bivy sack/ backpack any opinions?

[Blakej]

I've been considering sewing my own pack in a simular style to the golite gust (basically a big sack) but using it as a half bivy combined with my shell jacket. Obviously this will take some thought as to engineering to keep the elements out and fit to accomodate the sleeping bag but considering the weight savings I'd like to try. Has anyone tried a simular combo and have suggestions on best materials/waterproofing methods.

[Nick]

I have always wanted to make a pack by adding shoulder straps, compression straps and a belt to a full size bivy sack. Or converting a pack into a bivy-pack. Shove in a sleeping bag and some food and away you go. When night comes, just get in your pack and go to sleep. No packing and unpacking. Nice and simple.

The catch is that if you rip your pack then your house gets a leak in it. I love the Golight Jam pack, but I shredded mine in just three (vigorous) outings. If you build your bivy pack sturdy enough to avoid this danger it may weigh just as much as a light pack and a light bivy. On the other hand, the Granite Gear Virga is very light and has enough of an extension sleeve for a moderate sized person to pull it up to the waist, and it is sturdier than the golight packs.

The key for your idea will be to make a watertight seal with your parka (if you want to lie down and sleep at night). The only way I know to make the joint watertight would be with a watertight zipper, which could be awkward.

Why not simply cut the big end of a bivy bag and sew and seam tape it to the mouth of your pack to make the pack into a full size bivy. Put the sleeping bag inside the bivy, stuff the bivy into the pack, and pack the rest of your stuff on top of that. You might save half a pound or so.

Edited January 19, 2006 by Nick

[Nick]

OK here's another idea. WEAR the bivy sack. Just sew a lot of big pockets onto one of those one-peice super hero climbing suits and carry everything in your pockets instead of in a pack. Put a longer zipper on it so you can zip right up the chest and on up to zip the hood shut, and bob's your uncle!

[Nick]

Or you could go to one of those baldy cure clinics and get LOTS OF HAIR TRANSPLANTED ALL OVER YOU BODY so that you would not need a bivy bag.

[John Frieh]

Blakej: not sure what your approaches are like in CO but out here a back pack made out of a material capable of bivying in would look develop holes quickly (especially if you haul your pack). I sometime line my backpack with a contractor garbage bag which would work for what you are describing.

 

Consider though while you are using your bivy backpack to stay dry all your stuff that is laying out around you is going to get soaked. I think the lighter option is to get the lightest bivy bag you can get (sub 16 ounces these days) and look at cutting weight elsewhere or car to car it.

[crackers]

Honestly, as a pack manufacturer, I think you're nuts if you want to sew together a pack that will carry a climbing load and function as a bivy sack yourself. Unless you are a very experienced machine operator, with access to a walking foot sewing machine, I think you're going to have a lot of problems. You will be hard pressed to make a lighter pack than you can buy with the same durability for any given cost (because you buy fabric retail...)

 

That said, here's some thoughts...just remember, its your fault if you die, ok?

 

You really want a laminated fabric or keprotec. If its laminated, say dimension polyant vx21, it'll have the bare minimum of abrasion resistance necessary for a climber while being waterproof. Keprotec is waterproof, so you'd just have to figure out how to get it from schoeller. Either fabric is going to cost you at between $18 and $40 a yard depending on how good of a deal you get, and you'll need 2 yards i'd bet.

 

You'll also need about 15 yards of webbing, either 3/4 or 1" depending on how you set up your compression system.

 

Your problems are going to be the shoulder straps, bartacks and design.

 

Honestly, i think you'd be better off buying something. You're going to spend about $150 on the materials, and to sew those materials, you really do want a walking foot sewing machine or you'll fry the motor and gears. Further, I doubt you have a significant weight savings over what you could buy.

[DirtyHarry]

That's core, dude. Waaaay core.

