Rigging bivouacs

[Emanresu]

What's the quickest and easiest way to rig a bivouac?

[jbgraham]

Weigh down the corners and edges of the tarp with very large rocks and crawl under it, pull in your pack alongside of you and stand it on it's edge. Make sure the unsecured edge of the tarp is down wind. It ain't pretty, but it works when your hands are too far gone to tie knots and you need shelter NOW.

[David]

No doubt that that's simple enough for anyone to make in harsh conditions. If you want a more luxurious affair (one in which you can move around a bit or something) try to find a vertical object (a wall or small rock face) to lay the tarpaulin over. I've seen this explained with a dry stone wall: the tarp forming a triangle with rocks at the bottom and on top of the wall. In fact it is better to drape the tarp right over - the rocks then do not fall of onto you and damp does not come through the wall when it rains. I've got some more but I want to find Ollie to see how I can put the lovely pictures up.

[Marmot]

a small rock face?

[jbgraham]

I more often use a pyramid shaped tarp (Black Diamond Megamid), that uses a center pole or can be hung from a loop at the apex. I prefer to hang the top loop from a tree branch, or a line strung between two trees for more interior space with no center pole, but for quick and easy, stake out the corners and pop in the center pole. Again, rocks or snow piled on the edge of the tarp will better seal out nasty weather, raising the tarp off the ground will improve ventilation.

[m011i3]

Have your Tarp or Hoochie set-up on a trial run nearer home before you first use it in the wild - to familiarise yourself with the thing in case you are cold, injured or it's just going dark faster than you'd like.
For example I have loads of spare PARA cord (25 metres) and allow extra length in case your 2 trees that will carry your shelter are further apart than you hoped.

If you fix the ridge of a 2.5 metre tarp at shoulder height, between 2 fixed objects, you need about 2.5 metres of extra length cord at each end to accommodate wide tree trunks and I always double - up the cord for strength, plus the extra run is handy to suspend things from and away from the damp ground.
Additional 2.5 metre legths (single) are attached through each of the remaining grommets for tensioning the tarp to stakes, pegs, rocks or trees.

Leave these cords attached permanently, fold your tarp lengthways and roll-up with the guys attached into a neat package or secure it together with a small bungee.
You can even use a hammock & foam pad under this.

Mr Mears Style ...

[m011i3]

Oh !
and if your'e off to Scotland with this kind of sleeping setup (hammock that is! ) - make sure to get a quality (1000 hole per square inch) mozzie net or you'll regret it !!!

[David]

Just a bit of practical advice for anyone still interested in this, as I have slept under bivvy for a week recently. If you are using the popular 'basha' type tarp, two are adequate coverage for two people, but one basha for one person means you have to sleep uncomfortably. Also, if joining bashas together, make sure your main rope (if not using poles) is extremely taut and has quite a reasonable slope, and put the basha which is connected over the other at the higher end, to ensure rain does not run in through the join.