Bivvying — camping with just a lightweight shelter or bivvy bag between you and the elements — is the ultimate expression of minimalist wild-camping, immersing you directly in the rhythms of nature under the stars. In The Book of the Bivvy, author Ronald Turnbull combines personal adventure, practical insight and humour to explore this uncompromising outdoor experience, drawing on decades of nights spent on remote hilltops, ridgelines and valleys.

• Insightful bivvying stories and anecdotes from across the UK and farther afield, including wet, windy, spectacular and unforgettable nights that capture the unpredictable beauty of sleeping outdoors with just a bivvy bag
• Practical, experience-based guidance on choosing bivvy sites, minimalist kit selection, membranes, clothing and essentials for safe and comfortable wild camping without a tent
• Balanced “how to” and “why” explanations that weave technique with motivation, so you understand both the mechanics and the joy — or occasional challenge— of bivvying under the sky
• History and culture of the bivouac, from Classical references to the bivvy’s role in mountaineering history, illustrating how this humble shelter has shaped outdoor adventure
• Route ideas and expedition inspiration, including tips and experiences for bivvy nights in iconic landscapes such as the Lake District, the Scottish hills and even the Spanish Sierra Nevada, offering both local and far-flung inspiration

Honest, wry and highly engaging, The Book of the Bivvy is much more than a techniques manual — it mixes compelling stories of bivvybag nights with clear, trustworthy advice on gear, techniques and the art of embracing the wilderness with as little between you and the landscape as possible. Whether you’re curious about sleeping out on a mountainside, planning your first bivvy night or seeking to refine lightweight camping techniques for long-distance adventures, this guidebook invites you to rediscover the pure joy of being alone with the sky, the stars and the living landscape.

The Book of the Bivvy – Quick Facts

Guidebook: The Book of the Bivvy
Location / Coverage: UK and Europe – including Lake District National Park, Scottish Highlands, and the Spanish Sierra Nevada
Topics Covered: Minimalist camping, bivvy techniques, gear selection, site choice, expedition inspiration, history and culture of bivouacking
Bivvy Types: Lightweight shelters, bivvy bags, minimalist tarp setups
Routes/Inspiration: Local and international bivvy experiences, including mountains, ridgelines, valleys, and riversides
Practical Advice: Choosing bivvy sites, membranes, clothing, equipment, navigation, and safety tips
Difficulty: Beginner to advanced – suitable for anyone interested in bivvying or minimalist wild camping
Ideal for: Solo and small-group adventure, overnight wild camping, lightweight backpacking trips
Best Season: Spring to autumn for most locations, check local weather for safety
Unique Features: Stories and anecdotes from real bivvy nights, historical context, practical guidance, and expedition ideas

Author Highlight

“The modern lightweight tent has opened up the wilderness – but for an increasing number of people the lightweight tent is just a bit too civilised. Can you really experience nature’s rawness from inside a zipped-up storm-flap? For those who want to bring a bit of old-fashioned pain and suffering back into the outdoor experience, the bivvy bag is the place to be.”

- Ronald Turnbull, author of The Book of the Bivvy

Map key

1 Introduction

Bag for life

Bivvy night 1: Snowdon

2 Primitive bivvy

Bivvy night 2: Peigne and suffering

Problems of the polybag

Plastic bag for pleasure purposes

Polybag facts

3 Bivvy history

Rude people enquire into futurity

Nights on the Eiger

Bivvy night 3: A walk on the Wye side

Mr Brown’s little green bag

4 Midlevel baggery

Bivvy night 4: Fast asleep on the Berwickshire coast

Cave behaviour

Bivvy night 5: A bedroom in Borrowdale

Fallback bag

Bag and camera

Bivvy night 6: Man management

Bag shopping

Poncho, basha, tarp – and the groovy group shelter

5 Time, things and Miguel

Time

Things

Miguel

6 Sleeping on summits

Bivvy night 7: Great Gable

Walking on the wet side

7 The comfort zone

Bivvy night 8: Up Base Brown in down

Sleeping mats

Dew process

Route 1: Merrick two-day trip

8 But what if it rains?

Bivvy night 9: Wet under thorns in Belfast

Further suffering

What if it rains?

Look after your bivvy and your bivvy will look after you

9 Across Scotland by bag

Wetness and weight: cross-Scotland constraints

Route 2: Acharacle to Aberdeenshire

10 The art of lightweight long-distance

Bag and baggage

The fuel on the hill

Fast food

High cuisine

Bivvy night 10: A peat-hole on Bowland

The importance of water

11 Mountains under the moon

Route 3: Coleridge’s Helvellyn overnight crossing

12 Bivvybag routes

Route 4 Lakeland all the way

Route 5: Rannoch Moor: the beauty and the bog

Bivvy night 11: Helm Crag

13 But that was in another country

Foreign parts

Route 6: Sierra Nevada: the Spanish 3000s

Bivvy night 12: Cima Cadin

14 And in the end

Sheltered housing for the elderly

Appendix A Suppliers

Seasons

Spring to autumn, plus (for tough types) winter

Centres

Hillsides, hilltops and valleys throughout the UK, including islands; warmer climes Abroad

Difficulty

Bivvybag sleeping asks for some physical and mental resilience - but the rewards are out of proportion.

Must See

The definitive account of bivvybag sleeping in the UK; bivvybag nights, both nice and nasty; bivvy history - how improved bivouac technique enabled the first successful ascent of the Eigerwand

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