Emergency bivy protocol

JonWells wrote:

joshilewis wrote: The hikers in the US seem to rely on tarp shelters a lot

I almost always see them using tarp shelters in foresty areas, which obviously is a huge help! No such luck for us I guess when it comes to the Berg. Nevertheless I would also love to do some experimenting with tarp shelters, maybe find a setup that will hold out in a Berg wind, could be tricky tho!

That's also true. I would love to do some hammock camping but it wouldn't really work on almost all SA trails.

joshilewis wrote: The hikers in the US seem to rely on tarp shelters a lot, including in wind, but yeah, testing would be a good idea. There are different pitches though, an A-Frame pitch would be quite wind-stable I think. The bigger worry would be how strong the fabric is I guess.

So to make an A-frame you would tie 2 poles together with about a 2m stretch of rope I assume?

My main concern is definitely fabric strength. So basically (if I have the right picture in my head) you would have about a 3X2m piece of tarp with a double sown edge on all 4 sides, and an eye hole (can't remember the correct name for these) on each corner. You would then have at least 4 guys - 1 off each face and would A-frame 2 trekking poles just past middle on the side closest to your head?

I would tend towards having 1 pole straight up with the sharp end in the group over a setup like this, it feels more stable in my head. But if you are carrying the extra 1kg of weight for this, why not just carry a 1kg 1 man tent in case something goes wrong? It will probably be more comfortable to squash 3 people into this than have the water running under a tarp.

joshilewis wrote: Any material you recommend? Got any designs/patterns/templates?

I don't, but I'm sure Google does

Mountain Mailorder sells an MSR E-Bivvy for R1325. It weighs 295g and is breathable. See www.mountainmailorder.co.za/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=2003

viking5 wrote: I am not available that day!

In all seriousness though I would be willing to, in the name of hiking science, undertake a few experiments.

Seems there are a few such experiments to be done though. Including the A frame shelter. As we know the A frame was used in tent designs for a long time, so it does work to a certain extent. I remember my Dads hiking tent from the 70's and early 80's was an A frame (before he got the sunseeker isodome) with only 2 upright poles and guy ropes to hold it.

In terms of wind etc, from my experience in the roofing industry, it seems that 30 degrees is the best pitch. Not that anyone will be taking a protractor along!

The smaller the angle the less the wind will impact it - perhaps a tarp with a backpack to hold up the middle and rocks to hold down the corner might work. The angle will be low and the sheet will be above your face. I still think an emergency bag would work better though.

Hi all

Seen as we are on the topic of survival. I know last year Gavin R taught some guys how to make a snow hole last winter when there was quite a bit of snow about. Another aspect to look at. You would need to find a good location with enough snow depth. I know water melt does become a problem. Something that might not work all the time. I have also heard of guys compacting snow around backpacks and then extracting the backpacks out leaving a small/ mini igloo and surviving.

Just a few thoughts
Regards
selous

For those that end up bivovacking at some stage ........

Be comforted by the words of Gaston Rebuffat

"The man who climbs only in good weather, starting from huts and never bivovacking appreciates the splendor of the mountains but not their mystery, the dark of the night, the depth of their sky above....How much he has missed

Gaston Rébuffat was a well-known French alpinist and mountain guide. The climbing technique, to gaston, was named after him. He was a recipient of France's prestigious Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur in 1984

Regards
Selous

ghaznavid wrote:

joshilewis wrote: The hikers in the US seem to rely on tarp shelters a lot, including in wind, but yeah, testing would be a good idea. There are different pitches though, an A-Frame pitch would be quite wind-stable I think. The bigger worry would be how strong the fabric is I guess.

So to make an A-frame you would tie 2 poles together with about a 2m stretch of rope I assume?

My main concern is definitely fabric strength. So basically (if I have the right picture in my head) you would have about a 3X2m piece of tarp with a double sown edge on all 4 sides, and an eye hole (can't remember the correct name for these) on each corner. You would then have at least 4 guys - 1 off each face and would A-frame 2 trekking poles just past middle on the side closest to your head?

I would tend towards having 1 pole straight up with the sharp end in the group over a setup like this, it feels more stable in my head. But if you are carrying the extra 1kg of weight for this, why not just carry a 1kg 1 man tent in case something goes wrong? It will probably be more comfortable to squash 3 people into this than have the water running under a tarp.

joshilewis wrote: Any material you recommend? Got any designs/patterns/templates?

I don't, but I'm sure Google does

Mountain Mailorder sells an MSR E-Bivvy for R1325. It weighs 295g and is breathable. See www.mountainmailorder.co.za/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=2003

There are a number of different pitches. I prefer a 'diamond pitch' or a an a-frame. For A-Frame, I would use 2 poles or 1 pole and some rocks or tree etc. My poncho has loop tabs, not grommets/eyeholes, so wouldn't need a rope from anchor to anchor, just from the loop to the anchor. The poncho would hold the tension.

I could Google fabric for a DIY bivvy, but I've looked and I can't find Tyvek, Silnylon or Cuben Fibre in SA, so I thought you might have a recommendation of something you've used and where you found it.

I had a look at Mountain Mail Order earlier (pity that Mammoth Outdoor went under). R1 325 may be a good price for a decent bivvy, but its still a fair amount of money :/

Diamond pitch (though the tab placement on my poncho is not centred):

A-Frame Pitch (this is a very big tarp though, mine wouldn't be so high):

A nice page with some more pitches (there are tons more).