Thread: light weight bivi gear

Im on the continual journey of sheading gear, my 1 man tent is mostly left on the shelf now days. DD hamock set up was good in steep/wet country but the under insulation issue meant things started to get bulky and heavy. The light weight DD tarp is a winner so now I'm looing at how low can I go....

So I've been looking at bivi bags that can team up with the Tarp.... goretex seems good, but is as heavy as a hammock and are $$. Ultra light stuff looks good but is mega$$$.

Then I found these..... tyvek based products:
Sleeping Covers nice and lightweight and simple.

https://www.2gosystems.com/products/trifecta light weight and versitile with full lenght zips and tarp tie off points. Is also a lot longer. could possibly just use a thermo liner and bivi only with this down to 4deg c?

and these guys based out of Wellington?
Buy Waterproof Bivy Bags & Swags Online i n Australia. We have Light-weight Bivy Bags, Water-proof Bivy Bags, Hooped Bivy Bags, Lightweight Swags, Ripstop Bivy Bags & Swags

So, questions are......
What sleep systems to people use in the bush vs tops.
What works well and is lightweight under 2-3kg for tarp/bivi/sleeping bag/mat.
What tips or tricks to people have?

For low level upper north island bush:

Tyvek groundsheet approx 100g
Neoair Xtherm mat 425g
Merino thermals
SOL Escape Bivvy 260g
NZ Army 'Hootchie' Fly 1kg+

Haven't done anything 'tops' in over a decade, but all I would change would be change the SOL Escape Bivvy for my 4 season down bag.

I'd like to get a lighter fly (dreaming of a Zpacks Cuben Fiber one, but $$$), but I almost exclusively do day trips at the moment, and therefore can't justify it.

My tent weighs under a kg ready to go (terra nova solar competition) sleeping bag weighs about 1.3kg (macpac latitude 500xp) and I have a matt that weighs 390g (exped airmat UL) so that's under 3kg all up and it's all gear that can handle damn near anything that's thrown at it so no compromise on comfort even when it's really cold . If you choose wisely there's no need to spend mega bucks

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

My tent weighs under a kg ready to go (terra nova solar competition) sleeping bag weighs about 1.3kg (macpac latitude 500xp) and I have a matt that weighs 390g (exped airmat UL) so that's under 3kg all up and it's all gear that can handle damn near anything that's thrown at it so no compromise on comfort even when it's really cold.

+1 I use a pretty similar setup and can't fault it.

MSR Carbon Reflex 2, Marmot Helium XP sleeping bag and a Exped UL9 sleeping mat.

I'm obviously not as tough as Ryan because I have a Macpac Sanctuary 800 XL sleeping bag, self inflating mat and a Macpac Bivvy Bag. Weight: TBA.

I've found that having a Fly over the top of you can make a difference to your comfort when the temperatures take a dive. The Fly seems to nicely hold the descending frost/dew from forming on the bivvy bag in the morning, which means you stay warmer and dryer. In summer this isn't an issue of course, so I don't take the Fly.

I like the Macpac version of the Bivvy bag as it has a lightweight aluminium pole that when fitted keeps the bag up off your face. I also now tend to use it in huts when hunting during winter after an experience where it was -3°C inside the hut (mate had a thermometer with him....WTF?) and we froze for a couple of nights. It was then we discovered the benefits of a bivvy bag as added insulation. I'm surprised we took two nights to figure that out actually.

Travelling light sure opens up your ability to push further out into the more remote areas. Good fun. Enjoy it.

The benefit of this type of setup is you can sit out shitty weather for a few days and you have an actual tent to be in rather than being couped up in a Bivy bag building up humidity

You can make your own bivi bag out of Tyvek for about $20. That with a Stiltarp 2 is a reasonably roomy set up but maybe suited not for Fiordland conditions

For overnighters in the bush I use A borah gear m90 bivy and a 9'x6' sil tarp, setup with 4 stakes and lines is 550 grams, throw in 600grams for my quilt and 290 for the 3/4 mat and were at about 1.5kg all in
that tarp is tiny though and only really enough to keep you dry overnight, not something you'd want to spend any time under though so if I'm based out for a few days I take my big tarp which is a palace and about 600 grams and a inflatable pad as I get a better sleep on them.

I have just picked up a 1 man mid from 6 moon designs for tops missions, haven't tested it yet but I think it should work pretty well. About 500 grams with lines and stakes then add the bivy, quilt and pad for around 1.7kg all in.

Nick do you find that when you pitch it as per the second photo, does all your gear end up wet? Or is this just a dry weather option. Personally I think you could leave it behind

Originally Posted by johnd

Nick do you find that when you pitch it as per the second photo, does all your gear end up wet? Or is this just a dry weather option. Personally I think you could leave it behind

It's setup as a hammock....

Originally Posted by Nick-D

For overnighters in the bush I use A borah gear m90 bivy and a 9'x6' sil tarp, setup with 4 stakes and lines is 550 grams, throw in 600grams for my quilt and 290 for the 3/4 mat and were at about 1.5kg all in
that tarp is tiny though and only really enough to keep you dry overnight, not something you'd want to spend any time under though so if I'm based out for a few days I take my big tarp which is a palace and about 600 grams and a inflatable pad as I get a better sleep on them.

I have just picked up a 1 man mid from 6 moon designs for tops missions, haven't tested it yet but I think it should work pretty well. About 500 grams with lines and stakes then add the bivy, quilt and pad for around 1.7kg all in.
Attachment 61090

What model walking stik for tent pole please.

@TeRei That's just a cheap shit number I had lying around, I have a pair of cp3's coming from locus gear. Any pole will do

Originally Posted by TeRei

What model walking stik for tent pole please.

Hey Nick what sort of big tarp do you have please? I'd be keen on a large one that is 600g if you can recall where you bought it from

Cheers

Originally Posted by 308

Hey Nick what sort of big tarp do you have please? I'd be keen on a large one that is 600g if you can recall where you bought it from

Cheers

@308 mine is actually a hammock tarp, got it from wilderness logics in the states. It's a cat cut so not as versatile as a square but supereasy to pitch in an a frame.

Check out a few of the American cottage companies like hammock gear, oes, wilderness logics, bearpaw wilderness ect. You can specify colour weight and extra tie outs ect.

Silnylon is the best bang for buck weight wise.

I use a Nemo Meta 2 pole tent when I need room or a Vaude bivy tent for a quick over nighter as I hate getting bitten by Mozzies!
Shop around for walking poles as I got a pair of carbon fibre ones off AliExpress for under $50 landed and they have lasted well, bloody strong and light.