Bivy Shelter

[Bomber]

Has anyone every bought, used, or lived in a one man shelter.  One of those aftermarket ones?  If you have, can you tell me what the pros and cons of it were, how you would improve on it, what the price was, the set up and tear down time, and any general impressions.  If you don't use something like this, but use the bivy/hoochy issued kit, could you please give me a list of what the system consists of.

 

[Infanteer]

Going with the general trend on the board that we carry too much junk, I would consider this part of the junk.  Considering the Biv-Bag is a pretty swank piece of kit, pegs, bungees and that really heavy hooch (or anything aftermarket like it) is excess.

Nothing pissed me off more then going into a "tactical hide" (in a "half-tactical" manner) and then bumbling around for a couple hours finding the right spot and building our own personal Hiltons while the Coy HQ sets up their Mod tend/generator 100 meters away and proceeds to plan their own little Waterloo campaigns.

 

[BKells]

Hilarious.

I only set up the hooch when it's raining. The bivy bag is great for sleepin on moist ground under the stars.

 

[Infanteer]

I only set up the hooch when it's raining.

I just turn around and sleep on my stomach.

 

[Bomber]

All well and good, but anyone else?

 

[Bomber]

Perhaps you might be able to relate experiences that friends or family have had?  Or does everyone specifically infantry just wing a bivy bag on the ground and plop down where it lays?  How do you deal with unwelcome guests?  provided you know you are going to be in a position for a while.  I mean does your stuff stay laid out while you patrol, or is it a pack up and group it all together every morning style deal?  I can't believe that no one has replied on this other than to tell me that they let the weather hit them and just ignore it.

 

[Bomber]

I am wondering about things like this, or others like them

http://integraldesigns.com/product.cfm?id=16&CFID=5900578&CFTOKEN=13446439

 

[Freight_Train]

This thread might answer some of your questions - http://army.ca/forums/threads/17782.0/all.html

 

[Gayson]

I prefer to just sleep with my bivy and drape my groundsheet over my ruck to keep it dry.

 

[CARROW]

Hi Bomber

I have used both the CF issue Biv bag and a bag from Internal Design, the Biv Shelter both in the mountains and lower altitudes.  The benefit of the Internal Design bags are the sewn in bug net and compactability.   I can get my Internal Design Biv bag in the side pocket of my Ruck Sack.   For winter ops the CF issue Biv Bag is better as it is more durable. In terms of wet weather the CF issue shelter half is good to build the "poncho hotel" with others in your battery.  I use an American rain poncho that I have treated for additional water proof coating once again because of the weight factor if on patrol.  For a ground sheet I have found the plastic sheeting that came in the old OHP kits to be the best.  The sheet is waterproof, compactable, durable and light weight.

Regards


CArrow

 

[Jeff Boomhouwer]

Bomber you might have more luck asking non-infantry.(read people that don't carry everything they need on their backs and usually hump not ride on their exercises) Most myself included sleep in a bivi with a half shelter as a barrier when rolling over doesn't cut it or have a SGT Major insisting on the troops setting up hoochies. Just a thought, Cheers!

 

[Bartok5]

I definitely side with Carrow's experience concerning the civilian "Biv Shelters", although my own experience is limited to after-market mil-spec (rather than civilian-focused) gear. 

I am quite willing to be the "rebel" in the group and say that the $200 I spent on an UK "Survival Aids" hooped bivvy bag (eg. 1-man tunnel tent) back in 1990 was the best "kit" money that I ever invested.  It has given me better "bang for buck" than any of my subsequent investments in a Stealth Suit, CADPAT Recce Smock, etc, etc.  That modest investment gave me an OG goretex bivvy bag rougly 10 years before they were issued.  Even after the CF bivvy bags were issued, there was no question in my mind that my "vintage" bag was far, far superior to the very basic design of the CF-issued version.

I can't speak to the other "hooped bivvy" models, but I can tell you from 15 years of personal experience that my "Survival Aids" bag is seriously multi-function and totally weather-proof at less than 1/3 of the weight and bulk of the CF-issue goretex "body-bag".  Got 5 minutes in a static location?  Set it up as a tunnel-tent with the 8 x aluminum pegs and 4 x guy-lines.  The bag is suspended off of your body (providing ventilation and lack of condensation), it has a built-in vestibule for your kit, and it features an  integral insect net.  Don't have 5 minutes for set-up or are on "zero minutes" notice to move?  No problem - use it as a standard unsupported bivvy-bag.  Regardless, my after-market goretex bivvy is still 1/3 of the weight and bulk of the issued bag, and has the bug-net as an added bonus.  

My Survival Aids "hooped bivvy" packs into a self-contained 4" x 8" cylindrical package weighing less than 2 lbs (including the shock-cord aluminum hoops and pegs).   It does everything that the issued bag does, and a WHOLE lot more.  I have had the issued bag for 6 or 7 years now, and it is still in the original wrapper buried in a barracks box.  You couldn't pay me enough to lug that milllstone around when there are far, far superior alternatives for personal shelter.

Just my $.02, as a VERY satisfied goretex "tunnel tent" user dating back 15 years.  Yes, the issued bag is adequate.  Are there FAR better solutions?  You bet there are.  And (surprise!) those superior products pre-date the current-issue bag by at least 10 years......    :-\

 

[Infanteer]

I remember seeing a "Tunnel Style" bivy-bag on display at a "Clothe the Soldier" presentation - looked pretty neat.  Anything come of it?

 

[Bomber]

Thanks everyone for your replies.  Survival Aids of the UK is about to go into Google.

 

[noneck]

I believe the Survival Aids chain,  went out of business a few years back. There was a similar style Hooped Aussie Basha on the SASS web site www.sasskit.co.uk. Although its not a complete tent it's a shelter half or basha sheet with two shock corded poles to create an arch.

 

[ibucephalus]

Bomber, I bet if you type "survival" and "aids" into google you will come up with something other than bivvie bags.

Let us know how the research goes.

 

[Booya McNasty]

I have an older issue bivy bag and I just carry around a unhooked coat-hanger and hang it around the opening.  Works pretty well when you're changing your skiivies in your sack. 

You can also hook the coat hanger back up to hang up your combats at night.

 

[Bartok5]

I also heard that "Survival Aides" folded up their business a few years ago.  Too bad, as they made some outstanding aftermarket kit for the British military market.  I am sure that there must be others making a similar product.  I know the PPCLI Kit Shop (www.PPCLI.com) used to carry a "hooped bivvy bag", so you might try there.  Failing that, do a search on the U.S. Cavalry or Brigade Quartermaster web-sites in the U.S.  I haven't seen one of their catalogues in a long time, but they also used to carry nice looking versions of the goretex "tunnel tent".

Good luck with your search.  I wouldn't give mine up for anything.....