Bushcraft and Bivvying
Summer is well and truly here and with it comes an increase in popularity of the humble bivvy bag. While an option in winter many, perhaps understandably prefer to stick to tents. When it comes to summer, however, there’s not a lot that can beat the experience of sleeping out in a bivvy bag.
In this blog, we’re going to look at the benefits of the bivvy, run through a few options of bivvy bags and then provide you with a description of the bivvy experience that you can have on one of our weekend bushcraft courses.
As always, please feel to read the whole blog or skip to the section that interests you the most.
Benefits of the bivvy
In this section, we’re going to take a look at the benefits of the bivvy. Keep in mind though that these are just our opinions, everyone experiences the outdoors in different ways.
Sleep anywhere
A bivvy bag gives you the ability to sleep in places where you just couldn’t pitch a tent. Tuck up behind the rocks close to the summit of the mountain or relax, on your inflatable mat, and in your bivvy bag on a stretch of beach.
A word on sleeping anywhere
A word on sleeping anywhere, wild camping is illegal in England and Wales outside of Dartmoor, although it may be unofficially tolerated elsewhere. If you do choose to go bivvying on Dartmoor, elsewhere in England/Wales or in Scotland then make sure that you have the skills to leave absolutely no trace. Your presence should not impact on the environment in any way, leave your campsite as you found it and carry out all rubbish – even if it isn’t yours.
Experience the outside
As great as tents are, and they certainly have their place, they do place a barrier between you and the environment. With a bivvy bag though, no such barrier exists. You can remain warm, and most importantly dry, inside your sleeping bag, inside your bivvy bag, while totally immersed in nature, watching the stars as you fall asleep.
Lightweight
We will look at the weight of bivvy bags in the next section but generally speaking they are lighter than a tent. What is certain is that at the lower end of the market a bivvy bag will weigh in much, much lighter than a tent. What this means is that your overall kit weight is lower, helping you to make up more miles during the day.
LEARN HOW TO USE AN AXE, BUILD SHELTERS, LIGHT FIRES AND MORE ON OUR IOL ACCREDITED WEEKEND BUSHCRAFT COURSE.
Which bivvy bag is for you?
Ah outdoors kit, always a topic that generates a lot of discussions. The opinions in this blog are just that, opinions. Each person will have their own preferences when it comes to kit and decisions can really only be made with experience. Also, no one piece of kit will do for all situations, the demands on your kit in a summer in the UK are going to be very different from the demands of a Canadian winter. One final point of note, Wildway Bushcraft do not benefit from any of these companies or products – we don’t make any money if you chose to buy one!
- Snugpak
Snugpak have a, deservedly, good reputation in the outdoors world. Their bivvy bag is great from the UK weather. It weighs in at 300 grams, is fully waterproof and breathable. The standard version measures 228 cm long though an extra large version is available. It retails for around £70.
https://www.snugpak.com/outdoor/bivvi-bag - Alpkit
Alpkit’s Hunka and Hunka XL are fully waterproof and breathable bivvy bags weighing in at 330 grams and 490 grams respectively. The XL measures 235 cm in length while the standard measures 215 cm. The Hunka retails for around £48 while the XL goes for £65.
https://www.alpkit.com/products/hunka-xl - Rab Survival Zone Bivvy
The Survival Zone bivvy bag from Rab weighs in at a very light 422 grams and measures 240cm in length. Fully waterproof and breathable with a very small pack size the Rab Survival Zone retails from near enough £95 making it one of the most expensive on this list.
https://rab.equipment/uk/survival-zone-bivi - Ex-Army
Army surplus bivvy bags, British and Dutch seem to be popular, are a very cost-effective way to start your bivvying adventures. Hooped bivvys, that is bivvy bags with one short pole forming a half-hoop over the head in order to create more space in the bag, are popular design styles in this genre. There is a huge range of army surplus bivvy bags out there and price, weight, and quality vary hugely. Go and visit your nearest army surplus store for a better understanding of what would suit you.
LEARN HOW TO USE AN AXE, BUILD SHELTERS, LIGHT FIRES AND MORE ON OUR IOL ACCREDITED WEEKEND BUSHCRAFT COURSE.
Bivvying on our weekend course
The first thing to note is that our weekend bushcraft course is not a survival exercise. If there is anything that you’re uncomfortable with just let one of our instructors know, likewise you are free to bring a tent to sleep in to help you get accustomed to the woods or to go the whole hog and sleep out under the stars. So, what can you expect, it terms of bivvying, on our weekend bushcraft course?
Our first evening in the woods
On the first evening of our weekend bushcraft course, you will be given the chance to sleep, in your bivvy bag, under a tarp. This will not only get you accustomed to our woods but it will also give you a chance to learn about and practice your camp set-up. Most importantly though, it will give you a night out under the stars (visibility of stars not guaranteed.)
Building your own shelter
The second evening of our weekend bushcraft course will, among many, many other things, give you a chance to sleep out in a shelter that you have built yourself. This is a great opportunity to sleep out without a tarp, close to a fire, truly in amongst nature.
Bushcraft, not survival
At Wildway Bushcraft, we teach bushcraft, not survival. We’re all about living in harmony with nature not about overcoming it. That’s why our weekend bushcraft courses focus on your learning if there is anything that you’re uncomfortable with, let our instructors know and they will do their best to help you. So, if you would rather sleep in a tent than under a tarp, that’s okay with us.
LEARN HOW TO USE AN AXE, BUILD SHELTERS, LIGHT FIRES AND MORE ON OUR IOL ACCREDITED WEEKEND BUSHCRAFT COURSE.
Kit
We’ve already mentioned quite a few bivvy bags that might suit your needs, what follows here is a list of other kit that you might find useful when bivvying out in the woods.
- Fallkniven DC4
This diamond/ceramic whetstone is perfect for use in the field.
https://www.fallkniven.com/en/knife/dc4/ - Knife
Wildway Bushcraft uses Bear Blades.
“Constructed from superb quality D2 steel this knife is ideal for bushcraft and wood crafting. Our most popular knife due to its versatility and functionality, suited to tough daily use in the woods.”
http://bearblades.co.uk/ - Gransfors Bruk Small Forest Axe
https://www.gransforsbruk.com/en/product/gransfors-small-forest-axe/
Wildway Bushcraft use a small forest axe from Gransfors Bruk. You can find out more information about Gransfors Bruk via the link below.
https://www.gransforsbruk.com/en/product/gransfors-small-forest-axe/
