There are three various kinds of ultralight bug shelters appropriate for cowboy tenting, sleeping in a lean-to, or beneath a flat tarp: bivy sacks, bug bivies, and web tents. All of them have their professionals and cons, however that’s true of all ultralight backpacking gear. Whereas bivy sacks are confining, they supply wonderful insect safety. Bug bivies often provide extra residing area, however are usually tougher to get out and in of and have to be used with a tarp or trekking poles. Internet tents provide essentially the most residing area, but in addition are usually the heaviest possibility. For a deeper dialogue of those issues and tradeoff, see our Ultralight Bug Shelter Choice Information beneath.
With these components in thoughts, listed below are our high 10 really useful bug shelters for ultralight backpacking:
1. Borah Gear Ultralight Bivy
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Borah Gear
2. Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight Bivy Sack
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Mountain Laurel Designs
3. Paria Out of doors Breeze Mesh Bivy
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Paria Out of doors
4. Six Moon Designs Haven Internet Tent
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Six Moon Designs
5. Mountain Laurel Designs Bug Bivy
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Mountain Laurel Designs
6. Katabatic Gear Pinon Bivy
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Katabatic Gear
7. Six Moon Designs Serenity Internet Tent
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Six Moon Designs
8. Out of doors Analysis Bug Bivy
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Out of doors Analysis | REI
9. SlingFin SplitWing Mesh Physique
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SlingFin
10. Yama Mountain Gear 1P Bug Shelter
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Yama Mountain Gear
Ultralight Bug Shelter Choice Information
Bug Shelter Varieties: Execs, and Cons
Ultralight bug shelters will be bivy sacks (meant for heat climate use), bug bivies, or web tents. You can even repurpose the inside tent of a double-wall tent though will probably be a lot heavier and awkward to make use of in additional constrained areas.
Bivy Sacks
Ultralight bivy sacks would not have waterproof tops as a result of they meant for use in dry circumstances below a separate waterproof shelter in non-winter circumstances. Most have mesh hoods for insect safety and luxury with a strong, extremely breathable material, protecting the torso and legs. A water-resistant flooring is usually included as comfort together with a zipper or drawstring closure. Grosgrain loops are often included to droop the mesh overhead with twine and to stake out the bivy sack corners. Bivy sacks made solely with mesh tops will be problematic as a result of bugs can chunk by means of the mesh in case you are sleeping on high of your quilt or sleeping bag in scorching climate as an alternative of inside or below them.
- Benefits
- Present wind and splashback safety below tarps. (Splashback is when water bounces off the bottom close to a tarp and again at you.)
- Good for insect and dew safety when cowboy tenting below the celebrities.
- Simple to make use of in a lean-to as a result of they are often suspended from rafters and take no extra room.
- Present inflatable sleeping bag safety when a pad is used inside bivy sack.
- They can be utilized like a sheet for insect safety in scorching climate.
- Disadvantages
- Extra claustrophobic than options
- Low to the bottom so much less waterproof in opposition to pooling water
Bug Bivies
Bug bivies (to not be confused by all mesh bivy sacks that some producers name bug bivies) are just like bivy sacks however have sidewalls and have to be suspended overhead utilizing trekking poles or an overhead shelter. They’re often provided with a water-resistant flooring. Many include high zippers on the ridgeline which generally is a little tough to get out and in of relying in your stand and talent to steadiness whereas stepping out of them.
- Benefits
- Extra residing area
- Should be suspended on the ends utilizing trekking poles or protecting tarp
- Greater sidewalls present higher insect and water safety.
- Disadvantages
- Prime door entry will be awkward.
- Heavier than a bivy sack.
- Tougher to make use of in a crowded lean-to.
Internet Tents
Internet tents are the equal of an inside tent from a double-wall tent however are often designed to be arrange utilizing trekking poles and staked out on the corners. as an alternative. Internet tents have waterproof flooring and a zippered entrance. In case you are planning to mix a web tent with a tarp, it’s essential to make it possible for the door places align correctly for ease of entry.
- Benefits
- A lot of headroom so you’ll be able to sit up inside and alter clothes.
- Disadvantages
- Heavier than bivy sacks or bug bivies.
- Tougher to make use of in a crowded lean-to, particularly if they’ve a facet door.
Zipper Location
On bivy shelters with zippers, it’s usually extra handy to have a facet zipper or one on the head finish than a zipper that runs lengthwise down the middle. For those who’re sleeping below a tarp, there’s going to be restricted headroom beneath it, notably in inclement climate when it’s pitched low to the bottom for extra wind and rain safety. Bivy sacks with facet zippers and massive bivies with finish doorways are simpler to get out of in comparison with bivy sacks with middle zippers or bug bivies with high zippers within the ridgeline.
Bathtub Flooring and Sidewall Depth
If you need to sleep on high of your sleep insulation on scorching nights, bugs can nonetheless chunk you thru the mesh if you happen to are available in contact with it. For those who sleep on a 2″, 3″, or 4″ excessive inflatable pad, you would possibly think about selecting a shelter with increased sidewalls made with strong insect-proof material as an alternative of mesh,
Breathable materials
When selecting a bivy sack, attempt to get one with a extremely breathable high material to assist cut back the possibility of inside condensation contained in the bivy again. Keep away from shopping for a bivy sack with a water-resistant/breathable high material for heat climate use as a result of they’re far more vulnerable to inside condensation.
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