lightweight two person bivybag

Does anyone know a lightweight bivybag for two persons? I got the heavy nylon coated one, but that one is big and heavy. I also got a two AMK heatsheets bivy's, but they are just for one person.

It is just for emergency's so it doesn't have to last more than a few days. Weight and size is a big issue for me.

Oware makes a two person bivy. I have no experience with it, but I assume it's like all other bivy's, just bigger. Weight and size aren't unreasonable, can't say the same about cost.

http://www.owareusa.com/

How about one of those lightweight Tube tents from campmor.com or the Large orange trashbags from bepreparedtosurvive.com.I have 2 of the trashbags,they are bright orange,aprox.60"x30"x4mil.thick or possibly a Dutch Military Poncho from Sportsmans Guide

I will be using it for mountainering, so a tube tent or poncho is not a option. I want a really small, affordable two person bivybag. The lack of extra clothing and sleeping bags, means keeping each other warm is importent.

The Oware one looks ok, but the price is a bit to high.

No Kidding on this one,How about a Military Body bag?They are usually as tough as nails,Rip-stop waterproof Nylon with Very Heavy-Duty Zippers,Some even come with Strap handles,of which you could incorporate in your rigging,so as to sleep suspended if you had to,& They come in many different sizes as well,& The Best part,Very Affordable!Just don't eat any Beans,otherwise the intended use of such may fall to it's primary purpose,lol! Throw in a Lightweight Poncho liner,& I'd think you&yours will be Well off!

A while ago I found this Ortovox Gemini Double Emergency Shelter, but I think one person might have a hard time breathing... But maybe that's not the right picture, because the single person one looks the same.

Edit:
Oops, first post and already made a fool out of myself: You can put your head through the hole and use it as a poncho, but there's a big opening at the "bottom", so both people can breathe.

Please correct me if I am wrong here, but I read your comment as the bivvy bag would be a substitute for warm clothes and sleeping bags??

The bivvy bag is an emergency option, not a substitute for clothes and sleeping bags. The bivvy bag is, as you probably know, not insulated.

The bivvy-bag ( a "windbag", "vindsäck" in swedish, "vindsekk" in norwegian) is almost a compulsory item when travelling the mountains of the north here, (Sweden, Norway and Finland) during all seasons.

Over here there is quite a range of different bags but I still prefere the brittish ones;
I own and use this one, check this out:
http://www.outdoordesigns.co.uk/products_shelter_group.html

Being new to the UK, I see these 'botty bags' being sold over the place. I have never saw them before still a few months ago.

Does anyone have any experience with them?

Kris

I'm intrigued about the wind bag concept too - we are not the Arctic north by any means, but there's enough went and windy weather arouhnd here in the PNW even in the summer that I sometimes long for a better shelter than a jury-rigged tarp. Bork^3, do folks pack these botty bags and deploy them only in emergencies, or do they also put them out during breaks in hiking etc? Would you use such a bag for overnight camping, or is there inadequate air circulation for that (except in an emergency?)

Not all people pack these bags, they are not a compulsory item, only recommended.
The "windbag" is definetely not for emergency situations only. They are very commonly used when taking a short break during hiking as well, especially in winter.

The bags are used in any situation when you need to get away from the elements, e.g. hard winds when no natural cover exists and a tent would perhaps be too difficult to set up or if you didn't bring one! Perhaps you are wet and need to change your clothes or need to tend to your injured or sore feet and the rain is pooring down, then the windbag is a great piece of kit.

The bag is quite versatile, you can set it up as windscreen, you can sit on it, use it as a groundcover for your tent or sleeping bag, use it as a signaling device, waving it about to attract attention.

People do generally not use it as an overnight camping option, unless it is a more extreme situation but in calm weather I cannot see any reason not to, the ventilation is more than adequate for it. The bag however isn't "tent-shaped" and do not provide the same amount of room as a tent would.

During a ski patrol about 16 years ago, it came very handy indeed. I, and another guy, were on our way to a cabin in a remote region of northern Sweden and a storm was on its way, but we had to go, (this was during my military service). The snowstorm was over us quite fast and I decided early that we had to dig in (make a snow pit) and sit out the storm in the windbag. Sitting on our backpacks eating canned food, packets of butter and chocolate we endured 27 hours before we could move on. The bag helped keep us snug and since then I never hike in the north without one.

I agree 100% with what 3*Bork has to say about bivy bags / "wind bags" and their use. Not everyone who goes into the Scandinavian wilderness has one, but most people who do that often will bring one.

My primary bivy bag is described here in the "PSK sharing centre" thread. I have no augmented this piece of equipment with the AMK bivy bag, but that I view as an expedient, one time use only emergency center. My big bag is usually with me except on trips where it is totally unwarranted.

