Bivy and Tarp?

[mtwarden]

After using a bivy/tarp combo of various configurations for 15-20 years, I find myself rarely using them anymore (I do have eVent bivy that I still use in snow shelters in the Winter).

With the advent of the very UL dcf shelters, the weight savings are no longer there. They are spendy, no doubt- BUT you have a roughly 16 oz setup that includes a full bathtub floor, fully bug enclosed, room to sit up in, a vestibule to store gear & cook out of the weather if needed and only needs a small footprint to setup.

Too many upsides (except cost) to go back to a bivy/tarp for me.

 

[Loper]

After using a bivy/tarp combo of various configurations for 15-20 years, I find myself rarely using them anymore (I do have eVent bivy that I still use in snow shelters in the Winter).

With the advent of the very UL dcf shelters, the weight savings are no longer there. They are spendy, no doubt- BUT you have a roughly 16 oz setup that includes a full bathtub floor, fully bug enclosed, room to sit up in, a vestibule to store gear & cook out of the weather if needed and only needs a small footprint to setup.

Too many upsides (except cost) to go back to a bivy/tarp for me.

Good point of view. What is your preferred UL def shelter?

 

[Radford]

What is a ul dcf shelter?

 

[mtwarden]

dcf (dyneema composite fabric) is a fabric- it used to be called cuben fiber, several iterations of dcf, but basically it's pretty darn light stuff compared to nylon and has a higher hydrostatic head (waterproofness) and more tear resistance

my solo shelter is a Tarptent Aeon Li, two person is also a Tarptent- the Stratosphere Li- both have done pretty well in rough weather

don't want to talk anyone out of a tarp/bivy, just pointing out another viable option from someone who has spent a lot of time in a bivy and under a tarp

 

[EdP]

Mtwarden covered it. Bivy addresses ticks and flying bugs but has condensation issues. With precip the bivy is not great because you and your stuff are going to get wet during pack-up. The tarp gives cover for pack-up and for cooking/eating. In the east your cover layer (bivy, tarp, tent fly) is going to be wet from dew almost every morning so it isn't just a precip issue. A 1 person tent with nest does the same things as bivy and tarp potentially at lower weight.

 

[Drenalin]

In the mornings I just pop open the plugs on my air pad and then roll up the whole set up (pad, quilt & bivy) into a burrito, then place that into a kifaru stuff sack. Takes seconds.

Have seen you mention this a couple of times - can you share what pad, quilt, and bivy you're using and which size Kifaru sack it's all fitting into?

I use an Exped Ultra 7 and a 15-degree El Coyote quilt in a Borah Bivy - I imagine I'll need Kifaru's large 5-string to make this work.

 

[Phaseolus]

I cannot imagine trying to wait out a long rainstorm in a bivy... I have twice, I’m graduating to a Durston Xmid 2. Same weight as my tarp and bivy and much nicer for those rainy periods.

 

[FlyGuy]

Have seen you mention this a couple of times - can you share what pad, quilt, and bivy you're using and which size Kifaru sack it's all fitting into?

I use an Exped Ultra 7 and a 15-degree El Coyote quilt in a Borah Bivy - I imagine I'll need Kifaru's large 5-string to make this work.

Have seen you mention this a couple of times - can you share what pad, quilt, and bivy you're using and which size Kifaru sack it's all fitting into?
I use an Exped Ultra 7 and a 15-degree El Coyote quilt in a Borah Bivy - I imagine I'll need Kifaru's large 5-string to make this work.

This is my go-to set up:

- Quilt = EE Revelation 20
- Pad = S2S comfort plus large (red, mummy shaped)
- Pillow = S2S Aeros large
- Bivy = OR Stargazer (this one has been discontinued, looks like the Alpine Ascent has replaced it). Side entry bivy and it Has one mini tent pole to elevate the bivy and keep it off your face.

The S2S pad and pillow deflates in seconds. I just pop open the releases and roll up the pad, quilt, pillow and bivy all together. I think the Kifaru stuff sack is the large one? I know I purchased the stuff sack about 7 years ago to fit their 20° mummy bag, so it whichever one goes to that bag.

I also use a Kifaru sheep tarp, most nights. I just keep that in its own stuff-sack with pegs. Super versatile tarp for almost any conditions. I pitch it using a trekking pole and a mtn stick. The mtn stick is a life saver when it comes to leveling out the ground, I sleep much better since I’ve acquired it.