A couple of the tarps in the photos above look super open to the elements. On extended trips it looks like it would be miserable....especially if cooped up in snow/rain/clouds for several days? My guess is you and your gear would eventually get soaked? Hopefully a bivy would keep your sleeping bag from getting wet but what do you guys do to prevent your gear from getting soaked....especially without a ground cloth and a tarp that doesn't cover completely to the ground? Having 2 hunters under a small tarp would be super cramped?
An option I've been using for years is taking the fly off my 4 season Hilleberg tent. The fly with poles is literally bomberproof and super roomy. The sides of the fly go completely to the ground so snow, wind, and rain don't get inside. I use painters plastic with this setup. My guess is that my Hilleberg setup is as light as a fly plus bivy.
Am I the only one concerned about snow, wind, and rain on extended trips? It seems to me that things could get almost dangerous if a hunter only has an open tarp with bivy if a sudden snowstorm or blizzard comes through? I'm also leery about condensation in a bivy....even if covered by a tarp? I can understand this setup in dry conditions but in areas where it's humid plus wet such as Alaska? I often return to camp with soaking wet rain jacket, rain pants, boots, backpack, etc....it sure is nice to have a giant fly to spread out wet clothes, cook, etc!
A bivy plus tarp sounds good but what about real world living out in the elements? The learning curve may be pretty high for those that don't have a whole lot of experience.....such a set up could also be super dangerous!