A bivouac shelter in winter at Benediktenwand, Germany.

A bivouac shelter in North Canterbury, New Zealand. The New Zealand region of Canterbury (Waitaha is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains

A bivouac (pronounced /ˈbɪvuˌæk/, biv-oo-ak) traditionally refers to a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter or protection from enemy fire or such a site where a camp may be built. A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope ^[1] It is also commonly used to describe a variety of improvised camp sites such as those used in scouting and mountain climbing. Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide Youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical mental and spiritual A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak It may often refer to sleeping in the open with a bivouac sack, but it may also refer to a shelter constructed of natural materials like a structure of branches to form frame may be utilized, which is then covered with leaves, ferns and similar for waterproofing and duff (also known as leaflitter) for insulation. A bivouac sack (also known as a bivy sack, bivi bag or just bivy) is an extremely lightweight waterproof alternative to traditional Tent A natural material is any product or physical matter that comes from plants animals or the ground In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. A fern is any one of a group of about 20000 Species of Plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta Waterproof or water-resistant describes objects unaffected by water or resisting water passage or which are covered with a material that resists or does not allow water passage The term thermal insulation can refer to materials used to reduce the rate of Heat transfer, or the methods and processes used to reduce heat transfer

As a verb, to bivouac (alternatively bivouacked, bivouacking, bivouacs also bivouacks) is to set up or camp in any such improvised camp. For English usage of verbs see the wiki article English verbs. ^[2]

Construction

Single sided designs allow easy access and allow the heat of a fire into the shelter, whilst full roofed designs have much better heat retention. As a general rule the roof should be at least a foot thick and opaque to bright sunlight. Artificial bivouacs can be constructed using a variety of available materials from corrugated iron sheeting or plywood, to groundsheets or purpose-made hootchies (bashas). Plywood is a type of Engineered board made from thin sheets of Wood, called plies or veneers A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope Although these have the advantage of being speedy to erect and resource efficient they have relatively poor insulation properties and are relatively easily damaged by the myriad sharp objects usually found in camp.

A hootchie (or basha) is a simple tent, made from one or two sheets of waterproof fabric and some strong cord. A Basha is a waterproof Canvas or Plastic sheet with Eyelets or loops on the perimeter which is used in Camping, outdoor or Military A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. A rope is a length of Fibers twisted or Braided together to improve strength for pulling and Connecting. Generally a basha is made of RipStop nylon with a reinforced seam, eyelets and loops or tabs are located along all four sides of the sheet and across the two central lines of symmetry. Usually measuring 6 foot by 8 foot (although much larger sizes can be found) the basha is an extremely versatile shelter that can be erected in many different ways to suit the particular conditions of the location. (The word also sometimes refers to a special type of bivouac sack. A bivouac sack (also known as a bivy sack, bivi bag or just bivy) is an extremely lightweight waterproof alternative to traditional Tent )

There are many different ways to put up a bivouac shelter. The most common method is to use one bivouac sheet as the roof of the shelter and a second as the groundsheet. Vietnam roofjpg|thumb|The roofs of Vietnam.]] A roof is the covering on the uppermost part of a Building. The 'roof' flysheet is suspended along in its ridge line by a cord tied between two trees which are a suitable distance apart. For other meanings see Fly (disambiguation A fly refers to the outer layer of a tent or to a piece of material which is strung up using A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or The four corners of the flysheet are then either pegged out or tied down to other trees. Care must be taken to leave a gap between the ground and the sheet to ensure that you can see out and that there is enough air flow to stop condensation.

Storm poles are often used - these are poles made of metal and are used to hold up bivouacs. They are normally extendible and raise the heights of the bivouac. They are often used by fishermen. Hikers often use their extendible Trekking poles for the same purpose. Trekking poles (also known as hiking poles, hiking sticks or walking poles) are a common Hiking accessory

When making camp in a tropical situation, where sleeping off the ground is desirable, it is a common practice to string up a hammock underneath the bivouac rather than use a groundsheet. Description The term "camp" comes from the Latin word campus, meaning field The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 The hammock is a fabric sling used for Sleeping or resting while suspended above ground

Coordinates: 46°58′01″N 10°54′18″E / 46.96694, 10.905

Etymology

The term bivouac was introduced into English from French but did not become common until after the Napoleonic Wars but ultimately stems from the Middle High German word biwacht. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. (Broken down, it reads bie- (the modern German equivalent is bei-) for subordinate, secondary and wacht for guarding as in secondary night watch). Originally, the term referred to a guard duty watch set up outside a fortified town to warn of approaching enemy armies, in addition to the main watch inside the town that functioned more or less like a police station does today; these secondary watches used temporary shelter, and the term eventually came to refer to that aspect only. ^[3]

References