Hi all.

Obviously most of us use tents on our trips, while many others use hammocks. but i rarely hear anyone talking about using a bivy.

i think these are mainly used by hikers on long trail trips??

i was considering trying to do a trip with as little gear as possible this coming season. and instead of bringing a tent, ground sheet, and tarp for shelter, i would just bring my bug shelter. (a tarp with screening attached - amazon).

i have spent a night or two using only this as the main shelter, and slept in my sleeping bag on my normal sleeping pad with a ground sheet. it was awesome. tons of room, nice and cool during summer, great 360 degree view.

my concern if bringing only this for a longer trip would be the lack of protection from severe weather.

so i am considering trying a light weight waterproof bivy.

would love to hear anyone's thoughts if they have used one, and also would love any specific recommendations for a budget option.

I have slept in waterproof bivy bags in both summer and winter conditions and I have also sheltered in screen tarps during severe summer weather.

Managing condensation was my primary concern with bivy bags and storm worthiness my primary concern with screen tarps. I prefer the storm worthiness of a quality tent.

I took up hammock camping back in 2011 and never turned back. Initially, I was paranoid I'd get caught without a pair of suitable trees from which to hang. My emergency bail out is an Outdoor Research Bug Bivy and a small Tyvek foot-print. The plan is I'd use my hiking poles and deploy my tarp just high enough to set up the bug-bivy underneath. I have never resorted to using it. I practice pitching my tarp for ground camping, but I can almost always find a place to hang.

I think the confinement of a bivy-bag would be beyond my tolerance. The feature I most relish about hammock camping is the feeling of openness under my porch-deployed tarp.

I bought my Outdoor Research Bug Bivy from another hammocker on HammockForums. They claimed to have rarely used it and I have never used it. I'd be willing to sell it if you'd like to try it yourself.

Good luck with your adventure.

For my summer trips, I use a mosquito mesh tent. I think it weighs 2 pounds or so. I also have a CCS tarp to put over the tent in case of rain. This is the lightest ‘tent’ camping method I know of. Most of the time, an actual nylon tent is more than we need unless you want privacy from others.

I used to sell lightweight bivy sacks. The first night I spent in the military version, in rain at 40° F, I realized I was going to hell for having sold so many of the lightweight ones. Here’s the newest iteration:



U.S G.I. USMC IMPROVED BIVY COVER

I bought my Outdoor Research Bug Bivy from another hammocker on HammockForums. They claimed to have rarely used it and I have never used it. I'd be willing to sell it if you'd like to try it yourself.


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thx for the generous offer. i live north of the MN border but sometimes pick up packages at Rydens border store. i will keep you in mind. do you know the model of the bag?? just so i could look it up.

tumblehome: "For my summer trips, I use a mosquito mesh tent. I think it weighs 2 pounds or so. I also have a CCS tarp to put over the tent in case of rain. This is the lightest ‘tent’ camping method I know of. Most of the time, an actual nylon tent is more than we need unless you want privacy from others.
"

yes i have done the same as well. and as long as the tarp you have gives full coverage then i am confident about it during storms.

when solo in spring or fall i bring a smaller tent without the fly and pitch it under a 10 x 10 tarp. the wife and i use a 4 man tent in late summer without the fly under a 12 x 14 tarp. works great.

but if i use my bug shelter during summer, the tarp portion does not give as much cover due to its shape. so having something waterproof to at least keep the sleeping bag covered would give me some peach of mind.

gravelroad: "I used to sell lightweight bivy sacks. The first night I spent in the military version, in rain at 40° F, I realized I was going to hell for having sold so many of the lightweight ones. Here’s the newest iteration:



U.S G.I. USMC IMPROVED BIVY COVER "

haha i would not be using this system during the time of year when 40 degrees would be a possibility. but point taken.

I've used bivys before when backpacking trying to go as light as possible and also for mountaineering when I needed something I could pack with on summit days in case I end up getting stuck on the mountain (thankfully never ended up having that happen). I now have a backpacking tent that doesn't weigh much more than a bivy so I don't really use my bivy anymore.

IMO they're just fine for shoulder season camping for shorter trips where you know the weather will be nice and the bugs aren't bad. If you're winter camping I find they're actually warmer than a tent, but you have to manage the condensation. If the bugs are bad or if it's raining a lot they're pretty miserable though. I dont think I'd ever consider using one for a canoe trip since the weight savings just aren't that significant.

If you're anywhere near northern WI I'd be happy to let you borrow mine to try it out. It's an integral designs model made out of event fabric.

I've used bivys before when backpacking trying to go as light as possible and also for mountaineering when I needed something I could pack with on summit days in case I end up getting stuck on the mountain (thankfully never ended up having that happen). I now have a backpacking tent that doesn't weigh much more than a bivy so I don't really use my bivy anymore.

