Jon Tep Everything Outdoors Guide

Since “bivy” is simply a shortened term of the word bivouac, the bivy tent is virtually any tent designed for the purpose of “roughing it” while actually keeping a hiker, fisherman, backpacker, or camper out of the elements.  Hence, bivy tents will all share some of the same qualities and characteristics while ranging widely in terms of price, size, comfort, and weight.  In general it can be said that any bivy tent is incredibly portable and easy to set up in a hurry.  This is an incredibly useful feature for anyone finding themselves in an area where weather can move in quickly.

The smallest bivy tents are little larger than the length of a sleeping bag and can weigh as little as two pounds.  Though the specifics can vary from brand to brand the basic gist of the idea is that the camper can slide themselves and their sleeping bag into the waterproofed bivy tent.  The fabric is typically suspended away from the body by a series of hoops.  This allows for greater airflow and also can help prevent a buildup of humidity if the camper or hiker is already wet when they scurry into their one-man bivy tent.

Though the one-man gunny sack may be enough for some people, it is nice to have a little extra.  The step up from the one-man instant shelter is the two-man bivy tent.  To be fair the two-man descriptor is up to interpretation.  Depending on reviews, the two-person bivy tent is suitable for one adult and one child, one hiker plus their gear, or two people that simply don’t mind a tight squeeze.  The ability to keep camping gear dry may be considered by some to be a serious upgrade.  For others that may have a vehicle to keep their gear stowed like on a father-son spending the weekend carp fishing, having a small, dry tent is enough.

There are some features that should be common no matter what type of bivy tent is looked into:
-The fabric should be breathable.
-The fabric should be waterproof.
-The fabric should be bug proof.

Fabric that doesn’t allow for good airflow can make it too humid inside the bivy tent, and a bivy that isn’t waterproof simply isn’t worth the money.  Many bivy sacks have a mesh hood that can be used both for airflow and bug proofing, and while virtually any camping gear is going to be waterproof, the real test of waterproof isn’t going to be in the walls or the floor but in the seams.  If the seams appear to be weak or of poor construction, think twice before testing it out on the trail.  Whether a one man sack or a two man hut, a bivy tent can be an inexpensive way to stay dry on the trail.

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