While my bag's primary role is as emergency shelter, it is usually employed as a wind break. It is VERY nice to whip up a wind break in 120 seconds whenever you shall have lunch in somewhat sub-optimal weather.

My wife and I have had lunch inside my ("our?") bivy bag in snowy weather (somewhat intimate, but we weren't complaining), but otherwise I consider myself lucky that I never have had to use it as an emergency shelter.

Are you looking for a bivi bag or bothy bag? The only 2 man bivi bag I've heard of was the Outdoor Research Advanced Double Bivy from around 10 years ago, but I cannot find a link for the product now. But here are some alternatives, which might be a little more practical especially if the kit is to be used for mountaineering purposes. I would forget about anything that is not MVP for bivi bag especially for 2 people.

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/product-reviews/outdoor-designs-race-raider---first-look/2011.html

or if you think you can fit two in, how about one of these;

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/shop/c...and-739298.html

Given that all the materials are pretty common, and a working bivy bag can be quite simple in design and construction, little more than a giant stuff sack in some cases, I would encourage you to look into making your own.

Start with a dead simple one, a glorified sack. Take this on a easy trip and modify materials and methods, and add features to fit your needs.

Perhaps start with a simple flat piece of coated nylon pack cloth about 5' wide and 12' long. Stitch on, or arrange buttons to hold a removable, thin microfiber liner over the entire piece. Then fold and sew a 6' long zipper up both sides. Treat the unit, minus liner, with a wash-in durable water repellent. Give it a go and modify or redesign as it takes your fancy.

The cloth is typically available in 59" widths last time I looked but you may want your bag wider or narrower. And the 6' folded length is just a shot in the dark. five foot may be more to your liking. Also, while a simple square bottomed bag is simpler it would be easy to taper the foot-end.

You could also think about using heavier material on the bottom even if this means you can't alternate use top-to-bottom to even out wear. Adding a bit of fleece to the foot under the liner might help. As would adding a pouch near the top on each side for stuff you might need at night.

Of course there two pretty big down sides to this sort of activity: First, it is your baby. If it fails, or fails to please, it is all on you. Up side of that if it works you get all the credit. Making your own gear, particularly when it is better than you could buy, lends a lot of credibility. Any dork with a trust fund can buy their way into good equipment. Those who can make their own are a cut above.

Second, once you start building your own you will never look at store-bought gear the same way. You notice little things like how manufacturers often add pockets in locations that make the item easy to assemble and look right. Usually centered and straight up and down. Which often ends up making the pocket less usable.

You will start to modify your gear. A pack will scarcely make it home before you start taking pieces off.

@Richlacal
Well a body bag is a bit to heavy (well the models i know are)...

@codyjack
The Ortovox Gemini Double looks interesting. I will have to look if it's availible in mine country.

@BorkBorkBork
I will not use the bivybag to substitue clothing, but since weight and weight is a big issue i will carry limited reserves. A tube tent or similair it to drafty and can not be used on its own.

I do not have any experians with the botty bags, but i'm not sure if it's the right choice for me, but the weight of the botty bags looks great...

@Am_Fear_Liath_Mor
I'm looking for a bivybag, not a botty bag. I guess the bivybag is a more mainland thing? but the botty bag does look interesting... 2 persons bivy bags do exsist. I have one, but mine is the basic, oversized waterproof stuff sac model. The hooped bivy's are to heavy and fancy.

@Art_in_FL
I already have most stuff i need. I just want smaller and lighter alternatives. Which makes it harder to DIY...

I beg to differ. Check into what the ultralight hikers are doing, a lot of them seems to arrive at the conclusion that the ligthest equipment is DIY or heavily modified.

The way I see it, if you have these 3 requirements
- A need/want slightly off the main stream market (and a 2-persons bivy bag appears to be)
- Good quality
- As lightweight and small as possible

Then your options are either ridiculous expensive or DIY.

DIY does not nescessarily means you'll be doing the stitching. I'm sure you can pay a seamstress to stitch together an old rainfly to suit your shape. Making a cheap model for testing might be a good idea anyway as it is much easier to see what works and what doesn't.

Well finding the right materials is the hard and expensive part. I can't seem to find the right stuff locally. Importing them is expensive due to shipping, handeling and customs fee's.

Here's a link to the manual.

The weight of any unit is entirely up to you. There are few things a commercial manufacturer can assemble or use that you can't. Pretty much all the tools and materials are available.

Lightness is a function of the design and materials you chose to use. Smaller, tighter, designs with fewer add-ons like pouches, zippers, and reinforcements will be lighter. The materials and design you use will be a four-way trade-off between weight, durability and/or function, cost, and ease of manufacturing.

