Bivy Sac or Tent?

B

BrentLaBere

New member
Jan 7, 2013
358
For the guys that are experienced in the DIY type hunts. (solo)
I am looking at getting a new setup for for sleeping. I have a small two man tent that weighs around 6 lbs. I think its too heavy and would like to cut the weight.
I guess either going with a bivy sac or a one man tent, am I really gaining ground with losing weight vs being comfortable and laying gear out inside with you at night? This more or less comes down to personal preference but I would like to hear your guys pros and cons from past experience. The tent I am looking at is a one man Eureka for reference.
 
I don't have a lot of  experience, but I would prefer a 2-person shelter to get everything out of the weather at night. Last year I used a 1 person tent, I was able to get a lot of stuff inside, but not everything, Although it was not a true bivy hunt, more of a basecamp.  There are some lightweight shelters for 2 that weigh less than the Eureka one man tents. Check out Six moon design, Tarptent, Golite and Big Agnes
 
For me it comes down to time of year and weather conditions.  The past couple sept's in Montana have been really dry (and smokey) so I haven't even packed a shelter in the backcountry to speak of.  Sometimes just a tarp if it looked like rain.  But if I'm expecting heavy rainfall or snow I think a one or two man tent is a must.  Nothing ruins a hunt or drains your energy and confidence like sleeping cold and wet.  When positive mental toughness is so necessary such as it is when solo hunting the back-country, make sure you have a place to re-energize between hunts.  Otherwise you will be hurting earlier than you would expect.  The north face makes a really nice 2 man tent my good buddy brings along.  Its really light and very waterproof (we've put it through crazy storms where my tarp-hammock combo got bashed).  Was second guessing my no-tent mentality that trip.
 
You can get a quality two person tent quite a bit lighter than 6lbs.

If you use trekking poles a Kifaru Supertarp with annex and stakes will run about 2lbs.

A Go-Lite Shangri-La 5 (5 person tipi) without nest will run about 3lbs 9oz...even lighter if you use trekking poles. Or you could go with the smaller Shangri-La3 (3 person tipi) without nest and it will weigh around 3lbs 5oz.

Big Agnes Fly Creek UL3 (3 person) will weigh around 4 lbs, while the UL2 (2 person) will weigh around 2lbs 10oz.

Personally, I would go with the extra room, and as you can see it should still save you a bit of weight.
 
Thanks for the response guys. Weather would play a big factor. I should have said most of my hunting will take place in the middle to end of September.
 
Backpack Hunter said:
Big Agnes Fly Creek UL3 (3 person) will weigh around 4 lbs, while the UL2 (2 person) will weigh around 2lbs 10oz.

Personally, I would go with the extra room, and as you can see it should still save you a bit of weight.
Click to expand...


This is what I have been looking at the UL2.  2 man that weighs less than most one mans.  I currently have an msr hubba, which has very minimal tent space but has a big vestibule so I can fit all of my gear in there.  whats great about a freestanding tent is you have the option to use the inner tent or just go with fly, footprint, and poles which with the hubba puts you just over 2 lbs.  it is nice to have the tent to keep the bugs out during warm weather.


I think a bivy would just feel too constricted and there is nowhere to store gear.
 
Mountain Bowhunter; You wont get much more space with the UL2 than you have with the Hubba because of its shape, and you will decrease your vestibule by about 2sq ft.

Don't get me wrong it is bigger, but it is not as much as the measurements make it sound due to the angled walls.
 
Backpack Hunter said:
Mountain Bowhunter; You wont get much more space with the UL2 than you have with the Hubba because of its shape, and you will decrease your vestibule by about 2sq ft.

Don't get me wrong it is bigger, but it is not as much as the measurements make it sound due to the angled walls.
Click to expand...


thanks for pointing that out.  the only thing you really gain is floor space.  that's what I love about the hubba is the head space and the vestibule size.  with just the fly, footprint, and poles i could almost sleep two in there with the huge vestibule
 
i forgot i have a picture. all of this fit in the vestibule, even my bow
IMG_16361_zps03f5064e.jpg
 
Mountain Bowhunter,
That looks extremely light weight. Maybe too much? how does it hold up in rough weather?
http://www.sunnysports.com/Prod/ERKTS.html  this is the Uereka I was looking at. I am searching the ones you guys have posted and will have to make a decision before this summers scouting trips.
 
