Bothy Bags - useful?

[Natt]

Hi all

got reading some UK bushwalking forums

what are peoples opinions on bothy bags?

http://www.moontrail.com/terra-nova-sup ... othy-4.php

Sometimes in winter even on day walks it can get very nasty weatherwise.... very fast, is there a use for this do you think

and could you camp in one?

Also if it rained continuously on a long trek .. would it be worth carrying one of these to take a "lunchbreak" as they suggest

[whiskeylover]

Don't know what others think but they look a bit dodgy to me! No doubt that an emergency shelter of some sort is good to have and I consider a necessity, but I think I would find it very claustrophobic.

Probably more useful to have good wet weather gear.

If you really must, due to horrific weather, set up the tent or at least the tent fly - that's why tents that have a seperate fly and pole setup are so versatile - you can remove the inner and get all sorted while still sheltered. I also often take a flat sheet of something like a cross between a tarp and a tent fly that we got from MD which has eyelets so you can set it up in all sorts of configurations with a bit of guy rope, and a couple of tent pegs. It weighs about the same as your bothy but is far more useful/ versatile as a shelter. I take this on all walks now, day and overnight - lunch and emergency shelter for overnighters and my only shelter for day walks.

I suppose if you're at risk of getting caught in a wild blizzard the bothy bag would be better than nothing, especially on an open exposed plateau crossing, but learning to make a snow cave or making sure you have kept an eye on the weather and are near shelter would be just as safe in Tassie - I have had to beat a hasty retreat from exposed areas a number of times, but if you're not silly enough to press on in atrocious conditions you should be able to find a hill, gully, lump, bush, grass tussock for some shelter in most circumstances.

[walkerchris77]

Do you get the apple with it

[GPSGuided]

A poncho tarp with a few guy lines can be had at the same weight or less. What more does this product offer?

[Moondog55]

Very useful in Scotland, here I think you would get better use and value from a centre pole mid.
They do deploy very quickly and block the wind and rain which is the primary purpose. The Scottish Highlands are very exposed and very windy. Sit on your pack and face each other for an hour or longer and you can partially dry off and change into dry layer while out of the weather one person at a time. They really do have a purpose but not so much in in Victoria, perhaps if leading a group on the Main range it would be worth adding one to the pack would be worthwhile. I can see where it would be very useful to shelter the weaker members of a party while the stronger ones erected tents and if I was involved in S&R I wouldn't hesitate to get one.
GPS they offer "FAST" shelter, and shared warmth, it is possible to get a stove going inside one for the benefits of a Palmer Furnace and they do weigh very little. Not a solo shelter as they need the occupants body mass to keep them secured to the ground

[GPSGuided]

Got it. Makes sense per environmental condition described.

[walkerchris77]

Agree with moondog.
I have one and the great thing is u can open them in about 20 secs . They stop the rain and wind and I have a port hole and air vent as well. Yes a tent would be more comfortable but they take a bit longer to set up while your getting wet. The both is an emergency shelter for when the s...t hits the fan. I waited for the weather to turn really bad and went out and tested it. Found it doing its job. If your on your own you can use your backpack to prop up the other side or walking sticks.
Also they stick out like dogs balls so great for Sar. Can also used for water collection in an emergency.
its easier to have one when you need it then to wish you had one when you really need it.
Personal preference I guess but im glad I have it.

[wayno]

i like the concept, fast light instant shelter when you want to keep your sandwiches dry while you eat them....

[GPSGuided]

i like the concept, fast light instant shelter when you want to keep your sandwiches dry while you eat them....

Would you add it as a regular item in your pack? That's the question. There are way too many "useful" gears out there but which gets the cut into one's pack?

[wayno]

well i already carry a bivy bag, its more useful if i have to spend the night out and also weighs next to nothing,
i'd only consider a bothy bag as part of group kit in very exposed places if the group was amenable to it.. most of my walking i do on my own....

[GPSGuided]

well i already carry a bivy bag, its more useful if i have to spend the night out and also weighs next to nothing,
i'd only consider a bothy bag as part of group kit in very exposed places if the group was amenable to it.. most of my walking i do on my own....

Good point on the word "group"! Could be a worthwhile piece of kit to carry on family walks. Could invest in 3 poncho tarps or one of this. Yet, can't exactly continue the walk when the family is inside a bothy bag.

[photohiker]

I think these are not intended for walking

The point is that when you need a bit of shelter from the elements for whatever reason, these are the way to go.

If you have been slogging it through cold, wet, windy conditions and you need a break to have a bite to eat or to change out some clothes, treat an injury, gain some warmth in a potential hypo situation, etc. Poncho's or bivi bags are not really the same. These give you isolation, especially with a couple of people in them, and they warm up real fast. Best not to have beans the night before though

I don't have one, but I had a play in one in Scotland. Definitely worth their weight and I would take one in a group situation. I can think of several situations when they would have been very handy.

[Moondog55]

Family walks with young kids is why I bought my first Megamid, a bothy bag is cheaper, much lighter; quicker and less bulky but a 'mid offers better shelter.

[GPSGuided]

I was thinking of a poncho tarp eg. Gatewood Cape or S2S offering, where one can easily turn the poncho into a functional shelter with one or two hiking poles. May not be as well sealed as a bothy bag I guess when the weather get real serious. Good enough to squeeze 2-3 in though.

[Mark F]

Gatewood capes are great for rainy lunchtimes. If you are wearing it as rainwear you just sit down and slide off your dry pack and get stuck into lunch. For use by more than one most probably best to pitch it.

[GPSGuided]

Gatewood capes are great for rainy lunchtimes. If you are wearing it as rainwear you just sit down and slide off your dry pack and get stuck into lunch. For use by more than one most probably best to pitch it.

You have one, right? I've got a S2S poncho-tarp and thinking of picking up a second but this time a Gatewood Cape (need more than one for our regular family walks). I also like the idea and option of turning it into a one person shelter with the purchase of a mesh inner.

[Mark F]

Yes - I have had one for about 5 years. The main time I used it was in the Pyrenees but have taken it for a few overnighters around NSW and usually carry it on day walks as an emergency shelter or as rainwear when walking on firetrails. The main thing is that with a small pack it tends to be a bit long at the rear and can catch on heels (I am 180cm). I have added a couple of bits of velcro so I can fold the rear up a bit to overcome this problem.

[GPSGuided]

If you are 180cm and it's a bit long, then it'll definitely catch our heels unless we have big packs on our shoulders. But I recall on one of the Youtube video it has a few clips at the tail to help shorten it. Or does one need to MYO velcro tabs?

[Mark F]

SMD may have added a couple of tabs to the design since I bought mine but if not MYOG addition is pretty simple - a bit like turning up trouser legs.

[Moondog55]

If anybody is interested I am going to be selling the bothybag I bought as the small person has decided that she no longer is interested in snow and skiing
EDIT\
At the current eBay price I may as well keep mine
They must have huge quantities to be selling them this cheap
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Karrimor-Un ... ctupt=true
Half what I paid for mine

[Franco]

is there a male only version ?

[Moondog55]

is there a male only version ?

Geez I had to think for a moment there. Another example of political correctness gone rampantly wrong.