Mountain bivouacs are different from managed refuges in that they are emergency facilities that offer shelter to those in difficulty at altitude. It is important, therefore, to treat them as such and leave them free for those who need them, giving preference to refuges should one wish to spend a night in the mountains.

Some bivouacs are located along long treks to be used as staging posts, while others are located near walls to be used by climbers as a base camp. Since bivouacs are emergency facilities, they are not managed and are always open. They only provide the essential services to allow those who need them to spend the night in safety, such as cots with mattresses and blankets, a table and usually a bench or stools.

For hygienic reasons, it is still better to bring your own sleeping bag, also to avoid the absence of blankets. A stove or gas stove is not always present, so it is useful to have them in your rucksack along with a small pot. Bivouacs rarely have electricity, so it is advisable to have a head torch or candles with you.

When you leave the bivouac, it is important to leave it clean and tidy, taking away any rubbish and replacing used wood if you have used a stove. This is a polite and respectful behaviour towards the environment and other hikers who might use the same bivouac after us.