Bivouac

Bivouac is a term used to describe a temporary encampment used by foresters, mountaineers, soldiers and so on. It does not normally use tents or other shelters as such but rather is a temporary stopping point, perhaps with some cover.

It derives from the 18th-century Swiss / German word biwacht, which originally referred to the patrol of citizens who helped the town's night watchmen. The word has been adopted into the English language via French and was not common in English until after the Napoleonic Wars.

Its popularity increased in describing a form of temporary overnight shelter with the scouting movement: "a Scout must know how to make a Bivouac shelter for the night" ('Scouting For Boys'). So in common English it is now considered a form of shelter but one that is made from found items in nature rather than with tents.

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