BrentLaBere said:
Mountain Bowhunter,
That looks extremely light weight. Maybe too much? how does it hold up in rough weather?
http://www.sunnysports.com/Prod/ERKTS.html  this is the Uereka I was looking at. I am searching the ones you guys have posted and will have to make a decision before this summers scouting trips.
Click to expand...


I think you would be just fine in rough weather, they are built for it.  I have never had it in snow or anything but it's not a 4 season either.  Just rain so far and it's held up just fine.  even with the tent it weighs just a little more than the one you listed but that eureka only has a 28 inch interior height whereas the hubba is 40 inches.  plenty of room for a tall guy like me to sit up and even move around, not to mention all the vestibule space for my gear, so no interior space is wasted.  and the hubba with just fly, footprint, and poles is considerably lighter too
 
That is one thing I really liked about my two person, and the one you showed in your picture. Im 6'-2" I like my space. The main reason I wasn't leaning towards a bivy, but to have the in between......
 
BrentLaBere said:
That is one thing I really liked about my two person, and the one you showed in your picture. Im 6'-2" I like my space. The main reason I wasn't leaning towards a bivy, but to have the in between......
Click to expand...

I'm 6'2" as well, and I can tell you the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 will mostly annoy you. Your head and your feet will touch the tent walls. The Shangi-La 3 that I mentioned will be tight for you as well, I have to be very careful to keep from touching.

The Shangri-La 5 would be a palace for one, and you could sort of stand up to get dressed in it.
A Kifaru Megatarp would give you 52" of headroom throughout the center of its length as well.

Forgot to mention the Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo might be worth looking into as well.
 
I am 6'4 so I guess I won't be getting rid of my hubba anytime soon.  The kifaru megatarp isn't as light as the hubba fly/footpring setup but it would be more room.


that lunar duo looks very similar to the hilleberg rajd shelter if you haven't seen it you should check it out
 
If you use trekking poles you should get under that weight plus the Megatarp would also allow you to add a stove during the winter months  ;)
 
Check out the Seekoutside products.
I have been looking at the back country shelter 3lbs 2oz that is 105 square feet and 6'6" tall. Supposed to handle 60 mph winds and snow or rain. I probably will get one before this season.
 
I worked through this same dilemma last year. I had used an REI Halfdome Plus 2 for 2 years.  It also clocks in around 6 lbs with the footprint. I liked being able to keep all my gear in at night but felt I needed to gain that edge that comes with weight reduction so I started researching options.  Considered the bivy option but found a lot of guys saying they condensed on the inside at night leaving them cold and damp.  I seem to generate a lot of heat when I sleep for some reason so this didn't seem like a good fit for me.  I opted to go for the one man tent.  It weighs 1.8 pounds and does a good job sheltering me from the elements.  I have enough room for the essentials in there with me like boots, next days clothes etc.  I leave my pack out covered with a trash bag and all is well!! Happy with my selection.  To top it off, I scored the tent at a garage sale in perfect condition for 25$.  It is a Sierra designs something....  Well built and should last a few years. 
 
I used to use a Outdoor Research Bivi bag, but after being stuck for a few days in a very tight space because of heavy rain I wanted more room. I ende up with the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 2. Same weight as the Bivi bag but lots more room.
 
The Eureka solitaire is very similar to a tent I used this year. I would feel very comfortable with the eureka tent. One caution on that tent I would have for a True Bivy hunt is the durability of the fiberglass poles. tearing it down and putting it up everyday may cause a weak area to show its ugly face. For additional storage, You could uses a lightweight nylon tarp  for your gear. I found  a 5x7 at walmart for $10 that is perfect for that
 
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