Bivy failure Re: [at-l] Post Gathering questions

[daveh at psknet.com (David Hicks)]

Good advice.

BTDTGDT

Back when I bivy camped I never had a problem, if I got a bivy up and got into 
it BEFORE the deluge.  Not only completely dry inside when the outside was 
covered in muck from bounce/splash, but (as I have posted in the past) when I 
had to dig out of snow.  OTOH, setting one up in a deluge (especially had it 
been taken down wet that morning) was a horse of a different hue.

Also, I have had tents where the fabric (that was supposed to be waterproof) 
leaked -- one right out of the box.

All the bivies, which I know of, are basically large bags all of which should 
be waterproof -- none of that "don't touch the fabric" style fabric from fly & 
body tent construction.

The following test work best with two or three people.  Go in the backyard 
turn the bivy (tent, raingear, whatever) inside-out, put a couple gallons of 
water in it (while keeping the inside, now on the outside, dry), and lift it 
off the ground creating a bag, or sag, full of water, rotate & lift the fabric 
so that there is a sag full of water well off the ground.  Watch for leaks. 
With three folk have one watch for where it spring a leak, while the others 
manipulate the bag.

Chainsaw

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sloetoe" <sloetoe@yahoo.com>
To: "Gary Ticknor" <garyticknor@starpower.net>; "boulder ..." 
<boulder_a_t@yahoo.com>
Cc: <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 12:33 PM
Subject: Bivy failure Re: [at-l] Post Gathering questions


>>
SNIP
2) There is no reason a bivy should not stay relatively dry in a
total deluge. Been there and done that and more than once. I
even have the patch.
SNIP
Woke up more than once
completely covered in muck from bounce/splash, but completely
dry inside.
3) You haven't established WHY you had 1": of water in your
bivy.
SNIP
leak points
in the fabric itself.
<<