Bivy for camping instead of tent ?

[*Touring Ted*]

To save space, has anyone chosen to just take a bivy (or is it spelled bivi ?).

They are much lighter and simpler and save quite a bit of space.. Im thinking for the Americas.

[Matt Cartney]

Hi Ted,
I have a Goretex Bivi bag which I only really use in the mountains on short trekking trips when there's been a good forecast!
Personally, I'd never use a bivi bag for bike touring. In bad weather they are miserable things. You can't cook in them and you'll know sitting out a storm in a tent is pretty crap, imagine that in a soggy bag in a field!
The extra weight/bulk of a tent (and it's not much with modern tents) is well worth it if you're looking to spend more than a night or two out of doors.
Matt

[Mike]

Ted

I have a Hennessy Hammock with me in Europe.
http://www.hennessyhammock.com/

Love it, but it's not unknown for me to seek four walls and a roof when the rain's heavy... so I suppose a recommendation depends on when and where in the Americas you'll be ;-)

--Mike

[endurotour]

I think the tent is the better option, much more usable shelter, you can protect your gear (dry boots in the morning), if one finds the need one can entertain in a tent, as mentioned above there are some very small light weigth ones, not sure what i use buts is great, weighs 1.4 kg, sleeps one with all the trimmings, etc etc... found it hard to watch movies on the PSP in a bivy...
although for emergancy back up only another option is an army type Hootchie (not sure local names), section of water proof material, eyelets all around, can be used to shelter the bike for sunny / wet day middle-of-no-were repairs, although the good ones weigh almost as much as the tents and not a lot smaller... good luck

[Joe C90]

they both have their benefits,

for a short duration trip a bivvy bag can be thrown down anywhere, you don't need pegs, you are inconspicuous etc, the thing takes no space etc,

a tent can be cooked in, if you need a piss in the night it is a lot less hassle!

I reckon it is down to the weather, if you are going to get more than a couple of nights rain, tent it...

[ct_miller13]

As said above, the tent offers more comfort and a place for some gear. Although I have used a bivi sack and also a tarp between two trees to help with the weather protection and also a place to cook. However, the weight of those two items amounts to an upper end mountaineering or backpacking tent. I have The North Face Canyonlands tent. It's a one person tent, weighs about four pounds and packs to about 18"x6". It also has dual zippers on the door and with two branches guyed out over the entrance can become a covered area for cooking in incliment weather. They have a new one similar to it, the Particle 13.

The MSR Hubba is another good lightweight single person tent. Check out the websites below for some good prices on top end equipment.

www.sierratradingpost.com
www.mgear.com
www.campmor.com
www.killerdeals.com

[*Touring Ted*]

Well.. I wasnt going to take any camping equipment at all. Im going Alaska-Argentina and planned to stay in cheap hostels on the way and maybe just have a bivi for emergencies or when I see a nice place i want to stay in out in the wild.

From what people are saying, a tent is not really much bigger than a bivi anyway so looks like a no brainer..

Think it will have to be all or nothing when it comes to camping !!

[Matt Cartney]

Hi Ted,
If it's just as a back up, and the occasional one nighter you could try one of these 'Rab Survival Zone' bivi bags. They are apparently very good, very light and quite cheap.

http://www.needlesports.com/acatalog...r_Bivi_50.html

Matt