UKH

Hi can anyone reccomend a good bivvy bag for scottish winter,
this last weekend i had a rather miserable night in my millet bivvy bag. the velcro strap kept blowing open in the wind and getting full of snow thus soaking my usually nice and toasty down sleeping bag, i also find condensation to be a real issue inside of it so I am looking for an upgrade.

Thanks

In reply to Jackob:

A bivi bag in Scottish winter sounds a bit grim. Where are you expecting to use it? I've generally used a lightweight tent in that environment for my own sanity.

In reply to Jackob:

with a bivvy bag that covers your head there is no real way to avoid condensation. If you had your heart set on bivvying condensation free then the best option would be to get a small tarp and have your head out of the bag. But then you may as well just get a tent.

In reply to Jackob:

I've used an ex-military Goretex bivi bag in Scottish winter before. Usually only about £25 if you can find one on eBay. It's not ideal though - the lack of a hoop means snow piles up on top of you, so you end up having to mess about making tarp shelters as well. As others have said, at some point it's easier just to get a tent.

If you've got your heart set on a bivi bag though, don't use one that covers your face, or it will get soaked, as tingle mentioned. Just get a really good balaclava, and cut/burn a mouth hole in it. The army Goretex jobs have a pull cord thing that tightens it around the side of your head.

In reply to BlueTotem:

I use one of the British Army bivvy bags myself. It works but it's not luxury. The next step up is to look for a "Dutch Army bivvy bag" goretex and hooped and shouldn't break the bank. Snugpac do a good hooped version (The Stratosphere) for about a £100.

In reply to Jackob:

Another easier way of keeping snow out of a bivvy bag is to go a bit higher to sleep and dig a snow hole. Silent, and adaptable.

In reply to tingle:

I only bivi now in good weather for this reason. I use either an ex issue Goretex bivi bag or a Rab survival zone. Both get soggy with condensation if I have to cinch the hood right in and tuck the hole under in poor weather.
I've recently found the magic carpet from dd hammocks http://www.ddhammocks.com/product/dd_magic_carpet2?from_cat=33
which is a mega light tarp that would cover my head nicely rigged with walking poles and is light enough that I'll be happy to carry it in addition to the survival zone for the same weight as the Goretex one. I think I'll pick one up and trial it in the summer.
No idea how it would cope with poor winter weather (badly I suspect) but then I'd be renting it or more likely in a bunk house near a pub!

In reply to Jackob:

Down and bivi bags don't work well in a temperate climate. Get a synthetic sleeping bag.
Face out - if it starts to rain or snow, roll over so that the opening is underneath. Get a synthetic sleeping bag.
Sleeping mat outside, to protect the bag from the wee jaggies. Furthermore, sleeping mats are not breathable, so they need to be outside the breathable layer. Stop it blowing away by lying on it.
It's warmer to use a belay jacket as a blanket inside your bag rather than wearing it.

In reply to Jackob:

I use a US Army Arctic bivvy system. Good for -40 apparently. Not hooped but you can sleep with the bag done up and your head inside with no condensation or feel of suffocating.