Bivvying is the extreme version of camping: it’s sleeping in the wild but not in a tent. Rather, you use a bivvy bag, a sort of waterproof cover that falls somewhere between a raincoat for your sleeping bag and a miniature tent without poles or stakes. I tried it recently for the first time, these are the lessons I learned.
Lesson 1: The right material makes or breaks the experience
Bivvy bags exist in every price category. Cheaper bivvy bags may be (more or less) waterproof, but they do not breathe or breathe sufficiently. When you’re breathing in and out the whole night, the bivvy bag catches the condensation from your body. Result: by the morning, you and your sleeping bag are soaking wet. Bivvy bags of higher quality are not only waterproof but also breathable.
I tested the Storm Bivi of RAB, a brand that explicitly targets ‘mountain people’. Before I left on my expedition, I fell in love with its ultralight weight – 547 grams – and its size. When packed up, the bivvy bag only measures 25 x 12 centimetres. Unfolded, a length of 230 centimetres and a shoulder width of 80 centimetres allows us to take a small backpack into the bivvy bag. Handy, that way we have our things at hand at night.
Lesson 2: Minimalist does not equal unprepared
On top of your bivvy bag, you need a decent sleeping bag and ditto sleeping mat. Make no mistake: the latter is at least as important as the former. A quality sleeping bag will not compensate for a crappy sleeping mat. Unless there is a lot of wind, you’ll lose more body heat along the bottom of your body, through the ground, than along the top of it. When bivvying, you’ll have to choose between putting the sleeping in or under your bivvy bag. Both methods have pros and cons. Your sleeping bag stays dry and in one spot when you put it inside, but placing it outside offers more space and flexibility.
Consult the weather. Bivvy bags lend themselves best to micro-adventures, which often allow flexibility. Is it going to pour rain? Perhaps postpone your trip for a day or a week. I wanted to take my bivvy bag for a two-day hike in the Flemish Ardennes. A prediction of freezing temperatures made me abandon that plan. Instead, I took a tent with me – in addition to a lot of layers. I realised I made the right choice when I had to scratch ice from the tent sheet in the morning.
Preparation also lies in the equipment you bring and in your setup. Keep your torch handy and don’t put your boots too far away, to not make a nighttime call of nature even more complicated than it already is. Always close your sleeping bag at such times, that way it will preserve the warmth. Also provide the right clothes: an extra pair of socks, a hat and/or buff are worth their weight in gold.
Lesson 3: You will get wet, but don’t be a grouch
Take extra precautions if the weather forecast predicts rain. If necessary, take a tarp – less minimalism, more protection. If not all your gear fits into your bivvy bag, provide a dry bag, a rain cover or even a trash bag. Above all, don’t leave your shoes out in the rain. If you don’t have a way to protect them, at least turn them with the open side down.
My Storm Bivi boasts a water column of 10,000 millimetres (click for an explanation of that term). In human language: you can camp in a monsoon with it. Does that mean we always stayed dry? No. No bivvy bag, no matter how high the quality, will keep you completely dry. Even if it doesn’t rain, condensation creates humidity. No big deal during a short micro-adventure. Just let your gear dry during the day and you’re good to go.
Lesson 4: It’s especially suitable for a micro-adventure
For the same reason, a bivvy bag is not a solution for longer expeditions, not even in combination with a tarp. “A micro-adventure lasts one or two nights, so you can let your sleeping bag dry for a while during the day, for example during a lunch break,” said Arne Monstrey of outdoor retailer K2/De Kampeerder. “During a longer venture, moisture builds up day by day. Some customers want to hike a longer GR with the combination of a tarp and a bivouac bag. When a light tent weighs maybe 300 grams more, it’s better to opt for the tent.”
A bivvy bag allows for a lot of spontaneity. By staying local, you can respond to the weather and leave last minute. Where can you bivouac? In Belgium, unfortunately, the everyman’s right does not apply, as it does in Scotland, Scandinavia and the Baltic countries. It is, however, allowed on designated bivouac sites, as well as on private land with the permission of the owner.
If you want to try wild camping, it’s easier to camp stealthily with a bivvy bag than with a tent. You can leave quicker, you are less visible – check those camouflage patterns on the Storm Bivi! – and you can settle down in the most hidden corners. If no one sees you, no one can ask you to leave. Arrive late, just before sunset, and leave early to reduce the risk of being found. Most forests don’t attract visitors in the nighttime.
Bivvy bag campers swear by the principles of ‘leave no trace’. They don’t make a campfire, let alone use a disposable barbecue. The right clothes will keep you warmer than a fire. If you do want to cook, use a gas fire.
Lesson 5: Sleep? With a bit of luck
Don’t desperately search for sleep. If you camp with a bivvy bag, it’s best to accept beforehand that the slightest crack will wake you up, that you will toss and turn and that the night will bring no more than a quick nap. Those who realise in advance that this is an integral part of the experience will not get frustrated. Bivvying is not about comfort, it is about being adventurous during a busy week, about minimalism and self-reliance.
Lesson 6: Honour the view, the stars and the connections with nature
There are several reasons why you might start bivvying. A bivvy bag is a lightweight alternative to a tent, made for spontaneous micro-adventures. Its simplicity is second to none. But above all, the connection to nature appeals to many adventurers. Watching the stars at night, catching the sunrise from your sleeping spot, being close to fauna and flora.
Or as one avid bivvyer described it in The Guardian: “When I’m in a tent, I’m very much a visitor on the landscape, but in a bivvy I become part of the landscape. Wildlife comes closer, trusting me as one of their own, the stars are there for company whenever I open my eyes and rather than feel scared of the dark I’m hidden by it – no one knows I’m there.”
Thanks to K2/De Kampeerder for borrowing me an RAB Storm Bivi. This blog post first appeared in Dutch on Kampeertijd.