IMO they're just fine for shoulder season camping for shorter trips where you know the weather will be nice and the bugs aren't bad. If you're winter camping I find they're actually warmer than a tent, but you have to manage the condensation. If the bugs are bad or if it's raining a lot they're pretty miserable though. I dont think I'd ever consider using one for a canoe trip since the weight savings just aren't that significant.

If you're anywhere near northern WI I'd be happy to let you borrow mine to try it out. It's an integral designs model made out of event fabric.

dropped in to our local "mountain warehouse" store on a whim and picked up a light weight synthetic mummy sleeping bag and a very basic bivy bag they claim is waterproof and breathable.

it is nowhere near the quality of the other nice bivy bags i was looking at from OR and aquaquest etc, but for the very limited use it may see, i thought i would give them a whirl.

the mummy bag is almost half the size / weight (about 1 1/4lbs) of my main marmot down bag (about 2 1/4 lbs), and the bivy weighs almost nothing (about 3/4 lb).

70 cad for them both. plus i got a new neck warmer for like 5 bucks haha

so if / when i end up doing a warm weather / buggy trip this summer (i hate going in the bush when bugs are bad as i react so bad to bites) using as little weight and bulk as i can, i will let you guys know how i made out.

My Durston X-Mid 1 squeezes down to a Nalgene sized container and is some serious storm-worthy shelter for less than 2 pounds. The bathtub floor is another plus. Getting all your gear out of the rain either inside with you or in the vestibules…. I’m not sure you could talk me tripping with a bivy to save 24 ounces. And for what - 260 bucks - same price as a Hyperlite bivy and you still need a tarp.

Someone mentioned last-ditch shelter on the side of a mountain - survival mode - what a bivy is designed for.

Exo: "My Durston X-Mid 1 squeezes down to a Nalgene sized container and is some serious storm-worthy shelter for less than 2 pounds. The bathtub floor is another plus. Getting all your gear out of the rain either inside with you or in the vestibules…. I’m not sure you could talk me tripping with a bivy to save 24 ounces. And for what - 260 bucks - same price as a Hyperlite bivy and you still need a tarp.


Someone mentioned last-ditch shelter on the side of a mountain - survival mode - what a bivy is designed for."

perhaps you missed the point of my original post??

i own a tarp that has bug screening attached.

i used it several times last year on solo trips and would bring my 2 man tent without the fly, and put it inside the bug tarp. works great. lots of protection from bugs and weather.

this year i was thinking of trying to use only the bug tarp as my shelter. no tent. i tried this last summer and loved it. was just like camping under a tarp only, but with the added protection from bugs. but i was concerned if extreme weather hit that i would not have enough protection, as the shape of the bug tarp is a hexagon instead of a typical square or rectangle. so the ridge line is plenty long enough but the sides taper down to only maybe 5 feet.

so i was looking at options i could use to protect my sleeping bag etc if extreme weather rolled in.

so the idea is to sleep under only the bug tarp (this would only be during summer weather) with just my sleep pad and sleeping bag. i would leave my tent, poles, pegs, ground sheet etc at home. the bivy would only be brought out if bad weather hit that the bug tarp was not adequate enough to protect me from.

it has nothing to do with saving money. trust me, i already own plenty of gear. haha it was just about try something new and different. i just happened to find a bivy locally that was half priced. they also had some of their sleeping bags on half priced as well so i grabbed a light summer bag (which i had been considering looking for anyway) so i could leave my 30 degree down bag at home which will save more weight and bulk.

the next test after this will probably be a hammock. the wife had bought me one last xmas but she didnt know it had no suspension system with it. lol so i have never been able to use it. eventually i will sort that out and try using the hammock with the same bug tarp. if i can handle sleeping in the hammock, it might turn out to be the best option for me for summer bug season.

Yea I must have missed the options.

Who is it on YouTube that has some type of integrated bug net under a tarp - very appealing with the ability to have a 360 view. I think it’s Canoe The North - check out 7:04 minutes in. IMO one of the best narrators in the YouTube canoe world.

Canoe The North YouTube Video

I do worry about wind and rain and getting soaked despite being under a tarp.

I prefer my Warbonnet Blackbird XLC with a Superfly above all else…. The first time I slept in it was on Malberg Lake. I worried I wouldn’t be able to sleep comfortably or for a full night. Closed my eyes and next thing I knew it was morning.

yes, he uses a similar system like what i am referring to. only difference is that his tarp is separate from the bug screen. my is all one piece.
i like the way he does it because it is certainly more versatile. where as mine can provide more room. i could set mine where i can stand up inside. or as mentioned, i can fit my 2 man tent right in it for double bug protection.
there is always pros and cons i guess.
i am looking forward to eventually trying my hammock. hopefully on a short trip this year sometime.
i always liked the Amok that john on the Lost Lakes channel uses. they look amazing. but really expensive.

I'd recommend the SOL Escape bivy. It is wind resistant and breathable and only weights 8.5 oz. Won't stand up to years of use but is a good extra layer if the weather gets rough.

I have one and it seems like it would meet your needs perfectly.



SOL Escape bivvy