Finest Bivy Sacks, Bug Bivies, and Web Tents for Ultralight Backpacking

June 11, 2025

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There are three various kinds of ultralight 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 internet tents. All of them have their execs 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 typically tougher to get out and in of and have to be used with a tarp or trekking poles. Web tents provide probably the most residing area, but additionally are usually the heaviest possibility. For a deeper dialogue of those concerns and tradeoff, see our Ultralight Backpacking Bug Shelter Choice Information under.

With these elements in thoughts, listed below are our prime bug shelters for ultralight backpacking that we advocate.

Make / Mannequin	Kind	Weight	Worth
Katabatic Gear Pinon Bivy	Bivy Sack	7.3 oz / 207g	$139
Borah Ultralight Bivy	Bivy Sack	5.0 oz / 142 g	$105
Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight Bivy	Bivy Sack	5.5 oz / 156 g	$185
Paria Outside Breeze Bivy	Bug Bivy	13 oz / 369g	$70
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Bug Bivy	Bug Bivy	5.7 oz / 162g	$250
Mountain Laurel Designs Bug Bivy	Bug Bivy	6.5 oz / 184g	$140
Six Moon Designs Serenity Web Tent	Web Tent	11 oz / 312g	$150
Outside Analysis Bug Bivy	Bug Bivy	16 oz / 454g	$99
SlingFin SplitWing Mesh Physique	Web Tent	11.2 oz / 318g	$145
Yama Mountain Gear 1P Bug Shelter	Web Tent	9.3 oz / 272g	$159

1. Katabatic Gear Pinon Bivy

The Katabatic Gear Piñon Bivy gives a water-proof flooring with a water resistant higher to guard your quilt from spray and mist. It has an extra-large mesh window and lengthy U-shaped zipper extending from waist degree throughout the highest, permitting for simple entry and exit. It’s designed to work properly with each pyramid shelters and tarps. Katabatic Gear additionally makes the Bristlecone Bivy which has a smaller mesh window that’s higher for cooler climate however has the identical U-shaped zipper for simple entry or exit.

2. Borah Gear Ultralight Bivy

The Borah Gear Ultralight Bivy is an ultralight bivy sack with a water-proof silnylon flooring, mesh noseeum netting over the face and head, and a breathable and water resistant prime material, both Argon 67 Argon 90, that gives sufficient insect safety that it may be used as a bug-proof sheet in sizzling climate. The bivy has a horizontal zipper over the chest for entry. A grosgrain pull-loop can be utilized to droop the mesh out of your shelter and features a shock twine. A number of lengths and widths can be found. Learn the SectionHiker Borah Bug Bivy Evaluation.

3. Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight Bivy Sack

The Mountain Laurel Designs (MLD) Superlight Bivy Sack is a water resistant bivy bag that’s accessible in a number of completely different variations: with or with out full head netting, with a water-proof silnylon or Dyneema DCF flooring, a left-side or right-side zipper, in a number of colours, lengths, and widths. The highest material is a breathable, insect-proof 10 denier nylon with a 3X DWR coating for enhanced moisture safety whereas a prime gear loop enables you to droop the netting off your face for higher air flow and luxury. Learn our Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight Bivy Sack Evaluation.

4. Paria Outside Breeze Mesh Bivy

The Paria Outside Breeze Mesh Bivy has a mesh cover with a 9-inch deep tub-style flooring to guard you from wind, splashback, and biting bugs. Whereas the cover sides are mesh, the back and front finish partitions are made out of strong rip-stop nylon, offering further wind safety and privateness. The ground and sidewalls are made with 30 Denier ripstop silnylon which has a Sili/PU dual-coating and totally taped seams, offering 5,000 mm of hydro-static resistance. There’s a zipper entry on the highest ridgeline. Learn the SectionHiker Paria Breeze Mesh Bivy Evaluation.

5. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Bug Bivy

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Bug Bivy is a spacious bug bivy that has multipple attachment factors on prime for pitching with or with out a tarp or shelter. It has a seam-sealed 9 inch deep Dyneema DCF 9 bathtub flooring for moisture management and a NoSeeUm mesh higher for breathability and bug safety with 4 nook tieouts. Weighing 5.7 oz, it’s 72 inches lengthy with a tapered flooring plan that’s 24″ on the head finish and 18″ large on the foot. If you’d like extra safety, Hyperlite additionally gives the Splash Bivy, which provides a partial nylon protecting over the mesh for wind and splashback safety below a tarp shelter

6. Mountain Laurel Designs Bug Bivy

The Mountain Laurel Designs Bug Bivy is an all mesh bug bivy with a 3″ bathtub flooring. It has two ridgeline tie-out to attach it to a tarp in addition to nook stake out factors. Entry is thru the highest by way of a zippered door on the ridgeline. A second mannequin, the Bug Bivy 2, can be accessible with a 5″ deep bathtub flooring when you want extra wind, splashback, or insect safety. Learn the SectionHiker MLD Bug Bivy evaluate.

