Author Topic: Sleeping bag for Bivvy  (Read 3547 times)

Manotea

  • Where there is doubt...
Sleeping bag for Bivvy
« on: 25 September, 2018, 12:31:54 pm »
What sleeping bag do TCR bivvyists use?
Should I opt for down (warm and compact) or manmade (less susceptible to damp/condensation but more bulky)?

(Tried asking this on TCR facebook and being mocked.... somewhere between "I slept in a crisp packet" and "Sleep, Wozzat?"  :)

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Sleeping bag for Bivvy
« Reply #1 on: 25 September, 2018, 12:35:53 pm »
What sleeping bag do TCR bivvyists use?
Should I opt for down (warm and compact) or manmade (less susceptible to damp/condensation but more bulky)?

(Tried asking this on teh TCR column and being mocked.... somewhere between "I slept in a crisp packet" and "Sleep, Wozzat?"  :-[

Synthetic.

I got an As-tucas Sestrels quilt just for ultra racing. It weighs about the same as my (warmer) down bag, but it is a lot more durable in terms of moisture, and pack abuse. I have a sea to summit event compression dry sack so I can make it even more tiny.

I am not a particularly experience ultra racer, so I may be Doing It Wrong™, but it's what I went for. I have considered using the sestrels poncho from As-tucas for next years TCR If I get in. But I'm undecided.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Sleeping bag for Bivvy
« Reply #2 on: 25 September, 2018, 06:28:40 pm »
Two comments;

Nunatak Gear in the USA makes an interesting looking range of bivi gear. They use Climashield (as does As Tucas). Looking at the website might help you focus your thoughts. 

The Sestrals Poncho is very tempting!


FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Sleeping bag for Bivvy
« Reply #3 on: 25 September, 2018, 07:41:49 pm »
What sleeping bag do TCR bivvyists use?
Should I opt for down (warm and compact) or manmade (less susceptible to damp/condensation but more bulky)?

(Tried asking this on teh TCR column and being mocked.... somewhere between "I slept in a crisp packet" and "Sleep, Wozzat?"  :-[

Synthetic.

I got an As-tucas Sestrels quilt just for ultra racing. It weighs about the same as my (warmer) down bag, but it is a lot more durable in terms of moisture, and pack abuse. I have a sea to summit event compression dry sack so I can make it even more tiny.

I am not a particularly experience ultra racer, so I may be Doing It Wrong™, but it's what I went for. I have considered using the sestrels poncho from As-tucas for next years TCR If I get in. But I'm undecided.

J

That quilt has me thinking of two options:
Read "for whom the bell tolls" and figure out what it is that Robert carries to sleep in;
Or Ride in a Kilt; that's not the Walter Scott fabrication type of kilt, but a proper one, that's basically just a big quilt that you could lob in the heather at the end of the day and then roll yourself up in to sleep.

They are all of course variations on the same concept!

Zed43

  • prefers UK hills over Dutch mountains
Re: Sleeping bag for Bivvy
« Reply #4 on: 25 September, 2018, 08:49:59 pm »
I'm not racing, but when I bring a bivvy on an audax ride it usually is with a quilt made by Mountain laurel designs with ClimaShield Apex isolation (the lightest 2oz/yrd variant). It packs surprisingly small.

Phil W

Re: Sleeping bag for Bivvy
« Reply #5 on: 25 April, 2019, 11:18:59 pm »
I have stuck with down for bivvying for the past 30 years.   Started off mountains and alpine but now also for bike occasionally.   If you choose your bivvying setup and / or location appropriately damp is rarely an issue. You can now also get hydrophobic down which has largely solved any issues of your bag getting damp.

jpd

Re: Sleeping bag for Bivvy
« Reply #6 on: 26 April, 2019, 07:07:22 am »
There's no straightforward answer to this question as everybody will have their own opinions. There is a lot to consider with sleeping bags such as seasons, climate, dampness, bag compression, materials, bag weight, your own tolerance to cold, ground insulation, shelter, your budget, touring, racing etc.

I can't say what to choose, but I can only say what I personally use. When I took part in the TCR, I used OMM Mountain Raid 1.0. I use the same bag for ultra running with weather conditions down to about 3c to 4c. I still use the same bag for touring as it compresses well and fits nicely inside my saddlebag under the seat. It isn't cheap, but with the money I've saved on accomodation it has paid for itself.

However, with hindsight for the TCR, I would have been fine with a bivy, Thermarest NeoAir XLite and a sleeping bag liner. The TCR is during the warmer months, and even up high in the mountains overnight I found the sleeping bag too hot. When it was extremely hot, it was cooler to cycle during the night and sleep during the day where I didn't even need a bivy bag, just a nice patch of grass in the shade.