There are three several types of ultralight backpacking bug shelters appropriate for cowboy tenting, sleeping in a lean-to, or beneath a flat tarp or a pyramid tarp: bivy sacks, bug bivies, and web tents. Whereas bivy sacks are confining, they supply wonderful insect safety. Bug bivies often provide extra residing house, however are usually more durable to get out and in of and should be used with a tarp or trekking poles. Web tents provide essentially the most residing house however are additionally the heaviest choice. For a deeper dialogue of those concerns and tradeoffs, see our Ultralight Backpacking Bug Shelter Choice Information under.
With these components in thoughts, listed below are our high bug shelters for ultralight backpacking that we advocate.
Katabatic Gear Pinon Bivy
Borah Gear Ultralight Bivy
Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight Bivy Sack
Paria Outside Breeze Mesh Bivy
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Bug Bivy
Mountain Laurel Designs Bug Bivy
Six Moon Designs Serenity Web Tent
The Six Moons Serenity Web Tent might be arrange by itself with trekking poles, hung from a rafter in a lean-to, or beneath all kinds of tarps. It has a peak peak of 45″ with loads of headroom so you possibly can sit up inside or change garments. The top and foot ends are 8″ excessive to assist preserve the netting off your head and ft, whereas a 3″ bathtub flooring retains you dry. The tent has nook stake-out loops and a big facet door for simple entry.
Yama Mountain Gear Y-Zip Bug Bivy
The Yama Mountain Gear Y-Zip Bug Bivy weighs 9.3 oz and has a Y-shaped zipper opening that makes it straightforward to get out and in of the perimeters or the entrance. Whereas initially designed to be used with Yama’s Tarps, it’s versatile sufficient to be used with a variety of formed and flat tarps as effectively. The Y-Zip has a tapered form and a bath flooring to scale back splashback beneath a tarp. Sturdy flooring materials is used to enhance product longevity, scale back the chance of punctures, and scale back the necessity for a floor sheet.
SlingFin SplitWing Mesh Physique
Yama Mountain Gear 1P Bug Shelter
Ultralight Backpacking Bug Shelter Choice Information
Bug Shelter Sorts: Professionals and Cons
Ultralight bug shelters might be bivy sacks (meant for heat climate use), bug bivies, or web tents. You can too repurpose the internal 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 shouldn’t have waterproof tops as a result of they meant for use in dry circumstances beneath a separate waterproof shelter in non-winter circumstances. Most have mesh hoods for insect safety and luxury with a strong, extremely breathable cloth, masking 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 wire and to stake out the bivy sack corners. Bivy sacks made fully with mesh tops might be problematic as a result of bugs can chunk by the mesh in case you are sleeping on high of your quilt or sleeping bag in sizzling climate as an alternative of inside or beneath them.
- Benefits
- Present wind and splashback safety beneath 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 beneath 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 sizzling 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 should be suspended overhead utilizing trekking poles or an overhead shelter. They’re often provided with a water-proof flooring. Many include high zippers on the ridgeline which could be a little tough to get out and in of relying in your stand and talent to stability whereas stepping out of them.
- Benefits
- Extra residing house
- Have to be suspended on the ends utilizing trekking poles or masking tarp
- Increased sidewalls present higher insect and water safety.
- Disadvantages
- Prime door entry might be awkward.
- Heavier than a bivy sack.
- Tougher to make use of in a crowded lean-to.
Web Tents
Web tents are the equal of an internal 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. Web tents have waterproof flooring and a zippered entrance. In case you are planning to mix a web tent with a tarp, it’s vital to be sure that the door places align correctly for ease of entry.
- Benefits
- Plenty of headroom so you possibly can 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 typically extra handy to have a facet zipper or one on the head finish than a zipper that runs lengthwise down the middle. Should you’re sleeping beneath 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 large 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 Ground and Sidewall Depth
If you must sleep on high of your sleep insulation on sizzling nights, bugs can nonetheless chunk you thru the mesh in case you are available contact with it. Should you sleep on a 2″, 3″, or 4″ excessive inflatable pad, you would possibly think about selecting a shelter with greater sidewalls made with strong insect-proof cloth as an alternative of mesh,
Breathable materials
When selecting a bivy sack, attempt to get one with a extremely breathable high cloth to assist scale back the prospect of inside condensation contained in the bivy again. Keep away from shopping for a bivy sack with a water-proof/breathable high cloth for heat climate use as a result of they’re way more vulnerable to inside condensation.
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