Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting thinking about bivy sacks (haven't had good luck so far)

I'm starting to plan a hoped-for trip in early July of 2023. The area was burned, re-burned, and some re-re-burned. I don't think there are trees enough for hammock camping though possibly some of the re-growth in the burns might be big enough. The ground is very rocky. I haven't been clear to the spot but when I was somewhat near there in the 80s it was really hard to find even a small tent site. It has me thinkin' bivy sack. Close to the coast humidity could be a thing. (It can also be over 100 degrees with low single digit humidity there but that's usually a late summer thing.)

What bivies are best so far as avoiding condensation? I'm looking for water resistant if not fully waterproof. Hooped is preferable but if there's a means to rig something to lift the mesh off my face I might be able to work with it. I do plan to carry a tarp in addition to the bivy. Light weight and compact matter as well.

Thoughts/suggestions?

MLD bivy.

^^^^ is that the "eVent" material? What model? Looks good to me. How is condensation?

Bora makes sweet but basic bivies. Rab makes a ridgerunner which offers slightly more structure.

by

Bug net bivy under a large poncho/tarp.

They are solid too. I’ve got a Luna 4 - not quite the quality of my Kifaru gear but close. John is a good communicator and asks questions if needed.

PintsofCraft,
Howdy.

Looks good, really like that color !!

I have a BPWD bug bivy and use it frequently .. I'm just pondering something a little more weatherproof in case a coastal storm blows in unexpectedly.

I was planning roughly 4th of July to split the gap between most likely end of coastal storms and most likely beginning of 100+ degree temps in the canyons. No guarantees of success. I could go later into summer, accept the heat, and reduce the chances of rain. Dunno.

That model is the “superlight solo - all net hood” my favourite to use paired with a tarp or floorless shelter in tick season. Never had an issue with condensation yet.

I have the “event soul” bivy as well. Condensation builds up a bit if the hood is closed. Hood open with the net seems to give enough ventilation.

Thanks for that info. That is really useful .. very very high on my list of options.

Howdy back atcha - you were spot on with Bear Paw - great stuff!

You know I've been doing this for a long time. I've tried several bivouac sacks and I've come to the conclusion that bivvy sacks are great except when it's raining or snowing and then you ask yourself "Self, why didn't I bring my tent ?"

I can't recall anytime that I was thinking "Gee, I wish I had a bivvy bag".

^^^^ I get that. I've been at this a while, too. Always trying to learn though. This might be a time that would be an exception. The trip is probably 5 days, 2 days in, a day at the old cabin site, 2 days back. About 5 miles in from the beginning near where the trail forks to drop into the canyon is a beautiful camp with good water. The rest of the area is a burned over, dry, exposed, rocky SOB. I'm not sure, from old pix I've seen, that there's a place by the cabin site by the river to set up a tent. It's a boulder pile. It would be a candidate for hammock camping if the brush has grown up enough to support one. Not sure about that. I think there are cracks in the rocks good enough for a bivy. I think. So that's the logic for bivy over hammock or tent for this trip.

I'm with KC.
How about a single person tent?--the footprint would be only a bit larger than a bivy, probably cheaper than a tarp and bivy, and when the bugs are out or it's raining/snowing sideways a lot more secure/weatherproof. A single man tent would probably be a pound or so more though.

REI has a single man discontinued Marmot tent on sale for $153 right now.

This is a good idea. So many ways to use a tarp.

I use a MSS Gore-Tex Bivy Bag (Tennier Industries)



Great product.




GR

Oh, come on. I start questioning the contents of my pack about 3/4 mile down the trail.

I tried various Bivys and prefer a one person TarpTent for everything I’ve run into this far.

lol.....