Tent, tarp or bivvy sac?

[kecleon]

If you have much condensation in a bivi it's because you don't use it right, you should not be breathing into it and a little air should be able to flow.

Goretex is breathable but it's not magic if you sweat a lot or worse breath into it without letting the air vent it'll build condensation.

A tarp is no way lighter than a bivi unless it's a tiny thin tarp and a heavy thick bivi. They won't pack to much different sizes either.

For me it's no contest to bivi because you don't have to do anything it's always ready. A tarp you got to rig it up and at the end of a day it's a pain and you just end up rolling up in it using it as a second rate bivi.

 

[jeffyDee]

I have a sleeping bag and a 4 man tent rain fly it kinda works I'd rather have a good canvas tarp.

 

[troublefunk]

THIS http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi...ums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=58958
Polycro tarp's are great,super lightweight,pretty tough and take up no room in yer pack...oh and it's also incredibly cheap too
Make a few DIY eyelets and bungee's you're good to go.
Made my eylets from plastic milk carton.Duct tape em into corner's,couple along the side's,cut an X with a craft knife in em and you're in business.
Mine hasnt let me down yet.

 

[Odin]

Polycro does seem like an interesting choice. If your careful and don't get it torn up in the bush?

Love the fact that its lightweight.

Only thing I can think of diff is would be nice if the polycro was not see through. Camouflage... ::lurking::

 

[Corinne]

i have a tarp, tent and a sleeping bag and its heavy as shit. i only use the tent when it rains. so maybe i could ditch the tent, keep the poles and use it to rig up the tarp when it rains. but then theres nothing protecting my body from the ants...

 

[iamwhatiam]

i have a tarp, tent and a sleeping bag and its heavy as shit. i only use the tent when it rains. so maybe i could ditch the tent, keep the poles and use it to rig up the tarp when it rains. but then theres nothing protecting my body from the ants...

not to mention the skeeters. If I'm going into the bush, I absolutely must have some kind of mosquito netting set up

 

[Hobo Mud]

Weight is always a big concern to me pertaining to what I am carrying in my back pack and I am always obsessing on how to make my load as light as possible. I don't mess with tents because for me personally they tend to be aggravating to set and I don't like the extra weight. I carry a 8 x 10 tarp with me. It's light and I use it in all sorts of different situations. It has saved me many times from getting soaked to the bone when caught in unsuspecting rain storms. When I sleep I normally don't have any type of structure over me unless I no if it's going to rain. Either good luck and safe travles.

I go with sleeping bag insert ( military) and bivy. Light and compact. Peace

 

[Whereamiwhatdoido]

Carinthia 4 military sleeping bag has done it for me so far, bought it new 4 years ago, but from using it in summer and smelly feet I had to wash it twice, first time didn't impact too bad, maybe -5% second time the hollowfibers crashed and it must have gone down a good 40-50% from new condition, doesn't stand so good against the wind anymore. But even if it rains a bit, or heavy dews it keeps me dry, just overnighted recently along the highways in France, went to bed with light rain, kept my pants and snuggled in my jacket inside, must have been 1-3 degrees Celsius(almost freezing) was cold by 3 in the night and tossed the jacket to zeal the hole and cover my head. Got up at 6 and just tugged sleeping bag wet into my backpack and got it out later, dried up from 20 minutes in the sunlight.

 

[etpyh]

I go with a military bivy with a military poncho that doubles as a tarp/tent and a poncho that doubles as a blanket. For colder weather add blankets/sleeping bags.

 

[DavyHex]

Seen bivys (youtube) made from a piece of house wrap (Tyvec?), carpet tape and Velcro. Haven't used one but they say they are really light and durable. Lot like gortex and cheap. Bads: can be hard to source right size tube and loud/crinkles until worked in. Looking to make one of my own soon.

 

[OutsideYourWorld]

Don't forget Tyvek and most other synthetics are vapor barriers. Sealing yourself up in something that doesn't breathe is going to make you quite wet inside, especially in a humid environment or something.