I've slept in a bivy bag many a night in any season or weather. Sometimes more enjoyable than others. The bivy can be mighty hot sometimes, wet other times and just right when conditions are.. well... just right.
Mostly they are a bit claustrophobic. I practiced sleeping in it several times before taking it as my only method for a trip.
In my case the sleeping bag zips on one side the bivy on the opposite side...in the middle of the night you can find yourself turning every which way trying to remember which is which. So a little practice
gives a better chance at having a good night sleep when you really want to on the trip.
Good luck
I wasn’t thinking about scorpions - not an uncommon oversight for a midwesterner. Do they go that high though?
And Sidewinders? I know they travel open sand… I always though of them as Sonoran desert critters, but might they be that high and that far north? There wouldn’t be any other rattlesnakes out on bare sand where you’re thinking of camping, would there?
The Park service info didn’t mention them, but then again, maybe they’re taken for granted?
don’t know a thing about desert sleeping but do know that on river beaches, sand fleas are a big problem. Does desert sand have sand fleas? If so anything but a tent with tub floor is out of the question. Just saying.
Trails … Pat I remember there is a trail that skirts the dunes, you can start out by going to the parking lot and climbing the high dune, then drive to the trail head and skirt along the outside flank then hike into the center of the dunes, also is the Crestone Peak trail (w/ water) on the other side … I did part of that once but it has been a long long time ago.
Lots of trails in the surrounding forest But the idea here is to stay 100% on the dunes. And it is possible because they cover such a large area, esp. if you hit a lot of the dune tops (slows things down).
BTW, even in summer during the day the skeeters stay off the dunes. Then as soon as you get a tiny bit away, like in the parking lot, they are vicious at all times of day.
There are easier ways to sleep out in the dunes. Like I could air down and 4-wheel along Medano Pass jeep trail, then schlep sleeping gear off the trail and up the dunes a short ways. But that seems like cheating.
Have one sort of like OR’s Alpine one. Gore Tex. Used it a lot going solo and light in the Sierras when I wanted to be able to keep out rain or skeeters. Works great for its intended use, as long as you don’t mind the “ceiling” 6 inches above your face.