Secret Bivi Tricks

[Dru]

If all goes well I will soon attempt a route requiring a planned, as-light-as-possible bivi. I have been climbing for 13 yrs but have only ever done a planned on route bivi once. I figure some people out there have probably bivied more than I do so maybe there are some secrets to share.

 

FWIW here's what I'm planning. There is no guarantee of big ledges so the bivi may be hanging or semi-hanging. I am taking a Nozone and plan to use the foam pad as the bivi pad maybe reinforced with a butt pad of yellow foam and/or coiled rope. I plan to wear a down jacket and take a syntho Penguin overbag which i will sleep in or use doubled up on itself over my legs as appropriate. Legs in the pack with the bivi sleeve unrolled. Toque or more likely balaclava on head, and maybe mitts (or just put hands in pockets), and a pair of shake n'warms. No stove, we are eating horsecock etc. and hauling I think about 3-4 liters of water each for 2 days. We will be climbing with 2 light packs on the easy pitches and hauling one heavy pack (Nozone with the other pack stuffed inside) on the harder pitches.

 

So that set up, I figure, will get me thru the night: now what are some tips to make me more comfortable, or, lighten the load for the same or slightly less comfort level?

 

Thanks y'all

[jordop]

Where's the gin? BH says you should take TWO toques

[wayne]

Has anyone tried those thin Emergecy -bivvy sac type things I have seen in REI? They are foil with a thin insulation. Maybe ok in hot summer/

[sobo]

wayne1112 said:

Has anyone tried those thin Emergecy -bivvy sac type things I have seen in REI? They are foil with a thin insulation. Maybe ok in hot summer/

 

sux ass. at best, they're one-hit "wonders"

[pope]

My last bivi was not planned. I stayed comfortable with a busty girl and her wolf-dog. The secret is.....go with a busty girl. Also, go in July/August and you could probably survive in a swim suit.

[iain]

pour olive oil over absolutely everything you eat. Gives you an extra 5°F of warmth at night, I swear.

[bDubyaH]

Take some vitamin I for the a.m. you'r gonna be needing it .

Oh, and climb for as long as you possibly can otherwise you have to sit there suffering for an even longer time trying to guess when the sun will come up so you can move again.

[JoshK]

iain said:

pour olive oil over absolutely everything you eat. Gives you an extra 5°F of warmth at night, I swear.

 

this is a good one. a high fat dinner will make you feel warmer at night. not enough to make a miserable night into a wonderful night, but it makes a bit of difference.

[Beck]

Dru, i think you'll be fine,

 

unless the weather is going to be lousy, in which case bringing an ortovox bivy or a integral designs svarsky guides siltarp would be handy, both can be deployed in hanging belays to fit two-3 people in, and have vents/belay egress at the peaks; these all weigh in at about 12 ounces. the Svarsky siltarp also serves as flat tarp or ground cloth if the approaches are long and you need to sleep out on the flatter ground, too.

[erik]

hot chicks make any bivi better. tho something tells me you dont got one!

 

[iain]

the chicks will lunge and grab once he takes care of that Donkey Kong high score in the other thread

[tshimko]

Dru, having done maybe 8 unplanned bivies, and many planned, I'd say that you have it just right.

 

Some thing I learned about unplanned bivies, which sort of applies to planned as well, is that the more time you spend preparing your bivy site, the less time you have to spend in it.

 

[stinkyclimber]

I think you should rely on finding extra bivy gear on the route. It worked last time...

 

Bivy gear is aid.

 

Dru is aid.

[sayjay]

did an unplanned bivy recently and so only had my climbing shoes with me. too cold for bare feet so i was stuck in my shoes, semi-hanging, with my feet pointing downhill all night. would've paid good $$ for a pair of really thick socks. don't weigh much, and are a relief for your feet. even if i had more comfortable shoes w/ me I'd have opted for the thick socks. keep you warm but breathe so your feet can dry out. may seem like a luxury but i'd bring em! (...and the gloves, too)

did have a space blanket with me and it worked quite well, but it IS a one-hit wonder. if it's windy it'll get shredded. mine did.

 

have fun!

s.

 

[MATT_B]

If possible pick a spot that will get early morning sun. There is nothing like packing up, freezing your ass off in the shade when you don't have too. You probably will not have much choice as to where you end up for the night but if you do it is something to think about.

[Hal_Burton]

sobo said:

wayne1112 said:

Has anyone tried those thin Emergecy -bivvy sac type things I have seen in REI? They are foil with a thin insulation. Maybe ok in hot summer/

 

sux ass. at best, they're one-hit "wonders"

 

 

I've had good luck with the Adventure Med. Kits' emergency bivy. It reflects radiant heat well, plus is a vapor barrier. Its got a fuzzy lining to disperse moisture, but you still end up pretty damp in there.

I v'e used it inside a bivy sack with puffy coat, fleece pants and was toasty at around freezing. I've spent several nights in it and it has lots of life left.

Weighs 8oz. Lives in my pack.

 

Shots of olive oil are worth their weight in Primaloft. Good point Iain.

[Bronco]

Dru:

 

If there's any chance of encountering a snow patch on the route, I'd argue you're wasting energy by hauling 6-8 litres of water up the route and no stove. Take a lightweight cannister stove and a 2l aluminum pot and carry no more than 2 litres per person. You can brew some coffee in the am that way too. If you don't encounter snow, you can suffer for a day.

 

Take some gew and a good headlamp and climb through the night.

 

[Dru]

there is going to be no water from bottom to top of the ~22 pitch route and the climbing is probably be gonna be too hard to send all 22 pitches in a day; hence we plan for a bivi and at least a day and a half on the wall. will hopefully be water not far from summit, and definitely at base; might just drink-up at base and drag 2 L/person but the climbing (or jugging harder pitches for me) is gonna be pretty thirsty work - a sunny east face at least.

[Bronco]

what's the elevation?

[Dru]

tops out around 6900

[MtnHigh]

pope said:

Also, go in July/August and you could probably survive in a swim suit.

 

Not always true. I bivvied in the Enchantments this past weekend. It was in the 80's on Sat, then 40's Sat night. Got rained on then shivered the night away. Anyone got a tissue?

[Bronco]

take the MOG and bivi in the cab.

 

Anyway, that's a lot of water weight and you may find yourself hauling that Nozone a lot more than you think with 15 pounds of water. I guess you could drink some of it if you decide it's too much to carry.

 

Maybe take some earplugs so your partner's whining doesen't keep you awake all night.

[dberdinka]

Seems like it's all been said already but the one time I used one of those little mylar space bags I found it surprisingly warm. Get one, use it.

 

2 overbags, 2 down coats, mittens, balaclavas, shoes, water...... is gonna start getting pretty damn heavy on a project like that. Drop the overbag, bring a space blanket/bag, pray for a warm evening, suffer a little bit, go for it, please do spray when it's all over. Have fun!

[Dru]

dberdinka said:

2 overbags, 2 down coats, mittens, balaclavas, shoes, water...... is gonna start getting pretty damn heavy on a project like that. Drop the overbag, bring a space blanket/bag, pray for a warm evening, suffer a little bit, go for it, please do spray when it's all over. Have fun!

 

yeah it does seem kinda heavy. maybe i will take no extra clothes or overbag just 12 packs of shake n heats!

[Alpinfox]

 

Maybe you could take all your potential bivy gear (mylar loincloth, etc) up to a similar elevation and give it a dress rehersal with a real sleeping bag/etc as backup prior to the real deal?