Bivy Tent
Low Cost Wild Adventures
My own wild adventures include summiting Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador (20,600 feet, the last 4,000 feet over glaciers), getting lost in the mountains of Colorado, and kayaking days from the nearest road in Canada, in six-foot Lake Superior waves. I may have had more of these trips if I had more money years ago. And of course time can be an issue when you want to have some adventure.
The good news is that some wild adventures aren't expensive or in far-away places. There is plenty of fun and excitement near home, if you look.
My Dirtbagging Adventure
What is dirtbagging? It is simply stripping camping or backpacking down to its essentials. You throw some things in any old pack or duffel bag, and get out there. Forget the extensive planning or fancy equipment. Leave extra clothes behind, sleep in a pile of leaves or next to a fire, and use your wits instead of your wallet for a change.
For example, my own dirtbagging trip started with a bus ride near Traverse City, Michigan (where I lived at the time), to the end of the line. I pushed the rubber tube ahead of me onto the bus, and the driver looked at that and at my small day pack with a laugh. I got off the bus in a wooded area, then walked another half-mile to get to the Boardman River, where the road crossed it.
I had a homemade plastic bivy sack, a small umbrella, some snacks, and a few warm things to wear to bed instead of using a Sleeping Bag. I kept everything in a bundle on my lap as I floated down the river sitting in the inner tube, my butt and my feet in the water the whole time. I steered as necessary with my hands.
As evening approached, the trout surfaced everywhere. I watched deer jump back from the riverbank as I floated past. Prehistoric-looking blue herons hunted for fish along the edges of the river. I feasted on wild strawberries and other wild plants whenever I took a break. I didn't need to paddle much, instead just going with the flow of the river, relaxing, and even closing my eyes for a few minutes during the calmer stretches. But the trip still had the element of unpredictability, and thus adventure.
The first unpredictable event was the rain. It started when I set up camp, and continued for the next twelve hours. I barely stayed dry in my garbage bag bivy sack, covering my head with my small umbrella. The next unpredictable event was a large white-tail deer that almost stepped on me in darkness. His snorting scared me half to death. When morning came, it was still raining.
It was a thunderstorm, actually, and I might have waited, but unlike a tent, a plastic bivy sack doesn't have enough space to do anything. I decided it was time to go home, so I bundled up my things, got into the cold river, and climbed onto the tube. The storm got worse.
I was soon past the wild stretch of river, and I began to drift by beautiful homes that sat along the banks. I was on my tube, wearing a heavy sweater, umbrella overhead, trying to Stay Warm and dry. Dawn came late because of the storm, and I watched people drinking their morning coffee through the windows of lighted kitchens. Occasionally, some looked up from their breakfast and saw me in a flash of lightning. I waved and floated by.
Not wanting to put my hands into the icy water, I quickly learned how to steer through the rapids using only my feet as paddles. I portaged around a dam, through knee-deep mud that nearly took one of my shoes. Finally, just before noon, I scrambled up the steep bank near the house. I walked down the street in the rain, carrying my umbrella, my pack, and my rubber tube, hoping the neighbors were still asleep.
Other Wild Adventures
My friends and I used to drive to a big river an hour away, park the car, and hike upstream for an hour or more. We would then build a raft of dead trees and float back to the car on it, which sometimes involved falling off and chasing the raft. These trips were named "Tom Sawyer Day," and I even did one trip where I took my bicycle twenty miles down the river on a homemade raft, through the Manistee National Forest.
Other ideas? Get a book on wild edible plants and take a short survival trek in the nearest woods. Organize your own adventure race with friends. Get on a bicycle, start peddling, and see where you end up in the next day (bring food and water or take a route that has stores). If you use your imagination You Can always find some wild adventures that don't require traveling far or spending a lot of money.
About the Author
Copyright Steve Gillman. To get the ebook "Ultralight Backpacking Secrets (And Wilderness Survival Tips)" for FREE, as well as photos, gear recommendations, and a new wilderness survival section, visit: http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com
How can I stop moisture in my bivy tent?
How can I stop moisture in my 2 persons bivy tent? I used it 3 hours, it was raining and it was (moisture)real wet. The rainfly has no ventilation and it is a real small bivy tent. It is any product or formula? Thank you
Was the tent actually leaking?
Most moisture inside a tent is just condensation from your breathing. You need to figure out a way to ventilate. Because it is so small there is little airspace to dissipate the moisture your breath is giving off.
If it is actually leaking from the rain, you should treat it with a Water Repellent made for tents etc. or use seam sealer.
A tarp may help you in both situations. If it is just condensation and you can't leave the doors unzipped because it is raining then hang a tarp over the bivy, extended it out past the doorway so you can have it unzipped and rain will not come in.
If it is just leaking then obviously a tarp in the same fashion will keep the rain off the top of the bivy.
Good luck!
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Eureka Chrysalis Hammock System $169.96 Eureka! Chrysalis Hammock System, Eureka Chrysalis Hammock System is a tent and hammock combined! The Eureka Chrysalis Hammock System offers a whole new way to camp! The Eureka Chrysalis Hammock System is designed to suspend between two trees or structures to allow for a comfortable night's sleep. Don't be fooled by its size, it also has room for your gear! Features: - Patented 2 pole cover... |
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Grand Trunk Air Bivy Extreme Shelter Description of Grand Trunk Air Bivy Extreme ShelterThe Air Bivy Extreme Shelter is perfect combination of two of Grand Trunk's most popular products, the famous Ultralight Skeeter Beeter and the equaly well known Funky Forest Tarp. Together they give you a lightweight, versitile shelter that is away from the ground and protects you from the rain and sun. The Ultra Light Skeetewr Beeter keeps the s... |
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AMK Heatsheets Emergency Bivvy from Rescue Essentials Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Emergency Bivvy Vacuum-metalized polyethylene, providing durable yet quiet protection Bright orange exterior is easy to spot, even in bad weather Protection from water and wind Sized to shelter one adult Comes with nylon stuff sack for convenient stowage Wt: 3.8 oz... |
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Adventure Medical Heatsheets Emergency Bivvy $16.00 The Adventure Medical Heatsheets Emergency Bivvy stuffs to about the size of a fist, weighs only 3.5-ounces, and helps you stay warm if your day trip turns into an overnighter. The ultralight polyethylene fabric reflects 90% of your body's heat to help you stay warm through an unexpected night in the backcountry.Product FeaturesMaterial: PolyethyleneFreestanding: N / APoles: NonePole Material: N /... |
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Eureka Apex 2XT Adventure 7' 5 by 4' 11 Two-Person Tent $129.99 Eureka! ApexXT Tent allows the fresh air in. This 3-season Apex backpacking tent series delivers high-performance and excellent ventilation at a great price! 2 large drop-down doors with zipper covers for easy entry. Apex Tents have demi-vestibules for stowing boots. Apex XT tents come with full vestibules on each side for extra space to store gear. The basic design of all the Apex series Tents ar... |
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Eureka Solar Shade Tent $89.99 You'll have it "made in the shade" with the new Eureka! Solar Shade. Protection from rain or sun whether you're at the beach or on a picnic, on the sidelines or in your own backyard. Easy to carry, easy to set up, with mesh windows and large front door that zips shut for privacy. Made of rugged StormShield polyester designed to deliver dry, tough performance, even in challenging environments. Deta... |
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Eureka Tetragon 8 Adventure 8-Foot by 7-Foot Four-Person Tent $109.49 Eureka! Tetragon 8 Tent is ready to tackle the rugged outdoors! ON SALE! Eureka!'s popular Tetragon 8 offers exceptional value for car camping, base camp or 3-season backpacking. With side windows for venting, clear windows (1 on each side) in the fly, built-in mud mat and hinged gear loft organizer, this 4-person Tetragon is far superior to ordinary dome tents. Take you and your buddy, or the who... |
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Saguaro Bivy Shelter Tent $30.48 Texsport 1165 Saguaro Bivy Shelter Tent Texsport 1165 Saguaro Bivy Shelter Tent Features: • Saguaro Bivy Shelter Tent • 7' 8" x3' 8" x 51" h. • Sleeps two persons • Great for backpacking; weighs only 4 Lbs. • Heavy-duty taffeta walls and vestibule style rainfly are polyurethane coated • Heavy-duty taffeta floor, • Two-pole frame system with shock-corded fiberglass poles. • Arch style front door with 1/2 "no-see-um" mesh window and zippered storm flap • Large "no-see-um" mesh roof panels provides superior ventilation • Complete with Stakes, and carry/Storage bag. • Flame retardant, meets C.P.A.I-84 Specifications • Color= Blue • Made In: China |
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Marmot Alpinist Bivy $148.95 The Alpinist Bivy by Marmot is a 100% seam taped, waterproof bivy that weighs in at under a pound and compresses easily when packing up your pack to move on to the next camp. If you are a fast and light backpacker, the Alpinist Bivy is the way to go without the extra weight of a tent. A high tech MemBrain fabric breathes easily while blocking wind and water, which allows you to throw your bag down wherever you need. |
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Outdoor Research Alpine Bivy $218.95 The Alpine Bivy Bag by Outdoor Research is almost like being in a tent, but without the hassle of setting up. The Alpine Bivy bag is designed with a Gore-Tex Respiration Positive+ fabric which offers complete protection from rain and snow storms without collecting interior condensation. Constructed with an overlapped zipper opening that allows air to flow, without letting water or wind in. |
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Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy $298.95 The spacious Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy can be used in place of a single tent. It is larger than the Alpine Bivy, with more space for thicker sleeping pads and loftier bags. The patented dual-pole system can be used for increased ventilation and interior space, or left behind when weight and pack space are critical. The GORE-TEX Respiration Positive fabric allows warm moist air to escape to avoid condensation while providing supreme weather protection. A zippered vent at the base improves airflow on humid nights. |
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North Face Backpack Bivy $118.95 The Backpacking Bivy by The North Face is a poled bivy that is perfect for solo trips, ultra fast backpacking or any other endeavor where a single bivy is necessary. No more taking a big tent with dead space, just pop up the Bivy and feel relaxed that you are fully protected from wind and water. Constructed with a HyVent DT waterproof breathable shell that allows moisture to escape while keeping everything else that is wet... out. Easy to use Ball Cap clips on the brow pole ends offers a strong yet simple way of setting up even in windy weather and a comprehensive color coded pitch system makes it even easier to set up in the dark or day. A fully taped floor keeps water from entering when it pools below the Bivy and a high-low venting system allows for convection and crossflow giving the bivy a less claustrophobic feel. |
