Swiss army sleeping bag and bivvy

[Kindliing]

haven’t seen one of these around for years .
Spent a few years with one traveling around about 20 years or so ago and I loved the thing.

remember sleeping in it below zero down south and being cold .
sleeping on the beaches up north too .
I liked the zip in the center of the bivvy and the center zip bag easier getting in or out
. I Didn’t have the liner this guy has.

remember getting sandfly bit in the face , don’t think I’d figured out about head nets back then .

bit of nostalgia.

 

[Chigger]

Looks to be a handy piece of kit for a simple camp in warmer climes. Even though it has a waterproof outer skin still think a houchi (fly tent) would be a good thing to have as well if really heavy rain comes in.

Houchi's are very lightweight and easy to set up.

 

[Kindliing]

Yes definitely agree about the Hutchie .
I also remember waking up sweating in the bivvy too .
I have a bivvy I have to slide in and out of the top of now, which is not ideal when the body has a few old injuries , and then you have to reset the sleeping bag after you’ve come out .

it’s a bit of a pain ,although the new one I have has a full mosquito net at the top.
the center zip made all the difference in getting in the old one as you can get up to go to the toilet then just step straight back down in it and everything is still in place.
Less claustrophobic as your not completely mummified.

Special Forces Bivvi Bag

Snugpak® Special Forces Bivvi Bag lets you travel as light as possible, and be prepared to take cover quickly in adverse conditions. This is extreme camping. As the name suggests, this is a hard-working and reliable Bivvi

www.snugpak.com

snugpak is making center zip ones I see . I would go with something like this and a head net and hutchie if I buy again one day I think.

 

[Chigger]

Oops houchi = hutchie, typo.

Snugpack make some nice gear, I have the Snugpack Ionosphere tent and am very pleased with it.

Agree the headnet for the Special Forces bivvi bag would be a must have.

 

[Kindliing]

I have seen those ionospheres and wondered what they’re like chigger , how do you find it ?

I have a snugpak jungle sleeping bag which has a zipper headnet attached on the hood also .

the army box net that goes with the hutchies are good too so that’s an option .

 

[Chigger]

Have been away for a day or two, sorry for the delay in responding. Here is a review I did on my Ionosphere which may be of use.

Snugpak Ionosphere tent

Decided to get a new tent for mostly full pack overnight winter time bushwalks. After 15 years of use my Eureka Moonshadow tent was showing signs of wear and coming to the end of its useful life. Came across the Ionosphere and bought one in, a couple of days ago tried it out for the first time...

bushcraftoz.com

 

[Kindliing]

Have been away for a day or two, sorry for the delay in responding. Here is a review I did on my Ionosphere which may be of use.

Snugpak Ionosphere tent

Decided to get a new tent for mostly full pack overnight winter time bushwalks. After 15 years of use my Eureka Moonshadow tent was showing signs of wear and coming to the end of its useful life. Came across the Ionosphere and bought one in, a couple of days ago tried it out for the first time...

bushcraftoz.com

Looks like a good practical little tent .thanks!

funny thing happened after talking about bivy bags , walked into the op shop today and there was one on the shelf 5$

made in New Zealand nice light weight with a net section for the face.

It’s an “ALP sports mountaineering equipment “
It’s a beauty.

 

[Chigger]

For $5 the bivvy bag would be excellent for canyon or canoeing trips in summertime. Just need a closed cell foam mat to make things a bit more comfortable.

 

[Kindliing]

For $5 the bivvy bag would be excellent for canyon or canoeing trips in summertime. Just need a closed cell foam mat to make things a bit more comfortable.

When it rains I’ll stick it out for the night without me in it and check inside in the morning.
I’m weary of used items being waterproof these days .

doesn’t need to be too watertight though as I’ll use a tarp or shelter with it .

it will definitely add some extra coziness ,warmth and protection with a summer sleeping bag and a pad.

I’ll see if I can make it work in a hammock too .

good idea about the canoe , I find myself making up kits , and that had been a plan to make up a dedicated canoe bucket kit for camping .

 

[Chigger]

Before making the rain test give it a spray with Silicone Water-Guard ( the one with the orange cap) and see how it goes in the rain.

I use this spray on jackets, capes etc and it works well.