping pad and you. With packed weights of a pound or so, these scant shelters are great insurance policies against a bad (or unplanned) night out.

A general specification for all 0-degree sleeping bag models is providing enough insulation to keep you warm enough to survive at 0 degrees, and comfortably warm from around 10 to 30 degrees, depending on individual needs.

If you like your own space, privacy and the ability to move around with freedom, sealed within a mozzie proof shell – then stick to a tent. If however, you're looking to downsize, lighten the load and are comfortable in the elements – I thoroughly recommend a bivvy like the Macpac Alpine Cocoon.

Advantages of using a bivvy bag in the rain

Your bivvy bag is a protective outerlayer. It protects your sleeping bag from rain, wind, dust and mud. Keeps you dry: Just like your coat a bivvy bag is made from waterproof fabric with taped seams to provide a waterproof outer shell to your sleeping bag.

Definition of cowboy camping

A style of camping in which the campers sleep without shelter—and gaze upon stars in the night sky. This approach reduces pack weight but is “less pleasant” in bad weather. For this reason, a bivy sack is an excellent backup.

Does a bivy replace a tent? ›

A bivy sack is sort of a cross between a sleeping back and a one-person tent. They shelter you from the elements the way a tent does, but pack down smaller and lighter. They're super popular with solo adventurers and elite mountaineers—but they can also be great for social trips and backyard sleepouts.

We recommend using our Escape Bivvies with your sleeping bag to create a warmer, more weather-resistant sleeping environment. Simply put your sleeping bag inside of your Escape Bivvy for up to an additional 10 to 15 degrees of temperature rating.

Do I need a groundsheet with my bivvy bag? In wetter, colder conditions, you can lose up to 30% of your body heat through the ground. A groundsheet combined with a sleeping mat gives an extra layer of protection against the damp and cold of the ground.

To prevent condensation – and ultimately cooling down - from breathing through the night, make sure to breathe outside your bivvy bag.

Small packable size: Not only does a bivvy bag save weight in your pack, it also packs down to much smaller than an average 1 person tent. More room for chocolate! Hmmm, small packable size. Cosy as bro: The trusty biv will usually add all round warmth to your sleeping solution.

A bag liner also provides anywhere from 5° to 15°F of extra warmth to your sleeping bag, depending on the liner material. In hot climates, you can use a bag liner or travel sheet by itself and forgo the sleeping bag.

The intermediate bag provides cold weather protection from minus 5 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Together, the patrol bag and intermediate bags provide extreme cold weather protection in temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit.