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Re: [at-l] Bivy Sacks and broken stuff

At 03:31 AM 1/20/97 PST, Michael Connick wrote:
>This may sound like a dumb question, but if you're going to carry a tarp why 
>bother with the bivy at all? I personally would consider carrying one or the 
>other, but certainly not both. BTW, Western Mountaining has a 1 lb 10 oz
bivy 
>that has a storage area in the top for a pack.

Just a tarp and ground cloth is certainly an option (ask Charlie Thorpe).
The problem with carrying just a bivy is that they can get hot, clammy, and
claustrophobic when all zipped up.  Most people who carry a tarp use a
pretty big one (8x8 -> 10x12).  With a bivy, you can get by with a much
smaller tarp (even 5x7, which is what I plan to use).  A small tarp is
lighter because of its size, and can be made out of lighter fabric.  And it
requires fewer stakes to set up, and less rope to run to the stakes.

I've heard good things about the Western Mountaineering bivy.  It looked to
me like it was better suited for winter and/or mountaineering use than for
the warmer conditions of the AT in summer.  Something like it, or even
lighter, might be just the ticket for someone who mostly planned to stay in
shelters and just needed emergency shelter.  I want the option of not using
the shelters much, so I am looking for an option with more ventilation.

I'm still in the process of finding out what works best for me.  My first
bivy is on order, and my information all comes from talking to people and
reasoning from first principles.

-- Jim Mayer
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