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Here{s an idea, instead of trying to go from the top up, go bottom down. Cut a hole in the bottom of your pack and sew the bottom half of a bivy sack to that, then just put a buckle or zipper so you can roll up the bivy half and store it and pack the rest of your stuff back in your pack. A bonus if your pack has padding is that it automatically becomes your sleeping pad for your upper body.

 

For the opponents of using your pack for more than one thing, I use mine all the time as my sleeping pad with a sit pad for a little extra length,then I just bring all my gear in the bivy sack with me. I{m going altralight so it isn{t thatmuch stuff anyways. Hey, it doesn{t hurt to try new things. Good luck, post pics if you make something cool.

[crackers]

this is a list of specialty fabric retailers.

 

You might try making a more or less disposable outer, with the seams necessary to make it work as a pack, and then a silnylon or ultrex inner with just one seam.

 

how tall are you?

[Dru]

all you need is a lightsaber and a taun-taun

[mattp]

I have slept in my pack more than once. In wet weather, maybe an extra tall garbage bag pack liner would be a good thing?

[sweatinoutliquor]

Dude, matt's got the right idea... Rather than buying lots of stuff, get 3 trashbags and carry your stuff in one (on the end of a stick over your shoulder) and sleep in the other two. The "yard waste" bags these days are really great. Seriously though, I think you got an interesting idea, but when a quality bivy sack weighs about a pound, is this really the best place to be looking to save weight? Send a photo if you pull it off. Otherwise I would be interested in seeing a link to some quality trashbag shots.

[wfinley]

all you need is a taun-taun

People keep talking about these taun-taun's. I've never seen one at REI - what section are they in?

 

My old college roommate used to make his own climbing packs. He didn't save any money by making them but they were very cool.

[mattp]

When it comes to making your own gear, saving money is not really the issue, or perhaps I should say that I agree with the above-post that you won't do it if you are going to pay retail prices for your materials so it will be a frustrating goal. The more important point is that if you really think in detail about what you want and you want gear that really fits your own needs, there is a great chance that nobody makes it for you.

[Blakej]

Ahh interesting advice from all. Taun-taum hmmm. As for some of the questions raised. Conditions on approaches in colorado differ greatly from the brushcrashes of the PNW and even with those my gust held up well except for one haul I used it for up a slab. As for saving money mattp is right I'm not looking for that as much as weight savings and dual functioning gear. I find the experinece much more enjoyable as I cut away little things like useless first aid kits that don't even provide supplies for serious injuries etc. As for where to put the extras that would go in the back..trashbag or in the empty bivy space? I'd have to experiment. I imagine combining this with a simular set up using down jacket and half sleeping bag will allow me to carry more actual climbing gear comfortably with a frameless pack ultimately making everything a little more minimalist. Again thanks for the ideas fabric links etc. Will post pics if I can convince the wife to teach me to use the new sewing maching for pack building.

[Blakej]

brainstorming for ideas I am having trouble deciding how to connect the parka to the pack to provide a good seal. I beleive that by rolling the two togather and then snapping them down with a compatible snap one on the parka one on the pack would be the way to go but I am worried that the snaps with come undone while sleeping or wear out with time. A zipper may work but would be more conversion to my jacket than I want and would still require some type of water proofing. Any suggestions that may work would be welcome.

[EWolfe]

Dude, matt's got the right idea... Rather than buying lots of stuff, get 3 trashbags and carry your stuff in one (on the end of a stick over your shoulder) and sleep in the other two. The "yard waste" bags these days are really great. Seriously though, I think you got an interesting idea, but when a quality bivy sack weighs about a pound, is this really the best place to be looking to save weight? Send a photo if you pull it off. Otherwise I would be interested in seeing a link to some quality trashbag shots.

 

LMAO

 

This is the quality that keeps me coming back.

 

I have the Golite, microzoid, FF down bag and jacket. Set for a week, on or off the wall. Very warm and light.

 

Big ziplocs for waterproofing!