So does anybody ever just hop in their bivy and then burrow into some deep snow and sleep? In other words is all that digging and tamping really necessary?

The bivy itself isn't mandatory, at least not here, but digging is...

Bivy helps to keep sleeping bag dry in a wet snow, other than that, you would be much happier with the same amount of weight as added feathers. That is unless your sleeping bag is not windproof which it should be. If the wind can get really high, like in the mountains or in outer achipelago etc. you might still want the bivy.

Digging reduces windchill and does not have to weight anything extra, so it's stupid not to dig. Tamping, well not mandatory. It just reduces the amount of digging.

Personally I'd never sleep IN snow without a bivy sack. YOur body heat coming through the sleeping bag will melt the snow touching it and wet out your bag.

Even in a winter-frosted tent you bag can get its foot wet by touching the tent's frosty wall. Just sayin'...

"Personally I'd never sleep IN snow without a bivy sack. YOur body heat coming through the sleeping bag will melt the snow touching it and wet out your bag.

Even in a winter-frosted tent you bag can get its foot wet by touching the tent's frosty wall. Just sayin'..."

Well, I feel that the tent's wall is touching my sleeping bag all over when I'm using bivy. But then again, I do sweat heavily. And if the bivy breathes well enough, I still get my bag wet if I touch the snow with it. But that's just me, YMMV.

>Personally I'd never sleep IN snow without a bivy sack. YOur body heat coming through the sleeping bag will melt the snow touching it and wet out your bag.

>Even in a winter-frosted tent you bag can get its foot wet by touching the tent's frosty wall. Just sayin'...

+1 with Eric,

The only exception that I would make would be in an igloo or snow shelter that is completely wind prof. But then I would also have an over-sized ground cloth that went up the wall just a bit for added protection.

Mike

Edited by mlebwill on 03/03/2011 20:33:25 MST.

Actually my bag is NOT windproof and that's one of the reaons I got the bivy. I've since discovered that some bags ARE windproof and now I know what I'm missing! Oh well.. In any case I do enjoy the simplicity (and low profile vs the wind) of the bivy.

Edited by theronr on 03/03/2011 20:46:01 MST.

For me an eVent bivy is the ideal WP/breathable material due to its being VERY breathable.

Yes, the bottom of the bivy will be urethane coated nylon out of necessity, but my insulated mattress should keep condensation off the bottom.

Afterthoughts:
Should one have a soft polyester cover inside the bivy and over the bag to absorb moisture from condensation? Then you'd have to beat the frosty condensate off it every morning because it would freeze when you took it out of the bivy.

Seems the only answer is to wear a VBL suit to bed.

Edited by Danepacker on 03/05/2011 00:21:03 MST.