bivy bags/tents

I carry a Vaude bivvy bag all the time. More as an emergency shelter than a permanent solution. Its main problems are as you would suppose no room to move around especially when its raining and condensation has nowhere to go. It does however take up little room in a minimilists pack and dose'nt wiegh a great deal.

I've never used one... But a friend and I spent a night in the Waipakihi - me with a home made Tarp, him with a Macpac Bivvy. During daylight, he remarked how jealous he was with there being so much space. The wind got up and it got a bit damp during the night, I was jealous with his dry set up. I've got a DD Tarp now 3m x 3m, and it's wonderful, but I keep thinking about a bivvy bag and small utility tarp. Then I start thinking about a one man tent... By the time I add up a 1kg bivvy bag, ground sheet?... Tarp, a pole?... I end up with a tent http://www.vango.c...ts/banshee-200.html Which is heavier than where you started... I think a Bivvy bag would be lovely, if it didn't rain. But if it didn't rain? Why would I need one.

I used to use a Bivvy bag all the time in tandem with a Hootchie. It was a great combo and served me well for years until I stopped tramping and lost my gear (as you do) Back into Tramping/Hunting again and I have been using one of these http://www.equipoutdoors.co.nz/contents/en-us/p328.html So far it has kept me dry, stood up to the wind and has just enough room for one over sized human, his dog and overnight pack. Nice and light at about 1kg. Hurls

I just take a 1kg fly. I use walking poles so if there is nothing to tie it to I use them. Advantages are, I can get my pack etc underneath as well, I can shelter my buddies under it, it makes a great shelter for lunch if it is raining, I can fix my blisters or my buddies blisters out of the rain. it is nice and cool in summer. I used a bivvy bag once and the only thing I liked about was its ease of use.

If I tried to use a fly every blood sucking insect in the country would find a way in...

any deet based insect repellent would fix that. The aeroguard one works well but when you spray your face it tastes foul. Maybe thats why it says dont use on face

If you pitch your fly correctly and it's big enough you don't need a bivvy bag as well. If you carry both it's about 2kg so you may as well be carrying a tent. I use a fly most of the time - the only problem is that it can get cold since the air passes straight through. Bivvy bags are ok if you are under a tree canopy otherwise you end up covered in dew in the morning - I never found a way to pitch one where you didn't have an opening at the head. When it's raining the water gets in through the zips anyway, even if you do sleep upside down. They are quite warm. Others have noted the condensation problem - it's not that bad if you have a gore-tex bag and have the zips open.

Like bigpaul, I picked up a bivy bag mostly for the emergency shelter angle. I take it when I'm in a group and someone else has the tent (or fly), and sometimes I'll also take it on a daywalk, or otherwise if I'm almost certain I won't be camping out but want something just in case. Since I've had it anyway, there have been a few times when the conditions have been nice enough that I've decided just to sleep out, rather than under fly.

The only place I use my bivvy bag is in a snow cave. With our 950g fly of our Hexagon Montbell 2 person tent, there's generally no need for a bivvy. If we use the inner tent for insect proofing, it only adds another 550g.