As DIY manufacturer you can take risks that would give a commercial producer a heart attack. To some extent a commercial manufacturer puts their reputation, and profits on the line with every unit sold.

You could simply stitch up a compact tapered treated nylon sack from the most diaphanous ultralight cloth available and have a two-person bivy that would last but one trip and have a bivy that is lighter than any commercial product.

You could start with the lightest sil-nylon tarp made, lay out on your back yard with your trip partner and have someone chalk the outline as you snuggle. Stitch up one seam and hem the top and you have your bivy. It will be about as light as you can get.

Picture a truncated cone shape about 6' long with a minimalist circumference roughly 8' at the top and 5' at the foot made of 1.1 ounce sil-nylon. At something less than 5 square yards of material you might bring it in at less than half a pound. You could save some money buying a sil-nylon tarp and stitching the one seam on a borrowed machine.

You might be able to get enough cloth to make it with one of these for $60 but it is going to be tight:
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___20068

This would be a very confining and hard to use minimalist unit with little margin for wear and abuse but it is hard to imagine one much lighter.

Heavier material, more elbow room, and amenities like a zipper or two, and draw cord would make it more usable and durable but heavier. What trade-offs your willing to make depend on you.

Finding the optimum raw material might be hard and expensive, yes, particular if you have to ship internationally.

Can you find reasonably priced one person bivy bags in the kind of material you're looking for? Why not take two of them and stitch one-and-a-half of them together?


You could also be on the lookout for some lightweight surplus material around you. A "top-hat" for a car (used in winter time to keep frost from forming on the windows), a thin tarp or some cut-out from an old tent. It would be light enough to make do while you search for the optimum double bivy bag and/or raw materials in unobtanium.

Tjin,

I am not clear on your needs. Do you actually plan on using this for shelter, or is it a backup for emergencies? If your plan is to use this and rely on body heat for warmth, I would strongly reconsider and take a sleeping bag.

Have you slept in a bivy before? They don't provide any insulation at all, so if it's cold outside, you'll still be cold. I really can't imagine a 2 person bivy working very well, I doubt either person is going to sleep very well. Maybe that's why there aren't that many companies making them.

If this is just for emergencies, I would recommend two separate bags so each person carries their own. There is no real weight savings to having a double bag, I don't think it'll be much warmer, and you never know when you might become separated or one persons gear gets lost.

Need more detail on uses. Does it need to be waterproof or
breathable or both? What price range, what weight?

Some have made their own using silnylon for the bottom and
a driducks poncho for the top to get a two person size,
waterproof breathable, cheap and lightweight bivysack.

It is for backup/emergency only. A sleepingbag is too big. The more sleeping gear i carry, the more likely i'll have to use it. I personally prefer single person models, but the guides want us to carry the double versions.

Requirement:
- Light weight and small (less than 500 grams)
- Waterproof, breathable is not required.
- Durable enough to survival 2 nights, but does not have last longer.
- proper closing opening
- 60 euro or less (~$70), shipping included
- vents would be nice.

I was thinking of turing two heatsheets in to a large bag and add a drawstring opening. I just haven't found a good tape, which i trust enough for the job. (to bulky, not sticky enough, to wide, loosing stickyness with heat and time)

Some make their own bivysacks from Tyvek. This is a housewrap
material used as a vapor barrier in construction. There is also
a Tyvek tape that holds very well. You would find it at a building supply or hardware store.

Some find it at construction sites where extra scraps are to be
had for free.

What did you finally decide on?

The two heatsheets idea sounded like a straightforward one to me. Before they had heat sheets type bivvies, I used to take two space blankets and tape them together on three sides to make my own emergency bivvy. I used clear mailing tape. It seemed to work fairly well. I wouldn't think being too wide would be a problem. I would think that being too narrow would be a problem.

HJ

There is always the Blizzard Survival Tube.

Weighs 540 grams
Cost around 50 Euros

I'd forgotten I had one,this might work-The Original Dreamie.They are made of a Satin type Polyester,& come in a few different colors,they weigh about 1 LB. & Measure-44"wideX 82" long,I beleive I paid something like $20.00 for it,Here is their website:www.buydreamie.com, Maybe this is something you can use,Good luck with the search! I have NO Affiliation with the above mentioned!

I like that design. Simple.

Some years ago, I sewed up a simple two person bivy bag, used primarily on SAR. I definitely prefer one two-person bag to separate one-person bags - although not toasty, you will be warmer with two heat sources inside a simple fabric envelope. I so used mine on several occasions, at least three times in very cold weather, and got through every night.

The construction was straightforward - Goretex on top, and coated nylon on the bottom. No zips, just an overlapping flap at the head end. Keep it simple and as light as possible.

Two person bags are not very common because there just isn't a mass market. On mountaineering routes, space may be an issue.