7. Six Moon Designs Serenity Web Tent

The Six Moons Serenity Web Tent could 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 top of 45″ with loads of headroom so you may sit up inside or change garments. The pinnacle 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 aspect door for simple entry.

8. Outside Analysis Bug Bivy

The Outside Analysis Bug Bivy is a 16 oz bivy sack with a water-proof flooring that works properly below an A-frame tarp pitch. A brief fiberglass pole holds the mesh away out of your face, holding the bugs at a distance, whereas the entrance zipper opening seals out mosquitoes and different small bugs. A water-resistant flooring retains the moist floor from soaking by way of your bag. Stake loops across the perimeter allow you to safe the bivy to the bottom whereas inner sleeping pad straps assist preserve your sleep system from shifting at evening.

9. SlingFin SplitWing Mesh Physique

The SlingFin Mesh Physique is suitable with any tarp, mid, or as a standalone bivy sack held up by trekking poles. It’s additionally accessible by itself or as a part of the SlingFin SplitWing Bundle. Weighing 11.2 oz, it’s roomy for one individual and might even match two pals, with nook guylines, ridgeline guylines, and inner ceiling o-rings for hanging gear or a clothesline. Entry is thru the entrance zippered entry. Learn the SectionHiker SplitWing Bundle Evaluation which fits into element concerning the Mesh Physique as properly.

10. Yama Mountain Gear 1P Bug Shelter

Whereas the Yama Mountain Gear 1P Bug Shelter is designed to be used below Yama’s tarps, it can be pitched by itself utilizing trekking poles or below nearly another tarp shelter. The 1P Bug Shelter can be accessible in an assorted variety of materials combos, together with Dyneema DCF. The 1P Bug Shelter has a mesh cover and a bath flooring that’s 10″ deep alongside the edges. Entry us by way of a big entrance door, whereas peak top is 40″ on the head finish and 25″ on the foot finish. Arrange requires two poles and 4-6 stakes. Learn the SectionHiker YMG Cirriform DW-1 Tarp Evaluation.

Ultralight Backpacking Bug Shelter Choice Information

Bug Shelter Varieties: Execs, and Cons

Ultralight bug shelters could be bivy sacks (meant for heat climate use), bug bivies, or internet tents. You can even repurpose the inside tent of a double-wall tent though it will likely be a lot heavier and awkward to make use of in additional constrained areas.

Bivy Sacks

Ultralight bivy sacks don’t 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 totally with mesh tops could be problematic as a result of bugs can chew by way of the mesh if you’re sleeping on prime of your quilt or sleeping bag in sizzling climate as a substitute 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 celebs.
- Straightforward to make use of in a lean-to as a result of they are often suspended from rafters and take no further 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 alternate 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 much like bivy sacks however have sidewalls and have to be suspended overhead utilizing trekking poles or an overhead shelter. They’re often supplied with a water-proof flooring. Many include prime 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 area
- Have to be suspended on the ends utilizing trekking poles or protecting tarp
- Larger sidewalls present higher insect and water safety.
Disadvantages
- Prime door entry could be awkward.
- Heavier than a bivy sack.
- Harder to make use of in a crowded lean-to.

Web Tents

Web 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 a substitute. Web tents have waterproof flooring and a zippered entrance. In case you are planning to mix a internet tent with a tarp, it’s necessary to ensure that the door places align correctly for ease of entry.

Benefits
- A number of headroom so you may sit up inside and alter clothes.
Disadvantages
- Heavier than bivy sacks or bug bivies.
- Harder to make use of in a crowded lean-to, particularly if they’ve a aspect door.

Zipper Location

On bivy shelters with zippers, it’s typically extra handy to have a aspect 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 aspect 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 prime zippers within the ridgeline.

Bathtub Ground and Sidewall Depth

If you must sleep on prime of your sleep insulation on sizzling nights, bugs can nonetheless chew you thru the mesh when you are available contact with it. For those who sleep on a 2″, 3″, or 4″ excessive inflatable pad, you may think about selecting a shelter with greater sidewalls made with strong insect-proof material as a substitute of mesh,

Breathable materials

When selecting a bivy sack, attempt to get one with a extremely breathable prime material to assist cut back the possibility of inner condensation contained in the bivy again. Keep away from shopping for a bivy sack with a water-proof/breathable prime material for heat climate use as a result of they’re rather more susceptible to inner condensation.

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