bivy/tarp combo

“i was playing with my silshelter tarp and decided i want a bivy. i will set up the tarp with the door part folded back and stick the head of the bivy underneath it.
the question is which bivy? im thinking the or advanced looks good. looks like the best ventilation. whole thing with stakes would be a little over 3 pounds and i'd have the warmness of a bivy and the tarp to cook under and keep my gear in the rain. id just leave the tarp home when it's not gonna rain.”

“You might think about doing it the other way--leave the bivy home when it is not going to rain. I have seen some ultralighters using those mylar I think it is emergency bivies--they weigh about 3 or 4 ounces I think.”

“that would be much better. i don't think i would trust that silshelter in a good storm”

“Play with the silshelter some more--they do fine in a storm”

“A shelter under a shelter?
........can you say "overkill"?”

“walkindude has a point. After a few 8'x10' tarp tests in real nasty downpours I was considering a bivy to protect my down bag. Well just like you're finding out - the weight got up to 3lbs and I decided that for one more pound I would take my tent.

In my search though I found some reasonably priced waterproof sleeping bag covers at Campmor. (They also have an OR winter bivy for $80.) My thinking was that a full bivy might be overkill, so just a bag cover would be protection enough in the rain if I also had the tarp.”

“In cool weather ...

I use the silshelter (16oz) along with a OR Standard Bivy (18oz) when I'm expecting bad weather. Otherwise I leave the bivy at home.

In warm weather ...

I like to use my Hennessy hammock.”

“seems like in bad weather water would blow in the doors of the tarp. i'll have to set it up in a storm to find out for sure.
i don't really think it would be overkill with both, though. it would still weigh less than my tent, be noticably warmer, and i'd have a way to keep my stuff covered up and stay dry getting in and out.”

“I can get all my stuff in just my bivy.
As far as the tarp, Set it low to the ground and there is less chance of getting wet. I use a 10x10 and have stayed dry in the rain.

Depends on my mood as to which one I bring.”

“the door closure is where i think the water would come in. i can't seem to get it nice and tight no matter how much adjusting i do to it.
i was also thinking about getting a bivy for the warmth instead of getting a new bag. mine's only a 20 deg.

i've never used a bivy before. isn't it a biatch trying to cook in a rainstorm or do you find a rock or something to cook under before you go to bed?”

“he makes everyone with a tent and tarp cook for him.”

“i could do that”

“or you could get a hilleberg akto. i have one (a 2001 model) and it is awesome. i used it without the inner tent on my last trip. it rained, i had it completely zipped closed with the end vents open and there was very minimal condensation when i woke in the morning. i have used it in the winter too. full blown four season tent. plenty of room for you and all of your gear under one roof, extremely stable/strong when you use all the guy lines.

this person did a very thorough review. i don't seem to have the problem he had with tangled lines. i did experience some frost type build up when the temps got down in the single digit area, but i think that would have been with most any tent.”

“Josh, play around with the set-up of the silshelter and get the front flaps closed. I had mine set-up in two days of rain and didn't have any problems. I have found that the height of the pole makes a huge difference ... it must be just right!”

“Come to think of it, the instructions came with a great pic of the silshelter set up for rain.”

“i'll get it right. im gonna have to set it up in the back yard before a good storm. i haven't even checked if i did a good job seamsealing yet.”

“Lawn sprinklers or hoses make good storms too.”

“i know but i want soem wind”

“highly unlikely your get wind when you want it!

most times it comes when you dont, or just hike with me this winter, then it will rain every time.”

“already learned that lesson a few times”

“Thinking of putting some velcro strips on the door flap of my siltarp to help with keeping it closed tightly. Anyone tried this?
I've been those black paper "Clamps" you use in the office.”

“both good ideas, thanks”

“Didj:

I think the velcro is dialed. That's what I plan doing when I finally get that tyvek I want. I'll build an elongated beak that extends to the ground as a vestibule from the a-frame tarp. The two halves will connect with velcro so they can be split and rolled back in nice weather. I'll probably do it at both ends...”

“Really need to start using the sewing machine my Grandma left me. Sewing on velcro would be a easy start up lesson. I also need a silnylon stuff sack.”

“If you hang your hammock inside your tent to will have the best of both worlds. Think about it. You'll have a light weight hammock, and the room of a tent. All in one








LOL”

“Any plans for a RED RIVER GORGE or Savage Gulf Trip this fall or next spring?”

“woah, woah, woah...back the train up! who's ductape? did someone change their name, or is this a Newbie? (eeeeekk!!)
;-)”

“If Big Coop is talking about the Outdoor Research Special Edition Dryloft Winter Sack at Campmor, I checked one out and decided against it because you'd have to slide into the bag from the top - it doesn't open down the side like a sleeping bag.

If OR would only make a decent closure for the door, I'd get one of those silshelters in a second. If the velcro works, let us know!


lyra - ductape was JOSH.”

“oh! spankyouverymuch!”

“I used my sil tarp in heavy rain recently and noticed tiny droplets of water appearing under it. I could see them on my sleeping bag during the downpour. Not a lot just here and there. I couldn't feel any condensation and the inner roof was dry. There was no wind to cause windblown leakage. Anyone ever experience this with their sil tarp?”

“I've used my 8x10 silnylon tarp in several all-night downpours, and have stayed dry (using a plastic ground cloth too). I used to use a bag cover, too, but I leave that home now. The 10' length is enough to keep any rain from reaching me through the open end of the tarp.

I sometimes carry a bug tent that I made that fits inside the tarp, if I'm going to be where the skeeters might be more than just a mild nuisance.”

“I'm experimenting with an 8x10 siltarp (10oz)and an Outdoor Research Bug Bivy (13oz). In concept, I believe this setup will work in many different conditions. One condition I know it doesn't work well in is on a beach. I would opt for a freestanding tent on a beach.”